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Sneak Preview of Sylvia Plath/Ted Hughes Bonhams Auction Lots


Maev Kennedy wrote in today's print edition of The Guardian about the forthcoming Bonhams auction:  "Writers' Lives: Auction offers intimate glimpses inside the marriage of Plath and Hughes" (pg 7). The article, though, posted online yesterday. It's safe to say in the Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes realm, the news went viral.

Frieda Hughes is set to auction about 108 lots of items from the estates of Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, and Olwyn Hughes that she inherited. The range of items is breathtaking for peanut-crunchers and collectors, archivists, and librarians. Clothing, jewelry, personal library books, typescripts, and realia such as furniture. The items reflect the lives of, at a minimum, Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Frieda Hughes, Nicholas Hughes, Olwyn Hughes, William Hughes, Edith Hughes, Otto Plath, and Aurelia Plath.

When I learned about the auction in December it was really hard to obey the request for confidentiality. But, I did it! When I saw the early catalogue last, which was honored to proof and to edit, I was practically hyperventilating. I have been given the go-ahead to post a few of them here.

However, please keep in mind this is early, and titles, descriptions, and maybe even pricing is subject to change. The full catalogue will be available about a month before the 21 March 2018 auction date.


PLATH (SYLVIA) - PHOTO FRAME
Green leather folding double photo frame, gilt blocked "S.P." and "June 15, 1954" on the upper cover, slightly rubbed, 215 x 165mm., [1954]

£200 - 400


PLATH (SYLVIA) - JEWELLERY
Plath's "dragon" pendant and chain, with maker's stamp "Coro", base metal, openwork Maltese Cross design flanked by two dragons, some wear, diameter 50mm., [1950s]

£2,000 - 3,000







HUGHES (TED)
Meet My Folks!, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED TO SYLVIA PLATH "To Sylvia with all my love from Ted, April 1st, 1961", illustrations by George Adamson, publisher's pictorial boards, dust-jacket [Sagar/Tabor A4], small 4to, Faber and Faber, 1961

£2,000 - 3,000


PLATH (SYLVIA) - CLOTHING
A Japanese blue embroidered silk jacket, light blue lining, 4 toggled "frog" buttons and mandarin collar, shoulders faded, label "Made in Japan"; A blue collarless tunic top, damask pattern, with label "Made in Italy. Dickins and Jones, Regent Street" (2)

£400 - 600


HUGHES (TED)
Animal Poems, SPECIAL PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO HIS SON, WITH 9 MANUSCRIPT POEMS, interleaved, with the additional manuscript poems written in black in on 10 pages (including the title), manuscript correction by Hughes to one printed poem ("Otter"), green morocco gilt by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, g.e., slipcase [Sagar/Tabor A13], 4to, [Richard Gilbertson, [1967]

£2,000 - 3,000


Are your appetite's whetted? Start saving your pennies!

All links accessed 24 January 2018.
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Comments

  1. Tim Clair24 January, 2018 09:36

    With 108 items (or lots) there must be something I'm down for that won't require a bank loan. Thank you, Frieda. It must be difficult to let go of some it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hélène24 January, 2018 10:22

    sooo excited to see the catalogue!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Eva Stenskar24 January, 2018 14:06

    I've been wondering so long about that necklace... Any idea who gave it to her (Ted)?

    ReplyDelete
  4. A Piece of Plathery24 January, 2018 15:37

    AHHHH Can we purchase the catalogue through Bonhams?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Peter K Steinberg25 January, 2018 08:33

    Tim-- Good luck if and when you bid!!
    Hélène: Me too... I've seen the descriptions but I can't wait to see the pictures.
    Eva: I'm not sure who gave it to Plath or when she got it. I feel like it was purchased in Northampton or Boston in 1958 as I'm not sure I remember seeing it ever before then.
    Plathery: Yes, the catalogue, once finalized, will be available for purchase. Maybe even download as a PDF, too.

    ~pks

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amy in Texas27 January, 2018 20:28

    Eva- I too have wondered about that necklace! Knowing the jeweler's mark is extremely helpful. CORO was a very well-known US costume jewelry maker, and I have already found many examples of this coat-of-arms style of pendant necklace from them. Similar styles are all from the mid 50's.
    Exciting stuff for those of us who are kind of obsessive.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amy in Texas27 January, 2018 21:06

    I also have an ad from Seventeen magazine that advertises the CORO "Heraldic" line of jewelry with very similar examples. It's dated March, 1952. Comments wouldn't let me post it, so here is the url:

    http://www.jacksonjewels.com/images/Coro%20Heraldic%201952%20-%20Rosie.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  8. Eva Stenskar28 January, 2018 03:26

    Amy in Texas - thank you! Interesting stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Peter K Steinberg30 January, 2018 10:55

    Thank you, Amy in Texas, for these comments. They are very useful and very much appreciated! ~pks

    ReplyDelete

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