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The catalog showcases a diverse selection of collectible and antiquarian books, prints, and ephemera. Among the standout offerings is an 1862 edition of Washington Irving’s Life of George Washington, bound in original leather and adorned with steel engravings. A disbound atlas from the 1890s, The C.A. Gaskell Family and Business Atlas of the World, includes detailed maps and data reflective of America’s transformative 1890 census. Additionally, the facsimile of Ars Moriendi reproduces a 15th-century guide to the art of dying, preserving the cultural attitudes of the era toward mortality and the afterlife.
Private press and finely crafted limited editions are a strong focus in this auction. Examples include a 1938 publication commemorating the opening of The Cloisters in New York, signed by renowned printer Joseph Blumenthal, and Bruce Rogers’ 1927 edition of Benjamin Franklin’s educational proposals. Luxury and artistic craftsmanship are evident in pieces such as a limited edition of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native, featuring Clare Leighton’s signed woodcut illustrations, and a rare Grolier Club publication showcasing miniature designer bindings.
The collection extends to niche interests and ephemera, such as an 1897 bicycle company stock certificate from the cycling boom, a French WWI military art book by Guy Arnoux, and a 1939 World’s Fair photograph of Richmond Barthé’s sculpture symbolizing African American progress. Historical prints, like the 19th-century engraved view of Castle Garden in New York, complement the books, offering a rich tapestry of historical, cultural, and artistic artifacts to appeal to collectors across diverse interests.
