News
2011-08-01
THE FINE ART AUCTION GROUP AQUIRES THE BUSINESS OF BLOOMSBURY AUCTIONS
2011-04-13
Modern First Editions, the stock in trade of the late Nigel Williams, Children’s & Illustrated Books, Original Artwork, Private Press and Performing Arts
Bloomsbury Auctions is offering an extremely interesting two day sale of Modern First Editions, Children’s & Illustrated Books, Original Artwork, Private Press and Performing Arts including the stock in trade of the late Nigel Williams on 19th/20th April 2011.
Bloomsbury is sad but proud to offer the stock of the late Nigel Williams, a highly respected bookseller whose knowledge, gentleness and self effacing manner will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Nigel Williams Rare Books in Cecil Court, in central London, renowned for Modern First editions, Children’s Books and works by PG Wodehouse and Edgar Wallace. A particularly personal item is The Night Manager (lot 160) by John Le Carre which has an inscription from the author to Nigel Williams on the dedication leaf which reads ‘...and for Nigel Williams, whom I take to be a wise, altruistic, benign bookbuyer and seller with a noble stance,’ and sketch of him (estimate £300-400). Amongst the 12 Edgar Wallace lots is a group of first editions (lot 277) and all but one are inscribed by the author (estimate £300-400). Amongst the many first editions of the works of PG Wodehouse, is The Prince and Betty (lot 303), its dust jacket being the first variant, lacking the price on the spine and with the advertisement for The Call of the Cumberlands on the back panel (estimate £1,000-1,500).
A highlight amongst the other properties is The Famous History of the Seven Champions of Christendom, 2 parts in a single volume (lot 355). Seven saints from England, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland and Wales are portrayed as heroic warriors and this particular copy belonged to Dr Samuel Johnson; it has a deleted inscription dated 1786 and a presentation inscription by William Kenrick to Elizabeth Kenrick, 1788 with a note stating that the book was bought at the sale of Dr Johnson’s books in 1785 (estimate £2,500-3,500). A Dictionary in English and Latine, devised for the capacitie of Children, and young Beginners (lot 383) is the first dictionary written specifically for children. First published in 1533 the edition offered by Bloomsbury is 1634 and only four copies of any edition appear in auction records and this is expected to fetch £1,000-1,500. Another antiquarian book for children (lot 455) is the 1741 Curiosities In the Tower of London by Thomas Boreman, Volume 2. ‘One of the Gigantick Histories’ printed only for subscribers, is one of the earliest English children’s books dealing with non religious matters and is estimated to fetch £500-700. A perennial favourite is always The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (lot 438) and this first edition has a frontispiece by Graham Robertson (1908) and is estimated £1,500-2,000.
A contemporary favourite is of course, JK Rowling, and Bloomsbury is selling a fine collection of personally inscribed de luxe Harry Potter books, a signed photograph inscribed ‘To Aimee, with love and admiration’ and a personal letter from the author to the vendor (lot 483). This is a heart-wrenching story of Aimee’s mother who had refused cancer treatment in order to give her unborn baby the best chance of survival, at only 9 years old Aimee and her step father were left to hold the family together and bring up the baby. JK Rowling was so moved by Aimee’s plight and strength of character, that she sent her the books and now Aimee is selling them in order to put a deposit down on a flat. The estimate for these books is £10,000-12,000.
Amongst the original artwork are 31 lots of drawings by Mike Royer, the comic book and character artist for Walt Disney, with estimates ranging from £100-350 for Mickey Mouse, Winnie-the-Pooh, Lilo & Stitch, The Seven Dwarfs etc.
Private Press & Limited Editions has an interesting group of Eric Gill material (lots 654-665), including an original watercolour depicting the Crucifixion which has a manuscript note on the reverse which reads: ‘This coloured drawing was made by my father Eric Gill between 1915-1920’ (estimate £4,000-6,000). Lot 662 is an autograph manuscript initialled ‘EG’ with a pencil addition by his wife, Mary Ethel. Dated 25th October 1940 these are Gill’s funeral instructions, in which he stipulates where he wants to be buried, in what, which chapel, the music and wording for his headstone (estimate £4,000—6,000). The following lot is a hand-coloured, wood-engraved Song of Songs, from the Golden Cockerel Press (1925), number 1 of 30 special copies signed by the artist Gill and the printer, Robert Gibbings and this is expected to fetch £3,000-4,000.