Any historian worth their salt will tell you about the importance of the archive. The holy grail for documents and information necessary to gain any real understanding of historical events. These are often gatekept by governments and private organizations requiring privilege or applications to access. However, both Sotheby’s and Christie’s are auctioning off an array of historical works from important world figures of years past allowing us to access these rare finds.
Amongst these works of non-fiction include those by prestigious world leaders of the 20th century, founding national documents, and scientific breakthroughs. They are some of the most defining words put to paper in human history and their sale this spring represents one of the rare times these documents change hands.
Some of the major highlights are a book written and signed by Mao Zedong, a royal proclamation, an original print of the American Bill of Rights, Charles Darwin’s origin of species, and a handwritten address by John F. Kennedy. These amongst many other rare and fabulous documents being sold by both major auction houses.
Lot 1192⏐Mao Zedong (1893-1976)⏐His fundamental texts on guerilla warfare, an enormously rare signed example
Published in 1938
2 Volumes
Provenance:
- Jack Woodis
- Ronald Gray
Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
Sale: Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana
Bidding Closes: 26 June 2024⏐2 pm (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$300,000 - 500,000
“[guerilla warfare is] a powerful special weapon with which we resist the Japanese and without which we cannot defeat them”- Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong’s theory on guerilla warfare is not necessarily as well known as his other works featured in places such as The Little Red Book, yet it had a profound impact and is a fundamental cornerstone of warfare. Written during the 2nd Sino-Japanese War (1936-1945) it was meant to be a guide for Communist forces on how to oppose the invading Japanese who to them was the superior force.
Volume one of this work has been signed by the future Chairman Mao himself and is referred to as Common Problems in the Anti-Japanese Guerrilla War. Volume 2 is On Protracted War an equally influential work written at the same time with both texts together combine to make Mao’s theory of guerilla warfare and outline his general concepts of the matter.
The first volume Common Problems in the Anti-japanese Gureilla War with an early version of Mao’s signature on the left and calligraphy on the right
The origins of this work lie in a conference held in Yenan in early 1938 where Mao called for a drawn-out conflict with Japan. In the speech, he delivered he believed that small units of highly mobile infantry were needed to put pressure on Japanese positions in their rear, conducting raids and ambushes in support of regular army actions.
Mao was hardly the first to come up with this style of warfare. The word “guerilla” itself, meaning “little war”, originates from the Peninsular War (1807-1814) where Spanish and Portuguese citizens fought against French invaders. However, Mao was one of guerilla warfare’s most staunch supporters and theorists. His work would go on to inform the guerilla theory’s Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara who would refine Mao’s original concepts for the agrarian context he fought in.
Mao’s understanding of guerilla warfare would affect the array of left-wing Cold War insurgencies that were fought across the globe and even to this modern day as it discussed not just the tactical military applications of guerilla warfare but the strategic usage of irregular warfare.
An accompanying letter with the books, written between Jack Woodis and Ronald Gray
The work is also an important document in leftist circles with its origins being with Jack Woodis the International Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain. Woodis ran a vast publishing network that distributed and published Communist articles, primarily written by Wooids under a variety of aliases.
The book was mailed by Woodis to Ronald Gray. Gray was a socialist himself who ran the bookstore Hammersmith Bookshop which operated between 1948 and 1963. They primarily sold socialist and communist texts that were incredibly rare or out of print.
The sale of this influential Mao work follows RR Auction’s sale of another signed Mao work. Earlier this year the Boston-based auction house sold an autographed copy of Mao’s Little Red Book for US$250,000 published in 1966.
Lot 41⏐Bishop of Lincoln John Longland (1473-1547)⏐Mandate asserting the Supremacy of King Henry VIII over the Church
Published in 1535 by John Bydell
Provenance:
- Archbishop John Tillotson (1630-1694; by report); thence by direct descent in the Tillotson family
- Purchase by Bernard Quaritch
- Purchased by Alfred Tredway White (1846-1921); thence by descent to the present owners.
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Bidding Closes: 27 June 2024⏐10 am (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$100,000 - 150,000
From the 20th century to the 16th, this paper is the only surviving copy of Bishop John Longland of Lincoln’s broadside (a strongly written attack) calling on the clergy in his dioceses to uphold King Henery VIII's supremacy over the Church in England and reject the Pope.
This was in response to Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul the marriage between King Henry and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, as it would have gone against Catholic laws. This set England down on the path towards rejecting Catholicism and founding the Anglican Church with the Royal Family of England taking direct control.
King Henry VII on the left and his first of six wives Catherine of Aragon on the right
John Longland, the Bishop who wrote this broadside was the personal confessor of Henry VII and was one of the earliest people to convince him to annul his marriage with Catherine of Aragon. To ensure the King’s religious supremacy in England Longland and English statesman Thomas Cromwell began dismantling Catholic institutions in England replacing all mention of them with references to the King.
It was during this time that a slew of officials began creating copies of the broadside written by John Longland to send across the country, of which this is the last surviving copy. This makes this broadside an incredibly important component of English history and its move away from the Catholic Church and towards the English Reformation.
Lot 141⏐The first official printing of the Bill of Rights
Published in 1789 by Francis Childs and John Swaine, New York, Printers to the United States
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Bidding Closes: 27 June 2024⏐10 am (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$120,000 - 180,000
Moving across the pond to the United States we are presented with an extremely rare first official printing of the Bill of Rights, in book form. This would have been the version printed for government officials and the public alike in this new republic and would become one of the defining documents not just of the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), but in United States history.
Drafted primarily by the Founding Father James Madison (1751-1836) and members of the 1st United States Congress, the Bill of Rights comprised the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. They outline the personal freedoms and rights of any individual American citizen, as well as what limitations the government has.
After the original handwritten copies of the Bill of Rights were sent out to the 13 Colonies for ratification this printed copy would have been completed just three days later. The only other copy of the Bill of Rights to appear earlier would be in the newspapers.
Such finds are extremely rare and usually only appear in association with certain important figures. For example, a copy of the Constitution personally owned by George Washington was sold by Christie’s New York in 2022 for around US$9.82 million.
Lot 79⏐Charles Darwin (1809-1882)⏐On the Origins of Species (First Edition)
Published in 1859 by John Murray, London
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Bidding Closes: 27 June 2024⏐10 am (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$70,000 - 90,000
The sale isn’t solely filled with history and political texts, as there is quite a decent section of scientific and mathematical notes. The most well-known of these works is the On the Origins of Species by the English naturalist Charles Darwin.
The work is known the world round for its importance in laying out the principles of evolution and the idea that species develop through natural selection over the generations. This work was developed over the years as he traveled to locations such as the Galapagos islands to study and gain insight into how species evolved.
This book was not aimed at the specialist or fellow scientist. Instead, it was simplified and stripped of much of the scientific jargon in the hopes that it would be accepted and understood by the general public. As understood by most people, the work is incredibly important as a piece of literature on biology and to find a first-edition work in such excellent condition is incredibly rare both as a symbolic text for science and as a collectible.
Lot 1055⏐John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)⏐The president's inaugural address, signed and inscribed, with an inauguration ticket
Published in 1961
Provenance:
- RR Auctions 2013
- RR Auctions 2020
Sale: Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana
Bidding Closes: 26 June 2024⏐2 pm (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$35,000 - 50,000
Easily one of the rarest and most fascinating lots between both sales is this inaugural address signed and inscribed by JFK following his victory in the 1960 election. What makes it even more special is that it wasn’t just signed by JFK but also by his wife Jackie and daughter Caroline for JFK’s father, Joseph P. Kennedy.
The inauguration itself was special as it not only represented JFK’s victory over Republican Richard Nixon, but it was also the inauguration of the youngest president in US history as well as the first Catholic president. It was also the inauguration that featured the famous quote “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Also featured with the address is a ticket to the inauguration for an “honored guest” presumably Joseph P. Kennedy, that features an image of both JFK and his vice-president and future president Lyndon B. Johnson. This makes it a very unique collector's item as it is deeply connected to the Kennedy family history.
Both sides of the special inauguration ticket that comes with the address
Other Highlighted Lots:
Lot 1039⏐Declaration of Independence, Brigham Young's copy of the proof of the Stone facsimile
Published in 1776
Provenance:
- Brigham Young
- by descent to Alfales Young
- by descent to Stuart Young
- by gift to Mel Crader
- by descent to William Crader
- Christie's Los Angeles, 2002
- Christie's New York 2017, purchased by the present owner
Sale: Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana
Bidding Closes: 26 June 2024⏐2 pm (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$500,000 - 700,000
Lot 107⏐Alan Turing (1912-1954)⏐Proofing the algebraic equations of a young mathematician
Written in 1953
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Bidding Closes: 27 June 2024⏐10 am (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$80,000 - 120,000
Lot 1092⏐George Washington (1732-1799)⏐Autograph letter signed, Washington privately asks John Jay if he would replace Pinckney
Published in 1794
Provenance:
- Sotheby's London, 1988
- Sotheby's New York, 2007
Sale: Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana
Bidding Closes: 26 June 2024⏐2 pm (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$35,000 - 45,000
Lot 101⏐Albert Einstein (1979-1955)⏐A page from his 1931 work on five dimensional space-time
Written in 1931
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Bidding Closes: 27 June 2024⏐10 am (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$25,000 - 35,000
Lot 165⏐Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)⏐The first printing of the Gettysburg Address in book form
Published in 1863
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Bidding Closes: 27 June 2024⏐10 am (local New York Time)
Estimate: US$15,000 - 25,000
Auction Details:
Auction House: Sotheby’s New York
Sale: Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana
Date and time: 12 June 2024⏐2 pm⏐26 June 2024⏐2 pm (Local New York Time)
Total Lots: 205
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana
Date and time: 13 June 2024⏐10 am⏐27 June 2024⏐10 am (Local New York Time)
Total Lots: 171