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Two Important
Single-Owner Sales of Old West Items |
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By Tom Slater
On Sunday afternoon, October 25, we will hold back-to-back auctions
of the Collections of Gary and Betty Robertson
(1:00 CT) and John Woods (4:00 CT). The Robertson
Collection is undoubtedly the most important assemblage in private
hands of guns and implements related to buffalo hunting on the
Central Plains. It features no less than nineteen sought-after
Sharps buffalo
rifles as well as some fifty lots of the “tools of the trade”
of buffalo hunters and skinners: gun belts and
holsters, Bowie and other
knives, complete kits of
skinners’ tools (one possibly owned by Wyatt
Earp), even a large hand-made buffalo hide
pail used to deposit the animals’ tongues as the animals were
butchered.
The Robertson Collection also features sixteen iconic Henry
rifles, including beautifully engraved and martially marked
examples as well as two of only 203 iron
frame models made - one of the finest collections of Henrys to
come to market in many years. The Robertson Collection also
includes some 100 different complete, unused boxes of cartridges
for Sharps and Henry rifles, undoubtedly the most extensive
selection of these rare and sought-after items ever to appear at
auction.
The John Woods Collection was carefully assembled by a Calgary,
Alberta, collector with a lifelong fascination with the American
West. The collection consists mainly of items directly related to
the most famous personalities and events of the Old West: Buffalo Bill,
Annie Oakley,
George Armstrong
Custer, Geronimo, John Wesley
Hardin, Oklahoma Sheriff Bill
Tilghman, Jesse and Frank
James, Cole Younger,
Sitting Bull,
Judge Roy Bean,
Tom Horn... and
more! It features autographs and manuscripts, personally owned
items, firearms, photos, documents, even some Native American
artifacts - one of the finest arrays of these historic items ever
presented by Heritage.
Even if you are not an active collector of these categories, we
hope you will take the time to look at these memorable offerings
online. Anyone with an appreciation for the history of the American
West cannot help but be delighted and fascinated by these auctions.
If you can’t join us in the auction room, be sure to watch and bid
via our patented Heritage Live! platform.
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The James M. Goode
Collection of Bookplates |
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By James Gannon
Bookplates have been an endlessly diverse and charming reflection
on the history of the printed book, and provide a beautiful and
personalized record of book ownership. We are very pleased to
present the bookplate collection of
James M. Goode, which features in excess of 2,000 bookplates
and was exhibited at the University of Virginia in 2010, under the
auspices of the Rare Book School, the Albert and Shirley Small
Special Collections Library, and the Alderman Library.
Engraved ownership bookplates have been an integral part of the
printed book for more than 500 years. “The earliest bookplates were
woodcuts designed and printed for Catholic monasteries in Bavaria,
Germany, beginning in the 1480s – only one generation after
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing of books by movable type
in Mainz in 1455,” bookplate collector, author and historian James
M. Goode writes in Three Centuries of the American
Bookplate. The study and collection of bookplates became
popular in the late 19th century with the publication of four
serious historical studies of the labels used to identify
ownership. Beginning in the 1890s, collectors were focusing on
bookplates of famous people, universities and well-known bookplate
designers. Others collected bookplates with images such as sailing
ships, knights, monks, library interiors, or silhouettes. The Yale
University Library has the largest collection in the world, with
close to one million bookplates.
In our Rare Books Auction #6148, November 4 and 5 in
New York City, in just over one hundred lots you will find superb
examples of beautiful and historic bookplates from the past three
centuries. Many plates in this collection are custom-framed and
elegantly labeled in hand-calligraphy, so they are ready for
display.
The collection boasts the plates of prominent figures in many
fields, including politicians, entertainers, industrialists,
businessmen, scientists, and authors. Among the bookplates are
those belonging to George Washington,
Greta Garbo, Nelson A. Rockefeller (the only bookplate designed
by Pablo Picasso), Albert Einstein, and
Robert Frost. Many of the bookplates were created by important
artists and designers such as Rockwell Kent,
Thomas Hart Benton, Paul Revere, Carl S. Junge,
Paul Landacre, Frank Brangwyn, Edward
Burne-Jones, Eric Gill, and Leonard
Baskin.
A few of the bookplates are being auctioned individually, but most
will be auctioned in appropriate groupings, especially if they
already are custom-framed by type or style of plate, bookplate
designer, or type of book owner. Some larger groupings
organized in binders by bookplate category will also be
available. Mr. Goode’s excellent reference
library relating to the history, design, and collecting of
bookplates will also be included in a number of group lots.
We hope you will enjoy learning about and bidding on this excellent
collection, lovingly curated and assembled by James M. Goode.
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Lord Dunsany: The
Franklin V. Spellman Collection |
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By Philip Jensen
"Come with me, ladies and gentlemen who are in any wise weary
of London: come with me: and those that tire at all of the world we
know: for we have new worlds here." – Lord Dunsany, The Book
of Wonder.
Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, [1878-1957], known more
popularly as Lord Dunsany, was an Irish writer of fantasies and one
of the great "world builders" of the early twentieth century. He
was the Eighteenth Baron of Dunsany, a poet, a playwright, a
novelist, a sharp shooter and chess champion, a hunter, a soldier,
and a world traveler. He inspired a generation of authors such as
J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ursula K. Le
Guin; and although not as currently well-known, he was in his time
a social and literary sensation. With his distinctive cut quill pen
and his larger than life personality, he remains a figure of
fascination to this day.
In our upcoming Rare Books Auction #6148, Heritage is pleased
to present this remarkable collection of over 418
Dunsany books, letters, and other related ephemera.
Featuring a core of 232 volumes (comprised of ninety-six titles
written by Lord Dunsany in a variety of editions), there are many
special copies which bear inscriptions, tipped-in letters, and wax
seals. This lot includes several of Dunsany's limited first
editions, such as the beautifully printed G.P. Putnam large format
editions of Time and the Gods, The King of Elfland's
Daughter, and two inscribed copies of The Chronicles of
Rodriguez. These four volumes, uniformly bound in quarter
vellum and orange cloth (three in their original illustrated dust
jackets), are each signed by both Dunsany and his illustrator
Sidney Sime.
And, of course, no discussion of the works and worlds of Lord
Dunsany would be complete without a nod to his illustrator and
kindred spirit Sidney Sime [1867-1941]. Sime's early life, partly
spent scratching images of fantastic creatures on the walls while
working in the Yorkshire coal mines, stands in stark contrast to
that of Lord Dunsany's, born to both title and wealth. However,
their mutual love of the fantastic brought them together and
resulted in several striking literary and artistic
collaborations.
So it is of no surprise that in this collection there are nine
books relating to Sidney Sime, including a very rare copy of his
1923 collaboration with composer Joseph Holbrook, Bogey
Beasts.
[We are also delighted to note that there are five works of art by
Sidney Sime being offered as separate lots in this
current auction. Among them are two oil paintings on wood panels,
one of which, appropriately enough, is of Lord Dunsany's castle].
Through Dunsany's correspondence and book inscriptions one is
introduced to others in his circle, such as his friend and
biographer Hazel Littlefield Smith, publisher Elkin Matthews, book
collector and aspiring author Manuel Tarshish, true crime author
William Roughead, and the much celebrated bookbinder George
Sutcliffe.
Here amidst the books and letters is also to be found a variety of
Dunsanian ephemera, such as a four-page typescript poem by Lord
Dunsany titled "The Coronation", two typed pages of his limericks
transcribed as he recited them during a party in 1953, a short
handwritten note, four photos, a comically illustrated flier from
one of his speaking engagements in New York, and much more.
Among the later correspondence there is a letter from Lady Beatrice
Dunsany to Franklin V. Spellman dated 1966, responding to Mr.
Spellman's interest in her husband's works, in which she writes:
"A return of interest in the fantastic & romantic literature
will come before very long, & meanwhile I hope your quest for the
books will be successful."
We are pleased to present the Franklin V. Spellman
collection of the works of Lord Dunsany, which not only speaks
to the success of that quest, but also moves us all one step
further along on that ongoing return to the truly fantastic! Please
be sure to visit this lot on our website to read more detailed
information about this collection and our other exceptional books.
The auction will be held November 4-5, 2015, in New York City.
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Presidential Factoids:
Abraham Lincoln and Election of 1864 |
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By Jim O'Neal
(Editor's Note: Another in a series of interesting articles
written by James O'Neal, former President and C.E.O. of Frito-Lay
International. View his biography at this
link.)
In the spring of 1864 Abraham Lincoln, and his key advisors, were
growing increasingly pessimistic about his chance for reelection.
The Confederates had triumphed at the Battle of Mansfield, the
Battle of the Crater, and then the disastrous Battle of Cold
Harbor. It was here that thousands of Union soldiers were killed
and wounded in a hopeless assault on the fortified position of
Robert E. Lee's Army of the Northern Virginia. It was an impressive
performance by Lee, but basically the last one of any
consequence.
In the North, people were growing increasingly weary of the carnage
and the prospect of a continuation of such a bloody war. "Peace at
any cost" was looking increasingly attractive and questions about
Lincoln's leadership were growing. However, he was still popular
among the rank and file and he was re-nominated without any
opposition at the June convention in Baltimore. In an effort to
bolster his chances, Lincoln persuaded the attendees to drop
Hannibal Hamlin as vice president and replace him with Andrew
Johnson, the Democrat from Tennessee.
However, the outlook was bleak and
Lincoln was struggling with bouts of severe depression.
In addition to swapping vice presidential candidates, the
Republicans changed the party name to "National Union" to gain
votes from Democrats who still supported the war effort. Then the
party platform was changed to incorporate some important policies.
First, they promised to crush the Confederacy and punish their
rebel leaders while demanding an unconditional surrender. Next was
a commitment to enact a constitutional amendment to ban slavery.
Last was a promise to aid disabled Union war veterans.
Still the pessimism persisted as the war dragged on and no end in
sight. Lincoln even had his entire cabinet sign a sealed letter in
August 1864: "It seems exceedingly probable that this
administration will not be re- elected," and then a commitment to
cooperate with a President elect: "to save the Union between the
election and the inauguration."
But then Grant, Sherman, and Phil Sheridan started racking up
victories in August and September and the entire outlook changed a
lot. Also, the Democrats made an unwise choice in selecting General
George B. McClellan as a "peace candidate," For all his faults,
this was not one of them. He did not support the basic premise of
peace irrespective of the consequences. The McClellan mistake was a
key to Lincoln's sweeping victory as the war effort started paying
big dividends and public sentiment changed dramatically.
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Abraham Lincoln’s 1864
Campaign Memorabilia |
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By Michael Riley
Our Americana & Political Auction #6142, coming up
on November 7 at our Dallas headquarters, features quite a number
of great Lincoln-related items. There are three lots specifically
from his second presidential campaign in 1864 (left to right):
Lot 48312
Abraham Lincoln: 1864 Campaign Token. DeWitt AL-1864-37,
gilt brass, 22mm. AU with most of the original gilding. A very nice
example.
Lot 48052 Lincoln & Johnson: A
Superb 1864 Campaign Flag, the Threads of History Plate
Example. Pictured by Collins as item no. 333 on page 172. The
only example we have ever encountered of this very appealing
design, this glazed cotton flag boasts an unusual 35-star "Great
Star" configuration in the canton. Large, bold lettering is also
unusual and helps give this flag a very strong display presence. 8"
x 6", with original stick (incomplete), nicely framed. Excellent
condition, with a hint of very light overall aging, just enough to
give it character. Colors are very strong.
Lot 48059 Abraham Lincoln: Largest
Size 1864 Ferrotype. DeWitt AL-1864-83, gilt brass 45mm, with
original cardboard back. Smooth and glossy surface with only a few
light scratches. Some traces of the original luster to the brass
frame. All-in-all, a superlative example.
Of course, through the years Heritage has sold a number of great
Lincoln & Johnson items. Here's a look at three of the finest (left
to right):
Auction 6145, Lot 42262 Abraham
Lincoln: A Stunning, Unique Flag Banner from the 1864 Election.
Sold for a record breaking $106,250!
Auction 6092, Lot 38071 1864 Lincoln
& Johnson Jugate Badge: The "Holy Grail" for collectors of Pinback
Jugates. Sold for $56,762.
Auction 6032, Lot 47175 Lincoln &
Johnson: Key 1864 Currier "Grand National Banner" Campaign
Poster. Sold for $14,937.
Shown in Jim O'Neal's article (above) is the following item:
Auction 672, Lot 25308 Lincoln &
Johnson: Ultra-Rare 1864 Campaign Broadside of the "Union
Platform". Sold for $19,120.
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As the fastest growing American-based
auction house, financially rock-solid Heritage Auctions continues
to grow and seek the best talent in the industry. If you are a
specialist or have strong general collectibles knowledge, we want
to hear from you. These specialists will, in some cases, head new
departments and in others will enhance existing department
expertise. We have positions open at our headquarters in Dallas as
well as at our new state-of-the-art galleries in prime locations in
both Midtown Manhattan and Beverly Hills.
Heritage is seeking to hire the world's best specialists in the
following categories:
- General Manager: W. Palm Beach
- Trust & Estates Specialist
- Wine Consignment Director
If you are interested and feel you have the qualifications we
seek, please email your resume and salary history to
Experts@HA.com.
We are also seeking to fill the following corporate positions:
- Building Operations/Maintenance
- Network Administrator
If you are interested in applying for one of these Corporate
positions, please
apply here.
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