Unbound “Philosopher’s Stone” sheets up for auction

A set of full unbound folded imposed sheets for the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, published in 1997, is up for auction May 8th and 9th at Heritage Auction’s Rare Books Auction. The set has passed through several private collectors, the first of whom obtained it directly from Clays Ltd, a London printhouse.

As reported by Fine Books & Collections, quoting Francis Wahlgren, Heritage Auction’s International Director of Rare Books & Manuscripts, “These sheets are a possibly unique survival and represent the final form of the first Harry Potter book just prior to binding. These sheets show the imposition of the page lay-outs on both sides of each sheet, folded and gathered into 14 quires, for a total of 224 pages, before trimming and binding, and partially perforated by the printer’s folding machine, with full margins preserved including printer’s codes, gray scales and trim marks. They also contain quire signature numbers on outer spine folds. This newly discovered set of sheets is one of the very few pre-publication versions of the book to have appeared on the market, and the only known set of such sheets at this penultimate stage of production, and the first ever offered at auction, just prior to being bound and trimmed.”

This auction includes many other interesting and unique books and historic documents, from illuminated manuscripts to colonial American newspapers, which you can view here. Of particular interest to Harry Potter fans are a signed copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a signed first edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and signed and inscribed copies of the first American edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.