Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
Unknown
Estimate: 1.000 - 1.500 GBP
Price realised: 125 GBP
Price realised: 125 GBP
Description
SIR JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER (1817-1911)
Three autograph letters signed (one incomplete) to Dr James Croll (physical geologist, 1821-90), Kew Gardens, 28 March - 6 April 1884, discussing the 'hopelessly unintelligible' question of whether specimens of wood found in the Arctic are evidence of interglacial warming periods, expressing particular scepticism as to Sir Edward Belcher's claims to have found a tree stump embedded in frozen clay, 'Belcher you know was a notoriously untruthful man ... the best (and most deservedly) hated man of his day in the Navy', 12 pages, 8vo, on bifolia (letter of 6 April lacking second bifolium, minor soiling and occasional short tears to folds); together with contemporary copies (including complete text of letter of 6 April 1884); [with] a portrait photograph signed (on mount) by Hooker ('Jos. D. Hooker'), 149 x 111mm including mount.
Hooker had gained early experience of the Polar regions as a young botanist with Sir James Clark Ross's Antarctic expedition on Erebus, 1839-43, whose results he published in six volumes. He succeeded his father as Director of Kew Gardens in 1865. (7)
Three autograph letters signed (one incomplete) to Dr James Croll (physical geologist, 1821-90), Kew Gardens, 28 March - 6 April 1884, discussing the 'hopelessly unintelligible' question of whether specimens of wood found in the Arctic are evidence of interglacial warming periods, expressing particular scepticism as to Sir Edward Belcher's claims to have found a tree stump embedded in frozen clay, 'Belcher you know was a notoriously untruthful man ... the best (and most deservedly) hated man of his day in the Navy', 12 pages, 8vo, on bifolia (letter of 6 April lacking second bifolium, minor soiling and occasional short tears to folds); together with contemporary copies (including complete text of letter of 6 April 1884); [with] a portrait photograph signed (on mount) by Hooker ('Jos. D. Hooker'), 149 x 111mm including mount.
Hooker had gained early experience of the Polar regions as a young botanist with Sir James Clark Ross's Antarctic expedition on Erebus, 1839-43, whose results he published in six volumes. He succeeded his father as Director of Kew Gardens in 1865. (7)
Auction result misses estimated price range
When the work Unknown by Joseph Dalton Hooker was auctioned at Christies in London in October 2012, the result was somewhat disappointing. The auction house had previously given the estimated price as a range of GBP 1,000.00 – 1,500.00, of which not even the lower limit was reached - in fact, the artwork changed hands for GBP 125.00 (€ 155.42). Of course, this price has nothing to do with the top prices that other works by Joseph Dalton Hooker achieve. The highest price we have observed so far was reached by the work Illustrations of Himalayan plants, London, 1855, original boards in May last year with an auction result of GBP 8,820.00 (€ 10,375.89).
Auktionsergebnis verfehlt die Schätzpreisspanne
Als die Arbeit Unknown von Joseph Dalton Hooker im Oktober 2012 bei Christies in London versteigert wurde, fiel das Ergebnis ein wenig enttäuschend aus. Das Auktionshaus hatte den Schätzpreis zuvor mit einer Spanne von GBP 1.000,00 – 1.500,00 angegeben, von der nicht einmal die Untergrenze erreicht wurde - tatsächlich wechselte das Kunstwerk für GBP 125,00 (€ 155,42) den Besitzer. Dieser Preis hat freilich nichts mit den Spitzenpreisen zu tun, die andere Arbeiten von Joseph Dalton Hooker erzielen. Den höchsten von uns bisher beobachteten Preis erreichte die Arbeit Illustrations of Himalayan plants, London, 1855, original boards im Mai letzten Jahres mit einem Auktionsergebnis von GBP 8.820,00 (€ 10.375,89).
Joseph Dalton Hooker - Auction history
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