Dickens at auction

The big New York sale was yesterday at Christie's; some record prices, but news reports so far have been fairly thin on detail:

A first edition of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" sold for a record $229,000 at Christie's auction house in New York Wednesday. . .

First published in 1838, the copy at auction was inscribed by the author to a friend and fellow novelist, William Ainsworth.

A total of 208 lots went under the gavel, part of the William Self family collection.

The sale was written up rather extensively beforehand; the following is from the Guardian:

The biggest auction of Charles Dickens' works for more than 35 years is to be held in New York this week. The lots include a rare manuscript page from The Pickwick Papers, written in the author's own hand with his corrections, and a special edition book inscribed by Dickens to fellow novelist George Eliot. The 400 items are expected to fetch between $1.8m (about £900,000) and $2.8m at Christie's, but there is no clear prospect of any returning to Britain.

The BBC writeup is here. Meanwhile, more Dickens relics are coming up for sale soon:

Charles Dickens' writing desk and chair, which are thought to be worth up to £80,000, are to be sold at a charity auction in London.

It is thought the furniture was where he wrote some of his later works, including Great Expectations, at his Gad's Hill Place home in Higham, Kent.

Proceeds will go to Great Ormond Street children's hospital in central London after they were donated by a relative.

From the BBC.

UPDATE: Read more about Wednesday's sale at the Christie's site.

Posted by David on April 3, 2008 9:23 PM