Source : Parke Bernet

Source Title
Description

Parke-Bernet was founded in 1937 by Hiram Parke, who broke his affiliation with the American Art Association-Anderson Galleries to create a separate entity. In time, Parke-Bernet would go on to become the leading American auction house. In 1964 the firm was purchased by Sotheby's.

PB, as Parke-Bernet was known, handled many of the most important items to reach American auction floors in the mid-20th century. They were very important in books but not limited to them. Rembrandt's Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer was sold for $2.3 million dollars in 1961, a number that heralded the arrival of new valuation parameters for rare, important and irreplaceable objects.

Many catalogues are without any price, some are incomplete, many are hand written at margin of pages.  Therefore price entry in this group is as good as we could.  Wherever possible we tried our best to verify against American Book Price Current records.

Scope of Text
Total Records in AED 250141
  • Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
  • ALDE, Dec. 3: LAUTRÉAMONT (COMTE DE). Les Chants de Maldoror, Paris, Albert Skira, 1934. €30,000 to €40,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: PAULHAN (JEAN). Braque le Patron, Paris, Fernand Mourlot, 1945. €8,000 to €10,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: CHAR (RENÉ). Le Soleil des eaux, Paris, Matarasso, 1949. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: BUFFON (COMTE DE). Des Hirondelles et de quelques oiseaux connus, méconnus, ou inconnus décrits par le Comte de Buffon et Dado, Fontfroide, 1988. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: MAÎTRES DE L'AFFICHE (LES). Publication mensuelle contenant la reproduction des plus belles affiches illustrées des grands artistes, français et étrangers. Paris, 1896-1899. €10,000 to €12,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: JACOB (MAX). Ne coupez pas mademoiselle ou les erreurs des P.T.T., Paris, Galerie Simon, 1921. €5,000 to €6,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: RADIGUET (RAYMOND). Les Pélican, Paris, Galerie Simon, 1921. €4,000 to €5,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: KUPKA (FRANTIŠEK). Quatre histoires de blanc et noir, Paris, s.n., 1926. €15,000 to €20,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: BALZAC (HONORÉ DE). Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu, Paris, Ambroise Vollard, 1931. €5,000 to €6,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: [PICASSO (PABLO)]. Hommage à Pablo Picasso, Paris, s.n., 1966. €8,000 to €10,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: PIERRE (JOSÉ). Qu'est-ce que Thérèse ? C'est les maronniers en fleurs, Paris, Le Soleil Noir, 1974. €5,000 to €6,000.
    ALDE, Dec. 3: BALZAC (HONORÉ DE). Traité des Excitants Modernes, Paris, Yves Rivière, 1989. €6,000 to €8,000.
  • Sotheby’s, Dec. 9: Pliny. Historia naturalis, the Macclesfield copy, printed on vellum, Rome: Sweynheym and Pannartz, 1470. $900,000 to $1,200,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 9: Aristotle. The fine Doheny set of Aldo's editio princeps, Venice, 1495–1498. $400,000 to $600,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 9: Euclid. The Norman copy of one of the most influential, enduring, and beautiful books in the history of science, Venice, 1482. $100,000 to $150,000.
  • SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    The Odfjell Collection
    Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
    Ending December 4th
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON: «The heart of the Antarctic» + SUPPLEMENT «The Antarctic Book», 1909.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.
    SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    The Odfjell Collection
    Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
    Ending December 4th
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ELEAZAR ALBIN: «A natural History of Birds.» + «A Supplement», 1738-40. Wonderful coloured plates.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: JAMES JOYCE: «Ulysses», 1922. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
  • Swann
    Illustration Art
    December 4, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 4: William Wallace Denslow (1856-1915). Pen and ink illustration for the first edition of Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Chicago: George M. Hill, 1900), page 33. $60,000 to $80,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Jerry Pinkney (1939-2021). The Great Minu, African folk tale complete book, group of 15 illustrations. 1974. $12,000 to $16,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Charles Schulz (1922-2000). Peanuts, Snoopy's brother Spike Christmas Cactus illustration. 1989 $8,000 to $12,000..
    Swann
    Illustration Art
    December 4, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 4: James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). Dean Cornwell in his studio. Watercolor and pencil on board. 1920. $5,000 to $7,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Charles Samuel Addams (1912-1988). Study for "Movie Scream," 1947. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Edmund Dulac (1882-1953). "Q was a quaint dainty queen." Watercolor and ink on paper. 1906. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Swann
    Illustration Art
    December 4, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 4: Albert Hirschfeld (1903-2003). Camelot. Pen and ink on board. 1960. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Maurice Sendak (1928-2012). "Chicken Soup" sketch. Ink on paper. Circa 1962. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Kay Nielsen (1886-1957). But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Pastel on board. Circa 1955. $5,000 to $7,000.
    Swann
    Illustration Art
    December 4, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 4: Julian De Miskey (1898-1976). Equestrian riding across 5th Avenue. Mixed media on board. Circa 1930. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Walt Disney Studios. Pinocchio "When You Wish Upon A Star" Jiminy Cricket Courvoisier animation cel. Gouache on celluloid over airbrushed background on board. 1940. $2,000 to $2,500.
    Swann, Dec. 4: Arnold Lobel (1933-1987). "I will tell you a story while we are waiting," graphite on tracing paper. 1976. $1,500 to $2,000.