New York — The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) is hosting a virtual book fair June 4-7, offering the public a new opportunity for discovery. This online event showcases fresh material from ABAA booksellers across the country. The books, manuscripts, and ephemera featured will be available only at the fair. Visitors will be first in line for handpicked highlights and new acquisitions. They will also be able to interact with ABAA booksellers in real time.

“Even though the pandemic has forced many booksellers to close their shops and shelter at home, the work of sourcing and cataloging new material has continued, and we’re excited to showcase what ABAA members have been working on these past few months,” said ABAA President Brad Johnson.

Featuring more than 100 ABAA booksellers, the Virtual Book Fair presents volumes from six centuries of printing, as well as original manuscripts. Books cover every imaginable area -- from the history of travel and exploration to early science and medicine, from classic literature to modern first editions, as well as autographs, photography, and children’s and illustrated books.

“We’ve been working hard to create a dynamic experience,” said ABAA Vice President Sheryl Jaeger, who’s leading the Virtual Book Fair planning. “We would rather be together, but this book fair experience provides an opportunity for connection and serendipity.”

Leading up to this special event, the ABAA is hosting an online panel discussion: Book Collecting 101, Online Edition, similar to the educational session offered at ABAA book fairs held in Boston, New York and California. The panel will discuss some of the unique differences of shopping online versus the in-person experience and provide tips on avoiding some of the pitfalls. Register for the live discussion on Zoom Monday, June 1 at 2 p.m./EDT using this link: https://forms.gle/Lkw47ZDHw9vcXXAW6.

The ABAA Virtual Book Fair opens at 10 a.m./EDT and the “doors” remain open 24 hours until the event’s closing June 7 at 10 p.m./EDT. Admission is free. For more information, visit abaa.org/virtualbookfair or call 212.944.8291.

New York — Pandemics, sadly, are nothing new. The Black Death, for example, lasted on and off from 1331 until the middle of the 18th century. Its last major manifestation was The Great Plague of London, 1665-66, which killed 100,000 people – a quarter of the city’s population – while many more people across England had their lives disrupted. The scientist Isaac Newton was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge when the university closed in 1665 as a precaution against the plague. He didn’t return until 1667. Shortly afterwards, he began his study of chemistry, becoming immersed in the work of Edward Boyle and Jan Baptist van Helmont. Two unpublished handwritten pages of Newton’s notes on Van Helmont’s 1667 book on the plague, De Peste are offered at Bonhams online-only Essential Genius: Ten Important Manuscripts sale which runs from June 1- 10. The estimate is $80,000-120,000.

The manuscript is the most substantial written statement Newton is known to have made about the plague. In analyzing and distilling Van Helmont’s first-hand and medical knowledge, Newton records both causes, modes of transmission, and cures, identifies symptoms and their identification, as well as prescriptions for avoiding the plague. He notes, for instance, the case of a man who having touched “pestilent papyrus, immediately felt a pain like a pricking needle, and developed a pestilent ulcer in the forefinger, and died in two days."

Some of the observations are as clear and simple as the current social distancing instructions “places infected with the Plague are to be avoided…,”. Others will appear very odd to most modern minds. Discussing remedies, for example, Newton writes “the best is a toad suspended by the legs in a chimney for three days, which at last vomited up earth with various insects in it, onto a dish of yellow wax, and shortly after died. Combining powdered toad with the excretions and serum made into lozenges and worn about the affected area, drove away the contagion and drew out the poison.”

Book and Manuscript specialist at Bonhams New York, Darren Sutherland said, “Van Helmont was a great influence on Newton. Newton's notes are essentially his take on the "De Peste," including theories on its causes and speculation about cures. They represent the only significant writings on the subject by the world’s greatest scientific mind that we have been able to trace. A timely reminder, perhaps, that there is nothing new under the sun.”

The sale 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.

In addition to the Newton manuscript, other highlights include:

    •    An autographed and signed draft of the final lines of Walt Whitman’s very last poem, A Thought of Columbus. Composed in the months leading up to his death and in expectation of the Columbian Exhibition of 1893, A Thought of Columbus represents a coda to Whitman's lifelong poetic work, his swan song to the American ideal. Whitman began the poem in November 1891, scribbling lines on envelopes, old letters, and odd pieces of paper. The scrap here is on an envelope post-marked Nov 9, 1891, with the original lines that form the end of the poem, followed only by a parenthetical “added word yet to my song,” with significant alterations from the published version, and signed beneath in a similar fashion to the final manuscript. Estimate: $10,000-15,000.
 
    •    A beautiful Renaissance manuscript of two of Plato’s greatest dialogues, his Phaedo, known to ancient readers as On the Soul, and his Gorgias, an early manuscript of the translation of Leonardo Bruni. Bound with Bruni’s influential Cicero Novus, as well as a series of important Bruni translations of Demosthenes and Aeschines, this bound compilation 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. Renaissance manuscripts of Plato are rare in private hands, with no comparable Bruni-Plato manuscripts recorded at auction in the last 50 years. Estimate: $150,000-250,000.
 
    •    Plus: Wittgenstein on Godel; Darwin on Evolution; Twain on Medicine, and an exceptionally rare Lobachevsky’s autograph.

New York — On Thursday, June 11, Swann Galleries will hold a sale of Fine Photographs that  features twentieth-century masterworks, landscapes, feminist and Latin American photographers, as well as pop photographica.

Leading the sale is Robert Mapplethorpe’s oversize study Lisa Lyon, silver print, 1980. The work is one from an edition of one and is a key image from the series on which Mapplethorpe and Lyon collaborated. The image is expected to bring $30,000 to $45,000. Also by Mapplethorpe is Self-Portrait with Whip, from the X Portfolio, silver print, 1978, estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.

Additional twentieth-century masterworks include Michael Halsband’s iconic 1985 silver print, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, a portrait of the two artists in boxing attire ($20,000-30,000). Malick Sidibé’s, A suite of 7 chemises made at various Bamako, Mali celebrations, clubs, and happenings, 1969-70, shows a range of intimate portraits of an emerging Malinese youth culture ($15,000-25,000). A scarce copy of Lee Friedlander’s The American Monument, a deluxe edition in two volumes, with ten original photographs published by the Eakins Press Foundation in 1976 is expected to bring $25,000 to $35,000.

A strong showing of photographs by leading women in the field include Sandy Skoglund with Gathering Paradise, Cibachrome print, 1991 ($15,000-25,000); Diane Arbus’s Petal Pink for Little Parties, 1962, printed by Neil Selkirk in 1985, comes from the collection of Gwendolen Cates ($7,000-10,000); Lillian Bassman’s Next to Nothing, silver print, 1948, printed 1990s, a reproduced fashion study ($4,000-6,000); Magnolia Bud, silver print, 1920, printed 1950s, an elegant abstraction by Imogen Cunningham ($10,000-15,000). Also of note are works by Nan Goldin, Barbara Kasten, Sally Mann and Ruth Orkin.

A run of works by Robert Frank features Daytona Beach, Florida, silver print, 1958, printed 1980s, set to come across the block at $14,000 to $18,000. The image forged a new visual style that combines documentary photography with a snapshot aesthetic. Also of note by Frank is Chicago Convention, silver print, 1956, printed 1977 ($10,000-15,000), and Playa del Rey, Wendover, Mabou, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, silver print, 1978-79 ($8,000-12,000).

Ansel Adams’s nocturnal image Aspens, Northern New Mexico, silver print, 1958, printed 1978, is present at $14,000 to $18,000. Also from Group f/64 is Edward Weston with Dunes, Oceano, silver print, 1936 ($20,000-30,000) and Eroded Rock, silver print, circa 1930 ($12,000-18,000). Contemporary images of landscapes feature Richard Misrach’s Stonehenge #4, a split-toned silver print, 1976 ($12,000-14,000), and Christopher Williams’s Punta Hicacos Varadero, Cuba, chromogenic print, 2000 ($15,000-25,000).

A superb selection of images by Latin American photographers includes Graciela Iturbide with Magnolia, silver print, 1986 ($6,000-9,000); Flor Garduño’s Arbol de los Cuervos, Mexico, silver print, 2017 ($4,000-6,000); Manuel Álvarez Bravo’s Retrato de lo Eterno, silver print, 1935, printed 1970s ($4,000-6,000); and a group of eight late 1920s-30s silver prints by Martin Chambi ($6,000-9,000).

Vernacular photography features pop photographica with a circa 1880s-90s unique wood-frame mirror with 22 tintype portraits and three additional photo-pictorial objects ($1,000-1,500) and a circa-1900 freestanding, fold-out silk screen with six panels depicting Japanese women and scenery, including Mount Fuji ($300-450).

While current restrictions will not allow for in-person examination of the material, Swann Galleries staff will prepare condition reports and provide additional photographs of material on request. Advance order bids can be placed directly with the specialist for the sale or on Swann’s website, and limited, pre-arranged phone bidding will be available. Live online bidding platforms available will be the Swann Galleries App, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers. The complete catalogue and bidding information is available at www.swanngalleries.com and on the Swann Galleries App.

Additional highlights can be found here.

Dallas – For years, countless people wondered whether humans could reach and land on the moon. Now a copy of the flight plan for the mission that answered that question once and for all – a copy signed by the first man to set foot on the moon – will be featured in Heritage Auctions’ Space Exploration Auction June 5 in Dallas, Texas.

Apollo 11: NASA "Final Apollo 11 Flight Plan AS-506 / CSM-107 / LM-5" July 1, 1969-dated Book Signed by Neil Armstrong to Los Angeles Times Aerospace Editor Marvin Miles, with Crew-Signed Lunar Surface Color Photo, in Framed Display (estimate: $40,000+) is an absolute rarity that Armstrong signed and gave to Miles, who as one of the country’s top space journalists was something of a celebrity in his own right. Miles, who died in 1994, was described in his obituary in the Times as someone who “...flew with Howard Hughes, was on a first-name basis with such aviation pioneers as Donald Douglas and the Lockheed brothers and was among the first reporters to witness both atomic and hydrogen bomb explosions..."

Any Flight Plan is a blueprint for a mission. This 8-by-10-1/2-inch copy laid out is signed neatly in 1974 on the front cover in black ink: “Best Wishes/ to Marvin Miles--/ Top Aerospace Writer/ & Fellow Aerospace Enthusiast/ Neil Armstrong/ Apollo 11.” This book is housed in a 20-by-15-inch matted shadow box that also includes a color photo of Buzz Aldrin on the moon, setting up an experiment with the Lunar Module Eagle visible in the background. The photo is signed: “Neil Armstrong,” “Buzz Aldrin” and “M Collins.”

“The significance of this Flight Plan is impossible to overstate,” Heritage Auctions Space Exploration Director Michael Riley said. “This is a copy of the flight plan for the most important space flight ever flown, and signed by Armstrong, who took the first steps on the moon. This is the plan that proved travel to the moon was possible, and became the blueprint for future trips into space.

“This is a copy of a Flight Plan with huge historical importance, a museum-worthy lot that can be the centerpiece of the most serious of collections.”

In 2014, Heritage Auctions sold a 1974-dated Neil Armstrong Typed Letter Signed that was originally sent with this signed Flight Plan. A printed copy of that letter is included with this lot. The letter read: “Dear Marvin: It is a pleasure for me to hear from you and return the Flight Plan cover with signature. It appears that aviation is alive and reasonably well out your way; at least well enough to keep you busy. Sorry we missed each other recently, but I certainly would much rather fly the Concorde than sit around in a TV studio. Maybe next time. All the best.
[signed] Neil
Neil A. Armstrong Professor of Aerospace Engineering.”

Dallas – One of the largest collections of artwork from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan ever brought to market, including masterpieces by David Hall and Mary Blair and the largest offering of art, photos, books, ephemera, checks, insurance cards and studio letters hand-signed by Walt Disney could make Heritage Auctions’ June 19-21 Animation Art Auction one of the biggest ever held.

“This sale has as broad a range of material as any Animated Art auction has had,” Animated Art Director Jim Lentz said. “There are items from virtually every classic animated film, and by all of the best artists. The choices range from one of the largest collections of rare production cels, animation drawings, concept art, backgrounds and storyboards from Peter Pan. There literally is something for collectors of all tastes in this sale.”

Peter Pan

The Peter Pan Captain Hook Production Cel and Key Master Background is one of 73 Peter Pan lots – including artwork from artist David Hall and Mary Blair – in the auction that make up one of the largest collections of Peter Pan artwork ever offered, including Peter Pan Peter and Wendy on the Jolly Roger Concept Painting by David Hall Original Art (Walt Disney, 1940), an extraordinary piece of concept art (estimate: $25,000+) featuring Peter Pan and Wendy at the helm of Captain Hook’s ship, the Jolly Roger. During early development of the animated feature, a number of exceptional concept paintings were created by artist David Hall, whose contributions to the film is widely known among Disney scholars.

Other Peter Pan lots by Blair and Hall include:

    •    Mary Blair Peter Pan “Neverland Lagoon” Original Concept/Color Key Painting Original Art (Walt Disney, c. 1950s): $5,000+
    •    Peter Pan Tinker Bell Early Concept Painting by David Hall Original Art (Walt Disney, 1940): $5,000+

Signed by Walt Disney!

No name is bigger in Animation Art than Walt Disney, and this auction includes an assortment of 25 lots hand-signed by the icon who built the empire that includes films, cartoons and theme parks. His is one of the most famous signatures anywhere, ranking up there with the likes of John Hancock and George Washington, which naturally made him a popular target among autograph seekers, especially after he started hosting a weekly television show in 1954. Disney was wary of signing autographs, for fear of sparking a swarm of people who wanted one of their own, which added to the rarity of his signature. Some Disney artists signed his name to their works, making items signed personally by Disney treasured keepsakes among collectors. Disney-signed lots in this auction include artwork, checks, photos, books, an insurance card, World War II ephemera and a letter on 1940 Fantasia stationery. Some of the top signed lots include, but are not limited to:

A Walt Disney Signed 2-Page Letter to Stockholders (Walt Disney, 1941) is an extraordinary hand-typed letter on Walt Disney Productions stationery dated June 14, 1941, with a Fantasia logo on first page, and large Walt Disney signature on the second page. The letter (estimate: $5,000+) concerns stock dividends, the Screen Cartoonists Local #852 strike against the studio that began May 29 and lasted until sometime in September 1939, reducing the staff from 1,200 employees down to 400; and the effects of the coming war. It also mentions Fantasia finishing its roadshow run and The Reluctant Dragon as ready for release; it mentions as well two major films still in production: Dumbo and Bambi. This is one of the oldest and most important known Walt Disney-signed letters.

Fantasia “Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria” Courvoisier Concept Art Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1940) is from the final segment of the classic Fantasia. Carrying a pre-auction estimate of $5,000+, composer Deems Taylor introduces the scene as the conflict between the profane (represented by “Night on Bald Mountain”) and the sacred (“Ave Maria”). Framed in a round mat opening of 6-1/2 inches, this painting measures 9 inches by 8 inches, and is housed in a 15-by-16-inch frame. Disney signed the mat, which also has a “WDP” stamp, indicating that the lot originally was sold at the Courvoisier Gallery in San Francisco. Original art from Disney’s masterpiece film is very rare and highly sought after by serious collectors.

Peter Pan Captain Hook Production Cel and Key Master Background Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1953) is an exceptional Disney-signed piece (estimate: $5,000+) from the classic film, and one of the best Captain Hook production cels anywhere. This image can be seen around the 21:40 mark in the film, at the first appearance of Captain Hook, who is smoking his famous double cigar while reviewing a map of Never Land. The cel image was hand-inked and hand-painted on acetate, and the Key Master background was rendered in gouache on background board of about 13 inches by 10 inches. This is a beautiful piece from the background team of Eyvind Earle, Ralph Hulett, Ray Huffine, Art Riley, Thelma Witmer, Al Dempster, Dick Anthony, Brice Mack and Art Landy. The matboard was signed by Walt Disney to Oliver "Ollie” Wallace, a composer and conductor known for his music compositions for Disney animation, documentary and feature films and bears the “WDP” studio stamp.

Other highlights signed by Walt Disney include, but are not limited to:

    •    Mickey Mouse 25th Birthday Portrait Print Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1953): $2,500+
    •    Walt Disney's Fantasia 1st Edition Book Signed by Walt Disney (Walt Disney, 1940): $2,500

Among the top lots in the sale is a Pinocchio Preliminary Concept Painting by Gustaf Tenggren (Walt Disney, 1940), a stunning concept piece from one of Walt Disney’s most popular classic films. With a pre-auction estimate of $35,000+, it is arguably the greatest contribution Tenggren made at the Walt Disney Studios, ultimately becoming the design of the backgrounds and the overall look of the film, in which he introduced complex backgrounds to enhance the illusion of depth. This lot is a preliminary concept painting that shows Pinocchio’s village at night, with the only visible activity in Gepetto’s workshop. Visible at the top of the painting is the wishing star. This image, created with cut paper, graphite and pastel, was used to create the final background in the first and fifth sequences. The final painted version can be found on page 96 of The Walt Disney Film Archives, The Animated Movies 1921-1968 by Taschen on page 96. The artwork is signed by Gustaf Tenggren in the bottom left.

Art of Mary Blair
The auction includes more than 40 pieces by Disney artist Mary Blair, who was considered Walt Disney’s favorite artist and was inducted in 1991 into the Disney Legends group. Highlights among the Mary Blair lots are:
Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle Peter Pan Concept Art Group of 2 (Walt Disney, 1953) are a pair of collaborations by the artists. Earle joined Walt Disney Studios in 1951 as an assistant background painter, but only after he began working as Blair’s apprentice did he embark on the career path that resulted in him becoming a Disney Legend Inductee in 2015, 15 years after he died. Their partnership helped make Peter Pan one of the most dazzling and opulent animated films ever produced at the studio, and helped Earle conclude that he wanted to follow Blair’s career blueprint. The offered lot (estimate: $20,000+) is rendered in gouache on board; each piece measures 8 inches by 6 inches.

    •    Mary Blair Cinderella Concept/Color Key Original Art (Walt Disney, 1950): $10,000+
    •    Mary Blair Cinderella Concept Painting (Walt Disney, 1950): $10,000+
    •    Mary Blair Alice in Wonderland Alice with Flowers and Birds Concept Painting (Walt Disney, 1951): $10,000+

Peanuts
One of the most popular comic strips and cartoons of all time can be had, thanks to 58 Peanuts lots. The selection includes one of the largest collections of single-cel pan progressions of both Snoopy and Charlie Brown – some have up to 15 images in the setup. Many are either signed by legendary Peanuts artist Charles Schulz.
Among the top choices is a Peanuts “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Nine Character Production Cel (Bill Melendez, 1965). This rare offering is an original hand-inked, hand-painted production cel of the skating scene from the opening of the first Charlie Brown CBS special, which premiered in December 1965 and won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award.

Other top Peanuts lots include, but are not limited to:

    •    Peanuts “The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show” World War I Flying Ace Production Cel Sequence of 9 with Pan Master Background (Bill Melendez, c. 1980s): $7,500+
    •    Peanuts “It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” Multi-Character Production Cel (Bill Melendez, 1966): $5,000+

Art of Don “Ducky” Williams Becoming a Disney artist was a lifelong pursuit for Williams, who first wrote a letter to Disney when he was just 10 years old. A 37-year Senior Character Artist at Walt Disney World resort, Williams created "Walt Disney World's 35th Birthday" Published Illustration by Don "Ducky" Williams with Airbrush (Walt Disney, 2006) for the celebration of Walt Disney World’s 35th birthday. The image (estimate: $10,000+) contains more than 30 Disney characters parading down the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, riding on the trolley, as well as 35 hidden Mickey Mouse ears, the location of which are pointed out in a diagram on the back; Cinderella’s Castle appears in the background. The massive painting has a mat opening of 21 by 32 inches and is housed in a frame that measures 48 by 36 inches, and was used for limited edition fine art prints, posters and consumer products, as well as other retail and promotional items. Both the brush and the instruction sheet are signed by Williams.

Other lots in the sale by Williams include, but are not limited to:

    •    "Walt Disney and Friends" Illustration by Don "Ducky" Williams (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $5,000+
    •    The Art of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell" Illustration by Don "Ducky" Williams (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $5,000+

Art of the Disney Store The sale features five lots from the store that opened in March 1987 in Glendale, California, and grew into a worldwide chain that boasted 749 stores at its peak in 1997. Each store featured large-scale displays showcasing famous moments in Disney animation history, with the idea of providing visitors with a theme park-like experience. Among the highlights in the sale:

Seven Dwarfs Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s) is one of the most elaborate Disney Store display pieces ever brought offered to the public. Featuring all seven dwarfs – Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy, each standing between 27 and 30 inches high – the lot (estimate: $25,000+) also features the pipe organ that Grumpy played in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

    •    Pluto and Donald Duck Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    •    Donald Duck and Pete Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    •    Mickey Mouse Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $2,500+

The art of Tim Burton
The multi-faceted is widely known as a film director, but his artwork has long been in high demand among collectors, who will have a chance to bid on 30 Burton lots in this auction. Among the highlights:

    •    Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Giclée Suite in Case Limited Edition #266/315 (Touchstone/Disney, 2005): $5,000+
    •    Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington Limited Edition Charger Bowl by Brenda White Prototype (Walt Disney, 1997): $2,500+
    •    Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Zero Limited Edition Charger Bowl by Brenda White Prototype (Walt Disney, 1997): $2,500+
    •    “The Art of Tim Burton” Character Drawing Original Art (Walt Disney, 1982): $2,500+

The Simpsons Included in the auction are 48 lots from one of the best production art selections ever assembled from The Simpsons, the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, in terms of both seasons and number of episodes. Among those are 27 lots by Bill Plympton, the artist whose contributions to the show include the beloved “couch gag” that appears in the opening of each episode. Highlights from the show include, but are not limited to:

    •    The Simpsons Couch Gag Production Cel and Key Master Background Setup (Fox, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    •    The Simpsons Bart and Lisa Signed Production Cel with Matt Groening Sketch (Fox, 1990): $2,500
    •    Bill Plympton The Simpsons Season 19 DVD Box Set Animation Drawings Sequence of 3 (Fox, 2019): $2,000
    •    Bill Plympton The Simpsons Season 19 DVD Box Set Animation Drawings Sequence of 5 (Fox, 2019): $1,500+

Not surprisingly in an auction of this size and quality, the list of appealing lots continues, including cartoon lots from Hanna-Barbera, Warner Brothers, Looney Tunes and MGM; classic films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty; and Disney Renaissance films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.