Books and Works on Paper

The Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio has become the third US institution to hold a work by the obscure Dutch artist Michel van Overbeek (fl.1650-1719) after acquiring this small drawing of the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome.

This illuminated initial comes from a late 14th century Book of Hours that carries an estimate of £20,000-30,000 at Forum Auctions on November 25.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Celebrating the county’s history, literature and its arts and crafts, an inaugural Dorset Auction was held in Dorchester by Duke’s (25% buyer’s premium).

A group of Richmal Crompton’s Just William books that had an appealing family provenance were offered without reserve at Sotheby’s (26/20/13.9% buyer’s premium).

Remarkably well-preserved 1818 Frankenstein and 1897 Dracula firsts impress in New York

Incorporating 40 coloured litho plates, a copy of The Last Works of Henri Matisse, a folio collection of 1958 issued by Harcourt Brace of New York, led a sale held by Toovey’s (24.5% buyer’s premium) of Washington in West Sussex at £2600.

A menu celebrating a landmark in British aviation – the first flight from London to Brighton, accomplished in 1911 – sold for £750 at Bellmans.

Now well-established London auction house marks landmark with a wide-ranging sale

The sale of July 15 proved to be its most successful since lockdown for auction house Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium).

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Presentation copies and private press books were a key feature of a Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) summer sale.

Three very different lots brought six-figure bids at a Christie’s (25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) summer sale – and they were not the only ones to reach such impressive heights.

Author’s works were well represented in London auction that included a £24,000 surprise

Highlights of Chiswick Auctions earlier this summer

One of the more unusual lots that I have encountered in recent times is a piece of card bearing the only known example of Mahatma Gandhi’s fingerprints.

Many of the lots in a June 16 sale of books, maps and pictures held by Thomson Roddick (18% buyer’s premium) in Carlisle came from the collections of the late Dr George Kozikowski of Skye, a microbiologist, archaeologist and antiquarian of Polish descent.

Collection now up for sale was owned by soldier killed in Korea but kept safe by his brother