Early 19th-century Whaling Log Fetches $3,600 at National Book Auctions
An early 19th century whaling log fetched $3,600 at National Book Auctions' January 21, 2017 sale.
The bound manuscript, featuring 48 leaves and 16 ink drawings, related to the whaling ship "Victory" of New Bedford, Connecticut. Captained by Henry Adams, the ship left New Bedford in July 1823 for the whaling grounds off the coast of the southern tip of South America. The log begins in August at sea; the ship reached the whaling grounds in October. The unnamed officer who kept the log evidently put back to sea as the log recommences in July 1824 on board the ship "New Galen" from Boston, heading toward Mexico.
The sale, held at the auction house's Freeville, New York saleroom and simulcast via Invaluable, also featured rare, antique, and decorative volumes dating back to 1549, as well as a second session from a private collection of collectible modern horror, mystery, and science fiction books. Titles of note included "Astro-Theology" by William Derham; "A Voyage Round The World" by George Anson; "The Box from Japan" by Harry Stephen Keeler; and "Vampire" by Hanns Heinz Ewers.
National Book Auctions is a specialist auction house focusing almost exclusively on rare and collectible books and ephemera since the 1990s. Its sister company, Worth Auctions, handles a broad variety of personal property including fine art, furnishings, jewelry, coins, and more. For more information, contact mail@nationalbookauctions.com or mail@worthauctions.com.
