Latest News Articles by Ian McKay

Tribute to a legendary dealer
27 June 2022The number of six-figure bids received reflects the quality of William S Reese collection
British and Irish book auctions: June 28-July 14, 2022
27 June 2022Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.
British and Irish book auctions: June 21-July 2, 2022
20 June 2022Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Shackleton maps out his routes
20 June 2022Dramatic rescue of 1916 was recorded visually by the polar explorer two years later

Gravesend: three miles beyond Jamaica
20 June 2022Bid to £4000 – 10 times low estimate – in a May 18 sale held by Tennants (22% buyer’s premium) of Leyburn were two albums of what were defined as grotesque-style caricature portraits.

Truman defends atom bombing
20 June 2022Treasures from the Melvin ‘Pete’ Mark Jnr Collection, a Heritage (25/20/12.5% buyer’s premium) auction in Dallas that ended on May 7, presented a remarkable range of material.

Rare broadside bid to £2800
20 June 2022Bid to £2800 via thesaleroom.com in a Forum Auctions (25/20/12.5% buyer’ premium) sale of May 5 was this seemingly very rare broadside published in London by James Catnach.

Larkin leaps to five figures twice
13 June 2022Two volumes of poetry offered in London auction were published by the Marvell Press.

Three albums, 410 wood engravings – Gwen Raverat’s work as a personal record
13 June 2022Three albums containing in all some 410 wood engravings by Gwen Raverat (1885-1957), compiled by the artist as a personal record of her work and sold by a descendant, made a total of £34,500 at Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium) on May 11.

Declaration before the declaration
13 June 2022“Congress have judged it necessary to dissolve all Connection between Great Britain, and the American Colonies; and to declare them free and independent States…”
British and Irish book auctions, June 14-26, 2022
13 June 2022Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Frankenstein first now in second place
06 June 2022Just one other example of Mary Shelley’s famous tale has made more at auction

San Frantastic views sold locally
06 June 2022Maps and views of San Francisco were among the principal attractions of an April 21 sale held by local auction house PBA Galleries (25/20% buyer’s premium) to disperse the first portion of the Charles Fraccia Collection.
British and Irish book auctions: June 7-18, 2022
06 June 2022Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

The progress of Bunyan’s work
30 May 2022Copy printed in Boston in 1744 and now offered in Chicago was defective but a real rarity

Great price for edition inscribed by F Scott Fitzgerald
30 May 2022An inscribed copy of F Scott Fitzgerald’s 'The Great Gatsby' was the most expensive purchase in a held by Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium).

‘Shuttlecock’ was a hit for children’s literature printer
30 May 2022A children’s book estimated at £20-40 in a May 14 sale held by Pippa Deeley (15% buyer’s premium) in Bodiam, East Sussex, was sold instead at £2200.
British and Irish book auctions: May 31-June 18, 2022
30 May 2022Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

‘With the love of Mark Twain’
23 May 2022Work sold in Cambridge is thought to reflect US author's friendship with Scottish physician and essayist

Dickens work inscribed for Carlyle
23 May 2022More than 60 Dickens lots appeared in an April 26 sale of the library of Jeremy and Penny Martin, several of them bearing presentation inscriptions.