The world lost one of its most remarkable citizens: Dolly Parton. Upon her passing, the media and the public stood as one to salute her. Known across the globe as an icon of song, stage, and screen, she was equally extraordinary behind the scenes—quietly using her wealth, fame, and spirit to make the world a better place.
In 1995, she created the Imagination Library, a program that mails a free, high-quality books directly to children every month from birth until their fifth birthday. Dolly believed that early reading was crucial to navigating life successfully. Long before screen time dominated daily life, she saw physical books as a vital anchor. As a counterweight to declining educational standards and the rapid spread of short-form internet culture, she committed her resources to championing long-form reading and cognitive focus for the next generation.
What began as a modest initiative in rural Tennessee grew into a universal "Young Reader's Welcome Wagon." Today, the program delivers books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia. The scale of her vision is breathtaking: the foundation now mails over 3.5 million free books every month—roughly 110,000 every single day, or a new book delivered to a child's doorstep every 0.78 seconds. To date, the program has gifted over 300 million books worldwide.
We frequently encounter success in public life, and occasionally the famous turn out to be collectors or lovers of the printed word. All praise to them. But rarely do we see a superstar devote such a significant portion of her lifetime wealth and personal energy to lifting up children she would never meet. Leaving behind an estate estimated in the hundreds of millions, her financial legacy was structured to ensure the books keep coming long after her passing.
How and why did she do this? It was no random act. In her late 40s, knowing she would not have children of her own, she informally adopted millions of families instead. Her inspiration was deeply personal: her father, Robert Lee Parton, was a brilliant, hardworking man who never had the chance to learn to read or write due to childhood poverty. Dolly saw the quiet burden he carried and wanted to ensure no child ever felt that same barrier. Before he passed away, her father told her he was prouder of her being called "The Book Lady" than of all her fame and fortune.
By placing physical, tactile books into young hands—addressed directly to the child in the mail—Dolly Parton gave millions of children the pride of ownership, a love of deep reading, and a fair start in life. For that, the world owes her a debt of gratitude: Thanks 300 million Dolly.
Sotheby’s, Sep. 10: The Invisible Man (1933). Extremely Rare US Leader Press One Sheet. £20,000 to £26,000.
Sotheby’s, Sep. 10: You Only Live Twice (1967). Italian Advance Quattro Fogli. £10,000 to £15,000.
Sotheby’s, Sep. 10: A Dog's Life (1918). Extremely Rare US One Sheet. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, Sep. 10: La Belle et la Bête/Beauty and the Beast (1946). French Style A Grande. £12,000 to £18,000.
Sotheby’s, Sep. 10: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). US Lenticular Prototype One Sheet. £10,000 to £15,000.
Sotheby’s, Sep. 10: Théâtre d’Ombres (1897). Exceptionally Rare French Poster. £8,000 to £12,000.
Koller, Sep. 16: FRANZÖSISCHE REVOLUTION - ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE - Extrait des Procès-Verbaux de L'Assemblée Nationale, Des 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 Août & premier Octobre 1789.
Koller, Sep. 16: MOURADJA D'OHSSON, IGNACE. Tableau général de l'Empire Othoman, divisé en deux parties dont l'une comprend la Législation Mahométane, l'autre l'histoire de l'Empire Othoman [... ]
Koller, Sep. 16: BOTANIK - Blackwell, Elisabeth. A curious herbal, containig five hundred cuts, of the most useful plants, which are now used in the practice of physick.
Koller, Sep. 16: HAIMONSKINDER – Eyn schön lustig Geschicht, wie Keyser Carle der groß, vier gebrüder, Hertzog Aymont von Dordons Süne [...]
Koller, Sep. 16: KRÄUTERBÜCHER - HORTUS SANITATIS - [H]ortus Sanitatis. De herbis et plantis. De animalibus et reptilibus. De avibus et volatilibus. De piscibus et natalibus…
Koller, Sep. 16: GAUGUIN, PAUL, MALER (1848-1903). Eigenhändiger Brief mit Unterschrift und Couvert. An den Künstler und Freund Daniel de Monfreid in Paris.
Leland Little, September 11: Kenneth Claiborne Royall (1894-1971), Large Archive with Letters from Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Leland Little, September 11: Harry S. Truman, Scarce Autograph Letter Signed as 33rd U.S. President.
Leland Little, September 11: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) (1835-1910), Autograph Quotation Signed.
Leland Little, September 11:The History of North America, the Extremely Scarce Deluxe "Edition of the Presidents."
Leland Little, September 11: Scarce First Edition of Krafft's The American Distiller.
Leland Little, September 11: Inscribed First Edition of James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room.
Leland Little, September 11: A Signed Limited Edition of Love in the Time of Cholera.
Leland Little, September 11: The Extremely Scarce Limited and Extra-Illustrated Edition of The Works of Charles Dickens.
Leland Little, September 11: A Beautifully Bound Limited Edition of Émile Zola's The Rougon-Macquart.
Leland Little, September 11: The Elaborately Bound and Extremely Scarce The Shakespeare Gallery.
Leland Little, September 11:Hunting, Hawking, Shooting, A Signed Limited Edition Four Volume Set.
Leland Little, September 11: Signed Limited Edition of Salmon-Salmon with a Chapter on Iceland.
