Apr 16, 2026 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
48
Baskerville's De rerum natura
Property sold to benefit Albertus Magnus High School
[BASKERVILLE PRESS]
LUCRETIUS. Titi Lucretii Cari De Rerum Natura Libri Sex. Birmingham: John Baskerville, 1772. Contemporary red straight-grain morocco gilt, blind-stamped spine and boards, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt, retaining original silk ribbon. 11 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches (29 x 23.5 cm); 280 pp. Some rubbing to spine and corners, light scuffs and marks to boards, a bit of edgewear, bookplate of Charles Kalbfleisch to front pastedown. Internally fresh.
An attractive 1772 first Baskerville Press edition of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura.
Sold for $768
Estimated at $300 - $500
Includes Buyer's Premium
Property sold to benefit Albertus Magnus High School
[BASKERVILLE PRESS]
LUCRETIUS. Titi Lucretii Cari De Rerum Natura Libri Sex. Birmingham: John Baskerville, 1772. Contemporary red straight-grain morocco gilt, blind-stamped spine and boards, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt, retaining original silk ribbon. 11 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches (29 x 23.5 cm); 280 pp. Some rubbing to spine and corners, light scuffs and marks to boards, a bit of edgewear, bookplate of Charles Kalbfleisch to front pastedown. Internally fresh.
An attractive 1772 first Baskerville Press edition of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Apr 16, 2026
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Successful Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 Surpasses Expectations
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Thomas Jefferson Letter Commenting on Toussaint Louverture Achieves $32,000
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for Complimentary Auction Estimates of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY – Doyle's auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on April 16, 2026 saw international competition drive strong results throughout the sale and a total that surpassed expectations.
Thomas Jefferson Letter on Toussaint Louverture
Highlighting the sale was a fascinating 1802 letter from Thomas Jefferson as president to Maryland Governor John Francis Mercer that achieved a strong $32,000. The remarkable letter captures a rare, candid moment in which Jefferson assesses, with striking clarity, the arrest of Toussaint Louverture, a leader of the Haitian Revolution, by French General Charles LeClerc, Napoleon’s brother-in-law. Jefferson perceptively warned that LeClerc’s actions would erode trust and likely spark further racial conflict—an insight that proved remarkably accurate. Beyond its sharp political foresight, the letter reflects the broader anxiety the Haitian Revolution provoked in the United States, which contributed to decades of diplomatic isolation of Haiti.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
