North America

George Eliot’s much-admired novel 'Middlemarch…' made its first appearance in a parts issue in 1871.

The record for American ceramics – previously held by Salisbury’s Woolley & Wallis – was smashed this month by a ‘Dave the Slave’ jar.

Sotheby’s New York is holding an online auction from September 7-13 featuring 50 examples of sculpture from across the world’s continents selected from the longstanding collection of Martin and Faith-Dorian Wright.

Bonhams is holding a sale of Modern Native American Art in Los Angeles on August 30 that includes the collection of Canadian Inuit sculpture assembled by Wendy and Dr Les Fisher of Chicago.

One of the finest European railway toy collections built in the US generated a suitably enthusiastic response when it came to auction.

Published in 1862, one exceptional lot in a Californian sale that focused on food and drink was billed as “The Canonical Text in Bartending”.

Embroidered samplers and pictures in high demand stateside

On August 19 Pook & Pook will sell the collection of Barbara A and Fred Johnson of Rockford, Illinois, owners of Barbara A Johnson Antiques.

This rare French Emile Jumeau bisque-headed character doll from c.1892, with a distinctive light brown complexion, turned heads in a US saleroom.

Thomaston Place is holding one of its extensive multi-discipline summer sale over three days from August 27-29 featuring a wide mix of American, European and Asian paintings, furnishings and objects.

A Texas sale generated six-figure sums for two very different lots.

Swann’s sale of vintage posters in New York on August 5 will include this poster from 1919 designed by Charles Loupot to advertise Mekka cigarettes.

Toucans were the avian best-sellers in a recent sale held by Freeman’s (26/20/12% buyer’s premium) of Philadelphia.

The centrepiece of a sell-out 762-lot toy sale held by Milestone (20% buyer’s premium) was a collection formed by Margaret and Joel Weissmann.

Remarkable sums were paid for vintage video games at Heritage Auctions – including a record-breaking $1.35m (£1m) bid for Super Mario 64.

Record for a painting by the music legend David Bowie leads a look at rockstar attempts at visual art

London-made flintlocks with a solid provenance to Alexander Hamilton took to the stage at US sale