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Articles - January - 2013 Issue

The Curiosity Sale: Drouot, December 19, 2012

- by Thibault Ehrengardt

pic.4* - a magic book.

pic.4* - a magic book.

Shazam books !

Benoît Forgeot then showed me a copy of the famous “Livre Magique” (or Magic Book), in its original boards, with no title page but featuring several series of engravings and some intriguing thumb indexes on external margins (pic 4). The plates, hand-coloured at the time (18th century) are lovely, indeed but... Mr. Forgeot winked at me : “ Depending on how you manipulate it, he said, this book tells different stories. According to the thumb index you choose, you open a book with... empty pages ! Or... with all pages featuring a raven or a woman holding an umbrella, etc... It is a magic book !” According to our expert, these books were very fashionable in America. Estimated at 2,000 / 3,000 euros, it went for 5,600 euros, “not such a big price”, regretted Mr. Forgeot.

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  • <b><center>Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!</center></b>
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  • <b><center>Sotheby's<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts & More<br>Available for Immediate Purchase</center></b> <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Ian Fleming. <i>Casino Royale,</i> London, 1953. First edition, first printing. $58,610. <b>Sotheby’s:</b> A.A. Milne, Ernest Howard Shepard. <i>Winnie The Pooh,</i> United Kingdom, 1926. First UK edition. $17,580. <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Ernest Hemingway. <i>Three Stories And Ten Poems,</i> [Paris], (1923). First edition of Hemingway’s first published book. $75,000. <b><center>Sotheby's<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts & More<br>Available for Immediate Purchase</center></b> <b>Sotheby’s:</b> L. Frank Baum. <i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,</i> Chicago, 1900. First edition. $27,500. <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Man Ray. <i>Photographs By Man Ray 1920 Paris 1934,</i> Hartford, 1934. $7,860. <b>Sotheby’s:</b> Thomas Pennant. <i>Zoologia Britannica,</i> Augsburg, 1771. $49,125.
    Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: Ian Fleming. Casino Royale, London, 1953. First edition, first printing. $58,610.
    Sotheby’s: A.A. Milne, Ernest Howard Shepard. Winnie The Pooh, United Kingdom, 1926. First UK edition. $17,580.
    Sotheby’s: Ernest Hemingway. Three Stories And Ten Poems, [Paris], (1923). First edition of Hemingway’s first published book. $75,000.
    Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: L. Frank Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, 1900. First edition. $27,500.
    Sotheby’s: Man Ray. Photographs By Man Ray 1920 Paris 1934, Hartford, 1934. $7,860.
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Pennant. Zoologia Britannica, Augsburg, 1771. $49,125.

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