Sotheby’s London to offer private collection of Fine Travel and Plate Books in auction

Sotheby’s London will offer a private collection of Fine Travel and Plate Books in its auction slated 28th February 2013. The 142 lots are expected to raise in excess of £1.5 million.

The collection is assembled by a private collector and includes travel and plate books in a variety of media like hand coloured prints, photography, watercolour and sketches. There are works from notable collections including 21 lots from Beriah Botfield’s library (Longleat) - one of the greatest book collectors of the 19th century - and 49 from the collection of Şefik Atabey -who formed one of the greatest libraries on the Ottoman Empire. Overall, the collection presents magnificent illustrated travel books on the grandest scale along with watercolours and manuscripts - some of which are unique and contain previously unpublished material. Highlights include works on India, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Egypt

Richard Fattorini, Director, Specialist Sotheby’s Department of Books and Manuscripts said, “This auction represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire some of the very best books in this field, since collections of this quality so rarely come to the market. Not only are there editions regarded as the most important in their category and media, by the most historically significant artists and writers, but many are also magnificently bound, in superb condition and in many cases have significant provenances.”