A 1791, first issue copy of Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson... in the original blue-grey boards (rebacked in white parchment) was sold at £12,000 to a private buyer, but most of the 40 or so lots from this property were late 19th or 20th century works – three of which are illustrated here.
Top right: a very bright and fresh copy of the 1885, first US edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. An early issue copy in the publisher’s pictorial dark green cloth binding, stamped in gilt and black, it was sold at £5500.
Middle right: Henry James was a Segal favourite and among the James lots was this beautifully preserved, 1888 first edition of The Aspern Papers, which brought a collector’s bid of £5500.
Bottom right: Segal’s copies of the first and second issues (1851) of Joel Chandler Harris’ Uncle Remus, His Songs and Sayings, The Folk-Lore of the Old Plantation were exceptional examples, last seen at auction as part of the Bradley Martin Library at Sotheby’s New York in 1990. On that occasion the price was $4000 (then £2380); this time they went to another collector at £5000. The volume illustrated is the first issue, in red cloth gilt. The second issue, containing press opinions of the book, was green.
Sotheby's English Literature & History sale, December 14
The Ronald Segal Collection
UK: THE HUGE collection of crime, detection and fantasy literature formed by the South African political writer and collector Ronald Segal was featured in last week’s Antiques Trade Gazette (Issue No. 1480), the catalogue also contained a much smaller but broader based ‘English & American Literature’ portion of the Segal collection.
