Auction Reports

Sothebys

Auction Info

Auction Name
Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana
Auction Date
12/16/2025 - 12/16/2025
Sale Number
#N11899
Total Lots
99
Sold Lots
71.0
Lots Sold
71.72%
Unsold Lots
28
Total Sales (USD)
1,539,620.00
Low Estimate of Lots Sold (USD)
743,000.00
High Estimate of Lots Sold (USD)
1,103,200.00
Low Estimate of All Lots (USD)
1,565,000.00
High Estimate of All Lots (USD)
2,319,200.00
Total Sales as a % of High Est.
66.39%

Top twenty five by sale price

Lot Number Author Name Book Title Year Published Estimate Actual Price
1017

The Freedman's Primer; or First Reader.

1864 USD 25,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD 241,300.00
1011

The Votes and Proceedings of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the Town of Boston, in Town Meeting Assembled, According to Law, the 5th and 18th days of November. 1773.

1773 USD 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD 107,950.00
1023 Jefferson, Thomas

Printed document signed ("ThJefferson") as Secretary of State, being an official printing of "An Act respecting the Government of the Territories of the United States North West and South of the River Ohio."

1792 USD 35,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD 82,550.00
1048 [Austen, Jane]

Sense and Sensibility, a Novel

1811 USD 60,000.00 - 80,000.00 USD 82,550.00
1079 Greenaway, Kate

An album of original drawings, mostly child studies or botanical illustrations, with a few other subjects, many finely hand colored.

Circa 1880-1890 USD 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD 63,500.00
1095 Thucydides.

Thoukydidis. Thucydides [Greek].

May 1502 USD 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD 57,150.00
1059 Fitzgerald, F. Scott

Tender is the Night.

1934 USD 35,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD 53,340.00
1043 Washington, George

Autograph letter signed ("Go: Washington"), one page (329 x 203 mm) on a leaf of laid paper, New Windsor, [New York] 14 May 1781, to Jonathan Trumbull;

14 May 1781 USD 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD 50,800.00
1094 Sendak, Maurice

Eight early drawings for Macbeth, made for Grace Warshauer's English class at Lafayette High School, Brooklyn, ca.1943, with a group of autograph letters signed (1960--1991)

ca.1943 USD 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD 48,260.00
1096 Vergilius Maro, Publius

Opera. Edited by Sebastian Brant

28 August 1502 USD 15,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD 48,260.00
1049 [Austen, Jane]

Emma, A Novel. In Three Volumes. By the Author of "Pride and Prejudice", &C. &C

1816 USD 30,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD 38,100.00
1003 Anonymous 19th-Century American Maritime Artist

Album of 17 pen-and-ink, watercolor and wash drawings of American subjects (one of Canada)

circa 1816-1827 USD 30,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD 38,100.00
1040 Simon, John

Tee Yee Neen Ho Ga Row

N.D. circa 1755 USD 25,000.00 - 35,000.00 USD 31,750.00
1002 Pennsylvania. House of Representatives.

Instructions for Inlisting Rifle-Men, in the Service of Pennsylvania.

ca.March 1776 USD 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD 31,750.00
1024 Jefferys, Thomas

The West-India Atlas; or, a Compendious Description of the West-Indies: Illustrated with forty correct charts and maps, taken from actual surveys.

1775 USD 25,000.00 - 35,000.00 USD 25,400.00
1042 Washington, George

Autograph letter signed ("Go: Washington"), one page (232 x 188 mm) on a bifolium, Mount Vernon, 15 February 1774, to the Rev. Mr. Jonathan Boucher in Prince George County

15 February 1774 USD 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD 22,860.00
1077 Dulac, Edmund

Caricature of John Singer Sargent

USD 7,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD 21,590.00
1057 Fitzgerald, F. Scott

Tender Is the Night, A Romance.

1934 USD 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD 21,590.00
1026 Lee, Robert E., as Confederate General

Autograph letter signed ("R E Lee") 1 page (247 x 196 mm) on blue paper, Camp Fredericksburg, 8 January 1863, to Mrs. Sarah A. Lawton;

1863 USD 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD 20,320.00
1020 Grant, Ulysses S., Eighteenth President, as Major General, United States Army

Autograph letter signed ("U. S. Grant | Maj. Gen."), 3 pages (244 x 193 mm) on a bifolium, Head Quarters, Dept. of the Tenn., Holly Springs, Mississippi, 28 December 1862, to Brigadier General Isaac F. Quinby

1862 USD 12,000.00 - 18,000.00 USD 20,320.00

Back
  • Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 11. Blaeu's Superb World Map on a Polar Projection (1695) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 36. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 49. One of the First Lunar Globes to Show the Far Side of the Moon (1963) Est. $1,000 - $1,300
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 5. The First World Map with Lavish Allegorical Vignettes of the Continents (1594) Est. $15,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 55. Anti-British Propaganda Map with Churchill as an Octopus (1942) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 197. One of the Most Influential Maps of Westward Expansion (1846) Est. $9,500 - $12,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 10. Scarce Pitt Edition of Carte-a-Figures Map of the World (1680) Est. $9,500 - $11,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 220. A Fine, Early Rendering of San Francisco (1874) Est. $2,200 - $2,500
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 707. Hand-Colored Image of the Presentation of Jesus with Gilt Highlights (1450) Est. $1,600 - $1,900
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 80. One of the Most Important Maps Perpetuating the Myth of the Island of California (1680) Est. $3,250 - $4,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 725. Homann's Atlas Featuring 26 Folio-Sized Maps in Original Color (1715) Est. $4,500 - $5,500
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 169. One of the Earliest Maps to Show Philadelphia (1695) Est. $4,750 - $6,000
  • Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: DALVIMART, Octavien ou d’ALVIMAR(T). The Costume of Turkey
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: DALVIMART, Octavien ou d’ALVIMAR(T)]. CLARK. The Military Costume of Turkey
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: HOMMAIRE DE HELL, Ignace-Xavier. LAURENS, Jules. Voyage en Turquie et en Perse
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: POSTEL, Guillaume. De la République des Turc
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: PREZIOSI, Amadeo. Stamboul. Souvenir d’Orient.
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: COSTUMES. EMPIRE OTTOMAN.
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: PRISSE D'AVENNES, Achille Constant T. Emile. L'Art Arabe
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: PRISSE D'AVENNES. Histoire de l'art Egyptie
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: BESANCENOT, Jean. Costumes et types du Maroc.
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: COSTUMES OTTOMANS. Suite de figures ottomanes à l’aquarelle
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: LES MILLE ET UNE NUIT, contes arabes
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: SCHLEGEL, Hermann et A. H. VERSTER van WULVERHORST. Traité de Fauconnerie - Planches
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: THEVENOT, Melchisédec. Relation de divers voyages curieux
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11:
  • Forum Auctions
    Online: India
    Ends 19th February 2026
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 40
    Ramasvami (Kavali Venkata). A Digest of the Different Castes of India, 83 charming hand-coloured lithographed plates, Madras, 1837. £5,000-7,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 50
    Watson (John Forbes) & John William Kaye. The People of India: A Series of Photographic Illustrations...of the Races and Tribes of Hindustan, 8 vol., 480 mounted albumen prints, 1868-75. £4,000-6,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 53
    Afghanistan.- Elphinstone (Hon. Mountstuart). An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, first edition, hand-coloured aquatint plates, a fine copy, 1815. £2,000-3,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 57
    [Album and Treatise on Hinduism], manuscript treatise on Hinduism in French, 31 watercolours of Hindu deities, Pondicherry, 1865. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 62 Allan (Capt. Alexander). Views in the Mysore Country, [1794]. £2,000-3,000
    Forum Auctions
    Online: India
    Ends 19th February 2026
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 76
    Bird (James). Historical Researches on the Origin and Principles of the Bauddha and Jaina Religions..., first edition, lithographed plates, Bombay, American Mission Press, 1847. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 100
    Ceylon.- Daniell (Samuel). A Picturesque Illustration of the scenery, animals, and native inhabitants, of the Island of Ceylon: in twelve plates, 1808. £5,000-7,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 123
    D'Oyly (Charles). Behar Amateur Lithographic Scrap Book, lithographed throughout with title and 55 plates mounted on 43 paper leaves, [Patna], [1828]. £3,000-5,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 139
    Gandhi (known as Mahatma Gandhi,) Fine Autograph Letter signed to Jawaharlal Nehru, Sevagram, Wardha, 1942, emphasising the importance of education in rural communities. £10,000-15,000
    Forum Auctions
    Online: India
    Ends 19th February 2026
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 140
    Gantz (John). Indian Microcosm, first edition, Madras, John Gantz & Son, 1827. £10,000-15,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 146
    Grierson (Sir George Abraham). Linguistic Survey of India, 11 vol. in 20, folding maps, original cloth, Calcutta, Superintendent Government Printing, 1903-28. £2,000-3,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 195
    Madras.- Fort St. George Gazette (The), No.276-331, pp.493-936 and Index to all of 1834 at end, modern half calf, Madras, 2nd July - 31st December 1834. £2,000-3,000
    Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 205
    Marshall (Sir John) and Alfred Foucher. The Monuments of Sanchi, 3 vol., first edition, 141 plates, most photogravure, [Calcutta], [1940]. £3,000-4,000
  • Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: HAMILTON, Sir William (1730-1803) - Campi Phlegraei. Napoli: [Pietro Fabris], 1776, 1779. € 30.000 - 50.000
    Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: [MORTIER] - BLAEU, Joannes (1596-1673) - Het Nieuw Stede Boek van Italie. Amsterdam: Pieter Mortier, 1704-1705. € 15.000 - 25.000
    Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: TULLIO D'ALBISOLA (1899-1971) - Bruno MUNARI (1907-1998) - L'Anguria lirica (lungo poema passionale). Roma e Savona: Edizioni Futuriste di Poesia, senza data [ma 1933?]. € 20.000 - 30.000
    Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: IL MANOSCRITTO RITROVATO DI IPPOLITA MARIA SFORZA. TITO LIVIO - Ab Urbe Condita. Prima Decade. Manoscritto miniato su pergamena, metà XV secolo. € 280.000 - 350.000
  • Sotheby's Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: Balthus, Emily Brontë. Wuthering Heights, New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1993. 6,600 USD.
    Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. Complete Works, Philadelphia & London: J.B. Lippincott Company & Chapman & Hall, LD, 1850. Limited Edition set of 30 volumes. 7,500 USD.
    Sotheby’s: John Lennon, Yoko Ono. Handwritten Letter from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to their Chauffer. 1971. 32,500 USD.
    Sotheby’s: Winston Churchill. First edition of War Speeches, Cassell and Company, Ltd., 1941. Set of 7 volumes. 5,500 USD.
    Sotheby’s: Andy Warhol, Julia Warhola. Holy Cats First Edition, Signed by Andy Warhol. 1954. 30,000 USD.