Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd (London)

(27.5 cm), [56] pp., including 15 colour illustrations. 21 lots. List of prices realised and buyers’ names loosely inserted. Publisher’s printed wrappers. - The books were consigned by the Chatsworth Settlement, a private trust that owns the estate and art collections; a representative of the Trust “explained yesterday that the books were being sent for sale to finance new acquisitions for the collection. The books were not duplicates but were not considered an essential part of the library” (report in The Times, London, 20 March 1974, p.4). The top price was £90,000 paid by Lew David Feldman for an illuminated manuscript of the Canterbury Tales; he said after the sale: “I would have bid without limit; I would have paid £200,000 or £250,000, what difference does it make?” The 1465 Subiaco Cicero made £60,000 (Stephen Massey), and the 1470 Vindelinus de Spira Petrarch £40,000 (Massey). Also sold were illuminated copies of the 1472 Jenson Pliny and the 1471 Jenson Quintilian; the single post-incunable was the 1501 Aldine Virgil. The 21 lots realised £522,900, a record total for any book sale in England. ¶ Priced in ink; annotations on inside lower wrapper.