Vincent Astor, A Guest Book, evidently from Ferncliff, the Astor family's 2,800-acre estate near Rhinebeck, New York entries ranging from 1924 to 1960

an album of blank pages (11 ½ x 9 ¼ in.) with a printed title-page reading "Guest Book," with imprints of E. P. Dutton & Co., New York, and Zaehnsdorf, London, bound in red morocco gilt.

Fair condition; the cover has come away from the binding, the binding coming away from the side attached to the cover; the pages in good condition; some small losses to the cover and back cover with some rubbing and wear.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The first 30 leaves of the album are accomplished with the signatures (and occasional drawings and other designs) of Mr. Astor's guests. The years from 1924 through 1929 each have at least a few signatures, but after that, no entries appear until 1934, on a page headed "Bermuda." Thereafter, the pages are quite full through May 1941, when a gap coinciding with World War II begins that is not closed until July 1946. Entries then appear sporadically until 1960. During the 1930s, the signature of Mary Cushing, who would become Vincent Astor's second wife, frequently appears. Other notable signatories include Kermit Roosevelt, Waldorf Astor, Serge Oblolensky, Millicent Fenwick, William S. Paley, and Shirley Temple (who was nine at the time) and her parents.