Swann Galleries Spring Fine Books auction, featuring 19th- and 20th-century literature, first editions, and rare printed works, with a focus on women authors, took place April 23. The sale was a resounding success, bringing $1,209,919 against pre-sale estimates of $645,200 to $930,200. It featured exceptional works spanning early printed publications. Of the auction, Devon Eastland, senior specialist for books and manuscripts, noted, We were beyond pleased with the results of this springs Fine Books sale featuring Focus on Women. Books performed well across the board. The cumulative sales results outstripped the high estimate, indicating robust competition for childrens books, astronomy, Darwin, early printed books and more. We had the distinct pleasure of successfully selling an unnamed private collection of early printed works and working through another great group of books from Professor Owen Gingerichs collection. Early printed books included a fabulous selection of 16th-century English books, with important primary Shakespeare sources, a strong showing for rare early Bibles, and a sparkling illuminated Islamic prayer book in an exquisite tooled binding. The Focus on Women section also generated competitive interest from institutional, trade and private clients. An example of Yoko Onos 1964 first edition of Grapefruit sold for $8,000, and a fine copy of Ursula Le Guins The Left Hand of Darkness sold for $5,400. Were encouraged to see that the books we assembled for the spring edition of Fine Books found so many enthusiastic bidders and buyers. We look forward to doing the same in the fall, continued Eastland. Prices noted include buyers premium. Leading the auction was a first London edition of Charles Darwins On the Origin of Species, 1859, which once belonged to Sir Frederick Pollick, the third son of George Frederick Pollick, who was a friend of Darwin and supported his world-changing theories. The work brought $151,400. Twelve additional Darwin works also found the interest of collectors. Of note were Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majestys Ships Adventure and Beagle, first edition, 1839 ($7,112), and Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle, the first separate edition of Darwins first published book, 1839 ($5,080). Other high spots included William Shakespeare with five plays from the second folio from 1632: The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight, The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida, The Tragedy of Coriolanus, The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, with Henry VIII bound separately from the other four ($13,970);Herman Melvilles Moby Dick or The Whale, first edition, 1851 ($24,130); and a signed first edition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1892, which realized $16,510. Michael Charles collection of L. Frank Baum and Oz Books, which included a first edition, first state printing of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900, sold for $8,890. Andy Warhols In the Bottom of My Garden, inscribed to Rainer Crone, New York, ca. 1956, was $28,440; Frank Herberts Dune, first edition, first printing, Philadelphia, 1965, brought $17,780; Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America, first English edition, London, 1835, sold for 10,795; and a complete set of Voyages in eight volumes by Captain James Cook, sold for $10,795. The complete catalogue can be found at www.swanngalleries.com.