Fine Books and Manuscripts: Five Rare Books for Collectors
Manuscript document on vellum, written by Manoel I, King of Portugal, conferring a noble title to Vasco da Gama
Highlights of Sotheby's' Fine Books and Manuscripts auction on June 26 include:
* manuscript document on vellum, written by Manoel I, King of Portugal in a clear court hand, signed ("El Rey") conferring a noble title to Vasco da Gama, Evora, 29 December 1519, with pendant wax royal seal, in recognition of "the great and signal service" rendered to the crown through "the discovery of the Indies."
* John James Audubon's 'Levy' copy of Birds of America (New York and Philadelphia: J. J. Audubon and J. B. Chevalier, [1839–] 1840–1844), the Levy copy with 500 fine handcolored lithographed plates after Audubon by W. E. Hitchcock, R. Trembly, and others, printed and colored by J.T. Bowen, the first time that the complete series was printed and offered to the public.
* Bernhard von Breydenbach's Peregrinatio in terram sanctam (Mainz: Erhard Reuwich, June 21, 1486), a very good copy of the rare first German-language edition of the first illustrated travel book (Die heyligen reyssen gen Jherusalem) by von Breydenbach (ca. 1440–1497), a canon and, later, Dean of Mainz Cathedral.
* William Shakespeare, The Fourth Folio, 1685, printed on demy paper, a larger sheet than its three predecessors
* Maxime du Camp's Égypte, Nubie, Palestine et Syrie. Dessins Photographiques recueillis pendant les années 1849, 1850 et 1851 (Paris: par J. Claye et Cie. [for] Gide et J. Baudry, 1852), first edition of a pioneering photobook on Egypt, Palestine, and Syria, including 112 views of Egypt, six of Jerusalem, and seven of Baalbek, from her trip to the area with his friend, Gustave Flaubert, and which earned Du Camp the prestigious award of Officer of the Legion of Honour
