A first edition copy of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is expected to sell with excellent results as part of Christie's Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts including Americana auction, which will be held on December 7 in New York.
 Interest in The Great Gatsby is expected to receive a boost in 2013 |
A highlight of the 20th century literature section of the auction, the book is expected to sell for $150,000-180,000. It originates from the collection of Richard Manney, a renowned bibliophile whose library was first offered by Sotheby's in 1991.
The sale follows the announcement of a film adaptation of the book by director Baz Luhrmann, which is due to be released in May 2013.
Printed in 1925 by Charles Scribner's Sons, the first edition, first printing boasts the original publisher's green cloth with its spine lettered in gilt. It will be sold with the original pictorial dust jacket by F Cugat, which has been skilfully restored.
One of the most alluring aspects of the lot is the original text as Fitzgerald had intended it, which was heavily modified in subsequent printings. As well as the colloquialisms that the author had originally included, the book also features a lowercase "j" in "Jay Gatsby", which has been hand-corrected on the rear panel of the dust jacket.
The current world record for a first edition copy of The Great Gatsby was set by Christie's in 2002, when the lot doubled its pre-sale estimate to realise $163,500.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a great range of literary collectibles for sale, including an autographed copy of Virginia Woolf's Orlando.
