Rare book sold
PA Wellington A first edition of Sir Walter Buller’s “History of the Birds in New Zealand” fetched $2150 at a book auction in Wellington on Tuesday. The volume, published in 1873, is generally regarded as the most sought early New Zealand book.
Mr Anthony MurrayOliver, a spokesman for the auctioneers, Bethunes, said the price was not a record, “but is among the highest.” The top price at the auction of $3300 was paid by a telephone-bidding Melbourne dealer for the threevolume “The Microcosm of London,” published in 1808 and 1810. The dealer also paid $2850 for an 1820 work, “A Picturesque Tour Along the Rhine.”
“These were much higher than we thought they would be,” Mr Murray-Oliver said. “They are almost like London prices.”
Bidders also contested for sports books, he said.' Almost-complete runs of the New Zealand rugby and cricket almanacks realised $4lO and $4OO respectively and a run of 34 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanacks, from 1947 to 1980, realised $625.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19840621.2.136.15
Bibliographic details
Press, 21 June 1984, Page 26
Word Count
164Rare book sold Press, 21 June 1984, Page 26
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in