This circa 1934 saber-toothed tiger bronze by John Coleman Burroughs (American artist, 1913-1979), 22 inches; signed, dated, editioned and inscribed to base; from the personal collection of Edgar Rice Burroughs, sold for $8,750. It was the highest-selling lot of the day.
Review by Kiersten Busch
DALLAS — On April 25, Heritage conducted its auction titled The World of Edgar Rice Burroughs, which featured more than 120 lots and realized $361,969. The sale had a sell-through rate of almost 94 percent and included a number of lots that had never been publicly offered before and some from the author’s personal collection. When asked about the sale results, Robert Wilonsky, vice president of public relations and communications at Heritage, commented, “We were indeed satisfied.”
A bronze statue of a saber-toothed tiger made by Burrough’s son, the artist John Coleman Burroughs, was the top selling lot, realizing $8,750. The bronze was signed, dated and editioned to the base; an inscription on the base read, “To my father with the greatest love and admiration, John Coleman Burroughs, December 1934.” It came to the auction from Burroughs’ private collection.
For $7,813, this advance review copy of A Princess of Mars (Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1917), with publisher’s illustrated paper wrappers by Frank E. Schoonover, found its new home. It had rich provenance to multiple different collections.
Rare editions of some of Burroughs’ most well-known books also attracted bidders. An advance review copy of A Princess of Mars — without illustrations, the list of illustrations, table of contents, or forward — earned the number two spot of the sale. The octavo was housed in a brown leather clamshell stamped in gilt and included the publisher’s illustrated paper wrappers by Frank E. Schoonover. Prior to Burroughs acquiring it, the volume had provenance to the Frank collection, a private collection and the Gary Munson collection. Significant interest pushed bidding to $7,813.
A first edition, first state, presentation copy of Tarzan of the Apes found a new home for $6,250, rounding out the top three highest earning lots of the sale. The book had an illustrated title page by Frank J. Arting and included a facsimile dust jacket. The octavo, bound in the publisher’s dark burgundy cloth ruled in blind and stamped in gilt, was also housed in a custom green cloth clamshell with a black lettering piece stamped in gilt. It was signed and inscribed on a front fly leaf recto by the author to his son less than one week before the author’s death: “To My son John Coleman Burroughs, Long may he wave, with all good good wishes from the head waver, Edgar Rice Burroughs, May [but March] 14, 1950.” Also with the book came a letter of authenticity from Burroughs’ grandson, Danton Burroughs.
Inscribed and signed on a front fly leaf recto by the author to his son, this first edition, first state, presentation copy of Tarzan of the Apes (Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co., 1914), with a letter of authenticity, realized $6,250.
Although this auction mainly focused on books, they were not the only Burroughs memorabilia that attracted attention from bidders. A dual edged knife with a leather scabbard from Burroughs’ personal collection brought $5,500. The knife was previously used as a film prop in the 1929 film Tarzan and the Tiger, that was directed by Henry MacRae and which featured Frank Merrill in the title role. Merrill was known for doing all his own stunts and for devising the original “Tarzan yell.” The film was a Universal movie serial based on Burroughs’ book Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, and was once considered a lost film until a copy was recently discovered. Used in the movie, the knife had a grooved handle with inlaid brass rivets and an engraved metal and brass grip cap, which was marked “(crown) / (castle) / Persevere” on each side. It was contained in a leather scabbard with a metal tip.
Prices quoted include the buyer’s premium as reported by the auction house. For information, 214-528-3500 or www.ha.com.
