Mystery Pier Books to auction rarities with GWS Auctions
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Kruse GWS Auctions announced the upcoming Literary Masterpieces & Treasured Archives Auction featuring the collection of rare first edition books from the famous Los Angeles based book shop Mystery Pier Books. For the very first time, Mystery Pier Books will offer a wide collection of its most coveted books which are all first editions to bidders around the globe, in a one-day auction to take place online on Saturday, October 17, 2020 in Los Angeles beginning at 10:00 a.m. PT. Dame Brigitte Kruse, founder of Kruse GWS Auctions, will lead the auction.
More than 165 books will be available and include a wide array of prized books that appeal to all types of collectors and book lovers—from Charles Darwin’s “The Decent of Man” to a complete set of J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Ring” series; from Ayn Rand to Dr. Seuss. Included in this once in a lifetime auction are some of Mystery Pier Books’ most prized possessions; first editions, signed copies, proofs, limited edition sets, and more.
Since August, 1998, Mystery Pier Books has been a literary landmark to in Los Angeles for over 22 years. It is one of a distinct and rare handful of bookshops that feature “Exclusively First Edition Literature: collectible books – fine and rare, most signed; much rare cinema material, scripts signed by the shop’s many celebrity clients, and general Hollywoodiana.” The company is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABBA) and the International League of Antiquarian. Johnny Depp, Oprah Winfrey, Bette Midler, Bono, Martin Scorsese, Patti Smith and scores of others are among the names that own books from the shop. Owned and operated by the father and son team of Harvey Jason and Louis M. Jason, one can browse for hours through First Editions from authors like Steinbeck, Hemingway, Twain and many more. The Literary Masterpieces & Treasured Archives Auction, without a doubt, will bring collectors to their knees at the sheer variety offered, as well as the historical value represented.
Classic literature and historical fiction highlights of the Auction will include:
• J.R.R. Tolkien: full set of “The Lord of the Rings”
• Mark Twain: “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” w/ vellum cover jacket
• Charles Darwin: II Vol. “The Decent of Man”
• Charles Dickens: “Nicholas Nickelby” with rare original parts
• Raymond Chandler: rare, signed and corrected “Codicil to Will” & first edition “The Big Sleep”
• Margaret Mitchell: “Gone With the Wind” inscribed by Mitchell, Clark Gable & Vivian Leigh
• J.D. Salinger: “Catcher in the Rye” in custom box
• John Steinbeck: “Grapes of Wrath”
• Nathaniel Hawthorne: “Scarlet Letter”
• Sigmund Freud: “General Introduction to Psychoanalysis”
• Oscar Wilde: “Works of Oscar Wilde,” bound 7 volumes
• Truman Capote: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “Works of Longfellow” with handwritten letter
• Ernest Hemingway: a first state “The Old Man & The Sea”
• Queen Victoria: signed “Leaves From The Journal”
• Harriett B. Stowe: “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
• Winston Churchill: a signed “History of the English Speaking People”
More contemporary highlights include:
• Jim Henson: signed “Making of the Muppets”
• Robert Houdini: “The Unmasking of Robert Houdini”
• John F. Kennedy: signed and inscribed “Strategy of Peace”
• Ayn Rand: first-edition first state in box “The Fountainhead”
• Roman Polanski: “Roman by Roman” inscribed to Skolimowski in Polish
• “The Disney Poster Book” signed with drawing by famed Disney artist Tony Anselmo
• Ronald Reagan: signed “An American Life”
• Andy Warhol: signed “The Philosophy of Andy Warhol”
• Mario Puzo: “The Godfather” signed on card
• Dr. Seuss: signed “Horton Hears a Who”
• John Lennon: proof “A Spaniard in the Works” and many others.
The Mystery Pier Books collection offered at Kruse GWS Auction will also include a variety of awards and original scripts. This will include a 1998 Academy Awards program signed by 16 people including Gene Kelly, Meryl Streep, Jack Lemmon, Frank Capra, Claudette Colbert, James Stewart and others. a 1978 Tony Awards binder with footlights; John Steinbeck’s own Academy Award nomination plaque; “The Game of Thrones” pilot script signed by 9 actors; “The English Patient” shooting script signed by award-winning director Anthony Minghella; “The Exorcist” script signed by Linda Blaire; “Being John Malkovich” script signed by the actor himself; a signed script of “Blazing Saddles” by Mel Brooks and others.
“Our entire auction house staff is mesmerized by this collection. Mystery Pier Books has long been a mainstay of collectors here in Los Angeles and the world over. It is only when you are able to see for yourself the sheer volume of what this shop represents that you can truly appreciate it. We are so honored to have the trust of Harvey and Jason for this incredible auction representing the first time their rare books and printed artifacts collection will be auctioned. Imagine holding Hemmingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” or turning the pages of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?” Those are only two of the names that will leave you spellbound. The list is just extraordinary!” – Dame Brigitte Kruse
“We have dedicated our lives to finding the rarest books we can find and now we see it as a privilege to be able to share them with other collectors and book enthusiasts. As part of our very first auction we will be offering some of our most prized possessions including first-edition, signed and inscribed and antiquarian books representing a vast array of iconic authors and writers. We are also including entertainment memorabilia that include awards, original scripts and documents. We imagine Dickens, Tolkien, Hemingway, Longfellow and even Warhol would be quite pleased with the collection we have put together for the auction. We hope you enjoy these treasures for many years to come in the same way we have for many years. We look forward to see who will be turning the pages next.” – Harvey Jason & Louis M. Jason, Owners, Mystery Pier Books
To view the entire catalog of the Mystery Pier Books auction collection please visit: https://bid.gwsauctions.com/auction/literary-masterpieces-treasured-archives-54/bidgallery/
