Books & Manuscripts

Spring 2021 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana Brings $1M

Our March 25, 2021 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana brought interest from collectors and instituti…

Printed & Manuscript Americana: April 2021 Auction Highlights

A rich offering that features a noteworthy collection of American historical prints, as well as sections of Judaica,…

Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaking to the SCLC Board in 1968

Any piece of oratory by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a part of the nation’s heritage, but the speech offered…

Early Black-Owned Business Ephemera

“Surely you are not going to shut the door in my face!” Since the establishment of the Printed & Man…

Books & Manuscripts

Early Printed Books: April 2021 Highlights

Featuring illuminated manuscripts, including an ornate Book of Hours, Use in Utrecht, and a robust section of import…

New Auction Record for Frederick Douglass Autograph Set in Winter 2021 Sale of Fine Books & Autographs

The house closed out February 2021 with an exceptional sale of Fine Books & Autographs, which saw a 90% sell-thr…

Books & Manuscripts

Printed & Manuscript African Americana: March 2021 Auction Highlights

Featuring material relating to Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Phillis Wheatley, Katheri…

Autographs

Ship’s Papers, Passports, and Privateers: Marco Tomaschett on Collectible Documents and U.S. Maritime History

Water vessels played a critical role in shaping the early history of America. That U.S. maritime history is brief re…

19th & 20th Century Literature

Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road,’ Off the Rails

John Larson on the cinematic history of Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’ An immediate success upon its…

Autographs

Fine Books & Autographs: February 2021 Auction Highlights

Featuring fine autographs by Frederick Douglass, Albert Einstein, James Dean, John F. Kennedy, Lord Byron, Richard W…

American Art

The Artists of the WPA: The Promise of a New Deal

On February 4, 2021, Swann offered: The Artists of the WPA. The first iteration of the multi-departmental sale, feat…

19th & 20th Century Literature

2020: Year in Review

In a year that was unlike any in our lifetimes, Swann’s specialists and staff proved to be as resilient and in…