The Sotheby's London sale of English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations went off on 17 July as scheduled. Here's how our highlights fared (prices include premiums):
- The Spilsbury autopsy cards made 17,500 GBP.
- The first edition of Wordsworth's An Evening Walk (1793) did beat its estimate, fetching 34,850 GBP.
- The damaged first edition of Gulliver's Travels (1726) also did better than expected, selling for 43,250 GBP.
- It was the Beatrix Potter artwork which stole the show: one piece sold for 289,500 GBP [Update: this is a record price for a book illustration at auction], another for 121,250.
- The Finnegan's Wake typescripts and the collection of household accounts and other items from the court of Nell Gwynn failed to sell.
