Category: Current auction

Content retrieved from: https://www.auctionninja.com/waterbury-auction-gallery/sales/details/book-may-19-denis-1406.html?sort=bids&name=&lotno=&view=20&show=#items.

 

This auction catalog features a wide selection of antiquarian and collectible books, spanning subjects such as literature, religion, history, and science. Several items date to the early 19th century or earlier, including leather-bound works, engraved volumes, and regional imprints. Many books retain original bindings and handwritten inscriptions, offering insight into historical readership and ownership.

Among the notable entries is the twelve-volume Autograph Edition of the works of Kate Douglas Wiggin, inscribed by the author. This finely bound set documents Wiggin’s contributions to American children’s literature and domestic fiction. Also included is a rare Arabic Christian volume titled Kitab al-Naba’at (The Book of Prophecies), printed at the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Dair al-Shuwair, Lebanon, in 1775—an important example of early Arabic movable-type printing in a Christian liturgical context.

Additional highlights include the 1832 edition of The Poetical Works of John Dryden by William Pickering, the 1819 Geography Made Easy by Jedidiah Morse, and Peter Maverick’s engraved portraits from 1803. The catalog reflects a consistent focus on content-rich volumes with bibliographic or historical significance.

Content retrieved from: https://www.auctionninja.com/waterbury-auction-gallery/sales/details/book-may-25-photo-denis-1418.html.

This auction features an eclectic array of vintage and historical photographs with several standout highlights:

Astronomical Glass Plates Archive (circa 1900): Over 100 glass plates documenting star clusters and celestial phenomena, a rare visual archive of early astronomical photography.
1876 Vellum-bound Volume with Albumen Prints: A finely preserved extra-illustrated book including early albumen prints—an impressive blend of literature and photographic history.
Signed Studio Portraits of Chingwah Lee: Four signed photographs of the Chinese-American actor best known for his Hollywood roles, offering cinematic and cultural value.
Eleanor Roosevelt Press Photograph: A compelling press image distributed by International News Photos, documenting an important public figure in mid-20th-century politics.
Amusing Image of Men Riding Alligators: A pair of whimsical snapshots from the Los Angeles Alligator Farm, a slice of strange Americana.
Construction and Industry: Includes a circa 1900 image of a railway crew and another of a fisherman, offering rare occupational portraits in sepia.

Content retrieved from: https://www.auctionninja.com/waterbury-auction-gallery/sales/details/book-may-26-1407.html?sort=bids&name=&lotno=&view=20&show=#items.

Auction 1407 presents a diverse and richly curated selection of literary and historical artifacts, drawing attention to both major first editions and esoteric corners of publishing history. Among the highlights is a complete 1919 first edition of H. G. Wells’s Outline of History, a monumental attempt to narrate human history from a universal perspective. Its completeness and early printing make it a cornerstone for collectors of 20th-century thought and global historiography. Wells’s influence on popularizing science and history through accessible prose is well documented, and this edition exemplifies that mission.

The sale also includes standout examples from the fine press movement, notably an early Limited Editions Club printing of The Four Gospels, signed by designer Emil Rudolf Weiss. This piece, marked by its typographic elegance and restrained aesthetic, speaks to the craftsmanship of interwar European book arts and the LEC’s role in democratizing fine printing in America. The colophon, initialed by Weiss himself, confirms its place as a prized item for bibliophiles who value artistic collaboration in publishing.

A striking counterpoint to these canonical works is provided by John Davenport’s 1875 Curiositates Eroticae, one of the sale’s more provocative lots. This anthology of erotic and anthropological treatises exemplifies the 19th-century fascination with sexuality under the veneer of academic inquiry. Often printed in small runs and circulated discreetly, such books are valued today not only for their rarity but also for the insight they offer into the boundaries of Victorian discourse and censorship.

Finally, the auction includes vibrant ephemera such as hand-colored Victorian comic plates titled Silver Voice: A Fairy Tale. These humorous, visually engaging prints reflect the whimsy and moral playfulness of the period’s popular entertainment. Their survival in such condition is unusual, making them a highlight for collectors of children’s literature, illustration, and Victorian-era graphic arts.