Auction Update Review

Swann Galleries May 18.
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Bloomsbury May 25. Click for
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Twenty-nine Auctions Archived, 39 Upcoming this Week

For the week ended Saturday 14 May 29 auctions were archived to the Rare Book Hub Transaction Database; 10 denominated in euros, 4 in British pounds, and 15 in US dollars.  Turnover was $7,259,008 as 12,195 lots were offered and 7,537 sold for a 62% success rate.

1 auction saw total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Swann Galleries. Contemporary Art on May 12th: $1,403,324 



1 auction saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered: 

Bloomsbury Auctions. The Contents of Flinchcocks Musical Museum on May 11th: 178.13% 


9 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell: 

Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 5/1 on May 8th: 99.86% 
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 5/1 on May 8th: 98.21% 
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Fine Auction - Prints on May 1st: 95.65% 
Robert Siegel Galleries. U.S. and Confederate States Postal History on May 6th: 87.15% 
Bloomsbury Auctions. The Contents of Flinchcocks Musical Museum on May 11th: 85.71% 
Neal Auction Company. Spring Estates Auction - Books and Prints - Day 3 on May 8th: 85.71% 
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on May 10th: 85.19% 
Skinner. American and European Prints and Photography on May 13th: 84.17% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Printed Books, Maps and Documents on May 11th: 82.28% 



29 total sales reported this week: 

Ader. Photograph Books on May 12th: 39.62% 
Swann Galleries. Contemporary Art on May 12th: 67.54% 
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Fine Auction - Prints on May 1st: 95.65% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Military History, including the Battle of the Somme on May 13th: 74.44% 
Kiefer Buch und Kunstauktionen. Books and Prints on April 30th: 47.62% 
Skinner. American and European Prints and Photography on May 13th: 84.17% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Motoring, Cycling, Maritime and Railway History on May 12th: 71.71% 
RR Auction. RR Auction: Fine Autograph & Artifact Auction - Internet bidstart 4/22 on May 11th: 70.16% 
Binoche et Giquello. Antiquarian and Modern Books - Travel on May 11th: 54.29% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Printed Books, Maps and Documents on May 11th: 82.28% 
ALDE. Modern and Illustrated Books, Original Bindings on May 11th: 57.40% 
Grays Auctioneers. Fine Art - Prints on May 11th: 53.57% 
Bloomsbury Auctions. The Contents of Flinchcocks Musical Museum on May 11th: 85.71% 
Rossini. Prints on May 9th: 47.93% 
Auctionata. Art of the 21st Century - Prints on May 10th: 53.54% 
Swann Galleries. Modernist Posters on May 10th: 71.24% 
Auctionata. Black and White: German and Austrian Art on May 9th: 17.14% 
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on May 10th: 85.19% 
Auctionata. World of Colors: German and Austrian Art on May 9th: 27.27% 
Ader. Judaica on May 4th: 62.20% 
Michaans Auctions. May Estate Auction on May 7th: 34.38% 
Rago Arts and Auctions. Art Sale - Prints on May 7th: 39.86% 
Neal Auction Company. Spring Estates Auction - Books and Prints - Day 3 on May 8th: 85.71% 
Neal Auction Company. Spring Estates Auction - Books and Prints - Day 2 on May 7th: 77.78% 
Neal Auction Company. Spring Estates Auction - Books and Prints - Day 1 on May 6th: 54.55% 
Robert Siegel Galleries. U.S. and Confederate States Postal History on May 6th: 87.15% 
Kedem Auction. Jewish and Israeli History and Culture on March 16th: 72.44% 
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 5/1 on May 8th: 98.21% 
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 5/1 on May 8th: 99.86% 

Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.

  1. Swann Galleries Sweet Dreams, Baby! on May 12th Actual price: USD $125,000.
  2. Swann Galleries CHAMPIONS DU MONDE. on May 10th Actual price: USD $75,000.
  3. Swann Galleries Collage #17 on May 12th Actual price: USD $52,500.
  4. RR Auction Apollo 11 Flown flag on May 11th Actual price: USD $49,004.
  5. Rago Arts and Auctions Study for Bullfight No. 1, 1971 on May 7th Actual price: USD $40,625.
  6. Swann Galleries Collage #13 on May 12th Actual price: USD $40,000.
  7. Rago Arts and Auctions Mao, 1972 on May 7th Actual price: USD $40,000.
  8. RR Auction Thomas Jefferson ALS on May 11th Actual price: USD $38,006.
  9. Swann Galleries Indian Published in Busche, Roy Lichtenstein: Das Fruhwerk, 1942-60, on May 12th Actual price: USD $37,500.
  10. Swann Galleries Carta a un General on May 12th Actual price: USD $37,500.
  11. Swann Galleries Flowers on May 12th Actual price: USD $35,000.
  12. Swann Galleries Folsom Street Variation III (Primaries) on May 12th Actual price: USD $33,800.
  13. Swann Galleries Sunrise on May 12th Actual price: USD $31,200.
  14. Swann Galleries Circus on May 12th Actual price: USD $30,000.
  15. Rago Arts and Auctions The Couple, from Expressionist Woodcut Series, 1980 on May 7th Actual price: USD $30,000.
  16. Swann Galleries Anne on May 12th Actual price: USD $27,500.
  17. Swann Galleries Periscope on May 12th Actual price: USD $27,500.
  18. Swann Galleries RADIO / RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ADMINISTRATION. on May 10th Actual price: USD $27,500.
  19. Bloomsbury Auctions Group of seven wild horses on May 11th Actual price: USD $26,784.
  20. ALDE Bubu de Montparnasse. on May 11th Actual price: USD $26,425.
  21. Swann Galleries Yellow Tulips on May 12th Actual price: USD $25,000.
  22. Swann Galleries RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ADMINISTRATION. on May 10th Actual price: USD $25,000.
  23. Rago Arts and Auctions Untitled (Kopf 15.VI,1983), 1983 on May 7th Actual price: USD $25,000.
  24. Swann Galleries Vertical Brush Strokes on May 12th Actual price: USD $23,750.
  25. Kiefer Buch und Kunstauktionen Tessiner Dorf. on April 30th Actual price: USD $23,256.


For the week ahead 39 sales are scheduled:

Mon. May. 16th
Winter Associates. Plainville, CT . Americana, etc. Books and Prints. 29 lots
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Prints. 70 lots

Tue. May. 17th
Bolaffi Ambassador Auctions. Milan. Photography. 371 lots
Tooveys. West Sussex. Ephemera. 181 lots
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Books and Manuscripts. 213 lots
Paige Auction. Portland. The Joy of Collecting. 82 lots
Bloomsbury Auctions. London. Asian Art - Books and Prints. 29 lots

Wed. May. 18th
Swann Galleries. New York. 19th and 20th Century Literature. 387 lots
Bonhams. Edinburgh. The Sporting Sale. 325 lots
Tooveys. West Sussex. Prints. 17 lots
Guernseys. New York, NY. Forever Ellington. 251 lots
Bearnes Hampton and Littlewood. Exeter. 2-Day Sporting and Collectible Auction. 149 lots
Bonhams. London. Instruments of Science - Globes. 6 lots
Woolley and Wallis. Salisbury. Asian Art - Books and Prints. 4 lots
Central Mass Auctions. Boston,. Online Estates Auction. 30 lots

Thu. May. 19th
ALDE. Paris. Autograph Letters and Manuscripts. 387 lots
Sothebys. London. Photographs. 132 lots
Christies. London -South Kensington. Prints and Multiples. 284 lots
PBA Galleries. San Francisco. Rare Cartography, Exploration & Voyages: The Warren Heckrotte Collection, Part IV - The Reference Li. 434 lots
Ader. PARIS. Ancient and Modern Prints. 330 lots
RR Auction. Amherst. Auction Title: RR Auction: Marvels of Modern Music - Internet bidstart 5/12. 518 lots
Auctionata. Berlin. Portraits: Character Studies of Different Epochs. 29 lots

Fri. May. 20th
Christies. London - King Street. Photographs. 94 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Space Exploration. 362 lots
Bloomsbury Auctions. London. Fine Photographs. 112 lots
Christian Hesse Auktionen. Hamburg. Paintings, drawings, and graphics, from 16th to 20th Century – Photography. 283 lots
Ferraton. Bruxelles. Antiquarian and Modern Books, Autographs. 1036 lots
Ader. PARIS. Ancient and Modern Prints - Part 2. 361 lots

Sat. May. 21st
Clars Auction Gallery. Oakland. Prints.
Christies. Paris. Comic Strips. 211 lots
Potter and Potter Auctions. Chicago. Two of A Kind - Gambling and Playing Cards. 302 lots
Eldreds. East Dennis,. Antiques and Accessories - Books and Prints. 33 lots
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries. Thomaston. Spring Auction, Day 1. 40 lots
Christian Hesse Auktionen. Hamburg. Valuable Books from 16th to 20th Century Children Books from the Collection Victor Günthert, Munich. 840 lots
Shapiro Auctions. New York. FINE AND DECORATIVE ART AND ANTIQUES - Books and Prints. 184 lots

Sun. May. 22nd
Bonhams. Hong Kong. Prints, Photographs and Works on Paper.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics - Internet bidstart 5/15.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 5/15.
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries. Thomaston. Spring Auction, Day 2.

Bruce McKinney

RBH and AE

  • Heritage, Nov. 18: Orson Welles. Signed Third Revised Final Draft for Citizen Kane (RKO, 1941). July 16, 1940.
    Heritage, Nov. 18: Bob Dylan. Autograph manuscript working lyrics to "Man on the Street."
    Heritage, Nov. 18: Ernest Hemingway. Death in the Afternoon. Inscribed by the author to the daughter of the Spanish Ambassador.
    Heritage, Nov. 18: Jack London. The Call of the Wild. Inscribed by the author.
    Heritage, Nov. 18: John Steinbeck. East of Eden. Inscribed by 27 members of the movie cast and crew, including James Dean and Elia Kazan.
  • Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
    Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
    Sotheby’s
    Nelson, His Life and His Navy:
    The Clive Richards Collection of Letters and Manuscripts
    November 18, 2026
  • Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: The ‘Saxe-Meiningen Psalter’, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [northern France or adjacent southern Netherlands, second half of the thirteenth century]. £30,000 - £50,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Crescenzi (Bartolomeo). Nautica mediterranea, 2 parts in 1, second edition, with rare engraved folding map, Rome, Bartolomeo Bonfadino, 1607. £15,000 - £20,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Aristotle. [The Works], 10 vol.,, translated by Thomas Taylor, Printed for the Translator... by Robert Wilks, 1807-12. £6,000-8,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Turing (Alan).- Alan Turing's Slide Rule, engraved initials "A.M.T. Noli Hoc Furari", alongside other ephemera, housed in early 20th-century letter box, [mid.1920s-40s]. £6,000-8,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Vitruvius Pollio (Marcus). I Dieci Libri dell'Architettura, translated by Daniele Barbaro, Venice, Francesco Marcolini, 1556. £7,000-10,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Rowling (J.K.) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, first edition, hardback issue, first printing, Bloomsbury, 1997. £50,000-70,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, later impressions, each vol. signed by the author, London, George Allen & Unwin, 1957-58. £15,000-20,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, [1862]-73; plus a presentation copy of Gould's Introduction to the Birds of Great Britain (6). £35,000-45,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Galilei (Galileo). Istoria e Dimostrazioni intorno alle Macchie Solari e loro accidenti, comprese in tre lettere scritte all’illustrissimo signor Marco Velseri Linceo, first edition, Rome, 1613. £15,000-20,000
    Forum
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    Thursday 19th November
    Forum, Nov. 19: Gersdorff (Hans von). Feldtbuch der Wund-Arzney, enlarged edition, Strassburg, Hans Schotten, 1540. £20,000-30,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Kitchin (Thomas). A New Universal Atlas, first edition with maps in full original hand-colouring, Printed and Published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle, 1796. £8,000-12,000
    Forum, Nov. 19: Cassas (Louis François). Voyage Pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phenicie, de la Palestine, et de la Basse Egypte, 2 vol., first edition, [Paris], 1799. £10,000-15,000
  • Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 41. Rare First State of the First Printed Map Devoted to the Arctic (1595) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 63. The Largest of the Strada "Leo Belgicus" Editions (1632) Est. $3,250 - $4,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 71. Blaeu's Stunning Carte-a-Figures Map of the Americas (1640) Est. $4,000 - $4,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 8. Mariette's Rare and Decorative Map of the World Based on the Work of Hondius (1642) Est. $4,750 - $6,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 172. 1775 Edition of the Landmark Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia and Maryland (1775) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 46. Doppelmayr's Fine Celestial Chart (1742) Est. $800 - $950
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 212. First Edition Ski Country Map by Pioneer Hal Shelton (1965) Est. $500 - $700
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 732. Ruscelli's Complete Atlas with 69 Maps and Updated Maps of the Continents (1599) Est. $8,000 - $9,500
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 329. Ortelius' Map of Iceland Surrounded by Sea Monsters (1585) Est. $11,000 - $13,000
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 600. Heinrich Bunting's Rare Map of Asia in the Form of a Pegasus (1581) Est. $3,000 - $3,750
    Old World Auctions (Nov 11): Lot 716. Bible Leaf with Hand-Colored Image of the Adoration of the Magi (1490) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
  • Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: L. Feininger, Collection of autograph letters to Alois J. Schardt, 1920-1955. Est: € 150,000-250,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Flemish book of hours, Ghent-Bruges School around 1480-1500. Est: € 40,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: F. de Wit, Atlas maior, um 1700. Est: € 50,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: A. Stieglitz, Camera Work, 48 volumes, 1903-1914. Est: € 60,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Merian & M. Zeiller, Sämtliche Topographien, 21 volumes, 1642-1736. Est: € 50,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: R. Indiana and R. Creely, Numbers, 1968. Est: € 4,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Salerno Breviarium, Latin manuscript on vellum, North Italy around 1470-1476. Est: € 40,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. S. Merian, Surinaamsche (&) europische Insecten, 1730. Est: € 30,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: M. Beckmann, Jahrmarkt, Portfolio of 10 signed etchings, 1922. Est: € 25,000
    Ketterer Rare Books
    Auction November 23
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: Justinianus, Infortiatum, 1475. Est: € 10,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: B. Besler, Hortus Eystettensis, um 1750. Est: € 28,000
    Ketterer, Nov. 23: J. Gris and P. Reverdy, Au soleil du plafond, 1955. Est: € 3,000