Auction Highlights from Forum Auctions Online Sale of Books and Works on Paper

Our first featured lot from our auction highlights of Forum Auction's Online Sale of Books and Works on Paper is this excellent set of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, translated by stoic dramatist George Chapman between 1611 and 1615. Regarded as the first complete Chapman editions of both the Iliad and Odyssey, the preliminary leaves lacking from the Iliad include the sections "To the Reader", "The Preface to the Reader", "Of Homer", and the errata on A6, however the main body of the Iliad text is complete. This exciting lot more than doubled it's minimum estimate of £1,000 for a hammer price of £2,400.

Second in our featured lots this week is this sharp and overall clean collection of plates of views of Rome, both ancient and modern, by renowned engraver and architect Giuseppe Vasi from 1786. Made from the edition issued after his death by his son Mariano, this collection greatly captures his expertise for cityscapes. It topped it's estimate for a final hammer price of £700.

Next up in our auction highlights of Forum Auctions Online Sale of Books and Works on Paper is this first edition of English essayist and poet Charles Lamb's first play, and the first appearance in print of his sister Mary with her poem 'Helen', from 1802. The duo would go on to co-author classic children's book Tales From Shakespeare in 1807, retelling the comedies and tragedies of Shakespeare. Despite some staining, this copy beat its estimate of £300 - £400 for a hammer price of £500.

Fourth in our featured lots from Forum Auction's Online Sale of Books and Works on Paper, powered by Auction Marketer, is this extremely scarce copy of The Nature and Place of Hell Discovered by Rev. George Craighead. With only 2 in the UK, residing at the British Library and the National Library of Scotland, this printed for the author edition collects masterpieces by the likes of David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It completely eclipsed it's estimate of £150 - £200 for a fantastic hammer price of £1,400.

Finishing up our featured lots is this signed and dated mounted photograph of Elizabeth II and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh from 1980. This lot is a special one for any royalists, and showcases the couple standing together at a key time for the monarchy. It hit a final hammer price of £1,100.