Newton Manuscript, Tennis Posters, Early Plato: Auction Preview

Here are the sales I'll be watching this week:

There are a handful of books in the Freeman's | Hindman sale of The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright on Tuesday, May 7, mostly presentation copies but a handful of books with her annotations.

Ending on Tuesday is the Bonhams online sale of Important Science, Philosophy & Alchemy, in 24 lots. An Isaac Newton alchemical manuscript, being his notes on Johannes de Monte-Snyders' Commentario de Pharmaco Catholico, is expected to sell for $100,000–150,000. A presentation copy of the 1726 edition of Newton's Principia given to the Earl of Pembroke, president of the Royal Society, could sell for $60,000–90,000. Parts III and IV of the 1484 Florence edition of Plato's works (containing the Timaeus and Critias), printed by the nuns of San Jacopo di Ripoli, is estimated at $50,000–80,000. Adam Smith's copy of Helvetius' De l'Homme (1773) is expected to fetch $40,000–60,000.

On Wednesday, May 8, Heritage Auctions sells 129 lots in Depth of Field: Photographs Showcase Auction.

At Forum Auctions on Thursday, May 9, an online sale of Modern Literature, Illustrated Books and Original Artwork, in 361 lots. An original John Nash illustration for a 1927 edition of King Lear rates the top estimate at £3,000–5,000. A group of five Ian Fleming books, including a second impression copy of Casino Royale are estimated at £2,000–3,000.

On Thursday at Swann Galleries, 204 lots of Tennis & Sports Posters, from the collection of the Schwarz Family and the Tennis Corporation of America. Roger Broders' poster for the Monte Carlo Tennis Club from about 1930 is estimated at $8,000–12,000; Edward Penfield's poster for the Kenwood Country Club's 1896 Western Lawn Tennis Tournament could sell for $7,000–10,000. The same estimate range has been assigned to Leopoldo Metlicovitz's 1907 billboard for the Naples department store E. A. Mele & Cie.