Jun 25, 2026 10:00 EST
The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
18
A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration
Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
[LINCOLN, ABRAHAM-his copy]
CAMPBELL, WILLIAM. W. The Life and Writings of De Witt Clinton. New York: Baker and Scribner, 1849. First edition; Abraham Lincoln's copy signed on the title page in pencil "A. Lincoln - / Springfield, Ill. / Nov. 19. 1860." Publisher's blind-stamped black cloth, 9 1/8 x 5 7/8 inches (23 x 15 cm). xxxix, 381 pp., portrait. Neatly rebacked with original spine laid down. Hinges repaired. Some toning and offsetting throughout. A sturdy, clean, and pleasing copy. With a recent letter of authenticity from University Archives.
DeWitt Clinton was a United States Senator, mayor of New York City, and a governor of New York. As governor, he presided over the construction of the Erie Canal. Clinton was known nationwide for his eagerness to take on the infrastructrual projects key to the United States' economic growth and westward expansion. By the 1840s, two counties in Illinois were named in Clinton's honor. In the early stages of Lincoln's political career, he looked to Clinton as a model of a strong executive capable of undertaking and completing ambitious works.
Abraham Lincoln inscribed this book on November 19, 1860, less than two weeks after winning the 1860 election. By February, Lincoln would leave Springfield by train to Washington, DC. He never returned to Springfield until he was buried there after his assassination. Books owned by Lincoln are very scarce in the trade and at auction.
Provenance: The Library of Charles E. Feinberg, Parke-Bernet, 2 April 1968, lot 109; Highly Important Federal & State Constitutions With other Printed & Manuscript Americana, Inscribed Copies, Proclamations, English Literature, Fore-Edge Paintings and Other Fine Books from the Collection of Harry J. Sonneborn, Sotheby's, 5 June 1980, lot 28.
Sold for $64,000
Estimated at $20,000 - $30,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
[LINCOLN, ABRAHAM-his copy]
CAMPBELL, WILLIAM. W. The Life and Writings of De Witt Clinton. New York: Baker and Scribner, 1849. First edition; Abraham Lincoln's copy signed on the title page in pencil "A. Lincoln - / Springfield, Ill. / Nov. 19. 1860." Publisher's blind-stamped black cloth, 9 1/8 x 5 7/8 inches (23 x 15 cm). xxxix, 381 pp., portrait. Neatly rebacked with original spine laid down. Hinges repaired. Some toning and offsetting throughout. A sturdy, clean, and pleasing copy. With a recent letter of authenticity from University Archives.
DeWitt Clinton was a United States Senator, mayor of New York City, and a governor of New York. As governor, he presided over the construction of the Erie Canal. Clinton was known nationwide for his eagerness to take on the infrastructrual projects key to the United States' economic growth and westward expansion. By the 1840s, two counties in Illinois were named in Clinton's honor. In the early stages of Lincoln's political career, he looked to Clinton as a model of a strong executive capable of undertaking and completing ambitious works.
Abraham Lincoln inscribed this book on November 19, 1860, less than two weeks after winning the 1860 election. By February, Lincoln would leave Springfield by train to Washington, DC. He never returned to Springfield until he was buried there after his assassination. Books owned by Lincoln are very scarce in the trade and at auction.
Provenance: The Library of Charles E. Feinberg, Parke-Bernet, 2 April 1968, lot 109; Highly Important Federal & State Constitutions With other Printed & Manuscript Americana, Inscribed Copies, Proclamations, English Literature, Fore-Edge Paintings and Other Fine Books from the Collection of Harry J. Sonneborn, Sotheby's, 5 June 1980, lot 28.
Auction: The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile, Jun 25, 2026
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Successful Auction of The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile on June 25, 2026 Tops $550k with 97% Sell-Through Rate
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Featuring a Wide Range of Americana and Military History Spanning the 18th through 20th Centuries
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We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's highly-anticipated auction of The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile on June 25, 2026 delivered outstanding results, with trans-Atlantic bidding driving the sale total beyond expectations and an impressive 97% sell-through rate. Comprising more than 200 lots, this extensive and fascinating collection featured books, manuscripts, and original illustration art spanning centuries of antiquarian interest.
Signed Volume from Abraham Lincoln's Personal Library - Sold for $64,000
Books from Abraham Lincoln's personal library are among the great rarities of the American book trade. Leading the sale was an 1849 first edition of William W. Campbell's The Life and Writings of De Witt Clinton inscribed by Lincoln that achieved $64,000, more than doubling its $20,000-30,000 estimate. Lincoln signed the book on November 19, 1860, less than two weeks after his election to the presidency. In February 1861, he would depart Springfield by train for Washington, never returning to his hometown until his burial following his assassination.
A United States Senator, Mayor of New York City, and Governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton is best remembered for championing the Erie Canal, one of the great infrastructure projects of the 19th century. Lincoln admired Clinton's vision and leadership, looking to him as a model of a strong executive capable of undertaking and completing ambitious public works.
British Military & Naval Color Plate Books - Sold for $16,640
The wide selection of color plate books featured magnificent first editions of James Jenkins' celebrated The Martial Achievements of Great Britain from the Year 1799 to 1815 and The Naval Achievements of Great Britain from the Year 1793 to 1817. Amid trans-Atlantic bidding, this elegant two-volume set sailed its $7,000-10,000 estimate to realize $16,640. Among the finest military color plate books of the early 19th century, these large-paper editions, featuring over 100 hand-colored aquatint plates, were presented in their most desirable state, with coloring of exceptional quality and delicately tinted plate surrounds not found in the regular issue. Completing the lot was an original watercolor by William Heath, the leading British military watercolorist of the period, prepared for one of the plates in The Martial Achievements.
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