Past Timed Auction

Rare Books, Autographs & Maps

Soft close begins Thu, Dec 09, 2021 at 10am EST
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Sale Total Far Surpasses Expectations Amid Competitive Bidding

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  • Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps Closing on December 9, 2021
  • Sale Total Far Surpasses Expectations Amid Competitive Bidding
  • Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions

NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle held a successful auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps including Final Selections from the Estate of Arnold “Jake” Johnson on December 9, 2021. The auction showcased a diverse range of material from early illuminated manuscripts to modern first editions. Highlights feature landmark works in Americana, science, literature, including finely bound library sets, and original illustration art.

With competitive bidding, the sale totaled a successful $583,840, far surpassing the pre-sale estimate of $286,310-439,210, with an exceptional $93% sold by lot and 100% sold by value.

Highlighting the sale was a fine example of the first edition of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, 1855, that achieved $63,000. Whitman himself was active in the printing of the first edition and Ed Folsom's Census of the 1855 Leaves of Grass notes that: "Leaves of Grass began, of course, as a self-publication. No publisher was interested in producing what seemed an odd and inelegant group of twelve untitled poems. So Whitman did it himself: he designed the cover, chose the binding, and set some of the type."

An early 14th century manuscript illumination attributed to Neri da Rimini soared past its estimate of $2,000-3,000 to realize a stunning $28,350. The manuscript centered a large initial ‘H’ cut from choir book with two scenes: a Birth of Jesus with the three magi and their attendants bearing gifts and the other, Jesus baptized by John the Baptist.

The rare English edition of Alexander Hamilton’s Report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, on the Subject of Manufactures, 1791, and James Kent's copy of Hamilton's The Examination of the President's Message at the Opening of Congress, 1801, each fetched the identical price of $13,860, far exceeding their respective estimates.


We Invite You to Auction!

Consignments are currently being accepted. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.

For information, please contact Peter Costanzo at 212-427-4141, ext 248, or Edward Ripley-Duggan at ext. 234, or email [email protected]

Consignments are currently being accepted

To have your property evaluated for possible consignment in the next auction, please contact:

Peter Costanzo
212-427-4141, ext 248
[email protected]

Media Contact

Louis LeB. Webre
SVP, Marketing & Media
212-427-4141, ext 232
[email protected]

  • Estate of Arnold 'Jake' Johnson
  • Estate of Isobel Robins Konecky
  • Estate of Larry Elgart
  • From a Private New York Collector
  • Property from an Ohio Collection
  • Property from the Collection of Jacqueline & Pierre Simon
  • Property from the Estate of Dr. James Lawrence Pool
  • Property from The Monroe and Elizabeth Dreher Collection
  • Property of a Massachusetts Gentleman
  • The Collection of Jane and John Gunther
  • The Julius and Theodore Cohn Library
  • The Library of Duncan Cranford

A Selection of Auction Highlights