There are people who have created their lives within the world of great books and there are a few who brought their complex and complicated lives to the field by converting a small portion of their wealth into collections. William R. Berkley, Chairman of W.R. Berkley Corporation and of the Board of Trustees of New York University, is one of those. His focus was printed Americana.
The field encourages collecting by casually emphasizing provenance because it suggests great collectors are remembered. In time a few emerge as principal collectors of their categories. Mr. Berkley was one of this select group when midstride he passed away. At 80, he still had projects to attend to that now fall to the management of his foundation. The question will be whether his collection will be used to promote collecting, given to institutions, or end up in the auction rooms.
He was an original thinker. Many primary collectors have loved their material, filled their shelves and after their passing, saw their libraries quickly dispersed. My impression is Mr. Berkley was a true original. Earlier this year his foundation purchased a significant Manhattan home that looked to be his collection’s base of operations.
Sotheby’s, Oct. 20: Euclid. Praeclarissimus Liber Elementorum in Artem Geometrie, Venice, Ratdolt, 25 May 1482, first edition of the first substantial mathematical work to appear in print, Durazzo copy.
Sotheby’s, Oct. 20: Galilei, Galileo. Sidereus nuncius …, Venice, 1610, first edition of the foundation of modern astronomy.
Sotheby’s, Oct. 20: Kepler, Johannes. Astronomia nova aitiologitos …, Prague or Heidelberg, 1609, first edition, contemporary vellum, the Chasles copy.
Sotheby’s, Oct. 20: Cellarius, Andreas. Harmonia macrocosmica seu atlas universalis et novus ..., Amsterdam, Jan Jansson, 1661, brilliantly handcolored.
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: The "Hatfield" Apple-1 Computer in working condition, signed by Steve Wozniak with a letter signed by Steve Jobs. Estimate: $500,000-800,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: REICHARDT, JASIA; curator. Cybernetic Serendipity: The computer and the Arts. Portfolio and Catalogue. Estimate: $5,000-8,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: An Apple Lisa 1 Microcomputer. Estimate: $50,000-70,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: A rare Apple Paladin "All-In-One" computer prototype. Estimate: $40,000-60,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: 30th Anniversary "White OC" Edition Asus ROG Nvidia Astral Gegorce RTX 5090 signed by Jensen Huang. Estimate: $10,000-15,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: A clear plastic prototype Apple Macintosh Portable. Estimate: $10,000-15,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: An Apple Jolly Roger pirate flag. Estimate: $4,000-6,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: An Apple Newton messagepad engineering development notebook. Estimate: $4,000-6,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: A rare 1839 Jacquard-woven silk portrait of Joseph-Marie Jacquard. Estimate: $4,000-6,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: A clear plastic prototype Apple Macintosh Powerbook Duo dock with an Apple Powerbook Duo 280. Estimate: $3,000-4,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: A clear plastic prototype Macintosh 'Apollo' Classic II. Estimate: $3,000-5,000
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: WEIZENBAUM. Computer Power and Human Reason. 1976. Estimate: $1,500-2,500
Bonhams, Now thru Oct. 14: An Apple Newton Messagepad with marketing display. Estimate: $1,000 - 1,500
