The first and only edition of Ernest Hemingway's first-ever book was the star lot at Swann Auction Galleries' Art, Books, Literature, Maps & Atlases and Graphics auction, yesterday (June 17).
Only 300 First Edition copies of Hemingway's Three Stories and Ten Poems were printed in 1923 by Maurice Darantière of Paris, who was also the printer of James Joyce's Ulysses.
 A 300-limited First Edition copy of Hemingway's Three Stories and Ten Poems (Paris: Contact Publishing, 1923) |
Within its original printed blue-grey wrappers, the edition has been professionally lined and re-cased with minor expert colour restoration to its spine.
Auctioned with an estimate of $12,000-18,000, Hemingway's debut comfortably exceeded this to bring a final value of $21,600.
Other star lots in Swann's sale including Andy Warhol's glamorous pop art depiction of Queen Elizabeth II - one of just many colour plates he produced of various queens.
 Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol, sold for $2,280 |
Dated to 1985 and signed by Warhol himself along the right-hand margin, the work appeared at Swann with an estimate of $1,000-1,500, eventually realising $2,280.
Highlights among the auction's maps included a 1670 atlas of the Four Parts of the World by Richard Blome, dedicated to Baron Finch of Daventry (sold for $19,200) and a double-hemispheric world map by John Speed, circa 1626 (sold for $10,200).
Swann's auction took place in New York.
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