Antiquarian Archives in the news...
September 25, 2015 (PRWEB)
The People Behind the Pen - T. Pynchon, J.D. Salinger, and J.R.R. Tolkien
Antiquarian Archives consigns to RR Remarkable Rarities Live Auction three exceptional and rare pieces significant to the literature world
Antiquarian Archives has consigned three rare and unique pieces which will excite literature enthusiasts across the spectrum. They are a signed edition of Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, a typed letter signed by J.D. Salinger, author of Catcher in the Rye, and an autograph letter written and signed by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Thomas Pynchon and Gravity’s Rainbow hold a place in the pantheon of modern literature, with the author as storied as the tale itself. Considered his greatest novel and the greatest American novel post World War II, Gravity’s Rainbow received the National Book Award in 1974 and was selected for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Pynchon famously shuns any sort of public attention and is recursively reclusive; any autographic material from him is incredibly rare. He made an exception in this case for a young boy with lymphoma, as per a request from the child’s father. Click here to view a copy of the letter (not being offered at this time) that accompanied the book. As an inscribed first edition of his most important work, this is undoubtedly one of the rarest and most sought-after pieces in all of literature.
Although there are a number of letters written by J.D. Salinger found in the Morgan Library, this typed letter signed with his rare full signature is unique in its revealing contents. Salinger comments on his seminal book, The Catcher in the Rye, and expresses his distaste for intrusive reporters who shadow him and his family. This is an exceptional piece of correspondence from the enigmatic writer, and the perfect combination of topics: his most famous work and his reclusive lifestyle.
Months before publication of “The Return of the King,” J.R.R. Tolkien discusses his efforts preparing it for press and his surprise at the success of his books in a handwritten letter addressed to “Mrs. Dixey.” He references “Hobbits,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “The Shire,” as well as his expectations to publish his other, previously-rejected book “Legends of the First and Second Ages” (printed as The Silmarillion after his death). A valuable letter offering a firsthand publication history of one of the most influential literary works of the 20th century.
Click here to view these items on RR Auction’s website. Pre-live bidding will continue until Sunday, September 27th, and will be followed by the live auction on Monday, September 28, in Boston, MA.
September 22, 2015 (PRWEB)
Extraordinary Rare Stephen Hawking Signature Comes to Auction
Antiquarian Archives consigns to RR Remarkable Rarities Live Auction famous physicist’s autograph
Antiquarian Archives, a company with an extensive inventory of rare books and documents, has recently consigned a number of exceptional pieces to RR Remarkable Rarities Live Auction. Noteworthy amongst them is a book containing the exceptionally rare signature of Stephen Hawking, along with a number of colleagues at the Cambridge University. The book was presented to a faculty member in 1973 upon his leaving the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy at Cambridge, where Hawking worked as a research scientist, and is accompanied by an ironclad provenance from the original recipient.
Stephen William Hawking is a world-renowned British theoretical physicist, known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology, general relativity and quantum gravity. Hawking held the title of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, one of the world's most celebrated academic positions first held by Isaac Newtown, and is a fellow at the Royal Society. He authored a number of notable titles, including A Brief History of Time, which was an international bestseller, and is the subject of the movie “The Theory of Everything,” released in 2014.
At a young age, Hawking was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, which has gradually paralyzed him over the decades. This fact had made anything signed by Hawking extremely rare and virtually unheard of. The time from when this autograph was signed marked a period of physical deterioration, and he would soon lose his ability to walk and write. “We are really excited about this,” says Rachel Gifter, Director of Marketing at Antiquarian Archives. “Stephen Hawking has accomplished an incredible amount in spite of his handicap, and we are proud to offer this rare signature to the public.”
Click here to watch a clip of one of the only other known autographs of Stephen Hawking signed in the Charter Book of the Royal Society, and hear the rarity of his signature discussed.
To view this item on RR Remarkable Rarities Live Auction's website, click here. Pre-live bidding is until Sunday, September 27th, and will be followed by the live auction, on Monday, September 28th, in Boston, MA.