York, PA – In line with their continued goal of growth through providing top-notch services to their clientele, Hake’s Auctions has appointed comics industry veteran Gary Guzzo to the position of comic art consultant and artist representative. In his new capacity, Guzzo will use his extensive experience and connections to secure original art for auctions, including fresh-to-the-market pieces, and help to authenticate material. He will also act as a liaison between Hake’s Auctions and the artists who are looking to sell their work.

Paris — 150 years after Dickens’s death, June 2020 will commemorate the anniversary of globally beloved author, social campaigner and public figure Charles Dickens. To mark the occasion, SP Books are releasing the original manuscript of Oliver Twist, which, according to actor and Dickens enthusiast Simon Callow, remains “ among the best loved and indeed most read ” of all his novels.

In 1837, Charles Dickens was only twenty-five years old but already editor-in-chief of a new literary magazine and in the midst of publishing a successful first novel, when he began writing the adventures of a young orphaned hero, Oliver Twist, first published using the pseudonym ‘Boz’. When the first two chapters appeared in Richard Bentley’s literary magazine, Bentley’s Miscellany, the story’s immediate popularity was evident, set to make Dickens one of England’s best-known writers.

Now, the manuscripts, with Dickens’s additions, deletions and corrections, have been reproduced for the first time with George Cruikshank’s original full-page colour illustrations. These pages are a living testimony to a novel in serialised form, a challenging way of writing with no opportunity to go back and edit.

When Dickens left the editorial staff of Bentley’s Miscellany on bad terms, he neglected to take the complete manuscript of Oliver Twist with him. Although the majority of the pages re-emerged years later when the premises were cleared out after Dickens’s death in 1870, some fragments were forever lost or destroyed. The 474 folios containing 22 chapters of the book that were left behind were subsequently put up for auction by Sotheby's and purchased by Dickens’s friend John Forster, and then bequeathed to the V&A.

In the first ever facsimile edition of the manuscript SP Books celebrates this iconic tale, revealing largely unseen edits that shed new light on the narrative of the story and on Dickens’s personality. Heavy lines blocking out text are intermixed with painterly arabesque annotations, while some characters' names are changed, including Oliver’s aunt Rose who was originally called Emily. The manuscript also provides insight into how Dickens censored his text, evident in the repeated attempts to curb his tendency towards over-emphasis and the use of violent language, particularly in moderating Bill Sikes’s brutality to Nancy.

Reprinted from the V&A’s manuscript collection, and in collaboration with the Charles Dickens Museum, who provided a manuscript leaf from Chapter 10, Oliver Twist is given a new lease of life. The foreword is written by English actor, writer and director Simon Callow, an expert on Dickens, with full-page colour drawings by original illustrator George Cruikshank, including those rarely reproduced from a deluxe edition published in 1911.

Collated for the first time in as beautifully-bound collectable, these key edits shed new light on the much-loved social novel, and, in the words of Simon Callow “shows us the young genius in the very act of mastering his craft - a uniquely exuberant, inventive, observant, compassionate tyro turning himself, by sheer willpower, into one of the greatest writers in the English - or any other - language.”

Westport, CT – Items signed by Marilyn Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bob Dylan, the three Apollo XI astronauts, Robert Hooke and many more of history’s brightest luminaries will come up for bid in an online-only Rare Books, Manuscripts & Relics auction Including Forbes and Kerouac slated for Wednesday, June 24th, by University Archives, beginning at 10:30 am Eastern time.

The full catalog, showing all 276 lots, is up and online for bidding and viewing now, at the newly revamped University Archives website (www.UniversityArchives.com), as well as the platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The sale comes on the heels of a June 10th auction dedicated entirely to Kennedy items.

“Our June 24th auction offers a fantastic buying opportunity for general collectors, as well as specialized collectors of literary, art, music, and entertainment,” said John Reznikoff, president and owner of University Archives. “Items pertaining to presidents, world leaders, military, science, space, aviation, business and investment are well represented in this very diverse sale.”

A strong candidate for top lot of the auction is an exceedingly rare autograph document signed by Robert Hooke (British, 1635-1703), the natural philosopher, architect and polymath often referred to as “England’s Leonardo”. The 1670 document, arbitrating a property dispute after the “Late dreadfull fire” (the Great Fire of London in 1666) is expected to realize $65,000-$70,000.

The star-studded entertainment category features items ranging from the era of P.T. Barnum and “Buffalo Bill” Cody to Hollywood’s Golden Age. Aficionados can bid on a signed publicity still of Marilyn Monroe from the 20th Century Fox movie How to Marry a Millionaire, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded NM-7 (est. $12,000-$14,000) or the autographs of Lawrence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and other big stars.

Outstanding historical documents relating to U.S. presidents – hugely popular with collectors – will include a George Washington free franked war dated document (est. $5,500-$6,500); a war dated, four-language whaling ship’s passport signed by Abraham Lincoln (est. $10,000-$12,000); a letter signed by Andrew Johnson relating to the Pacific Railroad (est. $1,000-$1,200); and items pertaining to JFK, FDR, Harry S. Truman, Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower.

The literary category will also feature 30+ lots of from legendary Beat writer Jack Kerouac’s estate. Items include Kerouac’s personally owned and worn modest stainless steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual wristwatch, circa 1962 (est. $900-$1,000); and his large, wall-mounted crucifix, nearly 9 inches tall, a favorite of Kerouac’s, who was a lifelong devout Roman Catholic (est. $200-$300).

London — Peter Harrington has launched its latest literature catalogue - its first to specialise in fantasy and science fiction – which includes rarities spanning a broad selection of popular and specialist genres.

A rare first edition of Mary Shelley’s The Last Man in original boards is a timely highlight of the selection, with the novel set among the last survivors of a global pandemic at the end of the 21st century. The last time another copy of this rarity surviving in its original binding appeared on the open market was at an auction in 1956.

Entitled In Other Worlds: Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Beyond the catalogue curates 180-works of fantasy and science fiction across several centuries, from the 15th century first printing in the original Greek of the ancient Greek epic of Jason and the Argonauts, to the most limited and deluxe edition of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.

Catalogue highlights include:
•    Mary Shelley’s The Last Man – the first fully-realised apocalyptic novel, a genre which has endured across the years.

•    A signed first hardcover edition of I Am Legend by Richard Matheson – another highly influential novel in “the last man” genre. The novel has inspired at least 3 films, including the 2007 Hollywood production starring Will Smith.

•    First editions in exceptional condition of other dystopian classics such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

•    A deluxe signed limited edition of George R.R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones; A Clash of Kings; A Storm of Swords; A Feast For Crows; A Dance of Dragons – one of only 52 lettered sets signed by the author and illustrators, with an original drawing in each volume.

•    The first science fiction novel written by an American – A Voyage of Discovery by Capt. Adam Seaborn, a rare first edition of a book that started a long line of hollow earth lost race fiction.

•    A rare complete set of the first two volumes of the first magazine to be dedicated to fantasy literature – the Weimar-era Der Orchideengarten edited by macabre fiction writer Karl Hans Strobl and artist and writer Alfons von Czibulka, all surviving in the striking original illustrated wrappers.

•    First edition of the feminist utopia Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, which follows three young men as they discover a utopia inhabited by an all-female race. This rare copy is inscribed by the author to a fellow suffragist.

•    A true first edition of Jonathan Swift’s masterpiece, Gulliver’s Travels, a rich source of inspiration for many later science fiction writers.

•    Why Viking Lander, Why the Planet Mars? by Ray Bradbury - the original manuscript draft of this poem, written while witnessing the Viking 1 spacecraft entering Martian orbit.

Commenting on the catalogue, Sammy Jay, the literature specialist at Peter Harrington responsible for curating the selection, says: “In this time of isolation, books have proven to be more than usually exciting companions. From escapist fantasy to political dystopia, from gothic nightmare to spiritual quest, writers have dissolved the boundaries of the possible, reshaping the worlds we think we know, and travelling with us to wholly new planets. Embracing the newest science and the oldest myths, the heritage of imaginative literature remains both relevant and enduring.”

He further added: “We all need some escapism these days, and this catalogue offers plenty of high-octane getaway fuel. Fantasy, however, isn’t only about escapism - in the words of the writer Katherine Rundell, “it’s not escapism: it is findism … Books are not a hiding place, they are a seeking place.” With creativity being increasingly looked to as the key to human adaptability, the rich heritage of imaginative literature - from the oldest myths to the newest sci-fi - can only grow in relevance as a training ground for the minds of tomorrow.”

Pom Harrington, owner of Peter Harrington adds: “Our newest catalogue celebrates popular and niche fantasy literature and science fiction – each genre of which has contributed something unique to the literary universe. You will find works from movements that enjoy a huge popular following such as alien dystopia and Martian fiction, classical mythology and fairy tales, gothic horror, the supernatural and hard science fiction. But you will also find some superb examples of more niche genres such as feminist utopia fiction, drug-induced literature by writers such as Jean Cocteau and S.T Coleridge, influential Christian fantasy literature such as Pilgrim’s Progress and the many imaginative tales that have defined enduring classics of children’s literature.”

Other notable inclusions in the catalogue:

•    First edition, in the rare and desirable first state of both text and binding of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - a landmark work of American fantasy literature by L. Frank Baum.

•    Several examples of imaginative drug-induced compositions and reveries including a first edition of S.T. Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan”, a first edition of Jean Cocteau’s Opium: A Diary of An Addict and a first edition of Thomas De Quincey’s iconic first book Confessions of an English Opium-Eater.

•    One of the earliest obtainable editions of The Pilgrim's Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come, a landmark of Christian fantasy by John Bunyan.

•    Inscribed first edition of A Maid from Mars by Katherine Ross Derrick – a rare early Martian fiction by a female author.

•    First edition inscribed by the author, of Frank Herbert’s Dune, a seminal work of science fiction and among the best known and most widely read in the genre. It was the basis of the 1984 David Lynch film, with a new adaptation due this year starring Timothée Chalamet.

•    First editions of J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy - one of the most popular and influential works of literature in the 20th century.

•    Editio princeps of Argonautica, the most important Greek epic of the 3rd century BCE, the definitive telling of the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece.

•    First editions of well-loved children’s fantasy literature, including J.M Barrie’s Peter and Wendy - an expanded adaptation into novel form of the 1904 stage play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow; and a first published edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Dallas – A classic masterwork by the most beloved American illustrator of all time could bring $1.8 million or more in Heritage Auctions’ American Art Auction July 1 in Dallas, Texas.

Norman Rockwell’s Mother Tucking Children into Bed (Mother's Little Angels) Literary Digest cover, January 29, 1921 (estimate: $1,800,000-2,400,000) is a deeply personal work, arguably the artist’s most iconic Literary Digest cover of his 47 covers published between 1918 and 1923. The painting was given by Rockwell to Literary Digest editor Rudolph E. Leppert in 1921, and has remained in Leppert’s family ever since. Few images hold the same sense of nostalgia in the American consciousness than that of a mother tucking her little children into bed at night, and few artists ever have captivated the nation's imagination as adeptly as Rockwell.

“Heritage has long been considered a leader in the field of Illustration and Western Art, and in these categories, our auction will not disappoint,” Heritage Auctions Vice President and Director of American Art Aviva Lehmann said. “We feel honored to be entrusted with the cornerstone of our July sale: Rockwell’s masterful Mother Tucking Children into Bed.

“In terms of quality and value, this is one the finest American art auctions that Heritage has ever assembled. It is extremely well edited and curated, and as a result, collectors, advisors and curators alike are increasingly looking to Heritage to consign and acquire some of the finest examples of American Art on the market. Our July auction includes terrific, fresh to market works not only in our traditional categories, but of the Ash Can School, Modernism, Hudson River School and Regionalism as well.”

Howard A. Terpning’s Against the Cold Maker ($550,000-750,000) comes from an important Texas collection. Once exhibited at the National Academy of Western Art in Oklahoma City, Against the Cold Maker is Terpning's masterful depiction of three North Plains Indians persevering on their journey through cold, unrelenting terrain, a canvas in which he achieved his stated goal of giving viewers “a sense of being there” in the harsh, cold conditions. The painting validates the assertion that Terpning is a master at capturing the daily lives of Native American people. The details of the subjects' winter blankets, capotes and weapons, the realistic portrayal of the warriors’ physiques as they lean into the wind and the manner in which the horses have been packed, all show not only his prowess as a great artist, but also a dedicated student of American Indian history and uses that knowledge to tell their story.

From the Dixon Ticonderoga Collection, Norman Rockwell’s Grandfather and Grandson, 1929 (estimate: $500,000-700,000) was commissioned by the company in 1929. The focal point of the image is the yellow Ticonderoga pencil balanced in the grandfather’s hand. At the time of founder Joseph Dixon’s death, Dixon Ticonderoga was the largest manufacturer of graphite products in the world, producing as many as 86,000 pencils per day in 1872. The painting has hung prominently in the corporate offices of Dixon Ticonderoga from the moment it was received in 1929, until now. Grandfather and Grandson is another in the line of Rockwell paintings that captures the essence of families and generations. In this case, the grandson is captivated by his grandfather demonstrates how to sharpen a pencil, once again allowing Rockwell to capture the nostalgia of a simpler time.

Robert Henri Blond Bridget Lavelle, 1928 (estimate: $300,000-500,000) is considered a love letter to Ireland, his home away from America and the inspiration for a vast and vital body of work from 1913 until he died in 1929. Henri’s attraction to Ireland began in the early 1900s, when he was the leader of the progressive Ash Can School in New York. He and fellow artists John Sloan, George Bellows, William Glackens and Everett Shinn sought out Irish immigrant subjects for their urban realist paintings and illustrations. After moving to Ireland in 1923, Henri spent his last summer in 1928 on Achill Island, where he produced a series of portraits of Bridge Lavelle, which were considered some of his strongest child portraits. Blond Bridget Lavelle has resided in the same Dallas family for nearly 50 years.

John Clymer’s Visitors at Fort Clatsap, 1978 (estimate: $250,000-350,000) reflects the artist’s process, in which he and his wife would research the subject of the painting and then travel to the site for the painting to get a feel for the area. That attention to historic detail and first-hand observation of the actual environment is what gives paintings like Visitors at Fort Clatsop such power and believability. Clymer is admired not only for his technical skill, but also his storytelling. Fort Clatsop was the winter encampment for the Corps of Discovery from December 1805 to March 1806, and now serves as a Unit of Lewis & Clark National and State Historical Parks. Visitors at Fort Clatsop contains all the elements that collectors seek in Clymer's work: a masterfully rendered scene of the Indians timidly interacting with men stationed on their land in Oregon. The painting is a classic example of Clymer's work which combines his talent as a figural and landscape artist, his knowledge of western history, and his prowess as a visual storyteller.

Martin Grelle’s Where Waters Run Cold, 2012 (estimate: $200,000-300,000) comes to Heritage Auctions from an important Texas collection. A member of the Cowboy Artists of America since 1995, Grelle is one of the most accomplished and highly collected artists of the American West, one of just five artists to be honored twice with the Prix de West honor from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Where Waters Run Cold is a strong example of the vibrant color and historically accurate studies of Northern Plains Indian life and culture for which Grelle is known.

Other top lots include, but are not limited to:
Joseph Christian Leyendecker’s Yule, The Saturday Evening Post cover (estimate: $150,000-250,000)
Maxfield Parrish’s A Dark Futurist, Life magazine cover (estimate: $150,000-250,000)
Winslow Homer Upland Cotton, 1879-1895 (estimate: $100,000-150,000)
G. Harvey Cimarron Cowhands, 1993 (estimate: $100,000-150,000)
Tom Lovell The Noble Train of Artillery, 1946 (estimate: $100,000-150,000)
John Ford Clymer The Lewis Crossing (estimate: $80,000-120,000)
John Philip Falter Bill’s Bird House, The Saturday Evening Post cover, May 8, 1948 (estimate: 80,000-120,000)
George Bellows’ Jackie (estimate: $80,000-120,000)
Harvey T. Dunn’s Dawn, Dawn, Dawn, Ticonderoga pencil advertisement, 1932 (estimate: 80,000-120,000)
Mary Cassatt Portrait of Madame Sisley, 1873 (estimate: $60,000-80,000)

Dallas – A ledger drawing by a Southern Cheyenne artist soared to $106,250 to establish a world record for a single ledger drawing and to lead Heritage Auctions’ Ethnographic Art: American Indian, Pre-Columbian and Tribal Auction Featuring the I.S.K. Reeves V and Sara W. Reeves Collection to $1,228,339 in total sales May 29 in Dallas, Texas. The auction boasted sell-through rates of more than 93% by value and by lots sold.

The auction’s top lot was part of the collection of Keith and Sara Reeves, who have spent more than half a century researching and pursuing artwork in an ongoing effort to improve their Florida-based collection.

A Southern Cheyenne Ledger Drawing by Howling Wolf soared to more than five times its low pre-auction estimate before finishing as the auction’s top lot and establish the new standard for individual ledger drawings.

“Howling Wolf, a Southern Cheyenne warrior, is the only Plains artist known to have created ledger drawings in all three phases of that art form: before the reservation era, during his prison exile at Fort Marion and after his return to the reservation,” Heritage Auctions Senior Ethnographic Art Specialist Delia Sullivan said.

Nearly a dozen collectors pursued a Large and Important Gran Cocle Gold Pendant Panama until it finished at $50,000, against a pre-auction estimate of $20,000-30,000. This impressive cast tumbaga pendant is in the form of a male holding a hollow cone-shaped object (perhaps a drum) and a long thin rod up to his mouth with his other hand. He is naked except for a five-strand bead necklace, and unusual human heads at his knees, and serpent heads emerge from each side of his head and from the outside of each knee. He is framed by a magnificent braided arch with 12 nearly identical curly-tailed animals climbing to face each other at top.

An Important Nazca Tunic from Peru found a new home at $32,500. Exceptional in both quality and size, this tunic is a masterpiece of Nasca weaving, composed of narrow bands of rectangles with repeated motifs of a stepped diagonal and a wide cross in alternating color combinations.

A Nez Perce or Blackfeet Bear Warrior Society Shirt ended at $30,000. Made from hide, pigment, fur, glass seed beads, glass pony beads, porcupine quills and metal, the lot was accompanied by a custom metal stand and a painted cloth cylindrical bonnet case in which it was presented by the Crow to their friend, artist Bernard Preston Thomas.

A Sioux Quilled Hide Jacket Belonging to Chief Rain-In-The-Face brought $27,500. A war chief from the Lakota tribe, Chief Rain-In-The-Face was among the Indian leaders who defeated George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment at the 1876 Battle of Little Big Horn. The jacket, which includes natural and dyed porcupine quills, was accompanied by a cabinet card that shows it being worn by Chief Rain-In-The-Face.

Other top lots included, but were not limited to:
A Cheyenne Ledger Drawing Old White Woman: $22,500
An Apache Beaded Hide Tobacco Bag: $17,500
A Large Diquis Gold Figure: $16,250
A Plains Pipe Tomahawk: $16,250
A Sioux Ledger Drawing Skunk: $15,625

New York — A beautiful and very rare early Renaissance manuscript of two of Plato’s greatest dialogues, Phaedo, known to ancient readers as On the Soul, and Gorgias, translated from the Greek by Leonardo Bruni, leads Bonhams online-only Essential Genius: Ten Important Manuscripts for Modern Times sale which runs from June 1- 10. This is the first Bruni-Plato manuscript of comparable quality to be offered at auction in the past 50 years. It has an estimate of $200,000-300,000.

This compilation of essential works, written circa 1420, which also includes Bruni’s influential Cicero Novus, as well as a series of important Bruni translations of Demosthenes and Aeschines, represents meditations on mortality and morality, and begins with Plato’s arguments for the immortality of the soul from the point-of-view of Socrates’ death-bed.

Book and Manuscript specialist at Bonhams New York, Darren Sutherland said, “Early Renaissance manuscripts of Plato are very rare. His works were essentially lost during the Middle Ages, and their rediscovery at the beginning of the Renaissance sparked a revolution in thought that transformed the arts and sciences and continues unfolding today.”

Unlike Aristotle, Plato positively emphasized the importance of mathematics to philosophy, and his thought was eagerly embraced by Renaissance scientists, laying the foundation for modern understanding of number and science.

Phaedo is one of Plato’s best-known dialogues and sits alongside the philosopher’s Republic and Symposium as the master works of his middle period. Observations in the work include:
    •    “There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse.”
    •    “The very good and the very wicked are both quite rare.. most men are between those extremes.”
    •    “With [wisdom] we have real courage and moderation and justice and, in a word, true virtue...”

The sale Essential Genius: Ten Important Manuscripts for Modern Times offers a curated collection of 10 world-class manuscripts celebrating the thinkers and ideas that have transformed the world. Spanning 600 years of history, these manuscripts highlight critical moments in the evolution of western culture. Individually and collectively, they speak to the sensibility and needs of the modern age.

Chadds Ford, PA – Philadelphia, America’s first capital and home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, is steeped in political, military and social history. Its cobblestone streets, 18th-century buildings and revered educational institutions bear the names of prominent families whose origins date back to colonial days. One such Philadelphia family, the Hopkinsons, can count amongst its illustrious ancestors the patriot and Declaration of Independence signatory Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791). A lawyer, judge, author, composer, merchant and holder of many high public offices, Francis Hopkinson is also distinguished for having designed Continental paper money, the first United States coin, and early versions of the American Flag.

Now, 300 years after Francis Hopkinson’s birth, his direct descendants have chosen to auction a treasured multigenerational family archive of Americana, documents, fine art and books that had long been stored away in 25 large steamer trunks. William Bunch Auctions of Chadds Ford, Pa., will conduct the live-online auction on June 23 simultaneously through four different bidding platforms. Note: Live gallery bidding will not be permitted, due to the state government’s COVID-19 lockdown.

The Hopkinson consignment is family owned and completely fresh to the market. “The Hopkinson descendants who consigned the goods provided an extremely helpful inventory of the trunks’ contents, but we were still pleasantly surprised at what we found,” said Bunch. “We unwrapped very nice early 19th-century Philadelphia silver, sterling flatware, cut glass and Continental crystal, but the real treasure trove, which will be sold on June 23rd, is the amazing collection of historical artifacts, manuscripts and unique Americana.” Bunch describes the assemblage as “an 18th- through 20th-century profile of an important Philadelphia political and social family.”

Perhaps no other item in the sale reflects the Hopkinson family’s status more than the substantial lock of George Washington’s (1732-1799) hair framed and encased in an ornate gilt metal locket. Two applied notes of provenance on verso indicate that the hair was “Cut by Mrs. Oliver Wolcot [sic.] at her house 4th & Spruce Sts. Phila 1798” and that the memento was specifically for “Mrs. Jos. Hopkinson.” The circumstances and individuals involved shine a light on the status of the Hopkinson family, since the Wolcotts were socially prominent Philadelphians and, at a dinner party at their home, Washington either offered or agreed to have a lock of his hair cut specifically for Mrs. Hopkinson, who may not have been present at the time. “Washington obviously thought very highly of both the Hopkinsons and the Wolcotts. In fact, Washington appointed Oliver Wolcott Jr to succeed Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury,” Bunch said. “We conducted extensive research that confirmed how socially intertwined the families were.” The presidential hair keepsake is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

A royal lock of hair was found in the same box as the Washington memento. It belonged to Hopkinson family friend Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), the Count de Survilliers, former King of both Naples and Spain; and brother to Napoleon Bonaparte. Clipped on July 20, 1832, the day Bonaparte returned to Europe from the United States, the hair is framed and encased in a decorative gilt metal locket with an applied note of provenance on verso. Its estimate is $1,000-$2,000. Bonaparte’s snuffbox, estimated at $400-$600, is accompanied by a handwritten note stating it was made in Naples for Charles III, subsequently used by Charles IV, then Bonaparte. It is offered together with a Limoges trinket box adorned with a crowned “N.”

The collection also features important artworks, including a pair of 1857 Rembrandt Peale (American, 1778-1860) portraits. The subjects are Richard Colgate Dale Jr. (1810-1876), a surgeon, military officer and Master Mason; and his wife, Elizabeth Woodruff Dale. Each portrait is signed and dated, and measures 30¾ by 25 inches (sight). Exhibition labels from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts are affixed to the backs of their carved and gilded frames. The duo is estimated at $10,000-$20,000.

Dr. John P. Hopkinson (1801-1836), son of US Representative and federal judge Joseph Hopkinson (1770-1842) and grandson of Francis Hopkinson, created a watercolor of a Native American settlement, which he signed and inscribed. The quizzical inscription reads, “1822 Painted by a Maniac Confined in the Cells of the Alms House J.P.H. The Design his own.” Estimate: $600-$800

An extremely rare Civil War Designating Flag made by William H. Horstmann & Sons, Philadelphia, is labeled “2 Army Corps 2 Div 3 Brig.” William Bunch noted that a plaque at Gettysburg Battlefield honors this particular outfit. Estimate $4,000-$6,000. Another Hopkinson family treasure is a leather-bound album titled “Photographs and Autographs of Distinguished Civil War Union Generals, 1864.” Produced to benefit The Sanitary Commission, a private relief agency that supported sick and wounded Union soldiers, it contains more than 50 generals’ photos, most of them signed. Estimate: $4,000-$8,000. Additionally, there are three (New York) Civil War discharges, $40-$80.

Rare books and ephemera from centuries of Hopkinson family libraries will be offered. Many are author-signed or have inscriptions from those who presented them as gifts, including Joseph Bonaparte. Among the many highlights is Love Is Enough by William Morris. One of only 300 such books published by Kemscott Press in 1897, it is estimated at $2,000-$4,000. William Hogarth’s The Analysis of Beauty, published by J. Reeves, London, in 1753, has two large foldout plates and the bookplate of Francis Hopkinson. Estimate $400-$800

A very early (1789) University of Pennsylvania sealed diploma written in Latin on vellum was awarded to Jonathan Williams Condy (1770-1828), a future Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice who married Elizabeth Hopkinson (1772-1840). It is signed by politician, physician and Declaration of Independence signatory Benjamin Rush, as well as other early UPenn faculty members. The auction estimate is $1,200-$2,400.

William Bunch’s auction of the Hopkinson family archive and Americana collection will start at 12 noon ET on Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Live gallery bidding will not be permitted, per Pennsylvania state orders governing the pandemic. Bidders may participate live online through Bunch Live, LiveAuctioneers, AuctionZip or Invaluable. Gallery previews are available by appointment only (provided there is no change to current government guidelines). For additional information on any item in the auction, call 610-558-1800 or email info@williambunchauctions.com. Online: www.bunchauctions.com.

Great Barrington and Northampton, MA - The 2020 edition of the Berkshire Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair, due to be held in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on Saturday, July 25th, has been canceled to protect the health and safety of exhibitors and fair attendees.  While there will be no Berkshire Book Fair this summer, the producer of the fair, is already planning to stage a fair at the Berkshire South Regional Community Center in July 2021, should public health conditions allow large gatherings in indoor spaces, says Mark Brumberg, director of Book Fair Promotion.  “We look forward to renewing our friendships with book buyers and collectors in Great Barrington at the Berkshire Antiquarian Book and Ephemera Fair in July 2021,” he said.   

For further information, go to: www.berkshirebookfair.com

In the meantime, Book Fair Promotion welcomes prospective exhibitors to request a space reservation for the Sixth Annual Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera, and Book Arts Fair on Friday, December 4th from 5-8 pm and Saturday, December 5th, 2020 from 9am - 4pm at the Center for the Arts, at the Northampton Community Arts Trust, 33 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA 01060. For an exhibitor contract, email: mdb@northamptonbookfair.com

Exhibit space is available for antiquarian booksellers, ephemera dealers, and book artists in booth configurations ranging from a single six-foot long table, to the typical 3-table u-shaped stall. A limited number of larger booths are available, please inquire by email to the fair producer.  Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis, until the capacity of the venue’s space is reached. The Northampton Antiquarian Book, Ephemera, and Book Arts Fair is co-sponsored by Southern New England Antiquarian Booksellers and Northampton Center for the Arts. Media sponsor is New England Public Radio.
 
“Book Fair Promotion is proceeding on the assumption that bricks and mortar book fairs may not be a viable option, in December, due to continuing public health & safety concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic.  If gatherings of more than 50 people are possible in December; with social distancing, and personal protective equipment (gloves & masks) required, we will determine whether it is feasible to  produce the Northampton book fair as planned at the Center for the Arts,” says Brumberg.

“If we cannot produce a fair that is safe for exhibitors and buyers & collectors, we are moving forward with parallel contingency plans for a virtual book fair. We anticipate a virtual fair with a portal on our website that replicates, as closely as possible, the experience of going to a live book fair.  While still in the formative stage, we expect that virtual exhibitors could choose from a variety of options to showcase their on-line booths:  hosting a Zoom session, creating a Facebook Live Event or You Tube video, using a Pinterest board, or Instagram hashtag, showing a Power Point slide show; links to a designated book fair page on the exhibitor's website; feature a PDF or blog of recent work, new acquisitions, and catalogs. As usual, exhibitors will be responsible for collecting and processing payment from buyers through their own links to their websites, PayPal, or by links to their on-line catalogs at ABAA, IOBA, Biblio, ABE Books, and other on-line marketplaces,” Brumberg says.  

For further information, go to: www.northamptonbookfair.com