Over 200 lots of autographed manuscripts, cartography, literature, illustrated books and historical artifacts in the catalog of the auction which will take place on 14 June 2018 at Christie's New York, soon after dedicated sale of John James Audubon's outstanding “First of Portland” first complete album release, The Birds of America (1827-1838) (estimate: $8.000.000-12.000.000).
The first section of the various owners auction is led by Audubon's North American Quadruped First Edition, an homage to the American frontier and the most ambitious of all color books produced entirely in the United States (estimate: $200.000-300.000) , followed by a selection of further works illustrating American animals and landscapes by Alexander Wilson, Karl Bodmer, Henry Warre and others.
Grazioso Benincasa's long-awaited work represents the earliest known separate map of the island of Ireland and is a rare record of the race of the Indies at the end of the XNUMXth century, charting the golden age of exploration.
Other highlights of this section are Willem Blaeu (1571-1683) and Joan Blaeu (1596-1673), Theatrum orbis terrarum, sive atlas novus, 1640-45, a fascinating world atlas from the Golden Age of Dutch cartography (est. : $80.000-120.000); and a Silver Globe after Johann Oterschaden (c. 1600-1603), a rare, beautifully engraved miniature silver globe, dating to the early 50.000th century (estimate: $80.000-XNUMX).
Prominent Americana is an extremely rare copy of WJ Stone Engraving of the Declaration of Independence, one of only six printed proofs on paper, July 4, 1823, commissioned by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams (estimate: $200.000- 300.000). Other works include "The Bible of the Revolution," a first edition of the first complete English Bible printed in America (estimate: $55.000-80.000); and a selection of autograph manuscripts and letters from Thomas Paine (1737-1809), George Washington (1732-1799), Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Additionally, there is a selection of correspondence from the Wright Brothers and Lindbergh Papers of Aviation Journalist, Earl Findley, divided into multiple lots.
Bibliophile anticipation for the first issue of Shakespeare's Second Folio, which contains Milton's first appearance in print: a tall, fresh copy in an early binding (estimate: $150.000-200.000); and an autographed manuscript by Charles Darwin (1809-1992) from his radical treatise on human evolution (estimate: $70.000-90.000).
The sale also includes other milestones in 20th century history, with the first Olympic gold medal awarded for basketball, to George Louis Redlein (1885-1968), St. Louis, 1904 (estimate: $100.000- 200.000); Paul McCartney's 1970 affidavit begins his lawsuit to break up the Beatles, with handwritten notations by John Lennon (estimate: $100.000-150.000); and an autograph manuscript of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963), listed as a "demonstration draft" of his inaugural address (estimate: $50.000-75.000).
On the same day, the Books & Manuscripts department will also present one of the most sought-after natural history books ever created: the outstanding “Duke of Portland” complete first folio edition of John Birds Audubon by John James Audubon (1827-1838) (est. : $8.000.000-12.000.000.
