Boston Tea Party, Charlie Mackesy, and Graciela Iturbide: The Week in Rare Books
Always Remember. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
This weekly auction result is provided by Spencer W Stuart, an independent collections advisor specializing in rare books and manuscripts as well as fine photography and prints. He is also the author of Contemporary Issues in Rare Books & Manuscript Collecting and host of the monthly webinar Collecting Insights.
These are the three lots that stuck out this week because of either uniqueness or exceeding expectations:
Original gouache by Charlie Mackesy
One day I'll look back, signed 'Charlie Mackesy' and inscribed "One day I'll look back and realise/how hard it was,"/said the boy/"One day you'll look back and/see how well you did." Gouache and ink on paper. Sold for £43,520 at Bonhams.
Rare Boston Tea Party publication
A very rare printing of the Votes and Proceedings of two November 1773 Boston town meetings moderated by John Hancock demonstrating the contention that "Tea was the agent that unified the colonies". This is believed to be the first copy to appear at auction since May 1926. Sold at Sotheby's for $107,950 following an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.
Our Lady of the Iguanas, Oaxaca, 1979
Nuestra Señora de las Iguanas (Our Lady of the Iguanas) silver print by Graciela Iturbide, printed circa 1991, with Iturbide's signature, partial title, and negative date in pencil on verso. Sold by Swann Galleries for $13,200 following an estimate of $3,000-$4,500.
