Richmond, VA, USA, Sept. 2, 2023 — Ludwig von Bucholtz’s 1859 update of Herman Boye’s four-sheet map of the state of Virginia, Bernard Sylvanus’s distinctive map of Italy printed in two colors in 1511, and an 1879 broadside that illuminates the Ottoman Empire’s struggles after the Russo-Turkish War are a few of the rare antique items that have never been offered at auction before but are part of Old World Auctions’ Auction #194, online now and ending September 13th at 10 pm Eastern.
The auction is packed with 758 lots, primarily rare antique and vintage maps, charts, atlases, decorative prints, illuminated manuscripts and historical documents that date from the late 15th century to the mid-20th century. The sale is online-only, with no live gallery bidding. The catalog is up for viewing online now, at https://www.oldworldauctions.com/catalog/current.
“Because the material in our auction hails from consignors all over the world, we are able to bring a diverse and unique selection of maps and atlases to market,” said Eliane Dotson, who co-owns Old World Auctions with her husband, Jon. “Nearly a quarter of the material in our current auction are items that we’ve never had before, which is significant considering the fact that we’ve offered over 100,000 items at auction.”
Mr. Dotson added, “We are particularly excited about the catalog we’ve assembled for the September sale, as it includes many early American pieces, a wide variety of pictorial maps, and plenty of items from the great Dutch masters in cartography. This auction will be the fourth of five events for us this year, and of the 758 lots, nearly 70 will be listed without a reserve, with bidding starting at just one dollar.”
Ludwig von Bucholtz was hired to update of Herman Boye’s 1827 four-sheet map of the state of Virginia and incorporate the growth in the western part of the state. The map was prized for its accuracy and detail, and was used by military leaders of both sides during the Civil War. Only 650 copies of A Map of the State of Virginia were printed, and surviving copies of the map are exceedingly rare. Bucholtz’s map is lot 305 and is estimated to bring $14,000-$17,000.
Bernard Sylvanus’s Sexta Europae Tabula is one of the earliest maps of Italy obtainable by today’s collectors. Published in 1511, the map appeared in Sylvanus’s edition of Ptolemy’s Geograhia, which was the first atlas to use two-color woodblock printing. Sylvanus’s map is lot 550 and carries a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-$5,000.
Il Mondo Ammalato is a broadside that illuminates the Ottoman Empire’s struggles after the Russo-Turkish War. This satirical piece appeared in an 1879 issue of La Rana, a humorous political weekly journal published in Bologne. The broadside centers on a large globe that is depicted as the head of Sultan Abdul Hamid II, whose five senses are being disturbed by riots, rising taxes, the plague, and the loss of alliances. It’s lot 48 and should realize $750-$1,000.
Other items of note in the September auction include the following:
– Lot 46. Game of the Star-Spangled Banner, or Emigrants to the United States by Edward Wallis (1840). This is one of the earliest game maps of the United States and is filled with pictorial images. Estimate: $5,500 -$7,000.
– Lot 55. Americae sive Novi Orbis, Nova Descriptio, by Abraham Ortelius (1579). This is one of the most famous maps of America, and one that had enormous influence on the future cartography of the New World. Estimate: $5,500-$6,500.
– Lot 142. Carte de la Louisiane et du Cours du Mississipi by Guillaume Delisle (1718). This is a foundation map for the Mississippi Valley and the first appearance of Texas on a printed map. Estimate: $6,000-$7,000.
– Lot 277. The Attack and Defeat of the American Fleet Under Benedict Arnold, by William Faden (1776). Depicting the first naval engagement of the American Revolution, waged near Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, this is one of the rarest Revolutionary battle plans. Estimate: $6,000-$7,500.
– Lot 719. Epitome Theatri Orteliani by Filips Galle (1589). This rare miniature atlas features 94 maps based on the work of Abraham Ortelius. Estimate: $5,500-$7,000.
– Lot 731. Atlas of the United States of North America by Rogers & Johnston (1857). This important and rare atlas was a collaboration between the British cartographer Alexander Keith Johnston and the American geographer Henry Darwin Rogers and includes desirable maps of the American West. Estimate: $2,750-$3,500.
– Lot 64. Amerique Septentrionalis Carte d’un Tres Grand Pays entre le Nouveau Mexique et la Mer Glaciale… by Louis de Hennepin, a Franciscan missionary (1698). This handsome map of colonial North America depicts California as an island on the Sanson model. It’s a third state example, from a revised travel account. Estimate: $3,500-$4,250.
– Lot 124. Phelps‘ New National Map of the United States by Phelps & Watson (1859). An attractive, hand-colored wall map of the U.S., with evolving territorial configurations in the west. This map was around at the onset of the Civil War. Estimate: $2,400-$3,000).
– Lot 161. Carte du Theatre de la Guerre Entre les Anglais et les Americains: Dressee d’Apres les Cartes Anglaises les Plus Modernes by Louis Brion de la Tour (1778). An important French map of the northern American colonies during the American Revolutionary War, based on Jefferys‘ map of the region. Estimate: $3,000-$3,750.
– Lot 382. Europ, and the Cheife Cities Contayned Therin, Described; with the Habits of Most Kingdoms Now in Use, by John Speed (1626). A beautiful carte-a-figure map of Europe, surrounded with vignettes on three sides. Estimate: $2,700-$3,500).
People can register to bid online at https://www.oldworldauctions.com/register. Bidders may also call in their bids, at 804-290-8090, or email them, at info@oldworldauctions.com. Previews will be held by appointment only during regular business hours, Monday thru Friday, from 8:30 am to 5 pm Eastern time. Call or email for an appointment.
Each Old World auction has a 10-minute rule, meaning each lot that has active bidding will stay open (past the closing time of 10 pm Eastern) until there have been no bids for 10 minutes on that lot. Those lots that stay open past 10 pm will have individual count-down clocks on the lot page to show how much time remains for bidding.
Old World Auctions offers full condition reports on everything in its auctions, and they offer a 100 percent money-back guarantee on the authenticity and condition of everything they sell. To learn more, please visit www.OldWorldAuctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.