Current Events & Trends | May 4, 2023 | Alex Johnson

Norman Bobins' Color-plate Books Collection to Auction

Christie's

Thomas Moran’s Yellowstone National Park

The Magnificent Library of Norman Bobins: Part One, American Color sale gets underway next month at Christie’s.

Bobins, from Chicago, began collecting color-plate books more than 40 years ago and his collection traces the historical use of color in publishing, from hand-colored copper-plate engravings, mezzotints and aquatints, to lithography and chromolithography.

Part One of the Collection focuses on the Americas, including Western Americana, Canada and the Arctic, the Caribbean, and South America. Highlights include:

* Thomas Moran’s Yellowstone National Park, published by Louis Prang in 1876. Produced during the United States Geological Survey expedition as its artist, Moran's watercolours and chromolithographs dramatically capture the natural beauty of the region and were instrumental in gaining public support for the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Estimate: $200,000-300,000

* Karl Bodmer’s Travels in North America from 1839-1841, a German edition with very rare original hand-coloring, the first copy of the fully hand-colored masterpiece on the American West to be offered at auction in about 30 years. The work recounts the travels of the German Prince Maximilian of Wied on the upper Missouri River in 1832-34, accompanied by the Swiss artist Karl Bodmer - Maximilian went without a political or financial agenda, but simply to see what he could see. Estimate: $500,000-800,000

Christie's

The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, North America; as it appeared in 1800

Christie's

Chicago Illustrated

Christie's

Karl Bodmer’s Travels in North America from 1839-1841

Christie's

J.P. Cockburn’s Views of Quebec

Christie's

Picturesque Views of American Scenery

* An exceptionally rare edition of J.P. Cockburn’s elephant folio aquatint Views of Quebec from 1833. Cockburn was one of the most accomplished of the various soldier-artists in Canada at this period - these works were drawn in peacetime when Cockburn was commanding the Royal Artillery in the Canadas. Cockburn worked with the aid of a camera lucida. Estimate: $40,000-60,000

* Picturesque Views of American Scenery (Philadelphia: Matthew Carey & Son, 1820), a fine, complete and hand-colored first edition copy, a collaboration between the artist Joshua Shaw and the aquatint engraver John Hill who had both recently arrived from England when they undertook the work. Estimate: $150,000-250,000

* Chicago Illustrated (Jevne & Almini, 1866), a portrait of pre-fire Chicago with lithographed views by Austrian-born Louis Kurz depict Chicago's bustling streets, major transportation sites, and its prominent architecture. Estimate: $40,000-60,000

* The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, North America; as it appeared in 1800, first edition of the pioneering American color-plate book by William Birch. An accomplished artist and miniaturist, Birch engraved all of the plates for his collection of street and building scenes. Estimate: $50,000-80,000

Highlights will be on view at Christie's New York through May 9.