This auction includes works of significant scientific and philosophical importance. Harold McGowan’s The Thoughtron Theory of Life and Matter, a signed manuscript featuring early chapters and an outline, explores the connection between thought and physical matter. This work bridges scientific inquiry with metaphysical ideas, reflecting McGowan’s effort to integrate applied science with practices like Scientology and Transcendental Meditation (Lot 2). Another noteworthy piece is W. M. Flinders Petrie’s The Royal Tombs of the Earliest Dynasties (1901), an essential contribution to Egyptology that provides insights into the tombs of ancient pharaohs and their cultural significance (Lot 61).
Travel and exploration are richly represented in the catalog. Thomas Frognall Dibdin’s Bibliographical, Antiquarian, and Picturesque Tour in Northern Counties of England and Scotland (1838) combines bibliophilia with detailed travel descriptions, documenting historic and scenic locales with a keen antiquarian eye (Lot 7). Le Danube Allemand et l’Allemagne du Sud chronicles a journey through regions like the Black Forest, Bavaria, and Austria, offering rich cultural and geographical observations (Lot 51). Clark’s 1909 Cruise to the Mediterranean and Orient presents a detailed itinerary of a 71-day journey, including visits to Spain, Palestine, and Egypt, providing a glimpse into the era’s luxury travel (Lot 45).
The catalog also showcases remarkable works of literature and art. Charles Baudelaire’s Les Fleurs du Mal, illustrated by Édouard Chimot, is a rare edition that combines the poet’s evocative verses with stunning heliogravure reproductions of Chimot’s illustrations (Lot 10). Mary Knight Potter’s The Art of the Venice Academy explores Venetian painting through critical descriptions of the Academy’s masterpieces, providing an in-depth study of its history and significance (Lot 53). Marguerite Duras’s Hiroshima Mon Amour represents the intersection of literature and film, originally written for Alain Resnais’s iconic movie, further emphasizing its cultural importance (Lot 21).