February 24, 2020Kelsie Jankowski19th & 20th Century Literature Jane Austen Rules Winter 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Read more about Jane Austen Rules Winter 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Swann Galleries saw a successful sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts on Thursday, February 20 with literature and autographs bringing strong numbers. Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about A Novel, By a Lady: Jane Austen First Editions February 19, 2020 19th & 20th Century Literature A Novel, By a Lady: Jane Austen First Editions For the first time in nearly a decade, first editions all six of Jane Austen’s major novels will be offered in our winter 2020 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts on February 20. The novels are set to come across the block in exceedingly rare period bindings, just as Austen herself would have seen them published, with half-title pages. Here we touch on the offering and what makes a first edition Austen novel special. Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about 19th & 20th Century Literature: Hemingway, Morrison & Tolkien—Fall 2019 August 27, 2019 19th & 20th Century Literature 19th & 20th Century Literature: Hemingway, Morrison & Tolkien—Fall 2019 Remarkable firsts in unrestored dust jackets by Barnaby Ross, Owen Wister, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, plus well-loved titles by Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison and Kurt Vonnegut Vonnegut comprise this fall 2019 selection of literature. Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature May 21, 2019 19th & 20th Century Literature Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Rare Bond Titles Lead Literature at Swann John Larson: “The enduring appeal of inscribed first editions, particularly those with significant associations, was on full display and resulted in a number of high prices, including… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Ian Fleming First Editions: Books, Rare Books April 26, 2019 19th & 20th Century Literature Ian Fleming First Editions: Books, Rare Books On May 14 we are bringing a selection of 13 Ian Fleming first editions to auction. Fleming, a former intelligence officer and journalist, debuted the stylish James Bond in 1953… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: 19th & 20th Century Literature March 29, 2019 19th & 20th Century Literature Upcoming Highlights: 19th & 20th Century Literature At Auction May 14 Complete Catalogue This sale features significant material by the man behind everyone’s favorite MI6 agent, James Bond, including a first edition of Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature November 15, 2018 19th & 20th Century Literature Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Signed & Inscribed Oscar Wilde Play Leads Literature Auction SciFi Works Continue to Prove to be Popular in Swann Literature Sales Book collectors from far and wide partook in… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about “The Transcendental Club” November 5, 2018 19th & 20th Century Literature “The Transcendental Club” “The Transcendental Club,” as it would come to be known, was founded in Massachusetts, in September of 1836, by prominent New England intellectuals. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the primary practitioner of the… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about The Top Five Fahrenheit 451s January 4, 2018 19th & 20th Century Literature The Top Five Fahrenheit 451s According to our Literature specialist John D. Larson, there are five first editions of Fahrenheit 451 of interest to collectors. As with all important modern first editions, a set of criteria… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Children’s Literature for Adults November 13, 2017 19th & 20th Century Literature Children’s Literature for Adults Children’s literature is a perennially popular genre. We were all children once, and the antics of Willy Wonka and imagination of Max shaped our early lives in a way that… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature November 15, 2016 19th & 20th Century Literature Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Signed first editions dominated the scene at our sale of 19th & 20th Century Literature on Thursday, November 10, and broke several auction records. Each offered book by father… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Signed First Edition of The Prophet at Auction November 7, 2016 19th & 20th Century Literature Signed First Edition of The Prophet at Auction One of the highlights in our November 10 sale of 19th & 20th Century Literature is a scarce first edition of The Prophet, signed by its author, Kahlil Gibran, in… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about A Storied Book with a Fine Association: Henry Roth’s “Call It Sleep” May 12, 2016 19th & 20th Century Literature A Storied Book with a Fine Association: Henry Roth’s “Call It Sleep” In the world of book collecting association copies are highly sought after, and our upcoming auction of 19th & 20th Century Literature has some fine examples. One particularly interesting association… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Two Items Related to Anne Frank Come to Auction at Swann in May May 4, 2016 19th & 20th Century Literature Two Items Related to Anne Frank Come to Auction at Swann in May Through her poignant writing and tragic story, Anne Frank has become a source of inspiration for millions. Two of our upcoming auctions feature items related to Frank, including Anne and Margot’s… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Books Every Book Collector Should Read April 29, 2016 19th & 20th Century Literature Books Every Book Collector Should Read Our upcoming Autographs auction features an uncommon Oscar Wilde manuscript consisting of five and a half pages of his notes for a review in which he pans a book on… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Feat. The Lawrence M. Solomon Collection December 4, 2015 19th & 20th Century Literature Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Feat. The Lawrence M. Solomon Collection This two-part November sale began with The Lawrence M. Solomon Collection of Mystery, Detective and Science-Fiction Literature, and concluded with 19th & 20th Century Literature, which brought strong results for… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Traveling Through Time: Tracing the History of Science Fiction November 9, 2015 19th & 20th Century Literature Traveling Through Time: Tracing the History of Science Fiction While looking at a list of movies currently playing in any given cinema might easily lead you to the conclusion that audiences love Science Fiction, our fascination with the genre… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Mysterious as a Cat: Famous Felines in Literature October 29, 2015 19th & 20th Century Literature Mysterious as a Cat: Famous Felines in Literature There seems to be a special relationship between writers and cats, whether it be Ernest Hemingway and the multitudes of 6-toed fuzzballs haunting his Key West estate, or Raymond Chandler,… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature June 23, 2015 19th & 20th Century Literature Records & Results: 19th & 20th Century Literature Swann Galleries‘ June 17 auction of 19th & 20th Century Literature saw quite a few pleasant surprises. Among the books that soared well above their estimates, top lot and Wall… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Walt Whitman: Transcending Conspiracy June 12, 2015 19th & 20th Century Literature Walt Whitman: Transcending Conspiracy Walt Whitman was in Boston overseeing the publication of his third edition of Leaves of Grass when he attended the trial of a man who was friendly with the Thoreaus, the… Share Facebook Twitter
Read more about Gertrude Stein: “Looking is not vanishing” June 8, 2015 19th & 20th Century Literature Gertrude Stein: “Looking is not vanishing” Imogen Cunningham, Gertrude Stein, silver print, 1937, printed before 1973. Sold April 4, 2012 for $4,320. Known as a writer, art collector and host to the innovative, elite and avant-garde,… Share Facebook Twitter
June 23, 2014 19th & 20th Century Literature Top Lots: Melville’s Whale, Signed Flannery O’Connor Firsts, Rex Stout Titles A first American edition of Moby-Dick (left) brought $40,000, while a fourth edition (right) sold for $7,168. Topping our June 19 auction of 19th & 20th Century Literature was a… Share Facebook Twitter
June 16, 2014 19th & 20th Century Literature Celebrating Bloomsday To celebrate the life and literary oeuvre of James Joyce on the international holiday that is Bloomsday, we are looking back on some of the many editions of James Joyce’s… Share Facebook Twitter
November 20, 2013 19th & 20th Century Literature Herman Melville: Neighbor Thanks to John D. Larson, Swann’s 19th & 20th Century Literature Specialist, for contributing this post: It’s a fine thing (call it geographic serendipity) to share a similar address with someone… Share Facebook Twitter
June 25, 2012 19th & 20th Century Literature Top Lots: 19th & 20th Century Literature Thursday’s 19th & 20th Century Literature sale boasted a ninety percent sell-through rate, with highlights across all genres. The two top lots were courtesy of Modernist masters James Joyce and… Share Facebook Twitter
June 7, 2012 19th & 20th Century Literature Ray Bradbury: Time Machine This post comes from John D. Larson, Swann’s 19th & 20th Century Literature cataloguer. Yesterday we learned of the passing of writer Ray Bradbury in Los Angeles… Share Facebook Twitter
May 11, 2012 19th & 20th Century Literature Remembering Maurice Sendak This week we said goodbye to beloved illustrator and author Maurice Sendak. He holds a special place in the hearts of our Swann family as told through an anecdote relating… Share Facebook Twitter
November 9, 2011 19th & 20th Century Literature Yesterday’s Top Lots: Art, Press & Illustrated Books / 19th & 20th Century Literature Yesterday’s auction of Art, Press & Illustrated Books / 19th & 20thCentury Literature saw activity in all sections of the catalogue, and for every successfully sold item, there were numerous… Share Facebook Twitter
November 3, 2011 19th & 20th Century Literature Penises and Pompadours: The Erotic Art of Franz von Bayros Thanks to John D. Larson of Swann’s books department for this eye-opening post! Decadent! Erotic! Phantasmagoric! Fin-de-siècle grotesqueries! Gents and ladies disporting themselves, occasionally with a zealous attention… Share Facebook Twitter
October 10, 2011 19th & 20th Century Literature Catch-22 Turns 50 October 10 marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Joseph Heller’s satirical anti-war novel Catch-22. There’s been much news coverage, and various related events are planned, including an October… Share Facebook Twitter
May 13, 2011 19th & 20th Century Literature Top Lots: Art, Press, & Illustrated Books and 19th & 20th Century Literature The top lots in yesterday’s Art, Press & Illustrated Books and 19th & 20th Century Literature sales represented each of the categories, indicating a strong selection of material across genres. Jasper… Share Facebook Twitter
May 10, 2011 19th & 20th Century Literature Science Fiction First Editions, It’s Tradition Our May 12 auction of Art, Press & Illustrated Books; and 19th & 20th Century Literature wraps up with a section devoted to science fiction, fantasy and thriller fiction. Most of… Share Facebook Twitter
March 15, 2010 19th & 20th Century Literature The Otto Penzler Collection of British Espionage and Thriller Fiction Ian Fleming, The Man with the Golden Gun, Advance Uncorrected Proof and First Edition, London 1965. Estimate: $600 to 900. AND Ian Fleming, Diamonds are Forever, First Edition, London, 1956.… Share Facebook Twitter