The Library of Abel E. Berland Parts I & II 2001 Christie's New York

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The Library of Abel E. Berland. Part I: Important English literature, science, and philosophy [with] Part II: English literature and … Read more The Library of Abel E. Berland. Part I: Important English literature, science, and philosophy [with] Part II: English literature and fine incunabula
Christie's, New York, New York, 2001.
260 pages and 207 pages.
Black cloth bound with gilt lettering, gilt edges, and decorative endpapers.
Dush Jackets.

Berland was considered one of the great book collectors of his time, and his library was carefully curated over forty years. The sales are well-documented, and the auction catalogs themselves are considered valuable references for book collectors.

The collection featured numerous rare and historically significant items. Highlights included:
Shakespeare's First Folio: A complete copy of William Shakespeare's First Folio (1623) sold for a then-record-setting $6.2 million in the 2001 auction.
William Blake's Songs of Innocence: An extremely early impression in green ink (1789) fetched $941,000.
Keats's "To Hope": The last complete autograph poem by John Keats still in private hands was a key item.
Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language: A copy from 1755 realized $160,000.
Cordyal of the four last and final thinges: An incunabulum translated by Anthony Woodville and printed by William Caxton in 1479, sold for $116,000.
The auction and the collection were a major event in the world of bibliophilia and continue to be referenced in the history of book collecting. See less