Dallas, Texas - A Casablanca (Warner Brothers, 1942) Insert nearly doubled its pre-auction high estimate when numerous bidders drove its final price to $102,000, claiming top-lot honors in Heritage Auctions’ Movie Posters Auction in Dallas. The total value of the auction, which boasted sell-through rates of 97 percent by value and 96 percent by lot, was $1,602,103.

The 14-by-36-inch high-demand poster was widely anticipated prior to the Nov. 17-18 auction. Part of the appeal to collectors is the fact that this poster features all of the film’s main characters, including the leads played by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. The film went on to become one of the most important films in Hollywood history, developing an enormous base of fans and collecting several Oscars along the way, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

“This is regarded as perhaps the best-looking of all formats of domestic paper produced for the film, which is among the most popular and important in Hollywood history,” Heritage Auctions Movie Posters Director Grey Smith said. “Casablanca belongs in any serious movie poster collection, and this poster can be the centerpiece.”

An extremely rare, highly sought-after Thunderball (United Artists, 1965) full-bleed British quad more than doubled its low estimate when it sold for $24,000. Multiple collectors made bids for the poster with artwork by Frank McCarthy and Robert McGinnis. This country-of-origin British paper, in advance quad crown style, captures Sean Connery in his fourth - some say his best - performance as James Bond. Only a small number of copies remain uncut. This poster was advertised in the British pressbook as the Quad Crown poster, intended to be cut by theater owners into double crown posters (no double crown posters were distributed for the promotion of the film).

A Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Paramount, 1961) Italian 4 - Fogli drew bids from more than a dozen collectors before nearly tripling its low estimate at $22,800. The 55-by-78-1/2-inch poster, offered for the first time through Heritage Auctions, features a beautiful portrait of Audrey Hepburn by Ercole Brini, who was widely considered one of the best artists in the business.

A Superman Cartoon (Paramount, 1941) Stock One Sheet also drew numerous bids before closing at $20,400. The 27-by-41-inch poster was created by Paramount with a blank imprint area in which the name of any of 17 individual Superman cartoon shorts could be written or printed.

A dozen collectors made bids on a Creature from the Black Lagoon (Universal International, 1954) Six Sheet with artwork by Reynold Brown until it drew a final price of $19,200. The horror classic stars Richard Carlson, Julia Adams and Richard Denning as a group of paleontologists who travel to the Amazon and find the famed Black Lagoon and its most unusual occupant. The film was one of the era’s finest and inspired two sequels, and this poster in its large format may be in the best condition of its kind.

Other top lots included, but were not limited to:

·         The Empire Strikes Back (20th Century Fox, 1980). British Royal Charity World Premier Double Crown, with Ralph McQuarrie Artwork: $15,600

·         World War II Propaganda (Ministry of Information, 1939) Full-Bleed British Crown “Keep Calm and Carry On”: $15,600

·         World War I Propaganda (Boston Public Safety Committee, 1915). Recruitment Poster "Enlist," Fred Spear Artwork: $14,400

·         This Gun for Hire (Paramount, 1942) One Sheet: $14,400

·         Frankenstein (Universal, R-1947) One Sheet: $13,200

The Folio Society is delighted to announce that their edition of The Little Prince, written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, has won the Literature category at the British Book Design & Production Awards 2018. 

The Folio Society’s Production Director, Kate Grimwade said: ‘Our stunning edition of The Little Prince was a worthy winner in the Literature category at last night’s prestigious British Book Production and Design awards. 

‘Working from the 1943 first edition, enormous care was taken in restoring the quality and colours of Saint-Exupéry’s original illustrations. This, along with careful selection of the typeface and a binding on the commentary volume which incorporates a design from a mid-century French edition, make this Folio edition of The Little Prince a truly unique publication. 

‘Folio constantly strives to raise the bar when it comes to ambition in design, use of materials and technical expertise, and winning this award reflects Folio’s continued commitment to production and design excellence.’ 

The two volume set consists of the novel with an introduction by Stacy Schiff and a companion volume of commentary by Christine Nelson, Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, which showcases additional illustrations by the author that were not included in the original publication.

M.C. Escher continues to be one of Europe’s most popular graphic artists. His woodcuts, in which he gradually transforms one figure into another by constantly repeating the same figure with infinitesimally small changes, are universally known. Geometric figures become birds, birds become fish, bees become honeycombs and a black figure on white becomes white on black by this same principle. 

Perhaps his most sought after work is Regelmatige vlakverdeling [in English, this translates as “Regular Division of the Plane”], published by Stichting De Roos in 1958. We are very pleased to be including a copy of this work in our forthcoming Catawiki Books (Stichting De Roos) auction which goes live on November 30th (and ends on December 9th at 7pm CET).

The sentence reproduced on this page, (at the beginning of the publication) translates ‘There is an element of the minstrel in every graphic artist.’ This theme continues on the next page of the book: ‘in each print he makes from one particular woodblock, copperplate or lithographic stone, he always sings and repeats the same song’. This second part of the sentence touches on a very striking aspect in Escher's work: repetition. It is not surprising that he chose this sentence for the opening of his book: it is a reflection of this technique.

This work is in three main parts. There is the text portion, which include Escher's personal outpourings about his 'addiction' to the regular division and contains an explanation of the depicted woodcuts (45 pages). Then there are the black and white illustrations printed from the blocks (a series of six prints, 33 x 24 cm.) Finally, the same six prints are produced in Red (almost a burnt Ochre).

About the Publishing house

The ‘Stichting De Roos’ publishing house was established in June 1945 - one month after the liberation of the Netherlands. During the Second World War quite a large number of clandestine fine editions had been published, and it was this love of the book that the founders wanted to keep alive. In their first prospectus they explained their mission ‘to make books and printed matter solely for the pure and therefore altruistic love of typography and art, in all conceivable forms in which they may be combined’.  The Stichting (or foundation)  has a maximum of 175 members, and for many years has had a waiting list for prospective members. Every year three or four works are published, for members only. The best known and most sought-after publication from ‘Stichting De Roos’ is Regelmatige vlakverdeling. The copy offered here is # 81 of a Limited Edition of 175 examples.

The philosophy of the tiles

The tiles are everything for Escher. He explains his philosophy a little more in R. Roelofs 'Not the Tiles, but the Joints: A Little Bridge Between M.C. Escher and Leonardo da Vinci'. In: 'M.C. Escher's Legacy', (2003). Here he says that the tiles should fit tightly together on all sides, so that there is no space between them. In other words, the joint, the grout, the layer of mortar used by bricklayers to cement each stone to an adjacent stone, separates them in practice, but can theoretically be reduced to nothing. Mathematicians would call these joints “edges of the tiling; edges are never considered to have any width." 

This distinctive style and philosophy is explained further on the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the Netherlands) website. “As he wanted to be an architect, M.C. Escher (1898-1972) started his training at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem. However, one of his teachers, the graphic artist Jessurun de Mesquita, discovered his talent for drawing and encouraged him to change to the department of graphic art. One can still see his interest in architecture in his oeuvre, not only when he is working with planes, but also in his experiments with mathematical figures and perspective. It enables him to combine different styles in one work, styles that would seem incompatible, but that are made into a logical whole by his expert and imaginative constructions.”

Museum Meermanno

The Museum Meermanno has owned the archive of ‘Stichting De Roos’ since 2003. This rich archive includes, among other things, membership records, minutes, production material, and the ‘project files’ of the publications that were produced in editions of 175 copies. The project file of Regelmatige vlakverdeling reveals that Escher had initially been asked to illustrate a book by Belcampo. However, Escher preferred a text of his own, about his major specialism. ‘It might become’, he wrote in 1956 to Karel Asselbergs, a member of the board, ‘a most curious publication; or something, anyway, (said in all modesty) that no other graphic artist on the entire globe would be able to furnish you with. It doesn’t sound very modest, but what can I do about it? That’s just the way it is.’

The Museum Meermanno not only owns the first copy (No. 1) of this sought-after book, but also the proof sheets and the wood blocks Escher made for the book. 

The photographs of this fabulous work are all taken from the copy offered in the Stichting De Roos auction at Catawiki  - M.C. Escher, Regelmatige Vlakverdeling, 1958, estimated at ??8.000-10.000. 

Works by Evelyn Waugh, inscribed to his friend and fellow writer Patrick Balfour, are to be offered at Bonhams Fine Books and Manuscripts sale in London on Tuesday 27 November.

Highlights include:

• An author’s presentation copy of Waugh’s autobiography A Little Learning published in 1964. The book is accompanied by two postcards from the author acknowledging errors in the text that Balfour had identified. Estimate: £1,500-2,000.
• A first edition, large paper copy printed on handmade paper and specially bound of The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold, Waugh’s 1957 lightly fictionalised account of his experience of persecution mania caused by the chloral he took for his chronic insomnia. Estimate: £1,000-1,500.
• A first edition author’s presentation copy of Men at Arms, the first of the three novels that make up the Sword of Honour trilogy. The inscription reads, “I say, why not send the copy you bought to ‘a friend in the forces’ instead of exchanging it. There are too many houses which lack one.” This may be a witty reference to Waugh’s concerns that the mixed reviews for the novel might affect sales.  Estimate: £800-1,200.

Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966) and Patrick Balfour (1904-1976) first met at Oxford in the early 1920s, and later in that decade were members of the social set known as The Bright Young Things, satirised in Waugh’s 1930 novel Vile Bodies.  In the book, Balfour serves as a model for Lord Balcairn -  the gossip columnist on the fictitious Daily Excess, whose column, written under the name Mr Chatterbox, is taken over by the central character, Adam Fenwick-Symes. In real life, Balfour -  who was heir to the Barony of Kinross - wrote a gossip column for the Evening Standard, and was one of a number of aristocratic young men employed by mass circulation newspapers to recount the exploits of their friends and relations. Waugh often teasingly referred to Balfour as ‘Mr Gossip’.

The two men got to know each other well as war correspondents in Abyssinia (part of present day Ethiopia) during the Second Italian-Abyssinian war of 1935-36. The war provided much of the material for Scoop, Waugh’s satire of the newspaper industry, published in 1938.

Waugh also drew on aspects of Balfour’s life for the character of Lord Kilbannock in the Sword of Honour Trilogy set over the course of the Second World War. In the novels, Ian Kilbannock is a former journalist, working for the military as a press liaison officer. He plays a recurring, and increasingly significant role, in the development of the plot. Balfour himself, who became Lord Kinross on the death of his father in 1939, worked as Director of the Publicity Department in the British Embassy in Cairo in the latter stages of the war, having previously served in naval intelligence.  

Other books in the collection include:

• Presentation copies of the revised editions of Black Mischief, 1962 and Scoop, 1964. Estimate: £1,000-2,000.
• A large paper copy of Helena, printed on handmade paper and specially bound for presentation by the author. Waugh’s favourite among his novels, and his only work of historical fiction, the book was poorly received by the critics. It is accompanied by a small collection of letters, including one from Waugh’s wife Laura in response to a letter of sympathy written by Kinross after Evelyn’s death in 1966 - “...it makes such a difference hearing from people who really knew and understood Evelyn….How right you are in saying he would have enjoyed  criticizing his own obituaries and writing his own… ” 

Bonhams Head of Fine Books, Matthew Haley, said: “In his fiction, Waugh often drew on aspects of his friends and acquaintances, and the events of his own life. He was too great a writer, though, to offer straight pen portraits, and while the allusions to Patrick Balfour in Sword of Honour are clear, they are artfully woven into the narrative and suffused with the affection Waugh felt for an old and cherished friend.”

Westport, CT - Items pertaining to Napoleon Bonaparte, Albert Einstein, JFK, George Patton, Abraham Lincoln and dozens of other luminaries throughout world history and popular culture can be purchased in time for holiday delivery during University Archives’ internet-only auction already up and online. Live bidding will begin Wednesday, Dec. 5th at 10:30 am Eastern.

As with all University Archives auctions, this one is packed with rare and highly collectible autographed documents, manuscripts, books, photos and relics. The full catalog showing all 284 lots can be viewed now, at www.UniversityArchives.com. Online bidding is being provided by Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

“If payment is prompt, bidders can receive a truly unique gift item delivered in time for the holidays,” said John Reznikoff, the president and owner of University Archives. “This is our largest auction to date, in terms of value, and there are many rarities to be had. Who wouldn’t like to own a large and powerful bust of Napoleon, or a two-page letter hand-signed by him?”

The Napoleon lots are expected to do well in the international arena, where University Archives has been gaining a strong foothold in recent auctions. “We’re enjoying continued strength as the leader in Americana, with a rapidly expanding offering of foreign personages, which often sell to our international clientele,” Reznikoff said. “We have registered bidders in over 50 countries.”

The two-page letter, written in French in a clerical hand and signed by Napoleon (as “Napol” at the top of the second page, verso), was penned in Germany on March 29, 1807. The letter is addressed to Napoleon’s Minister of War, Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke, chastising the Prince of Isenburg for disobeying orders and calling him “ridiculous.” It should sell for $2,000-$2,400.

The Napoleon bust after an 1885 model by Italian sculptor Renzo Colombo (1856-1885) is 21 ¾ inches tall and is in excellent condition, with the original patina. It depicts the French Emperor as dignified and serious, with firmly set brow and intense eyes. Colombo executed numerous casts of Napoleon, and this example stands as one of his finest. It carries an estimate of $3,000-$4,000.

A 1909 metal casting of an 1860 “life mask” of Abraham Lincoln by Leonard Wells Volk (Am., 1828-1895), with the casting executed by Caproni Casts in Boston, should reach $7,000-$8,000. Also, a letter written in 1782 by George Washington, as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, to New York Gov. George Clinton, expressing outrage over Native American and loyalist attacks on the New York frontier, four pages, signed, is expected to finish at $18,000-$20,000.

A single-page letter written and signed by Thomas Jefferson as President, dated Oct. 29, 1803, in which he invites the French Ambassador Louis-Andre Pichon to dinner, right after completion of the Louisiana Purchase, has an estimate of $9,000-$10,000; while a one-page letter written and signed by Alexander Hamilton on Jan. 31, 1799, to George W. Kirkland of Philadelphia, in which he supports Kirkland’s idea of Army recruiting at Tioga Point, should hit $5,000-$7,000.

A scarce engraving on rice paper of the Declaration of Independence, printed in 1848 by Peter Force, boasting remarkably exact renditions of the signers’ hands and perhaps one of as few as 500 copies issued, should command $6,000-$7,000; while a bi-fold manuscript document from 1779 signed by George Taylor (1716-1781), among the rarest of the Declaration signers since he only served for seven months in the Continental Congress, has an estimate of $18,000-$20,000. 

A letter from 1947 written in German and signed by Albert Einstein, expressing appreciation for a 75th birthday present from a Mrs. Damann that prompted him to recall and sketch a childhood dexterity game called “Pigs into the Sty”, should reach $12,000-$14,000. Also, a letter penned extensively on all four sides by Charles Darwin, dated Feb. 9, 1861, in which he reflects on social and religious adversity while revising Origin of the Species, should rise to $6,000-$7,000.

An unframed 8 inch by 10 inch photograph of Babe Ruth, signed by the Bambino himself (“to my pal, Cyril, Sincerely, Babe Ruth”), depicting Ruth in street clothes, with a cigar in one hand, with a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA, should breeze to $4,500-$5,000. Also, a huge black and white photo of Muhammed Ali, shown glowering over Sonny Liston, signed by Ali using a blue Sharpie and double matted in a 35 inch by 29 ½ inch frame, has an estimate of $800-$1,000.

A copy of the book Poems (N.Y., 1844) by Clement C. Moore, author of the classic Christmas poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (“Twas the night before Christmas….”), inscribed by Moore to Janet Drake de Kay (“with the respect of the author, Mar. 1846”) should garner $6,000-$8,000; while a partially printed document from 1793, signed by the poet (and legendary drinker) Robert Burns, in which he signs a permit to grab a cask of rum, is expected to gavel for $4,000-$5,000.

As with all University Archives online auctions, this one is packed with important, scarce and collectible signed documents and other items relating to some of the most famous names in all of history. The firm has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare material of this nature.

University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies.

For more information about University Archives and the Wednesday, December 5th internet-only auction, please visit www.universityarchives.com.

North Adams, MA—The Artist Book Foundation (TABF) celebrates an exhibition of the innovative works of Stephen M. Schaub at TABF’s Louis and Susan Meisel Gallery in Building 13 on the campus of MASS MoCA. The show runs from November 9, 2018 to February 1, 2019. 

In Stephen Schaub’s monumental artwork, rather than experiencing a literal place or a linear story, viewers encounter something akin to the fragmentation of a memory or the illogic of a dream. The images may be evocative, lyrical, and—at times—haunting. Schaub says for many of these Recent Works, he was “inspired by the light and the energy of this iconic, sweeping space,” shown in the 14-ft. print, Grand Central Terminal; he says he “was particularly struck by what happens when you stand still amidst so much movement and just watch... it felt to me as if slices of time were appearing and disappearing all around. This is one of the themes that fascinates me and informs so much of my work: how our perception of space and of time creates the stories we tell ourselves, which may only be loosely related to reality.” 

In the creation of the negative, overlapping frames and multiple-exposures are used to evoke an almost cinematic sense of time and motion. Images are printed using handmade surfaces such as Amate paper from Mexico, and Kinwashi paper from Japan. Schaub is interested in the way these historic materials may merge with content and vice versa, surface and imagery blending into one, each informing the other. Because each artwork is created in this fashion, these places exist nowhere so much as they do within the mind of the viewer. 

Schaub lives and works in Vermont and his unique prints have been exhibited in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. His work is in the Polaroid Collection as well as other major private and corporate collections. 

New York-Book collectors from far and wide partook in Swann Galleries’ auction of 19th & 20th Century Literature on Tuesday, November 13. The sale saw demand for genre works and classics alike with an 88% sell-through rate. Specialist John D. Larson noted that “the strong prices achieved across the spectrum of the sale was impressive, with canonical titles by Poe, Hemingway and Wilde leading the way. In addition, the more recent material, particularly the sc-fi variety, went from strength-to-strength with auction records set by Asimov, Philip K. Dick and Heinlein, proving once again the sky is no limit.” Topping the sale was a first edition of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan. A Play About a Good Woman, 1893. The presentation copy signed and inscribed by Wilde to Elisabeth Marbury-a leading play agent in New York who handled all of the author’s plays in America-was sold for $27,500 to a collector after breakneck bidding.

A first edition of Ernest Hemingway’s first book Three Stories & Ten Poems, 1923, from the collection of cartoonist Al Hirschfeld, saw success with a price of $18,750. The first American edition of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque commanded $9,375 over its high estimate of $6,000. The 1929 book included the author’s signature and an inscription to the daughter of Carl Laemmle-the founder of Universal Studios.

Top prices earned by Transcendentalist authors include Henry David Thoreau’s 1845 Walden; or, Life in the Woods, which garnered $11,250. The author’s 1906 manuscript edition of The Writings, which featured a handwritten selection from Autumnal Tints, brought $8,750. Walt Whitman was present with a signed author’s edition of Leaves of Grass, 1876; and a signed first collected edition of Whitman’s Poems & Prose, 1888; which sold for $7,500 and $5,250, respectively. Additional works by Transcendentalists included the first edition, presentation copy, of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s May-Day and Other Pieces, 1867, which realized $3,750. The publication featured the author’s signature and an inscription to his nephew. Other notable publications from the late nineteenth century included the first edition, first printing of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales, 1845, which produced $15,000. 

Appearing for the first time in its extraordinarily rare dust jacket was Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf, 1904. The first edition, second issue, brought $6,250. Other early twentieth-century literature included the first edition of Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, 1910. The scarce example garnered $5,250. The 1912 autographed edition of Thomas Hardy’s The Writings, complete with 20 volumes, was won for $5,000.

Records for works signed and inscribed by Philip K. Dick to his last romantic partner, Joan Simpson, included a 1970 first edition of Our Friends From Frolix 8, and a 1970 first hardcover edition of Galactic Pot-Healer. The works earned $5,000 and $4,750, respectively. Also by Philip K. Dick: the original 1952 typescript for Martians Come In Clouds, won for $9,375. The early story was published in a 1954 issue of Fantastic Universe. 

Additional science fiction and genre works included a pre-proof copy of Stephen King’s It, 1986. The unique example represents the book’s earliest state of production and brought $4,000.

Other records were set by Isaac Asimov, with a signed and inscribed first edition of The Caves of Steel, 1954, which earned $7,500, while a signed first edition of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, 1966, by Robert A. Heinlein, reached $5,250.

Swann Galleries is currently accepting quality consignments for auctions in 2019. Visit www.swanngalleries.com for catalogues, bidding and inquiries.

New York--Swann Galleries’ auction of Autographs on Thursday, November 8 saw major interest in notable authors and innovators, as well as American heros in a variety of fields including athletes and presidents. 

Kurt Vonnegut-an American writer best known for his science-fiction infused anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five-was a standout of the sale with a group of letters written to members of his family, largely from his time enlisted in the army during WWII. The offering of 12 letters, on various subjects including the war, love, alcohol and art also contain small drawings and doodles by the young Vonnegut, reached $12,500 over a high estimate of $6,000. Vonnegut also drew interest with a signed and inscribed unpublished story from the 1940s, which sold for $4,500. 

Of the Vonnegut offering Marco Tomaschett, Autographs Specialist, noted: “Vonnegut's letters are themselves tiny literary achievements. They sparkle with humor and keen observation, some with parts taking the form of a dialogue between his recipient and a fictional interlocutor; others serving as a sketchpad for clever insignias or flags that make a sarcastic commentary on the text running alongside. Vonnegut's letters are a joy to read, and that the group Swann offered realized as high a price as it did is a testament to the fact that there are still those who appreciate the joy of reading.”

Additional literary figures included a Ralph Waldo Emerson photograph signed, which brought $4,750. An autograph manuscript from Elizabeth Barett Browning, that featured a selection from her essay Walter Savage Landor, with holograph corrections, sold for $6,500 over a high estimate of $1,000. Ernest Hemingway’s autograph letter signed to Marlene Dietrich, thanking her for a number of things (including her patience) earned $4,680. And, a typed letter signed from Margaret Mitchell to a fan, mentioning her characters from Gone with the Wind as if they were actual people brought $5,980.  

Innovators proved to be popular with collectors with an ALS by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre discussing his newly created portable camera, which grossed $12,350, and a photograph signed and inscribed by Orville Wright. The silver print shows the first flight of the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903 with Wilbur running alongside the plane and Orville piloting ($6,750). Artist Joan Miró’s illustrated autograph note signed to MoMA Director of Exhibitions and Publications, Monroe Wheeler reached $6,250.

American icons saw success with a print depicting the moon landing, signed and inscribed by Neil Armstrong, which garnered $5,250; and a Babe Ruth photograph signed and inscribed by the baseball player earned $8,125. 

Correspondents from American Presidents and First Ladies featured an Abigail Adams autograph letter offering marriage advice to her son that reached $5,460. An ALS from Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State reached $9,375. Abraham Lincoln was present with an autograph endorsement signed, as well as Mary Todd Lincoln with an ALS on mourning stationary ($6,240 and $5,750, respectively). Modern U.S. Presidents featured John F. Kennedy with a sketch of his PT-109 on “United States Senate” stationary, which brought $5,200. 

Basel, Switzerland—In the last exhibition of this year, Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books will present extremely rare examples of religious book art, most of which are more than 500 years old. Elaborately illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, miniatures, and early printed books will be on display at the Dr. Jörn Günther Antiquariat in Basel from the 3rd to the 14th of December 2018. The magnificent artworks portray scenes from the Christmas story bringing the medieval and Renaissance interpretations of Christmas to life.

The Christmas selection features beautiful Books of Hours, including a lavishly illustrated manuscript that was presumably made for a member of the Venetian Zane family. The twenty-one delightful miniatures are attributed to the Masters of the so-called Gold Scrolls group. Albeit small in size, this elaborate manuscript is full of finely illuminated and elegant texts, manifesting individuality.

Another highlight of the exhibition is an unusual and beautiful Book of Hours that was made for or commissioned by Louis XII, King of France (1462-1515). Like his famous father, Charles of Orléans, Louis was a great bibliophile who preferred manuscripts to printed volumes in his exquisite Blois library. The manuscript appears to have been originally conceived by a regional artist, who also carried out a great deal of the illumination. This master was assisted by an elaborate artist from the Parisian workshop of Jean Pichore, who executed some outstanding and famous manuscripts for Louis XII and was one of the king’s favourite artists. Compellingly, the two artists not only divided the illustrations to be painted, but actually worked together in many of the same miniatures. 

Another unusual manuscript in the Christmas line-up is a rare English Book of Hours, the Beauchamp-Corbet Hours. It was made in London in 1328 and was likely a wedding present for Beatrice Beauchamp (and widow Corbet, d. 1347). Nearly every page is decorated with a multitude of whimsical miniatures and bas-de-page scenes. Some miniatures in this volume show rare and most unusual iconography, for instance a historiated initial that depicts a funeral service attended exclusively by animals, an unusual topic for the Office of the Dead. A recent owner of this fanciful manuscript was the renowned German children’s book writer Cornelia Funke. The Beauchamp-Corbet Hours reportedly served her as inspiration for her popular novel, Ghost Knight.

A beautiful Nativity scene on display at the Christmas exhibition comes from the Dupont Book of Hours, a fine Book of Hours made in the workshop of the Master of the ?chevinage of Rouen. This manuscript, with bright, large margins, is an excellent example of the high quality of illumination from the city of Rouen. The unidentified name Dupont, with its monogram mark, gave this small, intimate, and personal prayer book its name. Interestingly, however, one miniature shows the anonymous patroness kneeling before the Virgin and Child. Miniatures and borders are richly detailed: textiles are patterned and gilt, architecture is articulated, and interiors may include arcades or a gothic sculptured throne. The narrative content is similarly expanded into scenes in the margins, in roundels containing ancillary characters or events.

Los Angeles—A high-grade issue of The Incredible Hulk #1 from May 1962 sold for $167,280 on Friday at Huggins & Scott Auctions. 

This first issue is considered one of the most valuable and prestigious comics of the Silver Age. Marvel Comics published the inaugural issue of the Incredible Hulk in May 1962, which was part of an enormous resurgence of super-hero comics in the early 1960’s. This comic book earned a Universal Grade of  8.5 from the leading comic book grader CGC.

The consignor read this 56-year old Hulk Comic once as a youth and kept it in storage since 1962. Well known to be a super tough comic to find in upper grades, this high-demand pivotal issue continues to show astonishing sale price increases, reaching a Fair Market Value of $175,000 in recent years for the few known examples that have been graded at the 8.5 level.
 

The popularity of the Incredible Hulk comic series led to Marvel Studio producing a superhero film The Incredible Hulk in 2008. The film starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk. Mark Ruffalo replaced Norton as the Hulk in the 2012 film The Avengers. Ruffalo reprised the Hulk role in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War.

The comic book was estimated to sell between $125,000 to $175,000.