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Frieda Hughes to Auction Sylvia Plath/Ted Hughes items with Bonhams

The following are the lots in the 14 November 2023 auction of The Property of Frieda Hughes of Sylvia Plath (lots 108-118) and Ted Hughes (lots 94-107) items.

Ted Hughes:

Lot 94: HUGHES (TED) Meet My Folks!, FIRST EDITION, DEDICATION COPY, INSCRIBED, Faber and Faber, 1961

Lot 95: HUGHES (TED) The New Poetry. A Selection Selected and Introduced by A. Alvarez, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY TED HUGHES TO HIS PARENTS, 1962; 3 carbons TH poems of 1960s, and annotated copy of Moorehead's Cooper's Creek (6)

Lot 96: HUGHES (TED) Wodwo, FIRST EDITION AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED "To Walter [Hughes] & Alice with love from Ted, May 67", Faber and Faber, 1967

Lot 97: HUGHES (TED) Animal Poems, UNIQUE PRESENTATION COPY, ONE OF SIX COPIES INTERLEAVED WITH ALL 14 POEMS WRITTEN OUT BY THE AUTHOR, AND AN ADDITIONAL 18 POEMS ADDED IN MANUSCRIPT, [Richard Gilbertson, [1967]

Lot 98: HUGHES (TED) The Iron Man, FIRST EDITION, AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION, INSCRIBED, Faber and Faber, 1968

Lot 99: HUGHES (TED) Crow. From the Life and Songs of the Crow, FIRST EDITION, AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED TO HIS DAUGHTER, Faber and Faber, 1970

Lot 100: HUGHES (TED) - EMILY DICKINSON "Poems by Emily Dickinson", MANUSCRIPT TRANSCRIPTION BY HUGHES OF DICKINSON'S POEMS, 1974

Lot 101: HUGHES (TED) Moortown Elegies, ONE OF 6 SPECIALLY BOUND AUTHOR'S PRESENTATION COPIES, Rampant Lion Press, for The Rainbow Press, 1978

Lot 102: HUGHES (TED) Birthday Letters, SPECIAL EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR AND ONE OF THE DEDICATEES, Faber and Faber, 1998; and a first edition signed by Ted Hughes (2)

Lot 103: HUGHES (TED) Birthday Letters, SPECIAL EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, Faber and Faber, 1998; and a first edition signed by Ted Hughes (2)

Lot 104: HUGHES (TED) Howls & Whispers... Etchings by Leonard Baskin, NUMBER 48 OF 110 COPIES, SIGNED BY BOTH AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR, The Gehenna Press, 1998

Lot 105: HUGHES (TED) A collection of 30 works by Hughes, some first editions, and one by Sylvia Plath, ALL PRESENTATION COPIES INSCRIBED BY HUGHES to "Frieda [Hughes] and Laszlo [Lukacs] love Daddy, June 1998" (occasionally "Daddy and Ted" or "Ted"), 8vo and 4to (31)

Lot 106: The Iron Giant, first U.S. edition, AUTHORS' PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED TO FRIEDA HUGHES, ONE OF THE DEDICATEES, 1968; Iron Woman, INSCRIBED TO DEDICATEE, 1993; and 14 others, Children books, 3 inscribed by Hughes, 2 by Ralph Steadman, and 2 by Leonard Baskin (24)

Lot 107: HUGHES (TED) Birthday Letters, SPECIAL EDITION, NUMBER III OF 10 COPIES RESERVED FOR THE AUTHOR, SIGNED, 8vo and 4to; and approximately 40 others, of which 8 inscribed by Ted to Frieda (3 his own works, 5 by other authors, 6 signed limited editions), and others by Hughes (c.65)

Some sample images from the Ted Hughes portion: 


Sylvia Plath:

Lot 108: [PLATH (SYLVIA)] A Winter Ship, FIRST EDITION, ONE OF APPROXIMATELY 60 COPIES, Edinburgh, Tragara Press, 1960

Lot 109: [PLATH (SYLVIA)] A Winter Ship, FIRST EDITION, ONE OF APPROXIMATELY 60 COPIES, Edinburgh, Tragara Press, 1960

Lot 110: PLATH (SYLVIA) The Colossus. Poems, FIRST EDITION, William Heinemann, 1960

Lot 111: [PLATH (SYLVIA)] The Bell Jar by Victoria Lucas, FIRST EDITION, SIGNED BY TED HUGHES, Heinemann, [1963]

Lot 112: [PLATH (SYLVIA)] The Bell Jar by Victoria Lucas, FIRST EDITION, second impression, SIGNED BY TED HUGHES, Heinemann, [1963]

Lot 113: PLATH (SYLVIA) Ariel, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY TED HUGHES TO THEIR DAUGHTER FRIEDA, Faber and Faber, 1965

Lot 114: PLATH (SYLVIA) Crystal Gazer and Other Poems, LIMITED EDITION IN FULL VELLUM, The Rainbow Press, [1971]

Lot 115: PLATH (SYLVIA) A Winter Ship, FIRST EDITION OF THE AUTHOR'S FIRST BOOK, and 31 others by Plath including Colossus, Ariel, etc., ALL SIGNED BY FRIEDA HUGHES, many limited editions, private press (34)

Lot 116: PLATH (SYLVIA) Pursuit. With an Etching & Drawings by Leonard Baskin, NUMBER 1 OF 100 COPIES; and 3 others

Lot 117: PLATH (SYLVIA) Three Women. A Monologue for Three Voices, 2 copies, second (first published) edition, Limited to 180 copies, 8vo and 4to; and approximately 45 others by or about Plath, including 2 signed by Ralph Steadman, Out of Ash published in Tel-Aviv in 1965, 2 biographies of Plath with a few annotations by Olwyn Hughes, and a collection of approximately 79 American first day covers for Plath stamp (quantity)

Lot 118: PLATH (SYLVIA) AND TED HUGHES Fourteen Rainbow Press titles, limited editions, 1971-1978 (15)

Some sample images from the Sylvia Plath portion: 



Before these lots, however, there is an addition Plath item in Lot 72: [PLATH (SYLVIA)] The Bell Jar by Victoria Lucas, UNCORRECTED PROOF COPY, publisher's light grey wrappers, lettered "(Not for Sale) Uncorrected Proof Copy" and "Publication Date: 14th January, 1963. Price: 18s.Od." on the upper cover, foxing (heavier on spine), short tears to head and foot of upper joint, 8vo, Heinemann, 1962. This gorgeous book is estimated to sell for £4,000 - £5,000 (US$4,900 - US$6,200). 


All links accessed 17 October 2023.

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