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Audubon Folio
Affluent Page Magazine presents World's Most Expensive Book to be Auctioned at Sotheby's
"I heard a bird so sing, Whose music, to my thinking, pleased the King." said William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part II
Ten years ago, Christie's sold a rare copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America for $8.8 million USD, officially crowning it with the title of World's Most Expensive Book. For those who were not quite quick enough to raise their paddles then, Sotheby's is offering a second chance on December 7th in London, after exhibitions in Paris, New York, and London between October 7th and December 6th.
The monetary value of the book is well supported by the work put into it; Audubon spent twelve years studying birds before shooting and hanging them up by wire to painstakingly capture them by hand. The result is a staggering 435 life-sized prints of 497 bird species, beautifully hand-colored.
Published between 1827 and 1838, there are only 119 complete copies in existence, 108 of which belong to libraries and museums. This copy is expected to sell between $6.2 and $9.2 million USD.
Joining the World's Most Expensive Book in the auction is what Sotheby's David Goldthorpe calls "the most important book in all of English literature": a rare copy of Shakespeare's First Folio. A copy of this, too, was sold at Christie's, for $6.16 million USD in October 2001.
Also known as Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, the First Folio was published in 1623 and contains 36 of the bard's plays. Scholars estimate that about 750 copies were printed, although only 219 are known to remain today–three of which are privately owned and textually complete. This one, with a scanty three pages missing, has a value estimated at $2.4 million USD.
The two books are part of the amazing collection of the Fermor-Hesketh family, which also boasts 18th- and 19th-century books, and letters written by Elizabeth I in regard to Mary Queen of Scots. As senior specialist Goldthorpe puts it: "To have all these items in one sale is remarkable."
About the Author
Affluent Page Magazine is the author of this article on Luxury Auctions. Find more information about Luxury here.
John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature (Bullfrog Films clip)