December Books Sales achieve a combined total of $8,198,813 | New York

NEW YORK | THURSDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2017

RUSSIAN AMERICA AND POLAR EXPLORATION:
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MARTIN GREENE LIBRARY

SALE TOTAL: $2,980,313

COMBINED SEASON TOTAL: $8,198,813
*Inclusive of the New York Books & Manuscripts 5 December 2017 Sale

New York—Christie’s New York sale Russian America and Polar Exploration: Highlights from the Martin Greene Library, realized $2,980,313, with strong sell through rates of 86% by lot and 87% by value and many lots greatly exceeding initial estimates. The auction witnessed active participation across all sales channels—in-room, phone bidding, and online via Christie’s LIVE— with global bidding from registrants hailing from North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The combined total for the categories two sales is $8,198,813.

The top lot of the sale was Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern (1770-1846), Atlas de l’ocean pacifique, which realized $162,500, more than doubling the initial estimate. Other top lots include John Meares (c.1756-1809), Voyages Made in the Years 1788 and 1789, from China to the North West coast of America, which realized $131,250, more than four times its initial estimate; and Philippe Buache (1700-1773), Considerations geographiques et physiques sur les nouvelles decouvertes au nord de la Grande Mer, which realized $106,250, more than three times its low estimate.

Additional highlights included William Colin Lauder, A Voyage Round the World in the Years 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788, which realized $87,500, over four times the low estimate; an 1854 first edition of S.G. Cresswell’s illustrations of the Franklin Search expedition led by Robert McClure, which realized $75,000, over two times the low estimate; a rare Congressional issue of Charles Wilkes’s account of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838 -1842, which realized $75,000; and Gerhard Friedrich Muller (1705-1783), “Nachtrichten von Seereisen und zur See gemachten Entdeckungen,” which sold for $75,000, more than seven times its low estimate.

Results for the Books & Manuscripts various owner sale on 5 December 2017 can be viewed here.

NOTABLE RESULTS

CRESSWELL, S.G. A Series of Eight Sketches … of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Investigator (Captain M’Clure), during the Discovery of the North-west Passage. London: 1854. A first edition, presentation copy.
Price realized: $75,000

CHORIS, Ludovik. Voyage pittoresque autour du monde…. Paris: 1822. The first edition, with 105 hand-colored plates.
Price Realized: $93,750

[LAUDER, William Colin.] A Voyage Round the World, in the Years 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788, Performed in the King George, Commanded by Captain Portlock; and the Queen Charlotte, Commanded by Captain Dixon; under the Direction of the Incorporated Society for the Advancement of the Fur Trade. London: R. Randal, 1789.
Price Realized: $87,500

About Christie’s
Christie's, the world's leading art business, had global auction, private and digital sales in 2015 that totalled £4.8 billion / $7.4 billion. Christie's is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. 2016 marks Christie's 250th anniversary. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie's offers around 350 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery.

Christie's has a global presence with 54 offices in 32 countries and 12 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zurich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Mumbai. More recently, Christie's has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.

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