Jun 25, 2026 10:00 EST
The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
95
Harrowing caricatures taken within Auschwitz and published in Munich in 1946
Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
[AUSCHWITZ]
OSYNKA, PALADIJ (pseudonym of BALIJ, PETRO or BALII, PETRYI). Album of a Political Prisoner [of Auschwitz]. Munich: Hanns Lindner, 1946. First edition. Original pictorial wrappers. 8 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches (21.5 x 15.5 cm); 8 pp. text in Ukrainian and English, with 15 captioned color plates after drawings (plus the plain plate on the cover), glossary at end. Toned and with stray stains, ink markings at head of the wrapper and title, small loss to wrapper spine, a few nicks.
Paladij Osynka was a Ukrainian nationalist in eastern Poland at the outbreak of the war in 1939. He was one of 15,000 political prisoners sent to Auschwitz, and by his report, just one of 40 to survive. In his introduction, Osynka describes how naturalistic drawings of the horrors experienced within German concentration camps would be too nightmarish and only in caricatures (or cartoons) could he present these atrocities. The illustrations present the prisoners being beaten, tortured, and gassed to death. According to Osynka: "The sketches of this life drawn in the form of cartoons by the bed-fellows of the author may serve as a reward for those who survived this inferno on earth. On the other par they may serve for every Ukrainian and for strangers as a document of the fight of Ukrainian people for their higher ideals."
Sold for $608
Estimated at $400 - $600
Includes Buyer's Premium
Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
[AUSCHWITZ]
OSYNKA, PALADIJ (pseudonym of BALIJ, PETRO or BALII, PETRYI). Album of a Political Prisoner [of Auschwitz]. Munich: Hanns Lindner, 1946. First edition. Original pictorial wrappers. 8 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches (21.5 x 15.5 cm); 8 pp. text in Ukrainian and English, with 15 captioned color plates after drawings (plus the plain plate on the cover), glossary at end. Toned and with stray stains, ink markings at head of the wrapper and title, small loss to wrapper spine, a few nicks.
Paladij Osynka was a Ukrainian nationalist in eastern Poland at the outbreak of the war in 1939. He was one of 15,000 political prisoners sent to Auschwitz, and by his report, just one of 40 to survive. In his introduction, Osynka describes how naturalistic drawings of the horrors experienced within German concentration camps would be too nightmarish and only in caricatures (or cartoons) could he present these atrocities. The illustrations present the prisoners being beaten, tortured, and gassed to death. According to Osynka: "The sketches of this life drawn in the form of cartoons by the bed-fellows of the author may serve as a reward for those who survived this inferno on earth. On the other par they may serve for every Ukrainian and for strangers as a document of the fight of Ukrainian people for their higher ideals."
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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