PBA Platinum Auction- Rare Books & Manuscripts
Thursday, September 7, 2023 11:00 am Pacific Time
605 Addison Street: Berkeley, CA
www.pbagalleries.com

BERKELEY, CALIF. — PBA Galleries will present a PBA Platinum Auction of rare books and manuscripts on September 7. This special sale will offer 95 lots of rare and important literary, historical and visual materials, comprising landmark works of philosophy, science, religion, poetry, Americana, geographic discovery, cartography, artistry and much more, from the Sixteenth through Twentieth Centuries.

Headlining the sale is an autographed letter from Charlotte Brontë to her editor William S. Williams, July 27, 1850, regarding a portrait she sat for, and various personal inquiries and thoughts, signed “C. Brontë.” The letter refers in part to a portrait of Charlotte by George Richmond that she had sat for when visiting the offices of Smith Elder in June of 1850, but had yet to see. The remainder is quite personal and eschews the business of writing and editing for ruminations and private concerns. Emily had died two years earlier, and Anne, the youngest, just a little over a year before the letter was written. It was also not long after the sisters were revealed as women, and not the fictitious male authors of their pseudonyms, Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell ($40/60,000).

Also featured in the auction is a rare first edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, 1855, in the first issue, distinguished by its elaborately gilt-stamped, green cloth binding. Accompanying the volumes is a signed copy of the famous 1860 portrait of Whitman, printed in 1889. This was Whitman’s own copy of the portrait of him standing wearing a coat, hat in hand. It is signed and dated 1860 by him, indicating when it was taken. Interestingly, it was rescued from his trash by his executor following his death ($120/180,000).

The Caxton translation of The Golden Legend, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, with large portions of the Christian Bible appeared in English nearly two decades before Tyndale’s printing of the New Testament. The Golden Legend has been called “the most widely read book of the Middle Ages,” and it was certainly the most frequently published work during the first 50 years of English printing. This rare copy from 1507, is exceptional among early printed copies of the text both for its degree of completeness and for the integrality of its text block ($80/120,000).

Three lots of photographs are of great interest. An oversized original gelatin silverprint photograph by Ansel Adams that depicts Napa vineyards is from the famed Polaroid collection with their stamp and label ($25/35,000). There are original photographs of Nagasaki, Japan, that were taken by Japanese military photographer Yosuke Yamahata the day after the atomic bomb was dropped by the United States showing the utter devastation of the city ($15/25,000). A rare collection of 10 original photographs by James Mooney are of the Ghost Dance and other Native American circle dances, circa 1892-93; also included is a portrait of the prophet Jack Wilson, also known as Wovoka, who propagated the ritual ($20/30,000).

PBA Galleries, at 605 Addison Street, is open by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact the galleries at 415-989-2665, pba@pbagalleries.com or www.pbagalleries.com.

Ninety-five lots of rare and important literary, historical, and visual materials, comprising landmark works of philosophy, science, religion, poetry, Americana, geographic discovery, cartography, artistry, and much more, from the sixteenth through twentieth centuries.
First issue of Walt Whitman’s ‘Leaves of Grass With signed copy of famous 1860 portrait
Picasso’s Buffon with 31 aquatints, 1942
Lord of tire Rings trilogy with inscription by Tolkien
1507 English printing of Tire Golden Legend
Oversized photograph of Napa vineyards by Ansel Adams
Rare Magic Book featuring Queen Victoria 1840
Photographs of Nagasaki after atom bomb fell
Letter from Charlotte Bronte to her editor 1850
SPECIALISTS IN EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS & PRIVATE LIBRARIES AT AUCTION BOOKS – MANUSCRIPTS – MAPS – PHOTOGRAPHS – WORKS ON PAPER
605 Addison Street: Berkeley, CA : 94710 415.989.2665 pba@pbagalleries.com www.pbagalleries.com