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Dawson Ephemera Auction September 29th - By Bruce McKinney An early map with a Bancroft connection. By Bruce McKinney Glen Dawson, the consummate bookman and bibliophile, has sent Part II of his collection of early Californiana and Los Angeles ephemera to auction to be parsed, savored and sold by Johns' Western Gallery on September 29th. The sale includes 99 items from the 1874-1879 period. Part I, comprising 100 lots brought $152,000 on December 2, 2005. The first sale was successful both for buyers and the seller as Mr. Dawson's decades long commitment to the collection of obscure early local materials was welcomed by a new generation of collectors who appreciated the rarity of both the material and the opportunity to acquire it. Lots in the first sale had low estimates and no reserves leaving bidders from around the state and across the country to fight it out for the privilege of taking home a prize. Most lots fell to a Southern Californian passing bids by phone to his attractive representative who systematically decapitated hopefuls with an upraised paddle that refused to fall. In that sale Doug Johns, the proprietor and auctioneer, was content to let prices find their natural perches after starting at levels that let everyone present believe they would be carrying home boxes of gems for the price of a Big Mac. Alas it didn't work out that way as one buyer ate all the lunch. This sale, the second of four projected, continues the deaccessioning in date order. The first sale included imprints issued between 1843 and 1873. This sale covers 1874 to 1879. The collection is the lifelong avocation of Glen Dawson and his connection adds significant cachet to the material. For collectors, who may not otherwise covet the material, the acquisition of one or two items for their Dawson provenance may prove irresistible. The numbering of the lots conforms to the yet-to-be published Bibliography of Southern California Imprints being prepared by Dr. Stuart Robinson. Thus there are occasional blanks. Here then a few examples from the sale. Lot 111. Diagram of the Scene of the Capture of Vasquez. Typographical map composed entirely of printers' ornaments, 24.6 x 33.9 cm. Supplement to the Los Angeles Star, Vol. XI, No. 21 (May 23, 1874). Est. $1,500/2,500 Lot 114. Tiburcio Vasquez, the Notorious Bandit. 9 x 6 cm, albumen-print carte de visite with 42 lines of printed text on verso. [Los Angeles, 1874.] Est. $500/800 Lot 138. By-laws of the California Wine-Growers' Association of Los Angeles, Incorporated March 20, 1875. 14 pp., 21.5 cm, printed wrappers, in cloth & leather case, fold-out photograph tipped in facing title page. Los Angeles: "Mirror" Book and Job Printing Establishment, Downey Block, Temple and Main Streets, 1875. Est. $1,000/1,500
Dawson Ephemera Auction September 29th - By Bruce McKinney First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles Lot 140. California: the Ideal Italy of the World. An Outline Mirror of the State for Health, Happiness, and Delightful Homes. 32 pp. plus 8 pp. of ads. 22.8 cm, printed yellow wrappers, in cloth case along with a signed 4.5 cm oval portrait of Hall given to Ed Carpenter by Florence Kreider. Philadelphia: Co-operative Printing Co., 1875. With old Dawson's Book Shop price of $5.00. Est. $1,200/1,800 Lot 143. Great Register of Los Angeles County, State of California. Published by Authority. Made and Done Pursuant to the Provisions of the Political Code. 139 pp., 39.5 cm, original printed wrappers reinforced with cardstock, spine rebacked in beige cloth, in cloth case. Los Angeles: Printed at the Mirror Book and Printing House, 1875. The Register gives voter name, age, place of birth, occupation, city or town of residence, naturalization information, and date of registration. Est. $2,500/3,500 Lot 144. Directory of The City of Los Angeles for 1875. pp. 1-88; [i-iv]; 89-174 (lacks p. 175, which was printed on the original pastedown). 21.4 cm., original printed boards with leather backstrip, new endpapers. Los Angeles: Mirror Book and Job Printing Office, 1875. First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles. With four-page ad for Heald's Business College inserted between pp. 88 & 89. Est. $2,000/3,000 Lot 157. The Present Condition, Growth, Progress and Advantages of Los Angeles City and County, Southern California. 144 pp., 22.4 cm, printed wrappers, Stearns Rancho map printed on rear cover, map of Wilmington Harbor on p. [16], in cloth and leather case. Los Angeles: Mirror Printing, Ruling and Binding House, July 1876. First edition. First publication of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Although printed by Mirror, the text is mostly reprinted from Hawley's articles in the Los Angeles Star, published by Ben Truman. There is a copy in the Pasadena Public Library with Ernest Dawson's notation, "First and only copy I have seen, Oct. 29, 1909, $3.50 net." Est. $2,000/3,000 Lot 166. Map of the City of Los Angeles. Large hand-colored map, paper panels mounted on cloth, 109.2 x 106.7 cm. Los Angeles, 1876. Robinson, Maps of Los Angeles 28. Formerly in collection Benjamin Kirby who gave it to Stuart W. Salisbury, January 29, 1943. Said to be Stevenson's own copy. With blue pencil markings across several panels. According to Kirby's inscription on the verso, these are Stevenson's tracings of the old zanjas. Est. $5,000/8,000 The full catalogue is accessible both on AE and on the Johns' Western Gallery site: www.johnswesterngallery.com. Material can be viewed in person at the Gallery M-S 10-5. Bidding will be in the room, on the phones and by absentee bid. The auction begins at 10:00 am on Friday, September 29th at 250 Sutter Street, San Francisco.

Dawson Ephemera Auction September 29th

- By Bruce McKinney

An early map with a Bancroft connection.

By Bruce McKinney

Glen Dawson, the consummate bookman and bibliophile, has sent Part II of his collection of early Californiana and Los Angeles ephemera to auction to be parsed, savored and sold by Johns' Western Gallery on September 29th. The sale includes 99 items from the 1874-1879 period. Part I, comprising 100 lots brought $152,000 on December 2, 2005. The first sale was successful both for buyers and the seller as Mr. Dawson's decades long commitment to the collection of obscure early local materials was welcomed by a new generation of collectors who appreciated the rarity of both the material and the opportunity to acquire it. Lots in the first sale had low estimates and no reserves leaving bidders from around the state and across the country to fight it out for the privilege of taking home a prize. Most lots fell to a Southern Californian passing bids by phone to his attractive representative who systematically decapitated hopefuls with an upraised paddle that refused to fall.

In that sale Doug Johns, the proprietor and auctioneer, was content to let prices find their natural perches after starting at levels that let everyone present believe they would be carrying home boxes of gems for the price of a Big Mac. Alas it didn't work out that way as one buyer ate all the lunch.

This sale, the second of four projected, continues the deaccessioning in date order. The first sale included imprints issued between 1843 and 1873. This sale covers 1874 to 1879. The collection is the lifelong avocation of Glen Dawson and his connection adds significant cachet to the material. For collectors, who may not otherwise covet the material, the acquisition of one or two items for their Dawson provenance may prove irresistible. The numbering of the lots conforms to the yet-to-be published Bibliography of Southern California Imprints being prepared by Dr. Stuart Robinson. Thus there are occasional blanks.

Here then a few examples from the sale.

Lot 111. Diagram of the Scene of the Capture of Vasquez. Typographical map composed entirely of printers' ornaments, 24.6 x 33.9 cm. Supplement to the Los Angeles Star, Vol. XI, No. 21 (May 23, 1874). Est. $1,500/2,500

Lot 114. Tiburcio Vasquez, the Notorious Bandit. 9 x 6 cm, albumen-print carte de visite with 42 lines of printed text on verso. [Los Angeles, 1874.] Est. $500/800

Lot 138. By-laws of the California Wine-Growers' Association of Los Angeles, Incorporated March 20, 1875. 14 pp., 21.5 cm, printed wrappers, in cloth & leather case, fold-out photograph tipped in facing title page. Los Angeles: "Mirror" Book and Job Printing Establishment, Downey Block, Temple and Main Streets, 1875. Est. $1,000/1,500

Dawson Ephemera Auction September 29th

- By Bruce McKinney

First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles

Lot 140. California: the Ideal Italy of the World. An Outline Mirror of the State for Health, Happiness, and Delightful Homes. 32 pp. plus 8 pp. of ads. 22.8 cm, printed yellow wrappers, in cloth case along with a signed 4.5 cm oval portrait of Hall given to Ed Carpenter by Florence Kreider. Philadelphia: Co-operative Printing Co., 1875. With old Dawson's Book Shop price of $5.00. Est. $1,200/1,800

Lot 143. Great Register of Los Angeles County, State of California. Published by Authority. Made and Done Pursuant to the Provisions of the Political Code. 139 pp., 39.5 cm, original printed wrappers reinforced with cardstock, spine rebacked in beige cloth, in cloth case. Los Angeles: Printed at the Mirror Book and Printing House, 1875.

The Register gives voter name, age, place of birth, occupation, city or town of residence, naturalization information, and date of registration. Est. $2,500/3,500

Lot 144. Directory of The City of Los Angeles for 1875. pp. 1-88; [i-iv]; 89-174 (lacks p. 175, which was printed on the original pastedown). 21.4 cm., original printed boards with leather backstrip, new endpapers. Los Angeles: Mirror Book and Job Printing Office, 1875. First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles. With four-page ad for Heald's Business College inserted between pp. 88 & 89. Est. $2,000/3,000

Lot 157. The Present Condition, Growth, Progress and Advantages of Los Angeles City and County, Southern California. 144 pp., 22.4 cm, printed wrappers, Stearns Rancho map printed on rear cover, map of Wilmington Harbor on p. [16], in cloth and leather case. Los Angeles: Mirror Printing, Ruling and Binding House, July 1876. First edition.

First publication of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Although printed by Mirror, the text is mostly reprinted from Hawley's articles in the Los Angeles Star, published by Ben Truman. There is a copy in the Pasadena Public Library with Ernest Dawson's notation, "First and only copy I have seen, Oct. 29, 1909, $3.50 net." Est. $2,000/3,000

Lot 166. Map of the City of Los Angeles. Large hand-colored map, paper panels mounted on cloth, 109.2 x 106.7 cm. Los Angeles, 1876. Robinson, Maps of Los Angeles 28. Formerly in collection Benjamin Kirby who gave it to Stuart W. Salisbury, January 29, 1943. Said to be Stevenson's own copy.

With blue pencil markings across several panels. According to Kirby's inscription on the verso, these are Stevenson's tracings of the old zanjas. Est. $5,000/8,000

The full catalogue is accessible both on AE and on the Johns' Western Gallery site: www.johnswesterngallery.com. Material can be viewed in person at the Gallery M-S 10-5. Bidding will be in the room, on the phones and by absentee bid. The auction begins at 10:00 am on Friday, September 29th at 250 Sutter Street, San Francisco.