NEW YORK CITY — English writer Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855), published under the pen name “Currer Bell” on October 16, 1847, by Smith, Elder & Co. of London, wrote a novel dealing with the formative years of the fictional Jane Eyre as she grows into adulthood and experiences love for Mr Rochester, the brooding master of Thornfield Hall. An immediate success with Victorian readers, the novel revolutionized prose fiction by being the first to focus on its protagonist’s moral and spiritual development through an intimate first-person narrative. At Swann Galleries’ June 16 sale of books and autographs, the three-volume set sold for $23,750, including buyer’s premium.

The first edition was bound in full green pebbled morocco by Wood, covers with floral cornerpieces, The sale also offered significant material from world leaders, including a selection of more than 40 US presidential autographs from a diverse group of 20 presidents and first ladies. Watch for an extended review.