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Heritage Auctions: Illustration Art Signature® Auction

Auction Reports

Auction Name Illustration Art Signature® Auction Total Sales (USD) 930,513.25
Auction Date April 21, 2026 - April 21, 2026 Low Estimate of Lots Sold (USD) 428,720.00
Sale Number #8245 High Estimate of Lots Sold (USD) 643,080.00
Total Lots 99
Sold Lots 94.0 Low Estimate of All Lots (USD) 453,520.00
% of Lots Sold 94.95% High Estimate of All Lots (USD) 680,280.00
Unsold Lots 5 Total Sales as a % of High Est. 136.78%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Top Sale Price Lots
Lot Number Author Name Book Title Year Published Estimate Actual Price
71105 Gil Elvgren

Gil Elvgren (American, 1914-1980) Jill Needs Jack, 1950 Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches (76.2 x 61.0 cm) Signed lower left: Elvgren Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

1950 USD 32,000.00 - 48,000.00 USD 81,250.00
71107 Gil Elvgren

Gil Elvgren (American, 1914-1980) Sweet Sue, 1963 Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches (76.2 x 61.0 cm) Signed lower right: Elvgren Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

1963 USD 32,000.00 - 48,000.00 USD 75,000.00
71106 Gil Elvgren

Gil Elvgren (American, 1914-1980) Sheer Nonsense, 1954 Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches (76.2 x 61.0 cm) Signed lower left: Elvgren Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

1954 USD 32,000.00 - 48,000.00 USD 71,875.00
71109 Gil Elvgren

Gil Elvgren (American, 1914-1980) Ski Bunny, NAPA Auto Parts advertisement, 1965 Oil on canvas 32 x 28 inches (81.3 x 71.1 cm) Signed lower left: Elvgren Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

1965 USD 24,000.00 - 36,000.00 USD 68,750.00
71118 Alberto Vargas

Alberto Vargas (Peruvian/American, 1896-1982) Call Waiting, 1940 Watercolor on board 26 x 39 inches (66.0 x 99.1 cm) Signed and dated lower left: Vargas /1940 The Vargas Trust Collection

1940 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 55,000.00
71098 Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (American, 1874-1951) Enlist in the Navy, World War I poster study, 1917 Oil on canvas 21 x 14 inches (53.3 x 35.6 cm) Not signed

1917 USD 5,600.00 - 8,400.00 USD 40,000.00
71108 Gil Elvgren

Gil Elvgren (American, 1914-1980) Miss Sylvania, Sylvania Electric advertisement, 1948 Oil on canvas 37 x 27 inches (94.0 x 68.6 cm) Signed lower center: Elvgren Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

1948 USD 32,000.00 - 48,000.00 USD 40,000.00
71059 H.R. Giger

H.R. Giger (Swiss, 1940-2014) Techno Skull, 1981 Airbrush and pencil on paper 15-1/2 x 11 inches (39.4 x 27.9 cm) (sheet) Signed and dated lower right: H. Giger / 28/10/81

1981 USD 24,000.00 - 36,000.00 USD 35,000.00
71048 Boris Vallejo

Boris Vallejo (American, b. 1941) Eagle's Tale, Mirage book interior, 1979 Oil on board 31-1/4 x 22 inches (79.4 x 55.9 cm) Signed and dated lower left: Boris © 79

1979; 1982 USD 9,600.00 - 14,400.00 USD 30,000.00
71055 Greg and Tim Hildebrandt

Greg and Tim Hildebrandt (American, 20th Century) Arwen joins the Quest, Inquest magazine cover, June 2000 Acrylic on board 38 x 27-1/2 inches (96.5 x 69.8 cm) Signed lower left: Greg and Tim / Hildebrandt

2000; 2001 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 27,500.00
71119 Alberto Vargas

Alberto Vargas (Peruvian/American, 1896-1982) Linda Darnell, Motion Picture magazine interior, September 1947 Watercolor and gouache on board 28 x 22 inches (71.1 x 55.9 cm) Signed lower right: Varga

1947 USD 6,400.00 - 9,600.00 USD 27,500.00
71097 Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (American, 1874-1951) Silent Night, The Saturday Evening Post cover study, December 28, 1935 Oil on canvas 23-1/2 x 23-1/2 inches (59.7 x 59.7 cm) Not signed Property from The Kelly Collection of American Illustration

1935 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 26,250.00
71031 John Schoenherr

John Schoenherr (American, 1935-2010) The Cloak and The Staff, Analog Science Fiction magazine cover, August 1980 Oil on board 24-7/8 x 18 inches (63.2 x 45.7 cm) Initialed and dated lower right: JS © 80

1980 USD 3,200.00 - 4,800.00 USD 20,000.00
71120 Alberto Vargas

Alberto Vargas (Peruvian/American, 1896-1982) Boudoir Girl, Red Stockings, 1928 Watercolor on board 34-3/4 x 20-1/4 inches (88.3 x 51.4 cm) Signed and dated upper left: Alberto Vargas / 1928 The Vargas Trust Collection

1928 USD 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD 18,750.00
71112 Alberto Vargas

Alberto Vargas (Peruvian/American, 1896-1982) He Tried Everything, Playboy interior, September 1966 Watercolor on board 27 x 19-1/4 inches (68.6 x 48.9 cm) (sight) Signed lower right: Vargas Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

1966 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 17,500.00
71096 Mead Schaeffer

Mead Schaeffer (American, 1898-1980) Hide the Body, Cosmopolitan Combined with Hearst's International interior, January 1939 Oil on canvas 35 x 24 inches (88.9 x 61.0 cm) Initialed and dated lower left: MS / 33 Property from The Kelly Collection of Ameri

1939 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 15,625.00
71049 Boris Vallejo

Boris Vallejo (American, b. 1941) Touch of Freedom, 2008 Oil on board 29-3/8 x 18-1/8 inches (74.5 x 46.0 cm) Signed and dated lower right: Boris © 08

2008; 2009 USD 5,600.00 - 8,400.00 USD 15,000.00
71102 Edmund F. Ward

Edmund F. Ward (American, 1892-1990) The Conversion of John Carter, Redbook interior, October 1919 Oil on Academy board laid on panel 23-3/4 x 17-3/8 inches (60.3 x 44.0 cm) Signed and dated lower left: EFWard / 19 Property from The Kelly Collection of A

1919 USD 2,400.00 - 3,600.00 USD 15,000.00
71103 Harvey T. Dunn

Harvey T. Dunn (American, 1884-1952) Happy Dust, Women's Home Companion magazine interior, March 1929 Oil on canvas 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) Not signed Property from The Kelly Collection of American Illustration

1929 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 15,000.00
71115 Greg Hildebrandt

Greg Hildebrandt (American, 1939-2024) The Ledge from American Beauties series, 2000 Acrylic on Masonite 38 x 24 inches (96.5 x 61.0 cm) Signed lower left: Greg Hildebrandt Property from the Louis and Susan Meisel Collection

2000 USD 3,200.00 - 4,800.00 USD 11,875.00
71091 Jessie Willcox Smith

Jessie Willcox Smith (American, 1863-1935) Along the Garden Path, circa 1906-07 Mixed media on paper 13-3/4 x 19-1/4 inches (34.9 x 48.9 cm) Signed lower left: Jessie Wilcox Smith

c. 1906-07 USD 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD 11,250.00
71099 Joseph Christian Leyendecker

Joseph Christian Leyendecker (American, 1874-1951) Kellogg's Corn Flakes advertisement study, 1917 Oil on canvas laid on board 6-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches (16.5 x 14.0 cm) (work) Not signed

1917 USD 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD 11,250.00
71116 George Petty

George Petty (American, 1894-1975) You might as well Turn the Page..., Esquire interior, February 1938 Watercolor and gouache with element of collage on board 23-1/2 x 16-1/4 inches (59.7 x 41.3 cm) Signed lower left: Petty / ©

1938 USD 6,400.00 - 9,600.00 USD 10,125.00
71034 Kelly Freas

Kelly Freas (American, 1922-2005) The Pritcher Mass, Analog Science Fiction digest magazine cover, October 1972 Oil on Masonite 20 x 16 inches (50.8 x 40.6 cm) Signed lower left: Kelly Freas–

1972 USD 1,600.00 - 2,400.00 USD 8,750.00
71043 Robert McGinnis

Robert McGinnis (American, 1926-2025) Lady L final movie poster key art, 1965 Gouache on board 26 x 20-1/8 inches (66.0 x 51.1 cm) Not signed

1965 USD 6,400.00 - 9,600.00 USD 8,750.00
  • Sotheby’s
    Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone
    25 June – July 7
    Sotheby’s, July 7: Ludwig van Beethoven. Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED. £150,000 to £200,000.
    Sotheby’s, July 7: Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, 1813, first edition, 3 volumes, contemporary half calf. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, July 7: Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass, Brooklyn, 1855, first edition, first issue, original green cloth, the Doheny copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, July 7: Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Sotheby’s, July 7: George Eliot. Middlemarch, Edinburgh and London, 1871, first edition in the original parts. £20,000 to £30,000.
  • Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000
    Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000
    Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000
    Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500
    Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500
    Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000
    Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000
    Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000
    Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000
    Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000
  • Freeman’s, June 30. Thomas Jefferson’s “Birth of the New Nation” letter, carried to Paris with the Treaty of Peace, by a Jewish patriot. $100,000-200,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. “The rockets’ red glare.” A British midshipman’s log recording the bombardment of Fort McHenry. $60,000-80,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry Commission signed by James Madison, 1812. $40,000-60,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776. $15,000-25,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. One of the Earliest Printed Announcements of American Independence, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000-15,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. "The Two Big Guns of the N.Y. Yanks": A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. A Unique Contemporary Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words to His Followers, the Day Before his Violent Death. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. The State of Minnesota Officially Certifies the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Of the United States. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York to Queen Anne from the Colony of New York. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. A Call to Arms in the Months Following the Declaration of Independence: An Early Continental Army Recruitment Poster. $6,000-9,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Samuel Jones, the Statesman Behind the Newly Discovered "Jones Declaration": His Annotated Set Used in His Working Law Library. $6,000-9,000.