Signed John Wilkes Booth Portrait, Founding Father Archive, and Citroën Photolog: The Week in Rare Books
John Wilkes Booth portrait, signed and inscribed
This weekly auction result is provided by Spencer W Stuart, an independent collections advisor specializing in rare books and manuscripts as well as fine photography and prints. He is also the author of Contemporary Issues in Rare Books & Manuscript Collecting and host of the monthly webinar Collecting Insights.
These are the three lots that stuck out this week because of either uniqueness or exceeding expectations:
John Wilkes Booth portrait, signed and inscribed
A half-length portrait in Boston by Case & Getchell of Lincoln's assassin, 1862, signed and inscribed "Yours Truly / J. Wilkes Booth" showing him seated in ¾ view with fist resting on his hip and holding a cane. Sold by Swann Galleries for $107,950 following an estimate of $7,000-$10,000
100 documents of a Massachusetts Congressman
An extensive archive of papers from Founding Father Massachusetts Congressman Samuel Holten containing correspondence from Massachusetts when he served in both the Confederation Congress and the 3rd Congress of the United States, comprising much material concerning family news and local politics, plus correspondence referencing Shays's Rebellion, tensions with Great Britain, and the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever epidemic. Sold by University Archives for $18,000 following an estimate of $2,000-$3,000
Bordeaux to Beijing in a Citroën
Approximately 1,150 vintage silver prints on the Croisière Jaune Expedition from Beirut to Peking, 1931-1932, featuring Great Wall of China, Kasak hunter carrying his eagle, Mongolian couple, child on a Citroen car playing with an elephant, woman in traditional costume, Ming necropolis, Behistoun cliff (near Kermanshah) in Iran, and Baalbek ruins, accompanied by two booklets describing the expedition with illustrations. Sold by Gros & Delettrez for €34,000 following an estimate of €1,500-€2,500.
