HIGH PRICES AT SALES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1933, Page 18

HIGH PRICES AT SALES

At a recent London auction sale the MS. of Sir James Barrio's "Shall We Join the Ladies'.' fetched £400, and that of Galsworthy's "The First and the Last" £170. £2100 was paid for a "Book of Hours," attributed to Jean Foncquet, at the recent sale of the second portion of tho Chester vßeatty collection of medieval MSS. Altogether the thirty-six items produced £17,750.

Twelve early nineteenth century books, all in immaculate condition, reached over £1400 at another recent sale". An uncut copy of the first edition of "Pride and Prejudice," three volumes, 1813, in the original blue paper boards, made as much as £470; the less scarce "Emma," 1816, in similar condition, was bid up to £130; while £170 was paid for a large uncut copy of "Frankenstein," 1818. A fine uncut, unopened copy of the first edition of Pepys's "Diary," 1825, fell to a bid of £270.

High prices were also paid for a number of autograph letters. A threepage letter from Dickens to Eiehard Johns, mentioning "Pickwick" and deploring the death of the former's sister-in-law, Mary Hogarth, realised £170; four leaves of pen-and-ink sketches by Thackeray, ono bearing an autograph note to Edward FitzGerald, made £130; and £105 -was given for a series of 37 letters from George Gissing to his brother Algernon between IS7B and 189], the,earlier letters throwing light on Gissing's desperate struggle for exjstcnee and his fight for recognition.