Printed Books & Autographs Including Fine Press and Modern Illustrated Books; The properties of The Collect of the Late Robert H. Power, A Private Collections, The Estate of Alan L. Weiner Thursday, 5 December, 1996 at 10:00 a.m. (Lots 1-311) , Modern Literature The Property of a Private Collector Auction Thursday, 5 December, 1996 at 3:00 p.m. (Lots 312-443)

Christie's East

Published by Christie's East, New York, 1996

About this Item

The format is approximately 8.25 inches by 10.5 inches. 1 [including 4A]1-82 pages plus covers. Illustrated front cover. Includes black and white illustrations. There is very slight cover wear and soiling. An autograph is a person's own handwriting or signature. The word autograph comes from Ancient Greek ( , autós, "self" and , gráph , "write"), and can mean more specifically: a manuscript written by the author of its content. In this meaning the term autograph can often be used interchangeably with holograph. a celebrity's handwritten signature. Autograph collecting is the activity of collecting such autographs. The Schøyen Collection states that it holds the "world's oldest autograph signature", namely a clay tablet (Ms. 2429/4) from about 3100 BC in archaic Sumerian, which includes the name of the scribe Gar Ama. Whether an autograph of a major figure of antiquity survives is disputed: Some scholars, especially the American papyrologist Peter van Minnen, are of the opinion that Papyrus Bingen 45 (33 BC) contains a Greek word written by Cleopatra. The papyrus would thus contain the only surviving autograph of an important figure from antiquity. More than a millennium later, an autograph of El Cid is known, dated 1098. Autograph manuscript can refer to a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist. This meaning overlaps that of "holograph". Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, with additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shanghai and Dubai. It is owned by Groupe Artémis. In 2022, Christie's sold US$8.4 billion in art and luxury goods, an all-time high for any auction house. The official company literature states that founder James Christie (1730-1803) conducted the first sale in London on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766. However, other sources note that James Christie rented auction rooms from 1762, and newspaper advertisements for Christie's sales dating from 1759 have also been traced. After his death, Christie's son, James Christie the Younger (1773-1831) took over the business. Christie's was a public company, listed on the London Stock Exchange, from 1973 to 1999. In 1974, Jo Floyd was appointed chairman of Christie's. He served as chairman of Christie's International plc from 1976 to 1988, until handing over to Lord Carrington, and later was a non-executive director until 1992. Christie's International Inc. held its first sale in the United States in 1977. Christie's growth was steady since 1989, when it had 42% of the auction market.

Seller Inventory # 91913

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Printed Books & Autographs Including Fine Press and Modern Illustrated Books; The properties of The Collect of the Late Robert H. Power, A Private Collections, The Estate of Alan L. Weiner Thursday, 5 December, 1996 at 10:00 a.m. (Lots 1-311) , Modern Literature The Property of a Private Collector Auction Thursday, 5 December, 1996 at 3:00 p.m. (Lots 312-443)
• Publisher: Christie's East, New York
• Publication Date: 1996
• Binding: Wraps
• Edition: Presumed first edition/first printing.
• Condition: Very good