Favorite Lots from the Americana Cataloguers

Michael Riley
Chief Cataloguer & Historian

Our current auction is certainly a blockbuster with an amazing amount (even for us!) of top-notch material. We are particularly proud to present three fine collections this time around: the Gary Grossman Collection containing some of the finest presidential content letters you'll ever have the opportunity to bid on; the Bennett Collection featuring an ultra-rare 1818 first edition of Frankenstein as well as a fabulous group of material related to Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and the "Shelley Circle"; and, of course, the Ventura Collection (and Ventura Collection Final Session) which is quite possibly the finest group of science fiction and fantasy books ever offered in one auction. It is certainly a privilege to be a part of researching and cataloguing these amazing collectibles. It never fails that you come across certain lots that connect or appeal to you in some special way. Here are a few of mine:

Lot 25473: As a lifelong fan of all things Sherlockian, this is an awesome group of sixteen bound volumes of the original Strand Magazine from 1891 to 1903. Included are some of the best of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes tales including the first of the short stories published, "A Scandal in Bohemia," as well as the famous "comeback" story titled "The Adventure of the Empty House" where it is revealed that the famous character didn't die at Reichenbach Falls. You can imagine that one was a popular issue at the London newsstands.

Lot 25228: This is the first example of the beautiful 1819 John Binns printing of the Declaration of Independence that I've had the opportunity to catalog. It is a wonderful example of the engraver's art and presents a majestic appearance in its gilt and burl wood frame.

Lot 25315: I was starting elementary school at about the time America was picking its first team of astronauts and I used to clip all the articles in our local newspaper about our early space flights and the brave astronauts who journeyed into the unknown. I still have that scrapbook (somewhere) and would love also to have this photo that is signed by all seven of my earliest heroes (well, besides Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris of course).

Lot 25759: You really do need to see in person an original printing of this monumental work, History of the Indian Tribes of North America, to believe how beautiful these hand-colored lithographs are. We are very fortunate to have not only this original folio edition from 1838-1844, but we also have a fabulous second octavo edition from 1854. Please visit these pages on our website and look at the selection of color images we have there. Much of what we know about Native Americans of the early nineteenth century was gleaned from this book.

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Joe Fay
Consignment Coordinator and Cataloguer

Remember the Old Milwaukee beer commercial where three or four cowboys are sitting around a campfire? One of the guys pops open a fresh can of cold brew, takes a long swallow, and quips to his compadres that, "It doesn't get any better than this." That's my feeling about The Ventura Collection of science fiction, fantasy, and horror books at auction on April 17-18. For me, and for a legion of science fiction and horror book collectors like me, the hobby really does not get any better than this.

The Ventura Collection contains a good number of the finest quality highpoints available anywhere in genre book collecting. The entire collection is being offered over a two-day period, April 17-18, 2007. The first session will offer lots 26001 through 26396 beginning at 4:00 PM CT on Tuesday, April 17. The second session of The Ventura Collection is an online only session, called the Final Session, closing on the Heritage Auction Galleries website at 4:00 PM CT on Wednesday, April 18 and reopening on eBay Live two hours later at 6:00 PM CT.

The first, and in my opinion, best highlight of The Ventura Collection is Lot 26116, a signed limited first edition of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 with asbestos boards. This book is one of the few real cornerstones of any serious collection of fantastic literature, and the copy presented here is in excellent condition. This is a truly unique chance to get the rarest publication of Bradbury's greatest work.

Another fantastic lot offered in our April 17 auction of The Ventura Collection is Lot 26323, a rare Fantasy Press first edition of E. E. "Doc" Smith's First Lensman with THREE variant jackets, a Lloyd Arthur Eshbach TLS explaining the history behind the rejection of the original dust jacket, AND the original A. J. Donnell art for that rejected first jacket. Nowhere else has such a lot been offered before. In one bid, one can acquire a rare first edition, a rarer signed letter from one of science fiction publishing's true giants, and a one-of-a-kind display piece suitable for framing.

Speaking of one-of-a-kind items, The Ventura Collection also includes Lot 26229, a rare presentation copy of the 1908 first edition of William Hope Hodgson's The House on the Borderland. Such a first edition presentation copy is difficult to find, especially in very good condition; what makes this copy truly unique is Adrian Goldstone's bookplate pasted inside the front cover. Goldstone was an avid book collector, one of the finest, most prodigious of the twentieth century, and to own one of his books is considered an honor among fellow collectors. For genre fans, a Goldstone copy of Hodgson's masterpiece is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And for those who cannot quite afford this particular copy of Hodgson's Borderland, we also have a virtually fine Arkham House first edition of the book in Lot 26016.

I could go on at novel-length about the rest of The Ventura Collection, but I will leave it to my passionate fellow collectors to choose their own favorites. The entire collection can be viewed using the following links: The Ventura Collection and The Ventura Collection Final Session. Happy hunting, fans of rare science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature!

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Dave Golemon
Cataloguer

As a long-time book collector (or is that accumulator?) cataloging the books in auction 658 was the proverbial "labor of love." Working in the presence of such rare and important books makes you keenly aware of the dedication and discernment with which collections like these are built. And nothing highlights the latter element better than the Ventura Collection of science fiction and fantasy books. It is apparent that this collector maintained the highest standards of condition and only the very best would do.

Each book in the collection was greeted with "oohs and ahhhs" as we picked them up to describe them. In short, these books are the best of the best. I don't personally collect science fiction and fantasy books, though living with these books for several weeks made it tempting, but I absolutely fell in love with the dust jacket artwork as illustrated by Hannes Bok, Edd Cartier, Ronald Clyne, and Frank Utpatel. For my money the quintessential sci-fi jacket must be disturbing, garish, and freaky. Hannes Bok manages at least two of the three with his cover on Clark Ashton Smith's Out of Time and Space (Lot 26032). However, ol' Hannes manages a hat trick with his cover on John W. Campbell's Who Goes There? (Lot 26069). But for a true fiesta of garishness you can hardly do better than the artwork on the covers of the Astounding Stories pulp magazines from the 1930s (Lot 26381). The place just won't be the same around here without all the monsters, vampires, demons, barbarians, jungle men, invisible men, space rangers, time travelers, robots, and assorted interplanetary aliens. Take good care of them.

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Eric Smylie
Cataloguer

Lot 25453: Having worked with many of the documents and letters in this auction that were signed by European monarchs, I was particularly taken by a brief note written by George, Prince of Wales, in 1908. The prince asked a Mr. Holzmann to respond to a letter, and "sign it George P". I wonder how many letters and documents bearing the signature George as Prince of Wales, and later as the King-Emperor George V, were actually signed by the long-forgotten Mr. Holzmann.

Lot 25302: Another item I found interesting was the album filled with the signatures of almost every American of significance who participated in the Spanish-American War. Dubbed "a splendid little war" by John Hay, the United States ambassador to the Court of St. James, the Spanish- American War has been overshadowed by subsequent larger, longer, and bloodier wars. As small a war as it was, many of the men involved were larger than life: George Dewey, Nelson Miles, Theodore Roosevelt, Leonard Wood, Joseph Wheeler, and William Jennings Bryan. They, and 130 other soldiers, sailors, and politicians are represented in this unique collection.

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Rare William Henry Harrison Letter to be Auctioned by Heritage!
One of Only Two Known to Exist Signed as President

William Henry Harrison, the hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe, became the Ninth President of the United States on March 4, 1841, when he took the Oath of Office in Washington. The day of his inauguration was cold and windy, and Harrison proceeded to give the longest inaugural address in US history to that time - almost two hours - without the benefit of an overcoat, hat, gloves or scarf. Consequently, he caught a cold, which soon turned into pleurisy and pneumonia, claiming his life on April 4, 1841 and cementing his place in history as the President to serve the shortest term in office. On April 6, 1841, John Tyler, Harrison's Vice-President, took the Oath of Office and assumed the Presidency.

"Because of Harrison's incredibly short term in office, documents signed by him as President are exceptionally rare," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana Auctions for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. "In fact, before his death, Harrison was able to perform only one official act: the calling of Congress into a special session, set for May 31, 1841. In our upcoming auction of rare books and manuscripts, we're pleased to offer one of only a handful of documents known to have been signed by Harrison during his 32-day term as president."

Slater continued, "Dated March 5, 1841 and addressed to B.F. Butler Esq. of New York, the letter reads in full, 'Your Resignation of the Office of Attorney of the United States for the Southern District of New York is received. Permit me to thank you for the offer to continue in the discharge of the duties of the Office until I can appoint your successor and to request that you will do so. Very Respectfully, Your Ob't Servant, W. H. Harrison.' This letter was written in the White House on Harrison's first business day in office, replying to perhaps the first letter he received as President."

"It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this magnificent letter," Slater said. "There are no more than twenty-five examples of Harrison's presidential holograph in private hands. Of these, the overwhelming majority - close to twenty - are signed documents. This letter, which was part of the Forbes Collection sold at Christie's in 2002, is important as it was likely the first letter signed by Harrison as President. What sets this particular letter apart even further is the condition. The paper is remarkably clean and the ink is very bold."

"I'd invite anyone interested in this or the many other treasures in our upcoming auction to visit our website at HA.com," Slater said. "There they'll be able to view enlargeable, full-color images of each lot, read our complete and informative catalog descriptions, and even place their bids online from the comfort and convenience of their home or office."

The William Henry Harrison Manuscript Letter Signed "your Obt Servt/W.H. Harrison" will be offered in Heritage Auction Galleries' upcoming April Books, Manuscripts & Autographs Grand Format Auction, to be held on April 16-17, 2007 in our Dallas Offices.

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