Recent Auctions and First Editions

Some recent auctions have taken place in Forum Auctions with Brontë-related interesting content:

Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper - Thursday 22nd March 2018: 10:30am GMT
Lot 179: Brussels, Waterloo & The Rhine.- Journal of an eight month stay in Brussels, autograph manuscript, numerous pen and ink sketches, 1849.

Brussels, Waterloo & the Rhine.- Boger (Walter Deeble, Barrister-at-Law, High Sheriff of Cornwall, of Wolsdon, Antony, Cornwall, married Amelia Harriet Bosworth, b. 1832)

[Journal of an eight month stay in Brussels], autograph manuscript, 213pp. excluding blanks, numerous pen and ink sketches in the text, a letter from the Commissionaire of Police in place of a passport for travelling in the Rhine, printed programme of a concert at Académie Royale, Brussels, tipped-in, and a printed programme of a Fêtes to celebrate Belgian Independence September 1849 tipped-in, a few pp. of expences, last f. in pencil, 1f. loose, browned, original boards, slightly rubbed, rebacked in modern morocco, sm. 4to, 30th April - 14th December 1849. (...)

Acquaintance of the Brontës in Brussels. "Mr Jenkins the Clergyman of the Protestant Church called this afternoon. I have heard a very bad character of him that he is imprisoned for debt generally once a month, when the Protestants club together to get him out, that he is fond of his bottle & that last Sunday instead of preaching he wished to marry all the people. He is the queerest looking old fellow I ever saw & it was by the greatest efforts I managed to restrain my laughter at many things he said." - W.D. Boger. [The Jenkins family played an important role in the Brontë Brussels story, introducing Emily and Charlotte to the Hegers and their Pensionnat].

Fine Books and Works on Paper. Thursday 25th January 2018: 1:00pm GMT
Lot 308 : Brontë (Patrick Branwell).- Homer. The Odyssey, Branwell Brontë's copy, [c.1840]

The Odyssey, Branwell Brontë's copy with ink inscription "To P.B.B. from his dear friend J.B.L. to head of title, engraved frontispiece and title, ink notations and sketches to front endpapers, and verso of final f. in a contemporary hand, engraved illustration loosely inserted, upper hinge tender, original pictorial cloth, gilt, spine rubbed and faded, spine ends and corners bumped, 12mo, [c.1840].
An interesting association copy with an original pen and black ink portrait study to front pastedown, and a further small portrait sketch to rear pastedown, possibly by an artist in the Circle of Branwell Brontë with the first portrait bearing some physiognomic similarities to Branwell's portrait of his friend James Fletcher held in the Brontë Parsonage Museum,
J.B.L. is likely Joseph Bentley Leyland (1811-51), sculptor and friend of Branwell.

Incidentally, via Literary Hub, we have noticed this first (in its original binding) edition of Jane Eyre (with the Calcutta Review ad and all) being sold in Peter L. Stern & Co:

Jane Eyre. Edited by Currer Bell
London: Smith, Elder, 1847. First Edition; three volumes; publisher’s cloth (Smith’s binding variant “A; the other variant was issued in boards); the fly-title of the publisher’s catalogue is dated June, 1847 and the catalogue itself is dated October, 1847. This set has the very uncommon “Calcutta Review” ad inserted (while copies lacking it are not considered incomplete, it is preferable to include it); complete with the half-titles in each volume. This set is in what might be termed, for a book so seldom seen in its original binding, in usual condition, and in this instance, this standard is not a high one. Overall, this set is in on the shabby side of good condition. Unlike many of those few sets that have surfaced in cloth, it has not been rebacked, but it has undergone modest cloth mending; there is cloth staining and numerous, but generally minor, paper repairs to small chips and tears. However, the title page of the first volume has been rehinged. For all that, Jane Eyre is nearly always seen rebound, and these defects aside, a better copy is rarely seen. In a custom cloth clamshell box.
[Book #30887P]
Price: $125,000.00