Jane Austen’s copy of Curiosities of Literature
Courtesy of Sotheby’s
A rare, rediscovered item from one of the most universally beloved writers in the English language is now open for bidding, as Sotheby’s has announced the sale of Jane Austen’s personal copy of Isaac D’Israeli’s Curiosities of Literature.
Estimated to sell for between US$100,000 and US$150,000, the book has numerous markings of key passages and themes that would later be central to Austen’s novels. The collectible has been owned privately since the 1940s, making this auction the first time its full contents have come to public attention.
“This copy of D’Israeli’s Curiosities of Literature—previously owned and thought to be underlined by Austen—is a remarkable piece of history that sheds light on the author’s preoccupations as a reader as well as her process as a writer,” Kalika Sands, international specialist books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, said in a statement announcing the sale on Wednesday.
A popular collection of short essays containing anecdotes about historical persons and the habits of book-collectors, Curiosities—which was first published in 1791—is thought to have inspired the young writer as she shaped her literary tastes, according to the auction notes.
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The daughter of a clergyman, Austen (1775-1817) received no formal education, though during her childhood she took advantage of unrestricted access to her father’s library at their home in Steventon, England. During her youth, she was an avid reader, marking the copy of Curiosities while noting passages on English society as she conceptualized early drafts of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, according to Sotheby’s.
Any surviving text of Austen’s is widely considered to be remarkable, as there are thought to be only around 20 titles known to have been in her possession. According to the auction notes, “this copy is especially important for Austen scholarship, as it sheds light on Austen’s process both as a reader and a writer.”
In addition to Austen’s signature, the copy of Curiosities bears pencil underlinings in around 15 sections, several of which would appear to correlate to Austen’s literary preoccupations, including “On the Fair-Sex Having No Soul”; “On the Adjective ‘Pretty’”; and “English Ladies.”
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Similar markings appear in Austen’s copy of Fanny Burney’s Camilla: or, A Picture of Youth (1796), which now forms a part of the Bodleian Library’s collections at the University of Oxford, and in a copy of Mary Brunton’s Self-Control (1811), a part of the Knight Collection in Alton, England.
Open for bidding until Dec. 8, the book—which features the original publisher’s cloth and only slight signs of wear and water damage—will be accompanied by a full suite of first editions of all of Austen’s published works in the sale.
“This volume represents a major rediscovery and its appearance at auction is an incredibly special occasion,” Sands said.
This Austen treasure is a highlight of Sotheby’s New York’s ongoing sale of rare books and manuscripts, including works by the Brontë sisters, Charles Dickens, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Patricia Highsmith, Ayn Rand, Walt Whitman, and Albert Einstein.
Jane Austen’s copy of Curiosities of Literature
Courtesy of Sotheby’s