Westport, CT – A presentation copy of a Russian book celebrating the 10th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China signed by Chairman Mao Zedong (Tse-Tung); a receipt signed by Edgar Allan Poe, likely for payment of his famous poem “The Raven”; and a signed copy of Albert Einstein’s doctoral dissertation from 1905 are all part of University Archives’ next online auction slated for Wednesday, September 30th. The auction will begin at 10:30 am Eastern time.

The full catalog, showing all 356 lots, is up for bidding and viewing now, at the newly revamped University Archives website (www.UniversityArchives.com), as well as the online platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The sale contains rare and highly collectible items from multiple specialty categories.

These include literary (including Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and more items from the estate of Beat writer Jack Kerouac); presidential (to include items signed by Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy, both Roosevelts and others); and early American (to include Benjamin Franklin and some signers of the Declaration of Independence, always a hit with collectors).

Other categories include foreign (the Mao Zedong piece, plus the Cuban Revolution and other items), science (seven lots pertaining to Einstein, plus Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking and others), and space, a burgeoning category of collectibles (featuring Apollo IX, XI, XII, plus Neil Armstrong, Walter Schirra, Russian cosmonauts and Charles Lindbergh.)

The special presentation copy of a Russian book signed by Chairman Mao Zedong and dedicated to Marshal Semyon Budenny, a Soviet Civil War hero and deputy member of the Politburo, has an estimate of $200,000-$300,000. The 588-page book is wrapped in white silk binding, printed in Cyrillic and profusely illustrated. It celebrates the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in October 1959. An intense bidding war is anticipated for the book.

The receipt signed by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), probably acknowledging payment for publication of his poem “The Raven”, dated in Poe’s hand (“April 16 / 45”), handsomely displayed alongside two portraits of Poe and framed behind glass, should bring $60,000-$70,000. Also sold will be Walt Whitman’s handwritten invitation to a Philadelphia guest and items signed by literary legends Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle and others.

The Science category is packed with historical documents, manuscripts, photos, and books from the greatest scientific minds of the last 400 years. The copy of Albert Einstein’s doctoral dissertation from 1905, signed by him and titled A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions, should hit $30,000-$40,000. The six other Einstein-related lots in the sale include the following:

•    A nicely framed silver gelatin photo of Einstein, a candid bust of him dressed in a dapper suit, signed and dated (‘Albert Einstein, Berlin. September 1927’) (est. $20,000-$30,000).
•    Three autographed letters signed, one of which features over 30 lines of tightly packed cursive and 12 lines of mathematical notations in Einstein’s hand (est. $24,000-$26,000).
•    Two typed letters signed, one referring to the 200th anniversary of the death of Einstein’s predecessor Sir Isaac Newton (est. $5,000-$6,000); and one alluding to Hendrik Lorentz, the Dutch physicist and fellow Nobel prize winner (est. $2,000-$2,500).

A superb four-page autographed letter signed by Charles Darwin and dated November 20, 1881, discussing his mentor, the Scottish geologist Sir Charles Lyell (“the old master, to whom I am deeply indebted under a scientific point of view”), will be of maximum interest and is expected to knock down for $20,000-$30,000. Also up for bid will be rare, signed and foreign language editions of Darwin’s controversial works The Descent of Man and On the Origin of Species.

September will feature the first installment – nearly 80 lots – of the estate of Father Ronald Hoskins (1949-2020), the noted assassinologist and collector of John F. Kennedy memorabilia.

These include the original police badges and uniform insignia belonging to Dallas Police Officer Nick McDonald, who apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald in the Texas Theatre on Nov. 22, 1963; and the original “little black book” owned by Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who shot Oswald in the basement of Dallas Police Department headquarters two days later (est. $1,000-$2,000).

Also from the Hoskins estate is a three-page letter handwritten and signed by Oswald to his mother, Marguerite, dated Oct. 22, 1959, and sent from Minsk, Russia, where Oswald lived at the time. The letter – which became Warren Commission Exhibit No. 183 – talks about his wife Marina’s unwillingness to learn English. It sold not long ago for $15,000 (est. $6,000-$7,000).

In addition to the Hoskins estate, an additional consignment is of special interest: a lot comprised of eight original paintings attributed to young amateur artists John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy, with an unbroken chain of custody that stretches back to Kennedy’s Senate secretary. The two signed and six unsigned artworks depict subjects ranging from figures in historic costume to architectural scenes, and date from 1954, just a year after they got married (est. $7,000-$8,000).

The Early American and Presidential categories will feature a Pennsylvania land grant signed by Benjamin Franklin as President of the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, authorizing the sale of land near the Alleghany River (est. $8,000-$9,000); and a printed broadside from 1791 signed by Thomas Jefferson as U.S. Secretary of State, granting government pensions to a pair of wounded Revolutionary War veterans (est. $7,000-$8,000).

An invoice dated June 13, 1786 and signed by George Washington as president of the Potomac Company, authorizing the purchase of leather and sugar for the fledgling firm recently established to stimulate interstate commerce by improving waterways, should garner $4,000-$5,000; while a Civil War-dated appointment signed by Abraham Lincoln promoting a New York infantry officer, nicely presented with a magnificent engraving of Lincoln, has an estimate of $4,000-$5,000.

More items from the Jack Kerouac estate range from the Beat writer’s personally owned books and papers, to original artwork and other treasured possessions. One example, testifying to Kerouac’s interest in Buddhism, is a large blue and white porcelain statue of Guanyin, nearly 28 inches tall, retrieved from Kerouac’s last home in St. Petersburg, Florida (est. $1,000-$2,000).

University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111, or email him at john@universityarchives.com.

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, September 30th online-only Rare Books, Manuscripts & Relics Auction, including additional items from the Jack Kerouac estate and the estate of Father Ronald Hoskins, please log on to www.universityarchives.com.

Boston – A thick lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair and a historically significant telegram sold for $81,250, according to Boston-based RR Auction.

The hair was removed during his postmortem examination, measuring approximately 2″ long, and was presented to Dr. Lyman Beecher Todd, a cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln.

The hair is mounted to an official War Department manuscript telegram sent to Dr. Todd by George H. Kinnear, his assistant in the Post Office at Lexington, Kentucky, received in Washington at 11 PM on April 14, 1865.

Dr. Lyman Beecher Todd's own account of the autopsy, now preserved in an 1895 manuscript held in the Ida Tarbell collection of Lincoln papers at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, differs slightly from his son's, noting that he clipped the lock himself: "When all was over, General Hardin entered, and handed me a pair of scissors, requesting me to cut a few locks of hair for Mrs. Lincoln. I carefully cut and delivered them to General Hardin, and then secured one for myself which I have preserved as a sacred relic."

In his 1937 work Why was Lincoln Murdered?, Otto Eisenschiml suggests that Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton plotted to kill Lincoln due to their political and personal differences, and claims that he took steps to disrupt military communications in Washington, thus allowing John Wilkes Booth to escape.

This telegram is of great historical significance, as it proves that military telegraph lines were up and running at 11 o'clock on the night of April 14. Edward Steers, Jr. cites this very telegram in refuting Eisenschmil's theory in his book Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This telegram and lock of hair was sold by Charles Hamilton through Hamilton Galleries in 1967.

"When you are dealing with samples of Lincoln's hair, provenance is everything— and in this case, we know that this came from a family member who was at the President's bedside," said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

"Our annual Remarkable Rarities live sale typically generates a great deal of excitement— this year was no exception and we are thrilled at the results," said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

Highlights from the sale include, but are not limited by:

Albert Einstein vintage signed photograph considered one of the most famous photographs of the 20th Century sold for $75,000.

Athens 1896 Olympic Bronze Winner's Medal sold for $65,625.

Edgar Allan Poe signed letter from 1864 sold for $62,500.

Paul Cézanne signed letter with original sketches, written just three days before his death, sold for $59,375.

Albert Einstein handwritten mathematical manuscript and typed letter to a fan sold for $38,125.

"I Am A Man" poster made famous during the Memphis sanitation strike of 1968 sold for $12,500.

Martin Luther King, Jr. signed photograph presented to Philadelphia's first black deputy police commissioner sold for $11,250.

This year the Remarkable Rarities sale was hosted from RR Auction's New Hampshire office. Online bidding began Friday, August 21, and was followed by a live sale on Saturday, September 12. For more information, go to www.rrauction.com.

Dayton, Ohio – Margaret Atwood, the bestselling author whose critically acclaimed fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have offered prescient warnings about the political consequences of individual complacency, will receive the 2020 Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, organizers of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize announced today.
 
Named in honor of the U.S. diplomat who played an instrumental role in negotiating the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords that ended the war in Bosnia, the award recognizes authors for their complete body of work. Founded in 2006, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize is the only international literary peace prize awarded in the United States, honoring writers whose work uses the power of literature to foster peace, justice, and global understanding.
 
Originally scheduled to be presented in late October 2020, the 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize gala has been postponed until June 27, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Atwood has written more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, essays, and graphic novels, tackling the most pressing issues of our time, from misogyny and injustice to totalitarianism and abuse of power. She published her first book of poetry, Double Persephone, in 1961 and quickly earned her place as an important voice in literature with a prolific output of poetry, fiction, and criticism. In 1985 she rose to international acclaim with the publication of The Handmaid’s Tale, a novel depicting a frighteningly feasible path toward patriarchal tyranny. All of her subsequent novels, among them Cat’s Eye (1989), Alias Grace (1996), and The MaddAddam Trilogy (2003-2013), have earned critical and popular acclaim, and she has been published in more than forty-five countries. She has won the Booker Prize twice -- for The Blind Assassin in 2000 and for The Testaments, her sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, in 2019.
 
“In a career spanning more than half a century, Margaret Atwood continues to remind us that ‘it can’t happen here’ cannot be depended upon; anything can happen anywhere given the right circumstances, and right now, with scorn for democratic institutions on the rise, her lessons are more vital than ever,” said Sharon Rab, the founder and chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation. “Atwood is that rare writer who has achieved popular success while educating readers on the most pressing social justice and ecological issues of our time, masterfully employing a range of genres to reveal how easily we might slip into dystopia -- but also showing us, with humor, rich world-building, and ingenious plots, the collective work we can do to avoid the fate of her eminently sympathetic characters.”
 
On winning the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, Atwood said: 
 
“What does writing have to do with peace? 
 
Writing as the placing of words on surfaces – clay, stone, papyrus, vellum, paper -- not much. Early writing was used to record inventories and to praise rulers, but not to encourage peace.
       
But fiction writing is different. If the fiction presents its characters in the round – what they think, what they feel, who they love and fear – it’s impossible not to realize that those being read about are as human as those doing the reading. And if the characters are from other places or other cultures, it becomes less and less possible to dismiss such people as not like us and therefore not our fellow mortals.
       
Writers are limited in their range – in what they are able to write about –whereas readers are not. Readers can read across the whole sweep of human experience – as far back in the past as they can see, as far afield as they can reach, as far into the future as it is possible to imagine. The closer we are to a person, the psychiatrists tell us, the harder it is to actually murder them. Perhaps that is the way in which reading is conducive to peace: it brings us closer together. If I feel I know you, understand you, and like you, why would I wish to make war on you?

That, at any rate, is our hope. We could certainly use a little hope, right about now.”
 
Atwood will join the ranks of past winners of the Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, formerly called the Lifetime Achievement Award, including Studs Terkel (2006), Elie Wiesel (2007), Taylor Branch (2008), Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (2009), Geraldine Brooks (2010), Barbara Kingsolver (2011), Tim O'Brien (2012), Wendell Berry (2013), Louise Erdrich (2014), Gloria Steinem (2015), Marilynne Robinson (2016), Colm Tóibín (2017), John Irving (2018), and N. Scott Momaday (2019). 
 
The finalists for the 2020 Dayton Literary Peace Prize in fiction and nonfiction will be announced in early October.

Middletown, New York  – The personal World War II flight jacket of Count and Colonel Ilya A. Tolstoy, the grandson of the renowned Russian author and Count Leo (Lev) Tolstoy (War and Peace), plus other items from the estate of Ilya Tolstoy, is an expected top lot in a two-session auction scheduled for Saturday, October 3rd, by EstateOfMind, live and online, at 11 am Eastern.

Ilya A. Tolstoy was an officer with the Office of Strategic Services (CIA) from 1942-1946. The size 42, type A-2 Army Air Force Flying Tigers flight jacket has a China-Burma-India theater insignia and retains a “Blood Chit” American flag with Chinese characters that reads, “This foreign person has come to China to help in the war effort. Soldiers and civilians should rescue and protect him.” The jacket comes with a notarized document from the estate of Mr. Tolstoy.

Included with the flight jacket are 29 albums of Ilya A. Tolstoy’s top-secret photos for the Office of Strategic Services’ China-Burma-India theater mission, including approximately 1,860 land, sea and aerial photos, plus an index identifying the place and location of each, for years 1942-43.

Also from the Tolstoy estate is a large watercolor equestrian-themed scroll titled Dancing Horse, signed by Beihong Xu (Chinese, 1895-1953) with three seal marks and calligraphy. The scroll has an overall size of 80 inches by 25 inches. Beihong Xu (also known as Ju Péon) was famous for his ink paintings of horses and birds and for his huge oil paintings with epic Chinese themes.

Other items from the Ilya Tolstoy estate will be sprinkled across both sessions of the auction. These include important Tibetan bronze Buddha figures Mr. Tolstoy acquired during his travels.

The auction – over 750 lots – will be held outside, under several large open-air tents, on the grounds of EstateOfMind, located at 195 Derby Road in Middletown. “We’re mindful of the health and safety of everyone in attendance and will be following strict CDC, state and local regulations and guidelines,” said Darrell Dirr, owner of EstateOfMind. “There will also be a donation table for Veterans Memorial Park, staffed by Purple Heart recipient Michael Cody.”

Session 1 will consist mainly of militaria, antique firearms, swords, daggers, fishing tackle and other items. That will be followed by Session 2, headlined by items from the Tolstoy estate. It’ll also feature fine art, historical documents, vintage posters, a watchmaker’s collection of watches and parts, jewelry, silver and a 1988 Chevrolet Corvette with removable top and 11,000 miles.

Paintings will feature a 16th century Old Master oil on canvas portrait of  Isabella de Medici, unsigned, from the Circle of (or by) Allessandro Allori (Florence, Italy, 1535-1607); and an oil on canvas portrait of Mary Magdalene, painted in the Old Master style after Giampietrino in the 18th or 19th century, 35 inches tall by 28 inches wide, housed in a fine period Baroque gilt frame.

Certain to generate local interest is an original broadside for “The Great American Mastodon”, unearthed not far from the EstateOfMind facility, printed circa 1846 and measuring 25 ½ inches by 18 inches. The broadside states the mastodon is “Now Exhibiting at the Hall” and provides “Dimensions of the Skeleton”, its approximate weight (“20,000 Pounds”) and other particulars.

The furniture category will include a lovely 18th/19th century Hepplewhite inlaid sideboard with the original surface, and a handsome circa 1910-1915 Arts and Crafts Mission Oak china cabinet.

More than 70 lots of rare, vintage movie posters will come up for bid, including examples from the film Dragstrip Riot from 1958 (“Murder….at 120 Miles Per Hour!”), 40 inches by 27 inches; and the movies You Gotta Stay Happy from 1948, starring James Stewart and Joan Fontaine, and Good Neighbor Sam (1964) starring Jack Lemmon and Romy Schneider (to be sold as one lot).

Jewelry will feature a 20th century Victorian diamond, sapphire and enameled 18kt yellow gold bracelet; a Hemmerle 18kt yellow gold and lizard skin wrist watch band, circa 1960; a 20th century Deco 18kt rose gold and enameled bracelet, signed and hallmarked Brev; and a lovely circa 1950 Art Deco 18kt white gold, emerald and 18-diamond ring (the diamonds 4 carats total).

Decorative accessories are plentiful and will include a pair of 19th century Chinese famille rose gourd vases, each one 16 inches tall; a pair of 20th century William & Mary style Cartier sterling silver candlesticks, 8 inches tall; and a hard-to-find pair of 17th century Augsburg, Germany Baroque silver vases with Pomegranate hallmarks, diminutive at just 5 ½ inches tall in height.

Also offered will be a pair of granite revolving pedestals from around 1920, 37 ½ inches tall each; a huge pair of Italian carved alabaster figural lamps, also circa 1920, each one 52 inches tall; a pair of 18th or 19th century Tibetan bronze Buddha figures, 4 ½ inches tall, being sold as one lot; and a circa 1850-1860 “Hawaiian Tree of Life” applique quilt, 100 inches by 101 inches.

Silver enthusiasts will be intrigued by a circa 1950-1960 Towle sterling flatware service for twelve in a French Provincial pattern (a six-piece place setting with serving pieces); and a Russian enameled silver presentation loving cup made for Tiffany & Company (Antip Ivanovich, Kuzmichev, Moscow, 1894).

Vintage comic books will include rare premiere issue copies of Captain Marvel and The Invincible Iron Man, both from 1968; and a copy of Captain Marvel #2, also from 1968.

Paper and ephemera lots will feature a circa 1848 Queen Victoria military appointment and one lot of five volumes: Instructions for Foreign Travel by Howell, circa 1650; Commentaire Nicolas Torcy, circa 1550; History of Pirates by (Captain) Charles Johnson, circa 1814; An Abridgement of Christian Religion by M. Ihon Caluin, circa 1585; and Full Account Wonderful Providence by John Whittel, circa 1693.

The watches category will include a Patek Philippe & Cie 18kt yellow gold pocket watch; a rare Theodore B. Starr Swiss 18kt yellow gold chronograph/repeater pocket watch with triple dial, circa 19th or 20th century; and trays of assorted ladies’ Art Deco pocket/wrist watches with parts.

Session 1 antique firearms will feature an important circa 1780 Charleville Brown Bess flintlock rifle with a 45-inch barrel, overall 60 inches long; a circa 1860 Civil War Starr revolver, .44 caliber; an 18th century Spanish Colonial engraved brass and mahogany .50 caliber flintlock pistol, hallmarked; and an early percussion rifle with cast white brass mounts, signed Remington.

Other antique firearms in Session 1 will include an early Canton, Ohio .50 caliber rifle signed “C. Leonard”, with a 40 ½ inch barrel; an 18th/19th century J. A. Golcher warranted tiger maple flintlock rifle; and a Browning semi-automatic light 12 gauge shotgun, serial # G-25061, with an extra 12 gauge barrel, serial # D-76958 (an NICS check is required for the purchase of this gun).

Swords and daggers will be led by an 18th/19th century Russian niello silver dirk (dagger), 19 ½ inches long; a British iron Fairbairn-Sykes fighting dagger from the 20th century, 12 inches long, bearing the initials of Ilya Tolstoy; an Ottoman Empire gold plated and reticulated steel Jambiya dagger; an 18th century English brass dirk/boot dagger with bone handle; a German cavalry sword from the 19th century; and a circa 18th or 19th century U.S. Revolutionary cavalry saber.

The fishing tackle category will reel bidders in with lots like a Penn Senator 16/0 big game fish reel with tools, circa 1930-1940; a circa 1950-1960 green marbleized tackle box with contents; and a circa 1930 Goodwin Granger “Granger Special” four-piece bamboo fly rod-fishing pole.

Internet bidding will be facilitated by the popular platform LiveAuctioneers.com. Bidders can also view lot photos and get more info at EstateOfMind.biz and at AuctionZip.com (ID # 11093).

In-person previews will be held by appointment on Friday, October 2nd, from 11 am to 6 pm; and on Saturday, auction day, October 3rd, from 8 am to 10 am. The first gavel falls at 11 am. All times are Eastern. To schedule an appointment, you may call EstateOfMind at 845-386-4403.

EstateOfMind was officially born in 2009 after more than 20 years of providing estate services through a former company, American Antiques & Fine Art. Owner and president Darrell Dirr, a proprietor of fine art, antique and estate sale businesses, holds a Certificate of Recognition. Mr. Dirr was nominated by OCDSS for being a valuable community partner of PSA for 20 years.

EstateOfMind is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To inquire about consigning an item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at 845-386-4403; or, you can send an email to estateofmind2009@yahoo.com. To learn more about EstateOfMind and the two-session auction planned for Saturday, October 3rd, please visit www.EstateOfMind.biz.

Dallas, TX – Frank Frazetta’s The Princess of Mars, one of the most identifiable and influential pieces of the artist's storied career, sold Thursday for $1.2 million. It was a remarkable and thrilling kick-off to Heritage Auctions’ four-day Comics & Comic Art event, which runs Sept. 10-13.
The first session alone realized $3,899,940 – in the span of an hour.

Frazetta’s Princess wasn’t alone in smashing pre-auction expectations during the event’s first session. Lee Elias’ now-iconic artwork adorning the cover of Chamber of Chills No. 19, published in 1953, sold for $174,000 after a spirited round of bidding. That was almost twice its original estimate. And Page 9 from Journey Into Mystery No. 112 sold for $120,000 – no surprise, given the artists involved (the legendary Jack Kirby and his longtime inker Chic Stone) and the characters (Hulk and Thor).
 
And John Buscema and George Klein’s splash page for The Avengers No. 58 sold for $90,000. This piece came but two years after Black Panther’s debut in the Jack Kirby-drawn Fantastic Four No. 52 in 1966, and marked the first solo splash featuring T’Challa. Buscema’s pose, that of the Panther stalking his prey, would define the character for decades to come, in the comics and on screen as portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman, felled Aug. 28 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.
 
Buyers also snapped up milestone issues: A CGC VG+ 4.5 copy of Superman No. 1 sold for $348,000. The issue of Action Comics No. 7 that was central to the federal court case involving the copycat Wonder Man sold for $204,000. And a copy of The Incredible Hulk No. 181 graded CGC NM/MT 9.8 realized $49,200 – the highest price ever paid for a comic book published in the 1970s.

But as he’s done so often in recent years – and throughout a fabled career that began in the 1940s and ’50s on such comic strips as Al Capp’s Lil’ Abner – Frazetta stole the spotlight Thursday.
 
“Frank Frazetta always felt that his art transcended genres,” said Nadia and Joe Mannarino, who head Heritage Auctions’ East Coast Comic Books and Original Comic Art category.

“The trick was making a living, providing for his family, while being able to retain his originals until the day that they realized their full potential,” said the Mannarinos, who, in the 1980s, began representing Frazetta. “The solution: work for publishers, be paid for the image and have the art returned. Hence, Frazetta would not produce a work unless the art was returned. This resulted in Frazetta and his family making numerous sacrifices. It is gratifying to see Frank and [his late wife] Ellie’s confidence and their family benefiting from the sacrifices they made.”

The painting, of beautiful people on faraway planets in fantastic settings, was one of two Frazetta made for cover of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of Mars, which Doubleday republished as hardback in 1970. Frazetta sent the first take to the publisher, and was so enamored and proud of the piece he immediately began painting another for his own collection, which remained with the family following his death in 2010. It was clear how much Frazetta adored the piece because of the small details included in the second version not visible in the first. Friends and family said Frazetta liked the second painting better than the one filling fantasy readers’ bookshelves.

Said Heritage Auctions' Vice President Barry Sandoval. “This is the rare case when the second version is even better than the published one.”

It had been clear since the painting’s posting last month there was tremendous interest: The Princess of Mars opened the morning of August 20 near the $30,000 mark, and by that day’s end, bids had already jumped past $100,000. And the night before the auction, it sat near $612,000. When the sun rose on Sept. 1, the bid had increased by another $300,000.

More than 600 people tracked the piece as it made its way to the finish line.

The Princess of Mars, which features John Carter brandishing a sword above his head and Dejah Thoris alongside him, is the fourth Frazetta piece sold by Heritage Auctions in the last four years to top the million-dollar mark. It’s also the highest price realized for one of the painter’s pieces since his 1974 cover to the At The Earth's Core paperback sold for $1,075,500 in August 2016.

The Princess of Mars’ sale price reflects its iconic stature as the piece upon which Tom Jung modeled the first Star Wars poster — the one with Luke Skywalker wielding a lightsaber, Princess Leia at his knee, Darth Vader and the Death Star looming behind them. Countless science fiction and fantasy artists built their careers echoing the piece Frazetta painted for the world and repainted for himself.

Heritage Auctions’ Comics & Comic Art event runs Sept. 10-13. Go here to see complete results from Session 1.

Washington, D.C. — Five organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today. Top prizes are being awarded to The Immigrant Learning Center, The International Rescue Committee, Inc. – Pakistan Reading Project, the National Center for Families Learning, Pratham Books and Room to Read.

The Literacy Awards, originated by David M. Rubenstein in 2013, honor organizations doing exemplary, innovative and replicable work. Collectively, all of these awards spotlight the great efforts underway to promote literacy and respond to the needs of our time.

Three of this year’s winners are being recognized for a second time due to their responsiveness to the unique needs presented by the current, unprecedented times. They have done especially outstanding work addressing challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent social unrest.  Only the previous major award recipients (2013-2019) were eligible to apply for these three awards.

“Literacy powers the pursuit of learning, knowledge and opportunity around the world, and now we are challenged to find new ways to teach and learn due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The Library of Congress is proud to work with David Rubenstein in honoring the innovative achievements of these organizations in advancing reading in the United States and worldwide.”

Prizes and Recipients

American Prize ($50,000): The Immigrant Learning Center, Malden, Massachusetts

The Immigrant Learning Center (ILC) addresses the needs of low-income immigrants and refugee adults in the greater Boston area. Begun in 1992, the center serves 425 students at any given time, over 800 annually, with a waitlist of 700. The center provides English for Speakers of Other Languages classes emphasizing a range of literacy skills (including civic and financial) along with language proficiency. They also help immigrants learn how to navigate American educational, business and general social systems. The center has served over 10,500 immigrants from 92 greater Boston communities since its inception. A staff of 32 credentialed and experienced teachers teach at the center with the assistance of 60 volunteers. Programs are year-round and free of cost to learners. For more information about the center see www.ilctr.org.

International Prize ($50,000): The International Rescue Committee, Inc. – Pakistan Reading Project, New York City

The International Rescue Committee’s Pakistan Reading Project (PRP) supports regional and provincial education departments to improve literacy and reading skills of public school children in grades one and two throughout Pakistan. The three key components of the project are: teacher training and development of materials for students and their educators in local languages; policy reform (such as introducing policies that support reading); and community-based support for reading. This is a 7-year project (started in 2013) working in 69 districts. As of December 2019, the project’s services had reached more than 1.7 million students and trained more than 27,000 teachers in reading instruction. For more information on the project see www.pakreading.org.pk/en.

2020 David M. Rubenstein Special Response Awards ($50,000 each):

National Center for Families Learning, Louisville, Kentucky

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) works to eliminate poverty through educational solutions for families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the center has focused on the digital divide by partnering with school districts and other community-based organizations to provide technology and Wi-Fi access, including mobile bus hotspots. The organization has also addressed issues such as food insecurity and social isolation. In Kentucky, Texas and Colorado, the center packaged and delivered food bundles with backpacks full of engaging educational books and materials to families. In Louisville, Kentucky, the organization’s hometown, it partnered with a local nonprofit to produce public service announcements about the virus that feature families as trusted community messengers. The center’s hometown of Louisville has been at the forefront of social unrest due to the fatal shootings of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee.  They have condemned these acts of violence and are taking actionable steps to use their platforms for social justice. For more information on the center and its activities, see www.familieslearning.org.  

Pratham Books, Bengalaru, India

Established in 2004, Pratham Books is a children’s book publisher that has helped millions of children gain access to engaging, affordable books in multiple languages. To further its mission, Pratham Books launched StoryWeaver, an online, digital repository of multilingual children’s stories that are openly licensed, giving users free access to the stories. The platform also enables the creation, translation, downloading and printing of stories through embedded tools. The repository has over 23,000 stories in 259 languages and continues to grow.

As demand surged during the pandemic for digital learning resources, Pratham Books created programs that can be used in low-resource environments, including a Learn at Home program, thematic reading lists, audio-visual books and a phone-based dial-a-story program that allows a child to locate a story in a chosen language by dialing a toll-free number.

In addition, in just four months, StoryWeaver translated 3,000 books in 28 new languages, including books about the coronavirus, health and hygiene and social and emotional issues. UNESCO and the World Bank have listed StoryWeaver as a resource for the homebound child during the pandemic. For more information on Pratham Books and activities during this period of Covid-19 and social unrest see www.prathambooks.org.

Room to Read, San Francisco, California

Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read’s digital platform — Literacy Cloud— originally developed for educators and book creators in Indonesia, was expanded exponentially in response to COVID-19. It now includes over 1,000 original Room to Read children’s book titles in 19 languages. The titles are available as a free resource for students, parents and teachers in the U.S. and around the world.

Simultaneously, the organization is working to harness the power of education to end systemic inequality and to build a more inclusive view of the human experience. Room to Read’s 1,600 culturally diverse book titles teach children how to relate to others with empathy, tolerance and justice. For more information on Room to Read and activities during this period of Covid-19 and social unrest see www.roomtoread.org.

The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program is also honoring 15 additional organizations for their implementation of best practices in literacy promotion. These best practice honorees, recipients of $5,000 each, are:

    •    Adelante Mujeres, Forest Grove, Oregon
    •    Book Dash, Cape Town, South Africa
    •    Book Harvest, Durham, North Carolina
    •    Briya Public Charter School, Washington, DC
    •    Child Aid, Portland, Oregon
    •    Cooperative for Education (CoEd) – The Spark Program, Cincinnati, Ohio
    •    Get-Lit - Words Ignite, Los Angeles
    •    Island Readers & Writers: An Initiative for Maine Children, Mount Desert, Maine
    •    Keren Grinspoon Israel, Ramat Gan, Israel
    •    Literacy for Life, Williamsburg, Virginia
    •    Mighty Writers, Philadelphia
    •    The Literacy Center, Attleboro, Massachusetts
    •    The Reading League, Inc., Syracuse, New York
    •    Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) – Project READ, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
    •    Writers in the Schools, Houston

A Literacy Awards Program Interactive map and additional information on the awards and previous winners is available at read.gov/literacyawards.

David M. Rubenstein is the co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group. He is a major benefactor of the Library of Congress and the chairman of the Library’s lead donor group, the James Madison Council.

San Francisco – Turner Auctions + Appraisals is pleased to present The Joel Harris Collection of Oziana & Children’s Books on Saturday, September 26, 2020. Curated by the Director of Special Publications of the International Wizard of Oz Club–who is also an author, collector and San Francisco Bay Area estate planning and probate attorney–Mr. Harris’s sale offers over 190 lots of first edition and vintage books, featuring a captivating and broad selection of Oz books. These include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Land of Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, Glinda of Oz, Scarecrow of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, and others. The Oz series was written by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919), a prolific American author best known for his children's books–in particular The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 13 sequels, plus 41 other novels, 83 short stories, and more than 200 poems and 42 scripts.

Oz collection highlights include The Wizard of Oz from 1939 signed by movie cast members; a first edition from 1899; and six editions of the same book that all vary from one another. This online auction also features other books by Baum, including Mother Goose in Prose, with illustrations by Maxfield Parrish; Queen Zixi Of Ix, The Master Key: An Electric Fairy Tale; The Navy Alphabet; The Sea Fairies; and The Songs of Father Goose.

Other children’s books in the sale include The Boy Fortune Hunters and The Flying Girl series, Sam Steele’s Adventures, and The Arabian Nights; plus a selection of ‘pop-up’ books, including Pinocchio and Jack the Giant Killer and Other Tales.

Books by other acclaimed authors, collected by Mr. Harris’s late wife Christine, include Jack London, A. Conan Doyle and Maurice Sendak. Among these highlights are noted A. A. Milne books: a fine first British edition of The House at Pooh Corner in the original dust jacket; The Christopher Robin Story Book; More “Very Young” Songs; and several editions of Now We Are Six. There are also Jack London books, including one that is signed. Some were in the personal collection of London’s younger daughter Becky, who lived in Glen Ellen and became a friend of Christine’s. Rounding out the sale are several other lots: several presidential books, including Memoirs by Harry S. Truman, two volumes, one signed; and George Herbert Walker Bush: A Photographic Profile; a rare W.W. Denslow 1905 Sunny Jim Doll; and stickers autographed by Ray Bradbury.

Turner Auctions + Appraisals begins its online auction on Saturday, September 26, 2020, at 10:30 am PDT; sale items are available for preview and bidding now. The auction is featured live on multiple platforms: LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Bidsquare, iCollector, and Turner Auctions + Appraisals’ free mobile app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Apps ("Turner Auctions"). All are easily accessed through ‘Upcoming Auctions’ at the company’s website: www.turnerauctionsonline.com/upcoming-auctions/.

Born, raised and living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Joel Harris received his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from California’s University of Santa Clara. He has been an estate attorney for 30 years and is a State Bar Certified Specialist: estate planning, trust & probate law. But his extensive professional career is even superseded by his personal hobby–a passion for collecting all things Oz that has lasted over 45 years.

This enthusiasm and quest was triggered very young–in about third grade–by his elementary school librarian, Ms. Nina Fohner, who introduced him to The Wonderful World of Oz. Between the story and the visuals, young Joel was hooked. When his school ran out of books in the Oz series to read, he cajoled his parents to drive to bookstores in search of new material.Mr. Harris notes he has “the collector gene,”entranced both then and now by reading old and beautiful books with colored illustrations, book plates and end papers. As he says, “the older they are, the prettier they are,” the more he likes them.

As Mr. Harris got older, he began to buy and sell Oz books, meeting book dealer sat his local recreation center and working for The Book Lady to set up her booth at book shows, for which he was paid in books.In fact, he self-financed his first trip to Europe in high school with proceeds from his Oz book dealings! Mr. Harris considers himself an “advanced collector,” noting that his hobby “is not at the normal level.” With Christine, he owned the Clayton Bookshop for many years, and has attended myriad book shows in the U.S. and abroad to enhance his collection.He was also a consultant to Storyopolis, a popular children’s bookstore in Southern California, now closed. Of particular note and pride is Mr. Harris’s invitation by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) to showcase his personal Oziana collection at the 52nd California Book Fair, the annual show for dealers of rare and antiquarian books, when the organization commemorated the 100th anniversary of the death of L. Frank Baum in 2019.

Furthermore, as a member of the International Wizard of Oz Club for over 40years, Mr. Harris has been its Director of Special Publications for 20 years.As the program’s supervisor, he edited and published numerous special editions for the Oz Club–newer books that are limited editions of only 26 copies. These are designated for special purposes and members of the Oz Club, and are not available for outside purchase. Unlikely to have been offered previously at auction, some of these books are featured in the September sale, including The Wicked Witch of Oz and Toto of Oz. Mr. Harris built his Oz collection over many years, traveling to Europe, buying at auctions, and purchasing collections from Oz Club members and the organization’s private auctions.(Although he generally did not find much at estate sales, he notes that, during one recent Christmas, he came across books that sold for 25 cents. Digging through the offerings, he found a Harry Potter book with a J. K. Rowling autograph, Dan Brown books with a signed personal letter from Brown to the book’s former owner, and two custom copies of Eragon. For $20 he bought a whole tub of books –valued at over $5,000!)

Amassed over more than four decades, Mr. Harris’s collection reflects beautiful and special items that are unusual. As with all of us, COVID-19 has given Mr. Harris a lot of extra time at home: sheltering in place, he used the time to organize and curate his collection to prepare it for sale. Mr. Harris says he “pulled some treasures” from his collection and Christine’s for this auction. Fans of Oziana and Pooh are sure to be delighted!

Here are some highlights of the upcoming sale (see details in the online catalog):

Lot 113: Fine First British Edition of Now We are Six in dust jacket, by A.A. Milne, illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Methuen 1927 first UK edition. Red cloth boards stamped in gold. Original light green dust jacket. Pink and blue illustrated endpapers, and illustrations throughout by Shepard. Near fine, bright copy with just a small corner bump and barely noticeable spine end bumps, in very good to fine dust jacket with darkened spine and 4 small chips.Estimate $1,500-$2,000.

Lot 170: Eragon by Christopher Paolini, signed true 1st edition in wraps, Paolini International 2002, privately printed edition predating the Knopf hardcover editions. Presentation copy. Fine in wraps, as new.Estimate $600-$900.

Lot 106: The Christopher Robin Story Book by A. A. Milne, illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Dutton 1929 stated first edition, 1st US edition. Light blue boards lettered and decorated in gold. Original color illustrated dust jacket, back flap has ad for The House at Pooh Corner. Blue and white illustrated endpapers and illustrations throughout by Shepard. Very good to fine with a small dent in the spine, unclipped dust jacket is near fine with a few tiny chips and spots. Estimate$1,000-$1,500.

Lot 89: The Navy Alphabet by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by Harry Kennedy. George M. Hill 1900 First Edition. Decorative title-page + 28 plates with illustrations by Harry Kennedy, 27 of them with verses by Baum lettered by Charles Costello. Folio in original blue cloth-backed illustrated pictorial boards. Good or better condition. Wear and soiling to boards with bumped corners. 2-inch spot on letter "I" with matching discoloration opposite. Small gift inscriptions on ffep dated 1902 and 1931 from the same family. Tight binding.Estimate $800 -$1,200.

Lot 110: More Very Young Songs by A.A. Milne, illustrated by E.H. Shepard, music by H. Fraser-Simson. Methuen 1928 first UK signed limited edition. 1/100 copies signed by Milne, Shepard and Fraser-Simson, this is copy 31. Tan boards over blue cloth. Illustrated throughout. Extremely rare. Near fine. Estimate$1,200-$1,800.

Lot 87: Mother Goose in Prose by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by Maxfield Parrish.George M. Hill 1901 2nd edition. 265 pp. Illustrated with 13 plates (including title page) by Maxfield Parrish, printed in sepia. (8vo) original red cloth pictorially stamped in black & white. Scarce second edition of Baum's first children's book and first book of fiction, first published in 1897. Bienvenue & Schmidt, p. 160. About very good. Light staining and soiling to cover; head and tail of spine frayed, light soiling to pages; front hinge cracked and repaired; previous owner's signature on front free end paper dated 1902; frontispiece neatly colored in by previous owner; light soiling to pages throughout; overall very good. Estimate$500-$800.(Photo, lower right)

Lot 117: First Limited Edition of the First Winnie the Pooh Book, When We Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne, illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Dutton 1924 first US edition, 1/500 copies of the Special Limited Edition. Original illustrated boards backed in green cloth. Illustrated endpapers and illustrations throughout by Shepard. Original color illustrated dust jacket. Very good copy with a little age toning and fading to spine, spine corners rubbed. Inside is clean and tight. Fair dust jacket is heavily chipped, with nice inside panels.Estimate$1,200-$1,800.

Lot 24: First Edition in Original First State Dust Jacket. Glinda of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by John R. Neill. Reilly & Lee 1920 1st edition. 12 color plates. Partial original 1st state dust jacket. Brown cloth with color 7 pictorial label and illustrated endpapers, jacket (lacks back cover and flap). Ads on verso of half-title list 13 titles through Glinda of Oz. Published the year after Baum's death, this was the last Oz book to be written by Baum. Bienvenue & Schmidt, p.81 Good condition. Spine ends frayed, corners bumped and exposed. Previous owner's name on ownership page. Front hinge cracked, back hinge starting. Poor condition jacket only has front panel, front flap and spine. Estimate $300-$500.

Philadelphia — Freeman’s is pleased to announce its inaugural Ritual and Culture auction, to take place in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23. Celebrating the richness and diversity of global cultures, this sale includes objects and works of art from Africa, Asia, medieval Europe, and the Americas, with some pieces dating back to antiquity.

Works were hand-selected across categories by Freeman’s specialists. Together, they explore the human desire to understand the universe through religious expression and artistic creation. This eclectic event encourages both lifelong and emerging collectors to adopt a more fluid and personal approach to how they add new pieces.

With an emphasis on traditions and ceremonies, Freeman’s will present objects, artifacts, texts, and codices relating to deities, hagiography, storytelling, bodily practices, cultural transmission, and our relationship to animals and nature.
 
GOTHIC SCULPTURES AND A LEAF FROM THE FIRST BOOK PUBLISHED IN THE WEST

French and Burgundian Gothic sculptures from a private New York City collection are among the event’s highlights. These pieces were privately evaluated in 2011 by the late Théo-Antoine Hermanès, the noted Swiss medievalist and conservator.

Fifteen incunabula, or books printed before 1500, will also be featured. This is headed by a leaf from the first printed book in the West, the Gutenberg Bible, circa 1450-55 (lot 26, $40,000-$60,000). This leaf was part of a defective copy from the Munich Royal Library’s collection. In 1832, English diplomat Robert Curzon purchased it, and bookseller Gabriel Wells broke it up to sell as individual leaves in 1920.

Also included in this auction will be a Great Plains pictographic War Record from the Lakota or Kiowa from circa 1880 (lot 46, $30,000-$50,000). This artifact was purportedly collected by First Lieutenant Harry Gibbons Cavenaugh (1843-1919) of the 13th Regiment U.S. Infantry at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in the 1880’s.

Chicago — Potter & Potter Auctions is pleased to announce this can't miss event sale to be held on Saturday, October 10th, 2020 starting at 10am at the company's gallery, located at 3759 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613. This event will be conducted entirely online, streamed live from Potter & Potter's gallery, and held on www.potterauctions.com. Bids can be placed on the company's website. Phone and absentee bidding are available as well. All lots are available for preview now on Potter & Potter's website.

Breathtaking antique books spanning three centuries take several of the top slots in this important sale.
•    Lot #6, a second edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, is estimated at $8,000-10,000. It was published in 1860 in London by John Murray. This example has an 1860 imprint and “fifth thousand” on title page; in actuality 3,000 copies were printed bringing the total to 4,250. Roughly two copies of the first issue exist with an 1859 imprint.
•    Lot #231, a copy of Gaius Julius Caesar's The Commentaries printed in London in 1712 by Jacob Tonson is estimated at $7,000-9,000. This 560 page folio was edited by Samuel Clarke and includes the double-page plate of the bison, which is usually lacking.
•    Lot #13, Thomas Hawkins' The Book of the Great Sea-Dragons, Ichthyosauri and Plesiosauri…Extinct Monsters of the Ancient Earth from 1840 is estimated at $3,000-4,000. This first edition was published in London by W. Pickering and features thirty plates copied from skeletons in the author’s collection of fossil organic remains.  

These more modern book selections are also certain to be best sellers.
•    Lot #644, a four volume limited edition folio on Abstract Expressionism produced by the Tiber Press in 1960, is estimated at $4,000-6,000. This outstanding and important post-war American artist book features collaborations between four of the most influential American poets of the second half of the twentieth century, and four important second-generation New York School artists. These include Jon Ashbery's The Poems with prints by Jan Mitchell, Frank O'Hara's Odes with prints by Michael Goldberg, Kenneth Koch's Permanently with prints by Alfred Leslie, and James Schuyler's Salute with prints by Grace Hartigan. Each publication is signed by the author and artist.
•    Lot #359,  a first edition, first printing of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury, is estimated at $2,500-3,500. It was published in 1929 in New York by Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith. It includes its original second issue dust jacket with no printed price on its front flap; only 1,789 copies of this absolute rarity were issued.
•    Lot #667, a first edition, first printing of Walker Evans' American Photographs, is estimated at $1,500-2,500. This example, in excellent condition, was published in New York by The Museum of Modern Art and is one of 5,000 copies printed. This book is considered to be one of the foremost American photography books and the first to be devoted to the work of a single photographer.

This event presents a number of once-in-a-lifetime archives documenting the history of flight and other aerodynamic accomplishments.
•    Lot #905, an Orville and Wilbur Wright photo archive from c. 1904-1915, is estimated at  $6,000-7,000. This collection is from aviation writer and historian Henry Woodhouse and includes 62 Wright brothers photos and a letter of provenance from the Wright Company of Dayton, Ohio.
•    Lot #796, Woodhouse's massive collection of aviation related materials from c. 1904-1930, is estimated $5,000-7,000. This assemblage includes 425 vintage photographs of various airplanes, aviation pioneers and events, and Woodhouse-related documents, publications, magazines, and other correspondence to and from high profile people and institutions.  
•    Lot #841, a Glenn Curtiss photo archive, is estimated at $3,000-4,000. Curtiss was a "founding father" of the U.S. aircraft industry. This collection includes about 85 photos, with images including Alexander Graham Bell’s A & H Cygnet II, Curtiss with Augustus Post, Augustus Post’s Curtiss biplane, squadrons of Curtiss biplanes, and a set of Curtiss passenger hydroplane construction research department photos from 1916, among many others.

Curated selections of fine art also frame this sale in a most eye-catching way.
•    Lot #581, William Adolphe Bouguereau's beautifully rendered Study of the Head of a Brunette Woman is estimated at $12,000-18,000. This signed, pastel on board work includes its original Galerie Drouant–David and Galerie Percier Paris gallery tags.
•    Lot #630, Pablo Picasso's Le Pigeonneau is estimated at $10,000-15,000. This hand colored and signed artist proof from 1939 was printed in Paris by Robert Blanchet. It is one of only a few artist proofs from the deluxe edition (out of 226) of 40 Dessins de Picasso en Marge du Buffon. It is accompanied by two letters of authenticity.
•    Lot #645, an original steel-tip fountain pen on trimmed paper sketch drawing by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec from the late 1800s is estimated at $4,000-6,000. This piece is signed four times by the artist - including two monograms - and is affixed to trimmed cardstock with a red stamp from the famed Goupil & Cie art gallery.

Prints and drawings - including examples from well-known 20th century artists and illustrators - is another key category in this signature sale.  
•    Lot #600 Richard Hamilton's A Portrait of the Artist by Francis Bacon from 1970/71 is estimated at $1,200-2,000. This framed work is pencil numbered “131/140” and signed by the artist on the lower margin.
•    Lot #605, David Hockey's framed Ossie and Mo is estimated at $1,000-2,000. This work is signed, numbered 4/75, printed by Maurice Payne on Chisbrook handmade paper, and published by the Petersburg Press in 1968.
•    Lot #583, Sidney Chafetz's Freud is estimated at $400-600. This framed woodcut from 1963 of the world famous psychoanalyst and scholar is numbered 30/40 and pencil signed by the artist.

This remarkable sale comes full circle with exciting selections of maps, manuscripts, ephemera, and other fascinating paper-based materials.
•    Lot #281, a food map of the USA sponsored The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A & P) and illustrated by Louis Delton Fancher is estimated at $800-1,200. This impressive work was produced for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and shows the part played by each of our States in supplying the Nation’s larder.
•    Lot #527, an original broadside for Leonard Bernstein and the New York City Symphony for their 1945-1946 season is estimated at $1,500-2,000. The poster advertises “vital music old and new superbly performed under a stimulating young conductor at prices within reach of all” and notes F.H. LaGuardia as the president of the New York City Symphony.  
•    Lot #331, Charles Bukowski's original, four paged typed manuscript for The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills is estimated at $4,000-6,000. This c. 1958/60 work was presented to Bukowski’s first publisher with an inscription and an original drawing.
•    Lot #569, a set of four all original Sears Roebuck catalogues from 1928–1931, is estimated at $300-400. This group is one of 550 copies distributed to “larger libraries throughout the nation with the hope that they will prove valuable books of reference to future generations.”

According to Gabe Fajuri, President at Potter & Potter Auctions, “This is our largest and most diverse book and manuscript sale to date. With dozens of highlights across nearly as many categories, it's hard to choose a favorite lot. I expect strong, competitive bidding across the board on October 10."

Potter & Potter, founded in 2007, is a Chicago area auction house specializing in paper Americana, vintage advertising, rare books, playing cards, gambling memorabilia, posters, fine prints, vintage toys, and magicana - antiques and collectibles related to magic and magicians.

Given current public health regulations, all scheduled upcoming events will be live streamed from the company's Chicago gallery and all bidding will take place online through Potter & Potter Auctions' website. Phone and absentee bids are also welcome. No live, in-person auction previews are available; all lots from any auction can be viewed on the company's website starting approximately three weeks prior to each sale. For more information, please see www.potterauctions.com.  Follow us on Facebook (potterandpotterauctions) and Instagram (potterauctions).

Berkeley, CA -- A select gathering of rare books, manuscripts, art and other fine material in all fields will be offered at PBA Platinum on September 10. Included are early and important treatises on science, medicine, alchemy and the occult; landmarks of literature; rare Americana and Californiana; illustrated and color plate books; original art and livres d’artiste; fine press books; key historical works; and much more.

Derain’s Pantagruel, 1 of 15 with original watercolor

André Derain’s livre d’artiste of François Rabelais’ Pantagruel, with 180 color woodcuts, one of 15 copies with an original watercolor bound in and an additional suite of plates on Madagascar paper. Finely bound in full crushed morocco by Jacques Anthoine Legrain. Estimate: $30,000-$50,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/176623/

Inscribed to former King Edward VIII

Winston Churchill’s 1939 work, Step by Step, inscribed and signed by him to the Duke of Windsor – the former King Edward VIII – the month of publication. In custom binding by Lucie Weill with the crowned cipher of Windsor. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/175341/

One of 100 signed by Oscar Wilde

The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, first edition, one of 100 copies on large paper signed by the author. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/175768/

Watercolor by Diego Rivera commemorating Russian Revolution

Original watercolor by Diego Rivera, the design for the cover of the March 1932 issue of Fortune Magazine, based on his sketches made in 1927 at the Moscow commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Russian Revolution, inscribed by him to the founders of the American Communist Party. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/175395/

LEC Ulysses signed by Joyce & Matisse

The Limited Editions Club printing of James Joyce’s Ulysses, 1935, illustrated from etchings and drawings by Henri Matisse, one of 250 copies signed by both Joyce and Matisse – the remainder of the run of 1500 copies was signed by Matisse only. Estimate: $15,000-$25,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/176658/

Cornerstone of Hermetic literature, 1650

The Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus, in XVII Books, 1650, the rare first edition in English of the core texts of the ancient Egyptian gnosis, the cornerstone of Hermetic literature, believed to date from the first century A.D. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/176450/

Man Ray’s first monograph

Photographs by Man Ray, 1920-1934, with 84 photographs printed in gravure and 19 additional rayographs, the rare first issue of the first edition, Man Ray’s first monograph. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/175339/

First edition of Darwin’s Descent of Man

First edition of The Descent of Man, by Charles Darwin, two volumes, each in the first issue, an exceptional copy in the original cloth. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/176404/

Hand-colored lithographs of ballerinas, c.1846
Les Gloires de l'Opéra, published in Paris around 1846, comprising twelve striking hand-colored lithographed plates of the leading ballerinas of Europe, quite rare. Estimate: $7,000-$10,000

https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/537/lot/176404