Africana Auction Catalogues by Richard R Currie and an Africana price-list (1943-1947)

(1) 24 February 1943. "Captain A J Griffin's magnificent Africana collection" including approximately 500 books by Isaacs, Kolben, Burchell (the 2-vol set in original binding), Latrobe, Campbell and Harris (both with coloured plates). Page 1 includes the note: "Collectors should bear in mind that Africana is daily becoming more difficult to secure, and the destruction of many thousands of rarities in the London Blitz has increased the scarcity." - Richard R Currie, The Old Mart, Commissioner Street, Johannesburg. ii + 35 mimeographed pages describing 475 lots. The list comes under cover of a letter from Eva V Rose, of Fox Street, Johannesburg, who compiled the catalogue "and handled every book in the collection". She was prepared to act for buyers "on the usual 10% buying commission".

(2) 24 and 25 October 1945. The same auctioneer and the same Eva V Rose. This time 758 items of Africana and 47 works of art. There is no single main seller. i + 39 pp (Africana) + 8 pp (paintings) + 12 pp (non-Africana items).

(3) March 1947. A priced catalogue of a large private collection of Africana collected over more than 20 years from "Africana Private Collector" c/o P O Box 455 Port Elizabeth. 23 pp + 1 p addendum (p 18 missing). This copy was returned to the sender with a one-penny stamp. No money was required until the wanted item was delivered. High-priced items included 27 pounds 10 shillings for a Roupell; 24 pounds 10 shillings for a Golden Cockerel edition of Sparrman, "finished on 27 October 1944 on mould-made paper", No 6 of 50 specially bound copies in white pigskin, gilt, in cloth case; and 19 pounds ten shillings for a Fairbridge; and the same for a first edition of Olive Schreiner's "Story of An African Farm" (Ralph Irons, 2 vols, 1883, "original decorated cloth, good state").