February 22, 2021Marco TomaschettAutographs Ship’s Papers, Passports, and Privateers: Marco Tomaschett on Collectible Documents and U.S. Maritime History Read more about Ship’s Papers, Passports, and Privateers: Marco Tomaschett on Collectible Documents and U.S. Maritime History Water vessels played a critical role in shaping the early history of America. That U.S. maritime history is brief relative to some other nations is an advantage, because many artifacts…
Read more about Marco Tomaschett: Snippets of History May 12, 2014 Autographs Marco Tomaschett: Snippets of History Marco Tomaschett, Swann Galleries’ Autographs specialist, wrote this piece about clipped autographs, which appeared in Antiques & Auction News last week. Here is his piece in its entirety: Since there are few…
Read more about Autographs & History Part II: George Bernard Shaw & Enrico Caruso July 24, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Autographs & History Part II: George Bernard Shaw & Enrico Caruso In a two-part series Marco Tomaschett, our autographs specialist, takes us through a few autographs by prominent people in history in our July 30 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts.
Read more about Autographs & History Part I: U.S. Presidents July 24, 2020 Autographs Autographs & History Part I: U.S. Presidents In a two-part series Marco Tomaschett, our autographs specialist, takes us through a few autographs by prominent people in history in our July 30 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts.
Read more about Specialists in the Field: James Baldwin’s Century October 17, 2024 Books & Manuscripts Specialists in the Field: James Baldwin’s Century Swann autographs specialist Marco Tomaschett visited the Schomburg Center to view their display celebrating James Baldwin’s centenary year. The exhibition is open through next year. Celebrating 100 Years of James…
Read more about Swann’s Favorite Independent Bookstores of 2023 April 28, 2023 Swann Swann’s Favorite Independent Bookstores of 2023 Swann started as a specialized auction house for rare books in 1941 and we continue to hold auctions dedicated to the genre every year (as the saying goes: once a…
Read more about The Signer’s Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part II January 23, 2023 Autographs The Signer’s Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part II Nineteeth Century America When thinking of autographs, the first thing to come to mind is famous signatures—John Hancock, Babe Ruth, Walt Disney, etc. Inscribed names with looping letters and distinct…
Read more about The Signer’s Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part I January 4, 2023 Autographs The Signer’s Mark: Signatures of the Unlettered — Part I Middle Ages Through the Seventeenth Century When thinking of autographs, the first thing to come to mind is famous signatures—John Hancock, Babe Ruth, Walt Disney, etc. Inscribed names with looping…
Read more about Autograph Collector’s Guide October 17, 2022 Autographs Autograph Collector’s Guide Swann Autographs specialist Marco Tomaschett shares the ins and outs of starting your own rare autograph collection If you’re new to autograph collecting, bearing in mind a few things while…
Read more about Collecting the Stage: Stephen Sondheim June 7, 2022 Illustration Art Collecting the Stage: Stephen Sondheim In our 80 years as a company, Swann has always been an auction house dedicated to niche markets with specialists who are experts in their respective fields, but often our…
Read more about Fire and the Wizards of Light: Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison October 25, 2021 Autographs Fire and the Wizards of Light: Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison Among the great American inventors, Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla are remarkable for having both collaborated and competed while developing some of the most transformative modern technologies. Although Edison is…
Read more about Swann Summer Reading List 2021 July 9, 2021 Swann Swann Summer Reading List 2021 Summer reading recommendations from our team of specialists and support staff, as well as some resources for supporting independent booksellers.
Read more about Part II: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story July 2, 2021 Autographs Part II: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story Marco Tomaschett, Swann autographs specialist, explores the events and personalities surrounding For Love of the King, and the evidence that suggests that the story was not written by Oscar Wilde, but…
Read more about Part I: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story June 5, 2021 Autographs Part I: For Love of the King: the Wild Story of a Forged Wilde Story I The Unlikely Value of a Forgery The authenticity of an autograph is a critical aspect of its value. A letter signed by an authorized secretary or signing machine in…
Read more about Important Autographs to Watch in the June 2021 Sale June 4, 2021 Autographs Important Autographs to Watch in the June 2021 Sale The autographs portion of the June 17, 2021 auction includes uncommonly inspiring items in nearly every major category of collecting. Below Marco Tomaschett shares a selection of highlights. Americana Among…
Read more about Fine Books & Autographs: June 17, 2021 Auction Highlights May 25, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Autographs: June 17, 2021 Auction Highlights Autographs Literature & Art Books What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely. There will not be bidding in the room,…
Read more about Fine Books & Autographs: February 2021 Auction Highlights February 3, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Autographs: February 2021 Auction Highlights Featuring fine autographs by Frederick Douglass, Albert Einstein, James Dean, John F. Kennedy, Lord Byron, Richard Wagner, alongside literature and art books by Joseph Albers, Leonetto Cappiello, Ian Fleming, Ernest Hemingway, Ralph Ellison, and more.
Read more about Beloved Children’s Book Illustrators November 30, 2020 Illustration Art Beloved Children’s Book Illustrators Original artwork from children’s literature continue to make up a large portion of our Illustration Art sales. The enduring appeal of this collecting category is in part due to the…
Read more about Autographs by Washington, Hamilton & Hancock Bring Top Prices in November 2020 Sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts November 23, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Autographs by Washington, Hamilton & Hancock Bring Top Prices in November 2020 Sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts Jane Austen Leads Fine Books & Manuscripts at Swann Our Tuesday, November 17, 2020, sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts saw great success across categories with a 90% sell-through rate…
Read more about The Voice & Hand of Frederick Douglass November 12, 2020 Autographs The Voice & Hand of Frederick Douglass One’s handwriting is unique unto oneself. For some, the style can remain consistent throughout the years. For others, the features that characterize their handwriting can change depending on circumstance, and…
Read more about Fine Books & Manuscripts: November 2020 Highlights October 26, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Manuscripts: November 2020 Highlights Featuring Major Works by Jane Austen & Charles Dickens, Autographs & Manuscript Items from John Hancock, Igor Stravinsky & more
Read more about Fine Books & Manuscripts: Auction Highlights for July 30, 2020 July 9, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Manuscripts: Auction Highlights for July 30, 2020 Find here a plethora of autographs, fine art books, modern first editions, incunabula, manuscripts and more, at auction July 30, 2020.
Read more about What Swann is Watching from Home March 19, 2020 Swann What Swann is Watching from Home Finding yourself at a loss for what to watch while social distancing? Take a look at what our specialists and staff are streaming right now!
Read more about Sarojini Naidu’s Galley Proof of ‘The Broken Wing’ February 17, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Sarojini Naidu’s Galley Proof of ‘The Broken Wing’ Sarojini Naidu was an Indian writer and politician, born in Hyderabad, India in 1879. She wrote widely admired, moving, musical poetry in English, having both British and Indian subject matter,…
Read more about Fall 2019 Fine Books & Manuscripts Brings Record Prices October 14, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Fall 2019 Fine Books & Manuscripts Brings Record Prices We brought forth a remarkable offering of autographs, art, press and illustrated books, as well as nineteenth and twentieth-century literature, in a Thursday, October 10 sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts.
Read more about The History of Books & Manuscripts at Swann Galleries October 7, 2019 Autographs The History of Books & Manuscripts at Swann Galleries Bibliophiles of every denomination—Americana, autographs, art books, archives, atlases, ephemera, literature, maps—can find their niche at Swann Galleries. Originally founded in New York as a book auction house, we hold regular specialized sales devoted to books, printed material and manuscripts.
Read more about Records & Results: Autographs March 28, 2019 Autographs Records & Results: Autographs Auction Record for Mohawk Chief & Loyalist Joseph Brant at Swann Our Autographs sale on March 21 saw significant interest in Americana, scientists and popular figures. Of the sale Marco Tomaschett, the house’s autographs Specialist, noted: “Highest…
Read more about Diana, Princess of Wales March 12, 2019 Autographs Diana, Princess of Wales Our sale of Autographs on March 21 features an extraordinary run of material by Diana, Princess of Wales. The assortment includes a number of autograph letters signed to her friend,…
Read more about Specialists in the Field: Nigel Freeman at the Wallach Art Gallery February 8, 2019 African American Art Specialists in the Field: Nigel Freeman at the Wallach Art Gallery Nigel Freeman, our African-American Fine Art director, stopped by the Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University to view Posing Modernity: The Black Model from Manet and Matisse to Today. Here are Nigel’s takeaways on the exhibition: Posing Modernity is a…
Read more about Records & Results: Autographs November 12, 2018 Autographs Records & Results: Autographs Letters from a Young Kurt Vonnegut Top Autographs Auction Collectors Drawn to Autographs of Innovators Our auction of Autographs on Thursday, November 8 saw major interest in notable authors…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Autographs October 10, 2018 Autographs A Look Inside the Catalogue: Autographs At Auction November 8 Complete Catalogue Artists, Authors & Musicians Some artists have adorned their everyday communications with illustrations or artworks, and the sale includes two interesting examples: a…
Read more about Specialists in the Field: The Magic of Handwriting July 16, 2018 Autographs Specialists in the Field: The Magic of Handwriting Marco Tomaschett at the Morgan Library For our first Specialists in the Field segment of 2018, Autographs Specialist Marco Tomaschett discusses his recent visit to The Morgan Library’s newest exhibition, The Magic…
Read more about Swann Summer Reading List 2018 June 28, 2018 Swann Swann Summer Reading List 2018 Our Summer Reading List is back for 2018! Here’s what some of us are cracking into in the off-season. Nicholas D. Lowry, President & Principal Auctioneer Noah Charney and Ingrid…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: The Collection of William Wheeler III April 20, 2018 Autographs A Look Inside the Catalogue: The Collection of William Wheeler III Revolutionary & Presidential Americana from the Collection of William Wheeler III At Auction June 21 Complete Catalogue William A. Wheeler III’s interest in history began in childhood, browsing at…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Autographs January 15, 2018 Autographs A Look Inside the Catalogue: Autographs Gracing this March 22 sale is a poem completed by Walt Whitman on his deathbed, transcribed by a secretary and signed, with holograph edits. It was his last poem, entitled A…
Read more about Records & Results: Autographs November 9, 2017 Autographs Records & Results: Autographs Our auction on November 7 saw fine results for Autographs by important historical figures in a variety of fields, from government to science to music. The total of $662K exceeded the…
Read more about Records & Results: Autographs May 9, 2017 Autographs Records & Results: Autographs On Thursday, May 4, we held an auction of Autographs, with twentieth-century highlights by authors taking the spotlight. The sale performed well overall, with 88% of items offered finding buyers. …
Read more about Autographs: The Little “F” in Freud’s Signature October 15, 2015 Autographs Autographs: The Little “F” in Freud’s Signature Written by Autographs Specialist Marco Tomaschett: Autograph collectors all encounter it at one time or another: the perfectly illegible autograph. The impossible convulsive scrawl of Giacomo Puccini, or the idiosyncratic…