This rare pair is a collaboration between Nike and Undefeated in commemoration of the hit HBO television show&nbsp;Entourage. The Blue Premium “Georges Entourage” was the first sneaker Undefeated and Nike designed in honor of the show. It was made in addition to the Gold Fukijama Air Force 1 featured in the same episode.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the show, Salvatore “Turtle” Assante spends an entire episode devoted to hunting down the Blue Fukijama Air Force 1. Though Fukijama is a fictional artist, the sneaker's pop culture history has led it to be a much sought-after item for collectors. The striking Air Force 1 features a laser-etched design on Blue &amp; White leather panels. The heels feature “LA” and “Queens Boulevard” text, referencing the character’s residence in LA, as well as Vincent Chase’s breakout performance in the fictional movie “Queens Boulevard.”&nbsp; Originally released in 1982, the Air Force 1 is named after the presidential aircraft. Designed by Bruce Kilgore, it was the first basketball shoe to feature revolutionary air pocket technology. Today, it is one of Nike’s most iconic, best-selling sneakers.<ul><li>Nike Air Force 1 Low Premium “Georges Entourage” sample.</li><li>University blue and white tumbled leather upper.</li><li>Laser-etched designs on tongue and heel.</li><li>Style number: BMB490</li><li>Color code: M5-C1</li><li>This item is final sale and not eligible for return.</li></ul>

Nike Air Force 1 Low Premium Georges Entourage Sample | Size 12

From Meissen to Paris : The Röbbig Collection| Part II

Entourage de François Boucher Scène pastorale Pierre noire et craie blanche sur papier bleu décoloré Porte un numéro illisible en bas à gauche 302 x 202 mm

scène pastorale

Entourage de Rosalba Carriera Portraits de jeunes filles en allégories des Quatre Saisons Pastel, ensemble de quatre ; dans des cadres de style Kent Chacun : 625 x 495 mm (4)

View 1 of Lot 233: Portraits de jeunes filles en allégories des Quatre Saisons

portraits de jeunes filles en allégories des quatre saisons

Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana. Part 2

Washington, George — Moses Seixas "Address of the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode-Island," in the Gazette of the United States, Volume II, No. 45 (Whole No. 149). New York: John Fenno, 15 September 1790 Folio, 4 pages (418 x 253 mm). On a full sheet of laid paper, fine woodcut seal of the United States heading a legislative report, text in three columns; lightly browned, a few stray spots, faint marginal dampstaining, a few small marginal chips, disbound. George Washington's most explicit pronouncement on religious tolerance, and one of the great pillars of American religious liberty. When Rhode Island finally ratified the Constitution on 29 May 1790, George Washington expressed his approbation by visiting Newport with a large entourage that included Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. According to Jonathan D. Sarna: "On August 18 four addresses (written, in keeping with the literary style of the day, in the form of open letters) were read out to the president at a prearranged ceremony; it was customary to greet visiting dignitaries in this way." Sarna continues: "The final and most historically important address came from the 'Hebrew Congregation'—the community’s Jews. The fact that Jews were included at all is noteworthy. They formed a small but significant merchant community in Newport, and had built a beautiful synagogue, Yeshuat Israel, now known as the Touro Synagogue, in 1763." It was Moses Seixas who presented Washington with this "Address of the Hebrew Congregation in Newport," which read: "Deprived as we heretofore have been of the invaluable rights of free citizens, we now (with a deep sense of gratitude to the almighty disposer of all events) behold a government erected by the Majesty of the People—a government, which to bigotry gives no sanction—to persecution no assistance; but generously affording to ALL liberty of conscience, and immunities of citizenship: Deeming every one, of whatever nation, tongue, or language, equal parts of the great governmental machine. ... For all the blessings of civil and religious liberty, which we enjoy under an equal and benign administration, we desire to send up our thanks to the ancient of days." Washington soon responded by affirming his commitment to religious liberty: "The citizens of the United States of America, have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: A policy worthy of imitation. All possess a like liberty of conscience, and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection, should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. ... May the children of the stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid." This exchange was first printed in the Boston Herald of Freedom on 7 September 1790. It has since been reprinted countless times. REFERENCES Jonathan D. Sarna, "George Washington's Correspondence with the Jews of Newport," in To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Freedom (Philadelphia: National Museum of American Jewish History, 2012); Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, ed. Mastromarino, 6: 284–286

View 1 of Lot 392: Washington, George — Moses Seixas | "Address of the Hebrew Congregation in Newport"

washington, george — moses seixas | "address of the hebrew congregation in newport"

à quatre feuilles, à décor rococo de scènes chinoisantes or sur fond rouge dans des cartouches, dans un entourage de cavaliers, guirlandes de fleurs et oiseaux sur fond vert, la bordure supérieure légèrement gaufrée, monogramme VCA à l’encre noire

à quatre feuilles, à décor rococo de scènes chinoisantes or sur fond rouge dans des cartouches, dans un entourage de cavaliers, guirlandes de fleurs et oiseaux sur fond vert, la bordure supérieure légèrement gaufrée, monogramme VCA à l’encre noire Une feuille : haut. 227 cm, larg. 56 cm ; Height 89 1/3 in, width 22 in

View 1 of Lot 341: Paravent en bois laqué, doré et toiles peintes, Allemagne, XIXe siècle

paravent en bois laqué, doré et toiles peintes, allemagne, xixe siècle

Entourage de Jean-Baptiste Mallet L’amour au petit-point Gouache 235 x 320 mm (à vue)

View 1 of Lot 423: L’amour au petit-point

l’amour au petit-point

Fine Jewelry

Composé d'un rang de perles d'émeraudes godronnées, centré d'un noeud serti de diamants taille brillant et d'émeraudes calibrées, retenant en pendentif une émeraude cabochon gravée dans un entourage de diamants taille brillant.

Composé d'un rang de perles d'émeraudes godronnées, centré d'un noeud serti de diamants taille brillant et d'émeraudes calibrées, retenant en pendentif une émeraude cabochon gravée dans un entourage de diamants taille brillant. Longueur 440 mm environPoinçon français d'import pour l'or 18K (750°/00)Poids brut 62.20 gAccompagnée d'un certificat GRS no. GRS2025-107569, en date du 1er novembre 2025, indiquant l'origine de Colombie et un huilage modéré pour l'émeraude gravéeElement de broche au dos du noeud, transformations

View 1 of Lot 199: Collier émeraudes et diamants 

collier émeraudes et diamants

Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone

Claude Debussy Autograph manuscript of the song Flots, palmes, sables, signed (“Ach. Debussy”) an essentially fair-copy manuscript, scored for voice and piano, notated in black ink on up to four three-stave systems per page, with an autograph DEDICATORY TITLE-PAGE TO HIS MUSE AND FIRST LOVE MARIE-BLANCHE VASNIER (“a Madame Vasnier. / Flots, palmes. Sables. (poésie tirée des Nuits persannes d’Armand Renaud) Musique. Ach. Debussy”), the text beginning “Loin des yeux du monde”, dated and signed in bold stylized fashion at the end (“2 Juin 1882 Ach. Debussy”), with a number of deletions, corrections, annotations and revisions by the composer, some in pencil, with an autograph three-bar draft, possibly relating to the song, contained on the otherwise blank last leaf 6 pages in all (on 4 leaves), including title-page and an otherwise blank leaf with a 3-bar draft, with two blanks, oblong 4to (c. 270 x 352 mm), stamp of the “Société des Auteurs …3 Oct 1947-621,602…Paris” to title and first blank page, unbound, modern cloth folding case, vertical folds, first and last leaf joined at spine with old transparent adhesive tape, outer pages browned and with some marginal staining, a few tiny tears to edges, very small loss of paper to three corners, not affecting text THIS IS THE AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT OF A COMPLETE SONG BY THE NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD COMPOSER, DEDICATED TO HIS FIRST LOVE. It is currently unpublished in the modern critical edition of Debussy’s works. It was while acting as accompanist for Madame Moreau-Sainti’s singing classes that the young composer met the soprano Marie-Blanche Vasnier, fourteen years his senior and married to the Parisian civil servant Henri Vasnier. Part lover, part muse and part mother figure, she was the inspiration behind nearly thirty of his early songs, including the present one. Also significant in shaping the composer’s early musical aesthetic was the large library at the Vasnier residence, for it was here that Debussy became acquainted with the poetry of Paul Verlaine, Théodore de Banville, and Leconte de Lisle. Madame Vasnier’s exceptionally high and supple voice encouraged Debussy to write florid and ornate vocal lines, as in the present song Flots, palmes, sables, where Debussy’s vocal arabesques are used to great effect in invoking the “waves”, “palms” and “sands” of Armand Renaud’s Persian-inspired exotic lyric. It would appear that Debussy began the song - for voice and piano - in late 1881 or early 1882, and then completed it with a harp part in June 1882. There are no other autograph sources for the work, with the exception of the harp part, the whereabouts of which are currently unknown.

View 1 of Lot 47: Claude Debussy | Autograph manuscript of the song “Flots, palmes, sables”, signed, 1882

claude debussy | autograph manuscript of the song “flots, palmes, sables”, signed, 1882

The Jay T. Snider Collection of Benjamin Franklin

[Mary “Polly” Stevenson Hewson] Portrait of Polly Stevenson by an unknown artist. Probably London: ca. 1770s Pastel on paper (232 x 185 mm). Areas of restoration to margins, edges chipped with few neat repairs, one or two scratches. Matted, glazed, and likely in the original gilt oval frame (overall 280 x 235 mm). "Our Friendship has been all clear Sunshine, without the least Cloud in its Hemisphere…" (Franklin's letter to Polly Stevenson, 27 January 1783). The present portrait captures Polly Stevenson, with whom Franklin maintained a close transatlantic friendship across the decades. Indeed, after years of living with Polly and her mother in London, he considered the Stevensons a sort of second family. Polly presumably brought this portrait along with her in 1786 when, at Franklin's encouragement, she moved to Philadelphia after the death of her husband. REFERENCES Bell, "'All Clear Sunshine': New Letters of Franklin and Mary Stevenson Hewson" in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 100, no. 6, 17 December 1956, p. 521; Lopez, The Private Franklin, illustrated in the plates after p. 140; Metropolitan Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin and his Circle, 89 EXHIBITION Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Benjamin Franklin and his Circle," 1936; Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary traveling exhibition, "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World," 2005-2008 PROVENANCE Mary “Polly” Stevenson Hewson, thence by descent to — Katherine N. Bradford — Joan Bradford Wiederseim — Theodore E. Wiederseim

View 1 of Lot 84: [Mary “Polly” Stevenson Hewson] | Portrait of Polly Stevenson by an unknown artist

[mary “polly” stevenson hewson] | portrait of polly stevenson by an unknown artist

Tolkien, J.R.R. [Lord of the Rings Trilogy] — The Fellowship of the Ring. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1954 — The Two Towers. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1955 — The Return of the King. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1955 3 vols., 8vo. Half-titles, folding maps printed in red and black at ends; lightly toned, a few stray spots including to maps, final map with open tear to margin not affecting image, adhesive residue costing a few words on final text leaf. Publisher's red cloth, spine lettered in gilt with Tolkien's ring device, top stained red; head and foot of spine rubbed, a few stray stains to cloth and dampstaining to vol. 2, minor offsetting to endleaves. Pictorial white, red, black and gold dust jackets priced "21s net"; jackets worn, sunned, and soiled, chipped with some loss at head and foot of spine, splits and closed tears to extremities, tape repairs to vol. 1, vol. 3 price-clipped. Housed in a custom slipcase. First edition, first printings of the fantasy trilogy to rule them all. Three months after the publication of The Hobbit, Tolkien's publishers encouraged him to write a sequel; he, however, was not so eager, as he "could not think of anything more to say about hobbits" (Hammond). In a letter to Stanley Unwin on 15 October 1937, he begrudgingly agreed: "Mr. Baggins seems to have exhibited so fully both the Took and the Baggins sides of their nature... But if it is true that The Hobbit has come to stay and more will be wanted, I will start the process of thought..." While his academic career and the Second World War served to delay the ultimate publication of the series, both also inspired the elaborate mythology that would build the greatest work of modern fantasy. In 1952, after nearly 15 years of development, Tolkien wrote his publishers with urgency: "I am anxious to publish The Lord of the Rings as soon as possible... I believe it to be a great (though not flawless) work." The first impression of The Fellowship of the Ring numbered only 3,000 copies; The Two Towers followed at 3,250; The Return of the King at 7,000. Page 49 of this copy of Return of the King indicates the first state, without the signature mark "4" or the sagging type in the word "Legolas"; though Hammond's bibliography originally identified the presence of these issue points as essential to a first state, this has since been amended to clarify that the presence of the signature mark and sagging type indicates a later state. REFERENCES Hammond and Anderson A5.a.i-iii; West A20-22

View 1 of Lot 426: Tolkien, J.R.R. | First edition set of The Lord of the Rings trilogy

tolkien, j.r.r. | first edition set of the lord of the rings trilogy

Thomas Hardy Far from The Madding Crowd. London: Macmillan, 1908. VIRGINIA WOOLF'S COPY, WITH HER OWNERSHIP INSCRIPTION on front free endpaper ("V. Stephen"), 1908 reprint, 8vo, 32pp. publisher's catalogue at end original blue cloth, upper cover blocked in gold with TH monogram medallion, housed in collector's slipcase in blue morocco and cloth, front and rear free endpapers browned, hinges split, lower joint starting, binding worn and soiled, spine sunned “…For these reasons, Hardy’s genius was uncertain in development, uneven in accomplishment, but, when the moment came, magnificent in achievement. The moment came, completely and fully, in Far from the Madding Crowd. The subject was right; the method was right; the poet and the countryman, the sensual man, the sombre reflective man, the man of learning, all enlisted to produce a book which, however fashions may chop and change, must hold its place among the great English novels…” (Virginia Woolf, ‘The Novels of Thomas Hardy’) VIRGINIA WOOLF'S COPY OF A FAVOURITE NOVEL WITH A DEEP FAMILY RESONANCE. When, on 25 July 1926, Virginia Woolf travelled to Max Gate for her first and only meeting with Thomas Hardy, it was Far From The Madding Crowd – presumably this very copy – that she read on the train from London to Dorchester. Woolf admired the novel greatly but it was also a book that connected the two writers in a much more personal way. It had been Leslie Stephen, Woolf’s father, who had accepted the novel for publication when he was editor of The Cornhill Magazine. At that point Stephen was an established man of letters whilst Hardy was largely unknown, and not only did Woolf’s father play a vital role in the publication of Hardy’s breakthrough novel but he also introduced him to many figures in literary London. Hardy dedicated a poem in remembrance of Stephen in Satires of Circumstance (1914), which triggered his daughter to write to Hardy to tell him how “I have long wished to tell you how profoundly grateful I am to you for your poems and novels”. Virginia Woolf’s tea with Hardy was a memorable success and is recorded in typically exquisite detail in her diary. She records Hardy's comment about her father's publication of Far From the Madding Crowd: "We stood shoulder to shoulder against the British public about certain matters dealt with in that novel". She was impressed by his "freedom, ease & vitality": "He seemed very 'Great Victorian' doing the whole thing with a sweep of his hand (they are ordinary smallish, curled up hands) & setting no great stock by literature; but immensely interested in facts; incidents; & somehow, one could imagine, naturally swept off into imagining & creating without a thought of its being difficult or remarkable; becoming obsessed; & living in imagination". Virginia Woolf’s diaries and letters include many references to her love of Hardy’s work: when she visited Stonehenge in 1903 she was reading Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and when she was trying to encourage herself in her writing she looked to Hardy as an example (“...As for Thomas Hardy, he's a great man; his style is not made to fit, but what of that? If we had but his ribs, his thighs, his stomach and his entrails!...”, 21 May 1912). His novels are singled out for praise in The Common Reader, but her detailed critical appreciation of Hardy came with the essay ‘The Novels of Thomas Hardy’. She was commissioned in 1919 to prepare an obituary piece for the TLS, and the subject occupied her for a considerable period: in 1921 she was still “reading Hardy for my famous article – the one I'm always talking about", and she felt some discomfort that she was writing in preparation for his death. The essay, a sensitive and sympathetic survey of his work, appeared in the TLS just eight days after he died in January 1928, and was republished in The Common Reader Vol. 2 (1932). BOOKS FROM VIRGINIA WOOLF'S LIBRARY ARE RARE AT AUCTION. Virginia Woolf evidently acquired this volume while she was still "V[irginia] Stephen": i.e. before her marriage to Leonard Woolf in 1912. The lot includes a typed letter of provenance signed by Leonard’s final companion, Marjorie Tulip ("Trekkie") Parsons, recording in August 1994 that this volume "was in the library of Virginia Woolf and remained in her possession until her death'', that it passed at that time to Leonard Woolf, and then, she says, "at Leonard's death it passed to me and has remained in my possession until now". PROVENANCE: Virginia Woolf (1882-1941): inscription to front free endpaper ("V. Stephen"); Leonard Woolf (1880-1969); Marjorie Tulip ("Trekkie") Parsons (1902-1995): typed letter signed ("M.T. Parsons") and dated August 1994, confirming earlier provenance; Sotheby's, London, 8 July 2004, lot 258 LITERATURE: Marion Dell, ‘Moments of Vision: Thomas Hardy and Virginia Woolf’, The Thomas Hardy Journal, 31 (2015), 13-24

View 1 of Lot 154: Thomas Hardy | Far from The Madding Crowd, 1908, Virginia Woolf's copy

thomas hardy | far from the madding crowd, 1908, virginia woolf's copy

(Ohio) [Consecutive Run of the First Fourteen Session Laws of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, 1803–1816]. Chillicothe and Zanesville: 1803–1816 14 vols., 8vo (202 x 128 mm to 223 x 132 mm). A few folding charts; foxed, toned, and dampstained, some offsetting, margins chipped, a few closed and open tears, some affecting text, several repairs, a few leaves lacking, instances of manuscript annotations to margins. Antique three-quarter morocco over marbled boards, smooth spines with red and black titlepieces gilt-lettered; extremities slightly rubbed. A significant library set of the laws of the State of Ohio, from the first session of the General Assembly to the fourteenth of 1816, including the crucial years of the War of 1812. Ohio served as the Western theater of the war, of which the impact is evident in the 1812 session laws: the very first act provides "blankets for the Ohio militia, now in the service of the United States." Later in this session, the assembly passed an act "for the encouragement of Volunteers in the North Western Army of the United States" after the "lamentable disaster" of the Battle of Frenchtown—a major loss for the American army in the War of 1812. Though Frenchtown resulted in more casualties than any other battle during the War of 1812, it became a rallying cry for the American army. In addition to these acts, the 1812 laws include several resolutions related to war activities within the state, including resolutions authorizing the governor to procure arms and a resolution requesting that the services of the Ohio militia be paid by the United States. A couple of years later, the assembly passed a resolution to thank Andrew Jackson, his officers, and his men, for their "gallant defence of New Orleans," the great American land victory of the war. Most of the session laws were printed by various printers in Chillicothe, but the ninth and tenth General Assemblies were held at, and the session laws printed in, Zanesville. The final volume ends with the Constitution of the State of Ohio. Full listing of volumes and references available upon request. The present consecutive run of session laws for Ohio is unprecedented on the market. All of the volumes are rare, and only single volumes occasionally come up for sale. PROVENANCE S. Wright (owner's inscription to title of vol. 1) — John S. Gano? (owner's inscription to title of vol. 2) — Isaac G Burnet (owner's inscription to title of vol. 3) — J. Bryant Walker?, Cincinatti (owner's inscription to title of vols. 2, 4, and 6) — William Wallace (owner's inscription to endleaf of vol. 5) — Elijah Boardman (owner's inscription to title of vol. 8) — B. Storer (owner's inscription to title of vol. 9) — Dan Gano? (owner's inscription to title of vol. 14) — Association of the Bar Library, City of New York (inkstamp and blindstamp to titles) Sold as a group, not subject to return.

View 1 of Lot 382: (Ohio) | Consecutive run of the first 14 session laws of the General Assembly, 1803–1816

(ohio) | consecutive run of the first 14 session laws of the general assembly, 1803–1816

Pablo Picasso Autograph note (unsigned), written in crayon on square paper (226 x 161 mm), informing the reader of his whereabouts ("Maintenant je vais à la gallerie MAI et je serais apres à Flore jusque à l'heure d'aller chez Cutolli"), with an addition in pencil between the first and second lines ("d'abord chez Kahnweiler"), and another note on the verso, written in pencil in another hand ("Demandez les clefs chez la concierge"), [Paris], no plate nor date Here, Picasso makes reference to several patrons and locations that played important roles in his career in Paris. "Gallerie MAI" likely refers to the Salon de Mai, an association of French artists formed in 1943 known for its exhibitions, including of Picasso's work. "Flore" undoubtedly denotes the Café de Flore, a historic coffeehouse and famous haunt for writers, philosophers, and artists including Picasso. The next stop in Picasso's day, according to the note, was "chez Cutolli", referring to Marie Cuttoli, his lifelong friend and business partner, whose penchant for tapestries and carpets both revived the art form and encouraged Picasso's creation of woven cartoons. Among Picasso's preeminent supporters was gallery owner Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, also mentioned in his note. A champion of the Cubist movement, Kahnweiler was one of the first to recognise Picasso's talent.

View 1 of Lot 107: Pablo Picasso | Autograph note in crayon on squared paper

pablo picasso | autograph note in crayon on squared paper

[Gandhi, Mohandas K.] A portable spinning wheel, given by Gandhi to Mariam and Lilabati Ghose, ca. February 1932 Indian teak box (approx. 230 x 910 x 40 mm when fully opened), hollow metal handle; string and thread lacking, a few minor cracks to wood, some wear and rust, lacking one screw at metal closure, but wheels rotate smoothly. Gandhi's presentation gift of one of the most important symbols of the Indian independence movement. Mariam and Lilabati were the daughters of Sailendra Nath Ghose, then the president of the India National Congress of America. At the ages of 7 and 4, respectively, the girls sailed on the Europa to greet Gandhi in London, while he attended the second Round Table Conference, and presented him with messages from sympathizers in Boston, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, along with a personal invitation to visit the United States. Traveling with their mother, as their father was denied a British passport, they traveled in third class—"keeping with the spirit of a mission to the ascetic Indian leader," a New York Times article about the voyage quipped—and were eager to see Gandhi in person (15 October 1931). Their hopes, however, were soon quashed; while Gandhi agreed to meet the girls and smiled upon reading the invitations, he declined, explaining, "America is not ready to receive me" (23 October 1931). But Gandhi promised the girls a gift, and in early 1932, the girls received the present charkha, or spinning wheel. Spinning wheels were essential to Gandhi's vision of Indian unity and independence; they symbolized pre-industrial textile production and economic self-reliance independent of British goods. In fact, he is sometimes credited with the invention of the portable charkha during his time in the Yerwada prison; he devoted an hour each day to spinning thread and encouraged all Indians to do the same. The act became iconographic as a form of protest. Margaret Bourke-White's 1946 portrait of Gandhi at his spinning wheel is one of the most recognizable images of the leader, and it was at Gandhi's encouragement that a spinning wheel was included in the design for the new flag of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi appears to have gifted several spinning wheels to others, including one in 1935 to the American Free Methodist missionary Reverend Floyd A. Puffer and another in 1942 to the industrialist Henry Ford in 1942. The present lot appeared on the Antiques Roadshow on 26 January 2015. REFERENCES "Children Sail, Bearing Invitation for Gandhi; Mariam and Lilabati Ghose Take Pleas From Five Cities for Visit by Mahatma," The New York Times, 15 October 1931, https://www.nytimes.com/1931/10/15/archives/children-sail-bearing-invitation-for-gandhi-mariam-and-lilabati.html, accessed 10 May 2026; "Gandhi Refuses Invitation; Disappoints Girls Who Journey From America With Mayors' Pleas," The New York Times, 23 October 1931, https://www.nytimes.com/1931/10/23/archives/gandhi-refuses-invitation-disappoints-girls-who-journey-from.html, accessed 10 May 2026; cf. The Henry Ford Museum 42.142.1 PROVENANCE Mohandas K. Gandhi, presented to — Mariam and Lilabati Ghose — thence by descent — Christie's, 2 February 2024, lot 150

View 1 of Lot 481: [Gandhi, Mohandas K.] | The independence leader gifts a symbol of resistance

[gandhi, mohandas k.] | the independence leader gifts a symbol of resistance

[John Smith] The Doctrine of Christianity, as Held by the People called Quakers, Vindicated: in Answer to Gilbert Tennent's Sermon on the Lawfulness of War. Philadelphia: Printed by Benjamin Franklin, and David Hall, MDCCCXLVIII (1748) 8vo (181 x 120 mm). Light toning, occasional pale spotting or minor soiling, a tiny marginal hole in leaf A2, leaf C3 trimmed at the fore-edge not affecting the text, the final ten leaves of text with crude paper repairs in the upper margins occasionally affecting the first word in the top line of printed text, leaf H4 rebound on a stub. Modern half gray cloth, gilt-titled spine, marbled paper boards. The first edition of John Smith's defense of Quaker pacifism. Smith's rebuttal of Gilbert Tennent's anti-Quaker treatise, The Association for Defence Farther Enouraged "was printed by Franklin and Hall, despite the fact that it opposed the Association for Defense to which Franklin was passionately committed" (The Library Company of Philadelphia). Smith had 1000 copies printed, 500 of which were to be given away and the rest sent to the author. When the book was delivered, Smith wrote that "the printer's house & indeed my own was like a fair—people came so thick to get them D. Hall told me that he never saw a pamphlet in so much Request at first coming out" (PPL MS: John Smith Diary, IV; Papers III, pp. 242–243, as quoted in Miller). A second edition was printed soon after, as well as two further rebuttals directed at Smith, one by Gilbert Tennent and the other by William Currie. For Gilbert Tennent's opening salvo, see preceding lot. Rare: only two copies of the first edition have appeared at auction since 1907, according to Rare Book Hub. REFERENCES Miller 456; ESTC W30916; Evans 6239; Hildeburn 1098; Sabin 82872; The Library Company of Philadelphia, "Plain Truth," exhibition curated by James N. Green and Peter Stallybrass (https://www.librarycompany.org/BFWriter/plain.htm) PROVANANCE Anthony Morris (early signature on title-page) — Isaac Morris (early signature on title-page) — C. B. Farwell (bookplate)

View 1 of Lot 48: [John Smith] | The Doctrine of Christianity, as Held by the People called Quakers

[john smith] | the doctrine of christianity, as held by the people called quakers

[Johnson, Samuel] The Idler. In Two Volumes. London: J. Newbery, 1761 2 vols., 12mo (168 x 100 mm). Advertisement leaf following title to vol. I, ornamental head and tail-pieces, 3 pages of publisher's advertisements at end of vol. II; lacking front free endpapers, potential repair to gutter of titles, presentation inscription pasted to modern front free endpaper of vol. I, gathering loose in vol. II, leaves toned, edges chipped, contemporary marginalia. Modern full brown calf, bound to style, decorated in blind, spine gilt-lettered; a few minor scuffs. Presentation copy, with "From the author" inscribed on title of vol. II and slip reading "[Illegible?] From the author" pasted to modern front free endpaper of vol. I. The first collected edition of Johnson's essays of witty social commentary, and one of 1,500 copies printed (Courtney and Smith). The 103 essays, all but twelve by Johnson, were originally published weekly in The Universal Chronicle over the course of three years. Presentation copies of The Idler are rare; Rare Book Hub notes three in the last fifty years. One was a third edition inscribed to a "Miss Eccles;" another was a first edition presented to "Mrs Margaret Penelope Strahan," the wife of the printer William Strahan; and a third was a first edition presented to Esther Burney, the sister of the novelist Fanny Burney. The present copy comes from the library of John Baker Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield, a contemporary of Johnson's. It is possible that the pair were acquainted in intellectual circles: Holroyd was particularly close with the renowned British historian and essayist Edward Gibbon, who was a member of Johnson's social sphere and participant in his Literary Club. It is not unplausible that their connection bestowed these volumes. Indeed, Holroyd's library at Sheffield Place was directly linked to Gibbon's collecting and relationships—Holroyd, who served as Gibbon's executor, was envious of Gibbon's robust library, even requesting that he inherit the books upon the historian's death. Gibbon rejected the idea: "I consider a public sale as the most laudable method of disposing of it ... If indeed a true liberal public library existed in London, I might be tempted to enrich the catalogue and encourage the institution: but to bury my treasure in a country mansion under the key of a jealous master!" Gibbon died at the Sheffield estate in Sussex in 1794, and Holroyd appears to have followed through on his wishes, organizing the sale of the library at auction that same year (Sims). PROVENANCE John Baker Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield, 1735-1821 (armorial bookplate to modern upper pastedowns) REFERENCES Courtney and Smith, p. 83; Sims, "Edward Gibbon's Library: A New Acquisition," Cambridge University Library Special Collections, 13 September 2017, https://specialcollections-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=15014, accessed 10 March 2026

View 1 of Lot 413: [Johnson, Samuel] | The Idler, presentation copy of the first collected edition

[johnson, samuel] | the idler, presentation copy of the first collected edition

Gilbert Tennent The Late Association for Defence Farther Encouraged: Or, Defensive War Defended; and Its Consistency with True Christianity Represented. In a Reply to Some Exceptions against War, in a late Composure, intituled, The Doctrine of Christianity, as held by the People called Quakers, Vindicated. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin and D. Hall, 1748 8vo (198 x 125 mm, uncut). Toned, intermittent spotting and staining, wear to edges, a hole in the margin of leaf Y4. Modern reddish-brown calf, gilt-lettered spine, decorated in gilt and blind. First edition of a lengthy anti-Calvinist work on the lawfulness of war by the fiery Presbyterian preacher, the Reverend Gilbert Tennent. According to Miller, Franklin partly subsidized the printing of this text. He also published John Smith's Quaker rebuttal to Tennent, The Doctrine of Christianity, as Held by the People called Quakers, Vindicated: in Answer to Gilbert Tennent's Sermon on the Lawfulness of War (see following lot). For another divisive work by Gilbert Tennent, see lot 21. Rare. This is the only copy to have appeared at auction in the last century. REFERENCES Miller 459; ESTC W5384; Evans 6247; Hildeburn 1105; Sabin 94695 PROVENANCE Freeman's, 10 September 2024, lot 12 (undesignated consignor)

View 1 of Lot 47: Gilbert Tennent | A lengthy anti-Quaker treatise by a controversial Presbyterian minister

gilbert tennent | a lengthy anti-quaker treatise by a controversial presbyterian minister

(Pennsylvania General Assembly — Benjamin Franklin)

(Pennsylvania General Assembly — Benjamin Franklin) (Group of 38 Pennsylvania Session Acts) Anno Regni Georgii II [...Georgi III]. Regis, Magnae Britanniae, Franciae & Hiberniae ... At a General Assembly of the province of Pennsylvania, begun and holden at Philadelphia. Philadelphia: printed and sold by Benjamin Franklin, [and others], 1739-69. 56 pamphlets, mostly folio (from 275 x 165 to 345 x 215 mm), ranging from 2 to 98 pages. Woodcut Penn family arms to titles, occasional woodcut ornaments and typographic tables in text; the condition varies, with some pamphlets soiled, spotted, and toned, while others are quite fresh and bright, all have been disbound and resewn, professionally conserved with Japanese tissue along the spines, a few pamphlets with additional paper repairs, most notably to the May 1739 pamphlet, infrequent dampstains, edge tears, and creases, most with library stamps and modern pencil annotations to titles, occasional early ink annotations, the collection includes 7 duplicates. Each pamphlet in an archival windowed folder, and the folders are then housed in four large grey cloth clamshell cases with paper labels. An extensive collection that spans thirty years of the acts and laws passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, printed by Benjamin Franklin. From 1682 until the beginning of the Revolutionary War, The General Assembly was the main legislative body for the colony of Pennsylvania. Franklin was elected official government printer of both the Session Laws and the Votes and Proceedings of the Assembly in 1730. He continued in this role until 1765, when he sold his remaining shares in his printing business to his longtime partner, David Hall. He also served as clerk for the Assembly from 1736 to 1750, and as an elected member representing Philadelphia from 1751–64, and again in 1773 and 1775. On 26 May, 1764, Franklin was unanimously elected the 25th Speaker of the Assembly, a position he did not hold for long. Later that year, on 11 October, after having proposed a letter to the King requesting a change in the colony's government from proprietorship to a royal charter, he lost his seat in the Assembly. These acts cover a vast array of topics, providing insight into nearly all aspects of civic and private life all throughout the colony. For example, they range from the hyper-specific, like commuting a single prisoner's sentence, to the very broad, such as changes to the colony's judicial system. Included are laws regulating politics, finance, taxation, infrastructure, wildlife, public safety, slavery, and much more. Of particular note are the acts founding two of Pennsylvania's counties, those that deal with colonial relations with American Indians, and a series of laws regulating volunteer militias and commissioned soldiers during the French and Indian War. The creation of two of the charitable institutions that Franklin had a hand in are also represented — the act establishing The Pennsylvania Hospital, together with the system of promissory notes that funded it (see lots 60 and 61), and the act that created the Philadelphia Contributionship, America's first successful fire insurance company (see lot 100), are both included. A list of all the individual sessions, with descriptions of some of their acts, laws, and particularities, follows: Box I: 1 May, 1739: early ownership signature of Robert Dawson, 17397 May, 1744: "An Act for laying an Excise on Wine, Rum, Brandy, and other Spirits"7 March, 1745: Acts "for Erecting Houses of Correction and Work-Houses... to build a Court-House..."9 June, 1746: "An Act for imposing a Duty on Persons Convicted of heinous Crimes, &c"3 May, 1747: "Securing the City of Philadelphia from the Danger of Gunpowder"2 January, 1749: "To Regulate Horse-Jockeys and Dealers in Horses"; "to Encourage the Killing of Squirrels"7 August, 1750: Protecting the citizens of remote Western Lancaster County1 January, 1750: Creation of Cumberland County; prohibiting the importation of too many Germans in a single ship; amending the act to encourage killing squirrels and hunting deer out of season6 August, 17507 January, 1751: Surveying Cumberland County; Suppressing fire, drunkenness, and idleness; Philadelphia nightly watch6 May, 1751: The creation of Pennsylvania Hospital — "An Act to encourage the establishing of an Hospital for the Relief of the Sick Poor of this Province, and for the Reception and Cure of Lunaticks."3 February, 1752: Creation of Berks County; preventing bribery and corruption in the elections of sheriffs and coroners.10 August, 175215 September, 175515 November, 1755: Ordering and regulating volunteer militias,2 January, 1758: Regulating commissioned officers and soldiers.2 January [but apparently April], 1758[May, 1758]: Granting a duty on wine and sugar for supporting the war effort; punishing mutiny and desertion; Lacks title4 September, 17585 February, 1759: "preventing abuses in the Indian trade; for supplying the Indians, friends and allies of Great Britain with goods at more easy rates; and for securing and strengthening peace and friendship lately concluded with the Indians inhabiting the northern and western frontiers of this province." Box II: 2 January [but April], 17588 July, 176330 September, 1763: Erecting a lighthouse on Cape Henlopen, and fixing buoys in the bay and on the Delaware River; Paving the streets of Philadelphia22 October, 1763: Prohibiting the sale of arms to American Indians30 May, 1764: Published during Franklin's short tenure as Speaker of the General Assembly, with Franklin mentioned on p. 35215 February, 1765: Raising a lottery for finishing the construction of St. Peter's and St. Paul's Churches in Philadelphia, and for other Episcopal churches throughout the state; relief for specific persons imprisoned for their debts18 May, 1765: Repairing public roads Box III: 21 May, 1759[After May, 1759]: for recording of warrants and surveys; lacks title11 February, 176014 March, 1761: Regulating waggoners, carters, draymen, and porters in the City of Philadelphia; the preservation of fish in the Delaware, Susquehanna, Lehigh, and Schuylkill rivers; raising, paying, and clothing 300 men to relieve the forts and posts around Pittsburgh; a duty on slaves imported into Pennsylvania23 April, 1761: supplement to the act laying a duty on imported slaves26 September, 176117 February, 1762: suppressing and preventing lotteries,26 March, 17623 May, 17624 March, 1763: Removing "certain nuisances," mostly drunkards and thieves, from Philadelphia; regulating streets, water courses, and sewers in Philadelphia, regulating apprentices in Pennsylvania; repaying those whose Apprentices have joined the militia8 July, 1763: duplicate30 September, 1763: duplicate 22 October, 1763: duplicate 24 March 1764: "For Preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters"; repeal of an earlier law about intestate estates30 May, 1764: duplicate 22 September, 176415 February, 1765: duplicate Box IV: 18 May, 1765: duplicate 21 September, 1765; Allowing Lancaster to raise funds for a night watch, "For the more easy recovery of legacies," a lottery to erect a bridge over Skippack Creek in Philadelphia21 September, 1765; duplicate8 February, 1766: stopping citizens from cutting ropes used by Ferrymen; for employment, relief, and support of Philadelphia's poor; Printed by D. Hall21 February, 1767: to prevent mischief from the increase of vagabonds in Philadelphia; "for the advancement of justice and more certain administration thereof"; Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers 20 May, 1967: Raising 20,000 pounds for the support of the province and payment of public debt; appointing wardens for the port of Philadelphia: Printed by William Goddard20 September, 1766: Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers26 September, 1767: "Obliging sheriffs and treasurers... and the collector of the duties of tonnage, to give sufficient sureties for the faithful execution of their trust"; Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers20 February, 1768: "to remove the persons now settled, and to prevent others from settling, on any lands in the province not purchased of the Indians"; "raising... the sum of three thousand pounds towards removing the present discontent of the Indians, regaining their friendship..."; "An act for the incorporating the Society, known by the name and stile of The Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insuring of Houses from Loss by Fire..."; Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers18 February, 1769: various infrastructure and building projects in and around Philadelphia; prosecuting those behind a failed lottery scheme to build a school-house for a High Dutch Reformed Church congregation in Lancaster; a divorce on the grounds of adultery in Lancaster; Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers27 May, 1769: Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers30 September, 1769: Printed by D. Hall, and W. Sellers REFERENCES Miller 175; 360; 401; 402; 429; 482; 483; 512; 513; 538; 539; 560; 561; 617; 618; 686; 687; 688; 691; 708; 709; 735; 757; 758; 759; 777; 778; 779; 790; 791; 792; 793; 817; 818; 844; 845; 846 PROVENANCE Most from the New York City Bar Association (library stamps and pencil annotations; sold Doyle Auctions, 24 November, 2014)

View 1 of Lot 16: Pennsylvania General Assembly | Session laws spanning thirty years

pennsylvania general assembly | session laws spanning thirty years

(Benjamin Franklin) A Narrative of the Late Massacres, in Lancaster County, of a Number of Indians, Friends of this Province, by Persons Unknown. With some Observations on the Same. [Philadelphia:] Printed [by B. Franklin and D. Hall], in the year M,DCC,LXIV (1764) Demy 8vo (198 x 120 mm). Some very light browning to gathering B, scattered spotting. Nineteenth-century tree calf by M. Wood, covers with gilt frame of French fillet and dentelle-roll, spine gilt in six compartments with labels in second and third, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, a number of blank leaves bound at end; front joint worn, other extremities rubbed. First edition. “This account of the murder of twenty harmless Indians—7 men, 5 women, 8 children—at Conestogoe by the ‘Paxton Boys’ was written by Benjamin Franklin in an effort to persuade many Pennsylvanians terrified by marauding bands of hostile Indians and in part sympathetic with what the Paxton Boys had done to see the action for the lawless, unChristian massacre it was” (Miller). The terror on the western frontier of Pennsylvania was precipitated by Pontiac’s War, a three-year conflict begun in 1763 when a wide confederation of Indian peoples who had lived under French rule refused to accept the sovereignty of the British in what had been the Great Lakes region of New France after the French and Indian War. Warriors from more than a dozen tribes (including Ottawas, Ojibwes, Miamis, Weas, Kickapoos, Lenape, Shawnees, and Wyandots) captured British forts in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio territories, as well as in Pennsylvania. The Paxton Boys were a vigilante group who believed that the Pennsylvania government was not doing enough to protect the frontier. In December 1763, fueled by rumors of a raiding party seen at Conestoga Town, the mob vented their rage in a massacre of Susquehannock and Moravian Lenape people living peacefully near the Pennsylvania frontier settlers. Franklin’s anonymous text justifies Thomas Field’s later assessment that the Narrative of the Late Massacre “is another story of the method in which the cowards of the frontiers revenged upon innocent and helpless old men, and young children, the outrages of Indian warriors whom they dared not meet” (p. 288). Franklin introduces the victims by name, describing them as “the Remains of a Tribe of the Six Nations, settled at Conestogoe, and thence called Conestogoe Indians. … [T]here they have lived many Years in Friendship with their White Neighbours, who loved them for their peaceable inoffensive Behaviour.” The Paxton Boys, by contrast, are termed “barbarous Men who committed the atrocious Fact, in Defiance of Government, of all Laws human and divine, and to the eternal Disgrace of their Country and Colour.” Leonard Labaree describes the Narrative as “a stirring evocation of humanitarian sentiments and impulses and of the principles of morality and justice. Seldom in his life did Franklin, the rationalist, appeal so little to the reader’s head and so strongly and so warmly to his heart” (Papers 11:42–69). But, in fact, some of Franklin’s most convincing arguments are logical and not emotional: “There are some (I am ashamed to hear it) who would extenuate the enormous Wickedness of these Actions, by saying, ‘The Inhabitants of the Frontiers are exasperated with the Murder of their Relations, by the Enemy Indians, in the present War.’ It is possible; but though this might justify their going out into the Woods, to seek for those Enemies, and avenge upon them those Murders; it can never justify their turning in to the Heart of the Country, to murder their Friends. “If an Indian injures me, does it follow that I may revenge that Injury on all Indians? It is well known that Indians are of different Tribes, Nations and Languages, as well as the White People. In Europe, if the French, who are White-People, should injure the Dutch, are they to revenge it on the English, because they too are White People? The only Crime of these poor Wretches seems to have been, that they had a reddish brown Skin, and black Hair; and some People of that Sort, it seems, had murdered some of our Relations. If it be right to kill Men for such a Reason, then, should any Man, with a freckled Face and red Hair, kill a Wife or Child of mine, it would be right for me to revenge it, by killing all the freckled red-haired Men, Women and Children, I could afterwards any where meet with” (pp. 12–13). Franklin himself seemed surprised by the influence of his pamphlet. On 11 February 1764 he wrote to Richard Jackson, member of Parliament and agent for Pennsylvania and Connecticut, “In my last I mention’d to you the Rioting on our Frontiers, in which 20 peaceable Indians were kill’d, who had long liv’d quietly among us. The Spirit of killing all Indians, Friends and Foes, spread amazingly thro’ the whole Country: The Action was almost universally approved of by the common People; and the Rioters thence receiv’d such Encouragement, that they projected coming down to this City, 1000 in Number, arm’d, to destroy 140 Moravian and Quaker Indians, under Protection of the Government. To check this Spirit, and strengthen the Hands of the Government by changing the Sentiments of the Populace, I wrote the enclos’d Pamphlet, which we had only time to circulate in this City and Neighbourhood, before we heard that the Insurgents were on their March from all Parts. It would perhaps be Vanity in me to imagine so slight a thing could have any extraordinary Effect. But however that may be, there was a sudden and very remarkable Change; and above 1000 of our Citizens took Arms to support the Government in the Protection of those poor Wretches. Near 500 of the Rioters had rendezvous’d at Germantown, and many more were expected; but the Fighting Face we put on made them more willing to hear Reason, and the Gentlemen sent out by the Governor and Council to discourse with them, found it no very difficult Matter to persuade them to disperse and go home quietly. They came from all Parts of our Frontier, and were armed with Rifle Guns and Tomhawks” (Papers 11:76–78). Although Evans, Hildeburn, and Paul Leicester Ford assign the printing of the Narrative to Anthony Armbruster, Miller does not hesitate to ascribe the pamphlet to the Franklin-Hall press: “Franklin would normally make use of his own printing house in publishing a pamphlet in Philadelphia, and would certainly turn to his partner David Hall for assistance in such an emergency as the publication of this piece presented. The type evidence in no way contradicts this attribution to the Franklin press, but does refute that made by Hildeburn to the press of Anthony Armbruster, who owned no Caslon fonts.” REFERENCES Miller 807; ESTC W17009; Evans 9667; Hildeburn 1992; Field 1116; Sabin 25557; Streeter sale 2:968; Vail 556 PROVENANCE P. Collinson (signature, now faded, at foot of title-page; probably Franklin’s friend and frequent correspondent Peter Collinson, an English merchant and naturalist) — Wilberforce Eames (signature on front binder’s blank, but not traced in the sale of his Americana Library, Anderson, 17 May 1905) — Herman Le Roy Edgar (armorial bookplate; Anderson, 22 November 1920, lot 224) — G. A. Baker & Company, 29 April 1941, lot 75 (undesignated consignor; with Streeter’s note on front free endpaper, “bought by L[athrop]. C. H[arper], for me at Baker sale, April 29 1941”) — Thomas W. Streeter (booklabel; Parke-Bernet, 20 April 1967, lot 968) — Laird U. Park Jr. (Sotheby’s New York, 29 November 2000, lot 121)

View 1 of Lot 92: (Benjamin Franklin) | The most important Paxton Boys pamphlet, with distinguished provenance

(benjamin franklin) | the most important paxton boys pamphlet, with distinguished provenance

(Durer, Albrecht) — Lucian of Samosata — Willibald Pirckheimer (trans.)

(Durer, Albrecht) — Lucian of Samosata — Willibald Pirckheimer (trans.) De ratione conscribendae historiae, ex graeco in latinum traductus. Nuremberg: F. Peypus, 1515 4to (201 x 146 mm). Ornamental title page featuring a woodcut border by Albrecht Durer; a few minor stains in the margins, text block trimmed close to printed marginalia without loss of text. Old pastepaper boards; spine perished, front board detached but retaining the endpaper. This book includes an ornamental woodcut title page made by Albrecht Durer for his closest friend, Willibald Pirckheimer. The title page was used in five of Pirckheimer’s publications, first appearing in 1513. Willibald Pirckheimer, the text’s translator, was an important humanist scholar and art patron in Nuremberg. He notably encouraged Durer’s classical humanist education through their scholarly discussions and with a loan that allowed the artist to travel to Venice from 1507 to 1509. This text is a translation from Greek to Latin of Lucian of Samosata’s How to Write History. REFERENCES British Museum catalogue number 1904,0206.28 (Pirckheimer’s own copy); Hollstein VII, 225 PROVENANCE Dr. George Kloss (Bookplate on front pastedown; manuscript label, “no. 2343,” on front board; the collection sold at Sotheby and Son, London, starting on 7 May 1835) — manuscript note on rear free endpaper, “Bought by L. H. N. at Hyatt sale in Feb. 1838 for 60 Cents” (this likely the sale at Cooley & Bangs, New York, Catalogue of Rare Scarce and Early Printed Books, 21 February 1838)

View 1 of Lot 440: (Durer, Albrecht) — Lucianus of Samosata — Willibald Pirckheimer (trans.) | An ornamental woodcut titlepage by Durer

(durer, albrecht) — lucianus of samosata — willibald pirckheimer (trans.) | an ornamental woodcut titlepage by durer

[Mary “Polly” Stevenson Hewson] A pair of George III silver candlesticks, inscribed “The Gift of Benjamin Franklin L.L.D./F.R.S." at base tops. London: Louis Black, 1763 43 oz/1337.5 g (height 294 mm). Formed as Ionic columns atop stepped square bases with gadrooned rims, with removable square nozzles, later closed bases, base tops inscribed "The Gift of Benjamin Franklin L.L.D. / F.R.S.," marked on base rims and nozzles. Franklin's gift to Mary "Polly" Stevenson upon her marriage to Dr. William Hewson in 1770. The present lot contains two of four silver candlesticks gifted to the newlyweds, epitomizing Franklin's close relationship with Polly and her family. Franklin evidently thought of her as one of his own: as Polly's own father had passed away, Franklin walked her down the aisle at the wedding. Indeed, Franklin had previously encouraged a match between Polly and his own son, William, to no avail; he even tried to make a match between Polly's daughter and his own grandson decades later. After Polly's husband passed away in 1774, Franklin encouraged Polly to move from London to Philadelphia, further strengthening their friendship. When Franklin died in 1790, Polly was present at his bedside. The candlesticks passed by descent to Polly's son, Thomas Tickell Hewson, who became a renowned Philadelphia physician. In her will, dated 1794, she states, "To Thomas Tickell Hewson silver candlesticks inscribed with Dr. Franklin's name" (The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 1905, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 310-319). After Thomas died, he left the candlesticks to his son, Dr. Addinell Hewson. Upon Addinell's death, the four candlesticks were split between two of his children: two to his daughter Emily Hewson (the present lot) and two to his son, Addinell Hewson, Jr. The second pair descended through Addinell Hewson Jr.'s family, who loaned them to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a 1921 exhibition on Colonial Silver (Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin, June 1921, Issue 68, p. 46, No. 321), and these presumably remain within the family. PROVENANCE Benjamin Franklin, gifted to — Mary "Polly" Stevenson (1739–1795), London, to her son — Dr. Thomas Tickell Hewson (1773–1848), Philadelphia, to his son — Dr. Addinell Hewson, Sr. (1828–1889), Philadelphia, to his daughter — Emily Hewson (1865–1935) — thence by descent — Sotheby's, "Important Americana," 25 January 2025, lot 11

View 1 of Lot 83: [Mary “Polly” Stevenson Hewson] | Franklin's wedding gift, a pair of George III silver candlesticks

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