antiquesandartireland.com

A rare volume with the imprint of Benjamin Franklin, Philadelphia 1744 and the first printing of the works of Shakespeare outside London are among the lots at Fonsie Mealy’s rare book sale at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin on December 13.  The Benjamin Franklin imprint is a real rarity with only six copies known and held in institutional libraries worldwide.  It is a first edition of a work by John Estaugh entitled  A Call to the Unfaithful Professors of Truth.  The last one known was sold at auction over 70 years ago.  This one is estimated at 7,000-10,000.  A second edition was printed in London in 1745 and the first Dublin edition was published the same year.

The first printing of Shakespeare outside England was published in Dublin in 1726.  The Works of Shakespeare in eight volumes was printed by and for George Grierson and George Ewing, collated and corrected by former editions by Mr. Pope, is one of a number of sale highlights.  This lot too has an estimate of 7,000-10,000.  This auction of more than 800 lots will create national and international interest.  There is a signed volume from the library of Dean Swift and an atlas folio of Lt. Cresswell’s “North West Passage” voyage complete with eight plates.  Among the other lots are some original drawings by Edith Somerville for the Irish RM series and some typescripts and manuscripts by Brendan Behan.