The Estate of Texas Novelist, Screenwriter Larry McMurtry to Sell With Vogt Auction Texas

Author, book enthusiast, and screenwriter Larry McMurtry (1936 – 2021) was best known for his engrossing stories that were Texas-based or had strong Texan cultural themes. Over his lifetime, he penned over 30 novels and 30 screenplays, winning both Academy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for his work. Vogt Auction Texas of San Antonio, TX is presenting The Estate of Larry McMurtry Sale on May 29, 2023. Over 300 lots of McMurty’s personal effects, furniture, literature, and Hollywood memorabilia are on offer. Here are some highlights from this intriguing auction.

Handsome, well-constructed wooden furniture from Larry McMurtry’s Archer City, TX home take several of the top lot slots in this event, with desks, tables, and even a church pew on offer. Lot #45, an Arts and Crafts-era partner’s desk, is estimated at USD 10,000 to $20,000. This impressive and marked example was made by Roycroft Community (USA, 1895 – 1938) and dates from circa 1910-15. It features a large top, central drawer, two pedestal bases, and five drawers.

Here, Roycroft refers to materials produced by a community of talented artisans from East Aurora, New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These items had a distinctly Arts and Crafts theme to them and were made with quality, integrity, and passion. Author, artist, and philosopher Elbert Hubbard (American, 1856 – 1915) started the Roycroft movement in 1895. By 1910, nearly 500 talented printers, furniture makers, metalsmiths, leather smiths, and bookbinders were affiliated with this upstate New York hub of creativity.

First editions from McMurtry’s own personal library are a key category in this sale, with 13 examples available. Lot #1, a first edition of the author’s Terms of Endearment, is estimated at $2,000 to $4,000. It was published in 1975 by Simon and Schuster of New York. This 410-page hardcover book is complete with its original dust jacket and McMurtry’s bookplate.

One of McMurtry’s most famous works, Terms of Endearment tells the story of the evolving relationship between Aurora Greenway and her daughter Emma over three decades. The book was made into a movie in 1983 and starred Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine as the mother-daughter protagonists. The film was a home run all around, grossing $165 million and eventually winning five Oscars, including Best Picture, at the 56th Academy Awards held on April 9, 1984.

Typewriters used by Mr. McMurtry to author his literary masterpieces are well represented in this sale, with 13 lots on offer. Lot #41, a Hermes Rocket typewriter, is estimated at $800 to $1,200. This midcentury example has a green exterior and includes its locking case, key, manual, and brush. It was produced in Switzerland by Paillard S.A. and is serial number “5580305.”

The Hermes Rocket debuted in the 1950s and was marketed at the time as the world’s lightest portable. A print ad for the Rocket from 1955 notes in part, “…the all-new, lightweight Hermes Rocket now only $69.50 plus tax. Full-featured, weighs only 8 pounds, has the touch and action of a full sized portable…. The Swiss-made Rocket is rugged and compact, has full-size platen and keyboard. Fits easily in briefcase or desk-drawer.”

This sale also includes fine selections of Hollywood-related materials with ties to Mr. McMurtry’s screenplays, TV and movie productions, and other entertainment projects. Lot #7, a group of collector’s edition books and materials, is estimated at $4,000 to $8,000. This lot includes four leather-bound books authored by McMurtry and published by the Easton Press of CT. They are Lonesome Dove, Comanche Moon, Dead Man’s Walk, and Streets of Laredo; all are signed by McMurtry. Lonesome Dove is also signed by the cast members of the Lonesome Dove 1989 mini-series including Robert Duvall, Anjelica Huston, Ricky Schroder, Diane Lane, Chris Cooper, and others. This lot also includes 11 photos of the 2016 Lonesome Dove Reunion and Trail event and a 2016 general admission ticket for The Women of Lonesome Dove panel.

Lonesome Dove is set in the Old West and tells the story of retired Texas Rangers on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. “Lonesome Dove” refers to a small, fictional Texas border town. The novel was released in 1985 and was an immediate bestseller, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year. It was made into a popular TV miniseries in 1989 and would go on to inspire a sequel, Streets of Laredo in 1993, and a pair of prequels, Dead Man’s Walk in 1995 and Comanche Moon in 1997. These three subsequent works were also later produced for television.

The Estate of Larry McMurtry sale comes full circle with firearms, fine and decorative artwork, personal items, as well as collections of materials related to the study of taxidermy, osteology, and wild animal anatomy.  Lot #195, a tabletop specimen cabinet, is estimated at $800 to $1,400. It is detailed on the outside with a pair of front doors, metal hardware, and an exterior latch. The inside includes 20 flat file drawers and drawer label slots for storing and studying small bits of biological materials.

For more information about Vogt Auction Texas‘ The Estate of Larry McMurtry sale, visit LiveAuctioneers. 

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