English Literature and History. [ Sotheby's, auction catalogue, sale date: 24 February, 2000 ]

Sotheby's, London, auction catalogue for the sale held on 24th February, 2000. Laminated wrappers, 4to,. 184 pp, colour plates, ills. 360 lots. The highlights noted included:"The Fourth Folio of William Shakespeare, 1685; English New Testament, with woodcuts, 1538; The letterbooks of Viscount Torrington, Ambassador in Brussels, 1782-1792; The Gold watch given by Lord Byron to his fellow swimmer of the Hellespont; A drawing by Charlotte Bronte; The autograph manuscript of H. Rider Haggard's novel "Allan Quartermain", the sequel to "King Solomon's Mines"; An important collection of first editions by Graham Greene, including Brighton Rock in the original dust-jacket; A collection of first editions by Agatha Christie, John Le Carre and others; The first edition of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species", 1859; An important series of 105 autograph letters signed by Samuel Palmer; An important literary archive of Frank Harris, much relating to his notorious autobiography "My Life and Loves"; Collection of glass slide photographs taken on T.E. Lawrence's early tour of Crusader castles; Ian Fleming's "Goldeneye" passport; Fine letters by Patrick Bronte, Lord Byron, S.T. Coleridge, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Anna Sewell, E.M. Forster, Bertrand Russell, Sir Winston Churchill, Anais Nin, and others". Among the sections included were the following: Sixteenth century Lots 1-6; seventeenth century 7-21; eighteenth century 22-33; nineteenth century 34-78; books from the library of Dorothy Langley Moore 79-96; twentieth century 97-270; royal letters & documents 271-293; history & politics 294-348; travel & exploration 349-350; science 351-352; philosophy, economics and religion 353-357; art 358-360. Near Fine, save that page 152 (the first of two index pages) has not been printed.