National Book Auctions of Ithaca, New York, auctioned a Civil War-themed catalogue on August 29 - including Maurice Sendak signed books, artwork and posters as well as a rare collection of original illustrations by the American illustrator and painter FOC Darley.
Among the highlights was a collection featuring the Reverend William Salt, Catholic priest and renowned figure at Seton Hall University, written during the Civil War. His letter sold for a hammer price of $3,000 (plus buyer's premium).
The letters spanned a decade (1808-1901), including the Civil War and documented communication between Upstate New York and the Vatican, including a letter from his sister discussing Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation - the first major move to free America's slaves.
 Maurice Sendak's famous 1962 work Where The Wild Things |
Also included was likely his last letter before he died of consumption. Another lot of American Civil War ephemera reached a hammer price of $1,145 (plus buyer's premium) and ran alongside over 200 additional lots of Civil War books and other documents.
Elsewhere, a four-volume collection of Civil War and South Carolina Yankee History sold for $1,300 (plus buyer's premium) and featured "The History of a Brigade of South Carolinians" by JFJ Caldwell published in 1866 by King & Baird.
The auction showcased another array of children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak's work whose combined offerings totalled nearly $4,000 (plus buyer's premium) for signed books, illustrations, and posters.
An oversized book titled "Mother Goose Collection" that featured Sendak fetched a $1,200 hammer price (plus buyer's premium) and an illustration from "Chicken Soup with Rice" reached a $900 hammer price (plus buyer's premium).
 Around 500 Civil War letters featuring the Reverend William Salt |
FOC Darley (1821-1888) was also part of the half-day auction with original artworks that reached a combined hammer price of over $2,300 (plus buyer's premium).
One signed and framed illustration at auction was featured in the book "The Scarlet Letter." This original piece features a pen and sepia ink drawn book illustration from 1870 and prominently displays Darley's signature in the bottom left corner.
National Book Auctions will next gear up for its September auctions, set to feature a wide assortment of Africana collectibles, sheet music, signed and first edition books.
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