Gold Rush Letters, Puck cartoons, and Lucrèce Borgia Photos: The Week in Rare Books
A correspondence from the California Gold Rush, Jonathan Palmer Webster, 1849-1850
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:
A correspondence from the California Gold Rush
A dramatic Gold Rush correspondence (1849-1850) written by Jonathan Palmer Webster. Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, Webster moved to New York where the correspondence opens, before moving to San Francisco and Sacramento, planning to head for the gold fields. Sold for $279,400 at Christie's following an estimate of $7,000-$10,000.
Photos of an Abel Gance production
Album of approximately 100 photos laminated on cardboard from the shooting of Abel Gance's 1935 film Lucrèce Borgia, an album probably reserved for the production starring Edwige Feuillère as Lucrèce Borgia. Some photos show Antonin Artaud as the monk Savonarola. Sold for €5,460 at Giquello following an estimate of €100-€150.
Proof cartoons and covers for Puck Magazine (1912 - 1913)
Thirteen pieces, including full-page cartoon illustrations and cover designs for Puck. Printed on cardstock, the image hand-colored on one side; seven with the image in black and white on reverse, others blank. With hand-stamps of the K & S Pressroom i.e., Keppler & Schwarzmann. Sold for $3,120 at Potter & Potter following an estimate of $200-$300.
