Art & Illustration on November 7th

On Thursday, November 7th, PBA Galleries will offer an auction of Art & Illustration – Fine Books. The auction will feature over 425 lots featuring original art, prints from old masters to the Bauhaus, rock posters and the art of the underground—with collectible children’s books including Bertuch’s Bilderbuch fur Kinder series, several signed works by Edward Gorey, an Oz library, and more.

On the auction block, PBA will showcase rare first-edition, signed, and illustrated children’s books. Standouts include lovely hand-colored illustrations in an early children’s book series, Bilderbuch zum Nutzen und Vergnügen der Jugend (1802-c.1813). The series is described as “a pleasing collection of animals, plants, flowers, fruits, minerals, costumes and all manner of instructive objects from the realms of nature, the arts and sciences; all selected and engraved from original works and accompanied by a short scientific commentary adapted to the comprehension of the child” ($7,000-$10,000). Classic titles include three Winnie-the-Pooh limited first editions, signed by A.A. Milne and illustrator Ernest H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner are limited editions 1/350 ($4,000-$6,000). Now We Are Six, 1/350, will also be on offer ($3,000-$5,000). Additionally, PBA’s yellow brick road will lead bidders to a first edition, first state copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum ($4,000-$6,000).

Lovely hand-colored illustrations in an early children’s book series

Significant European and American artists will be well-represented in the auction. Austrian-American artist Betty Lark-Horovitz’s archive of prints, drawings, and ephemera will garner competitive bidding. The archive comprises over 1,000 individual pieces with assorted woodblock prints, etchings, engravings, drawings, film negatives, printing blocks, proof, and ephemera ($4,000-$6,000). From early modern France, Jacques Callot’s Les Deux Grandes Vues de Paris (c. 1630) are standout rarities. PBA has both the Vue du Louvre and Vue du Pont Neuf, separately offered etched views of Paris by the master printmaker from Alsace ($3,000-$5,000) each.

Other highlights include Liverdun by James Abbot McNeill Whistler (1858). The etching was drawn from nature during Whistler’s etching tour of the Rhineland in October 1858 ($1,500-$2,500). Finally, Rick Griffin’s psychedelic Jimi Hendrix experience appears in a rare concert poster from the Jimi Hendrix Experience, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, and Albert King at the Fillmore Auditorium and Winterland ($5,000-$8,000).

The sale will begin at 11:00 am Pacific Time and the public may preview the auction on Monday, November 4th from 1-5pm, Tuesday and Wednesday, November 5th and 6th from 9am-5pm, or Thursday, November 7th from 9-11am. For more information, please contact the galleries at (415) 989-2665 or [email protected].