News
2010-05-12
Cutting-Edge, Three-Session International Sale for Bloomsbury Auctions
THE PHOTOGRAPHS SALE
19th May 2010
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| Marilyn Minter (b. 1948) Mardi Gras, 2007, Est. $15,000-$20,000; Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976). Nude, 1932, Est. $15,000-$20,000. Each to be offered 19th May, 2010, New York: Session III. | |
On 19th May, 2010 Bloomsbury Auctions launches what is arguably the world’s first three-center, simultaneous international auction, spanning London, Rome and New York. This carefully designed three-session sale incorporates time differences and will run seamlessly from one city to the next. The Photographs Sale has been created in this way to enable the three major centers, often with diverse tastes and requirements, to bid using an online, live-bidding platform which not only allows Bloomsbury to broadcast a continuous sale across the three cities and two continents, but also opens the doors for vendors and buyers to reach the broadest possible audience.
Among the highlights of Photographs Sale’s New York session is Imogen Cunningham’s Nude, 1932 (Estimate $15,000-$20,000). This lot is a very early printing of the particular image printed in the 1960s. The work not only retains the artist's Green Street Studio label on the verso (which helps to date the print), but is also signed and inscribed by the artist, as it was a gift from Cunningham to fellow photographer, Herbert Matter, in 1961. Mardi Gras, another of the New York sale’s highlights, is a vibrantly colourful image from up-and-coming contemporary artist Marilyn Minter whose work has continued to realize high prices at auction despite the recession (Estimated $15,000-$20,000).
This landmark sale comes at a turning point for Bloomsbury Auctions, the world’s leading auction house for rare books and works on paper, having introduced a newly restructured International Photographs Department in February this year, with Hannah Hayden as Head. In London, Sarah Wheeler joins the department as a specialist, coming to the department from Beirut where she was a Project Officer for the Arab Image Foundation. In London, Sarah joins consultants Roland Belgrave and John Cumming, while Silvia Berselli continues to run the Photographs department in Rome. The entire Photographs Sale will be held on Wednesday, 19th May and is accompanied by a single, fully-illustrated catalogue.
Exhibition:
Friday, May 14, 10am-5pm
Saturday, May 15, 10am-5pm
Sunday, May 16, 12pm – 5pm
Monday, May 17, 10am – 5pm
Tuesday, May 18, 10am – 5pm
Or by private appointment
Auction:
Wednesday, 19th May
Session I: London, 1pm BST (British Summer Time)
Session II: Rome, 4pm CEST (Central Europe Summer Time)
Session III: New York, 1pm EST
2010-04-14
Bloomsbury Auctions
Presents
Fine Books and Manuscripts
Including Americana and Children’s Illustrations
Wednesday, 21 April, 2010 at 10 am
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| George BROOKSHAW. Pomona Britannica; or, a collection of the most esteemed fruits at present cultivated in this country. Est. $50,000-$70,000; Book covers of gold, enameled and jeweled [Probably Augsburg, 1620-1630]. Est. $45,000-$60,000; Original jewelry designs for Van Cleef & Arpels, Inc. ca. 1940, a collection of sketches and photographs. Est. $3000-$5000 | ||
New York, NY - Bloomsbury Auctions, the world’s leading auction house for rare books and works on paper, announces a spring sale of Fine Books and Manuscripts (pdf catalog) on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 10am.
The sale features works from a broad range of categories including Americana, Natural History, Science, Music, Plate Books, Fine Bindings, and Children’s Literature. The auction, valued at about $600,000, is scheduled be held in Bloomsbury Auctions’ New York saleroom in the heart of Manhattan. Highlighting the eclectic sale is the Pomona Britannica; or a collection of the most esteemed fruits at present cultivated in this country, a rare masterpiece illustrated by George Brookshaw. Considered to be Brookshaw’s masterpiece, this rare work was issued only in parts beginning in 1804, with a complete edition of the book first published in 1812. Titled after Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit, this vibrantly illustrated specialty remains the finest book on the subject, and is estimated at $50,000-$70,000.
Another exotic item included in the sale’s Fine Binding section is a gold bookbinding enameled and embellished with a total of 56 diamonds. The front and back covers, displaying scenes of the Nativity and Resurrection respectively, are elaborately designed in translucent shades of blue, green, purple and orange, and feature lavish floral designs in black and gold enamel. The subject of the beautiful binding indicates that it was most likely designed to cover a Book of Hours, while it’s provenance is suggestive of the handiwork of a master goldsmith from Augsburg—the creative center for art of this style—circa the 15th century (estimated $45,000-$60,000).
Other items that will undoubtedly arouse interest are a Collection of Jewelry Design sketches and photographs for Van Cleef & Arpels, Inc. (est. $3,000-$5,000), a 13th century Latin Missal manuscript decorated on vellum (est. $20,000-$30,000), an original drawing by advertising mogul Lucille Corcos featuring a stylized epitomization of Madison Avenue in 1950’s America (est. $4,000-$6,000), and works by several children’s illustration favorites including C.S. Lewis, Maurice Sendak, and Norman Rockwell.
Exhibition:
Saturday, 17 April, from 10:00am-3:00pm
Monday, 19 April, from 10:00am- 5:00pm
Tuesday, 20 April, from 10:00am-5:00pm
Wednesday, 21 April, from 9:30am
Or by private appointment