Auction Catalog Collections
Scope and Contents
The manuscript and book auction catalogs were purchased for the sake of those pursuing bilbiographic research on manuscripts and rare books who might find valuable sale and provenance information in the catalogs. They record auctions that took place mainly through Bloomsbury, Sotheby's and Christie's, spanning from the nineenth through the late twentieth centuries. Similary, the donation received of jewelry auction catalogs are intended for those purusing research on the history of jewelry and costume. The majority of the jewelry catalogs were of auctions held via Sotheby's or Christie's in various locations from the mid-1980s through the mid-2000s. The third series of the collection is devoted to auction catalogs that record the sales of items other than manuscripts, books or jewelry.
Dates
- Creation: 1815-1997; bulk 1920-1997
- Other: Date acquired: 2000
Creator
- Christie, Manson & Woods International Inc. (Publisher, Organization)
- S. Leigh Sotheby & John Wilkinson (Firm) (Publisher, Organization)
- Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge (Publisher, Organization)
- Sotheby's (Firm) (Publisher, Organization)
Extent
621 Volumes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collections of catalogs from major international auction houses (Bloomsbury, Sotheby's and Christie's) pertaining to auctions that took place primarily in the early twentieth through the late twentieth century. The majority of the catalogs are for manuscript, book and jewelry sales, but a third collection recording auctions of a variety of other items is currently under development.
Arrangement Note
This collection of auction catalogs is divided into three series: 1) Jeremy Griffiths Manuscript Auction Catalog Collection (529 items) - Sotheby's, Christie's and miscellaneous manuscript, book auction catalogs and 2) Sotheby's and Christie's jewelry auction catalogues (104 items), and 3) Miscellaneous (13 items). To be consistent with nomenclature across various Archon finding aids, we have used "Folder no., Item no" to represent each of the 634 volumes in the finding aid.
Physical Access Requirements
WMU Special Collections. Non-circulating. Contact department for access.
Source of Acquisition
Unknown (manuscript and book catalogs), Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (jewelry catalogs)
Method of Acquisition
Purchase (manuscript and book catalogs) and donation (jewelry catalogs).
Accruals and Additions
2010.
Physical Description
The collection is made up 634 volumes (21.5 linear feet) which are shelved upright, just as other serials. They are all in very good condition. The collection is divided into three series: 1) Jeremy Griffiths Manuscript Auction Catalog Collection 529 items) - Sotheby's, Christie's and miscellaneous manuscript, book auction catalogs and 2) Sotheby's and Christie's jewelry auction catalogues (104 items), and 3) Miscellaneous (13 items).
Subject
- Estelle Doheny Collection (Organization)
- Title
- Inventory of the Auction Catalog Collections Finding Aid
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Sydney Small and Neil Chase
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Western Michigan University Special Collections Repository
Western Michigan University Libraries, Special Collections
Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490
lib_rbr@wmich.edu