Over 441 rare and collectable lots of books, prints, maps and ephemera will go under the hammer at the Library Sale on 13th October, hosted by Cheffins at the firm’s sale rooms in Cambridge.
A single-owner collection of over 250 chapbooks and early Victorian literature is set to dominate the books section of the sale, all of which have been consigned from Cambridge. With multiple books offered per lot, many of these 19th century works have original bindings and frontispieces, with titles such as ‘Life of Mary Kent alias Mrs Bertram, Well known in Fashionable Circles as Mother Bang,’ have estimates ranging from £150 - £400 per lot.
Charles Ashton, Director, Cheffins says: “Chapbooks were small fictional booklets, affordable literature which were sold on the streets of Victorian Britain. Often covering either fairy tales or news of politics, they became a treasured part of society throughout the later 18th and 19th centuries. Many of these haven’t weathered well, having been passed from person to person and well thumbed over the years, however this Cambridge-based collection includes some in good condition, which are sure to be of interest for collectors of early 19th century fiction.”
Also on offer at the sale are a number of Cambridge-based items, including A History of the University of Cambridge, its Colleges, Halls and Public Buildings, by Rudolph Ackermann. This two volume work dates from 1815 and contains 95 hand-coloured plates, it has an estimate of £1,500 - £2,000. There are also three original silhouette portraits of the Rev. Charles Simeon, the Divine, Preaching the University Sermon at St Mary’s Church, Cambridge by Auguste Edouart, dated 1828 and framed together, which has an estimate of £200 - £400.
For social history fans, a first edition and first issue of the famous Book of Household Management by Isabella Beeton, dated 1861 is offered with an estimate of £200 - £400. Containing 12 coloured plates and with slight repair in parts, the book has been consigned from another local collection.
Auction: The Library Sale – 13th October from 10am
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA