Dec 6, 2024 10:00 EST
Rare Books, Autographs & Maps
717
A gold brooch and pendant gifted from Ray to Jean
Estate / Collection: The Jean Vounder-Davis Collection of Raymond Chandler
CHANDLER, RAYMOND
A Georgian Gold and Foil-Backed Pink Paste Swag Brooch and Pendant gifted from Raymond Chandler to Jean Fracasse [later Vounder-Davis]. Two gold brooches accented by vari-shaped foil-backed pink paste (resembling pink topaz); Together with two telegrams mentioning the gifts, one postmarked from London on 2 July 1958. Wear to pink foil-backing. Some tarnish and patina to gold, few faint bends and losses to gold.
The brooch: Five oval foil-backed pink paste, backed by gold, c. 1850, ap. 12 dwts.
The pendant: One pear-shaped foil-backed pink paste, backed by gold, c. 1850, ap. 3 dwts.
In the summer of 1958, Raymond Chandler was in London while Jean, Sybil and Vincent Fracasse visited her family in Australia. For Jean's birthday, Ray sent as a gift this brooch and pendant with colorful gemstones. In the accompanying telegrams, Ray writes Jean "sending you horribly expensive gem may arrive late" and in the next "glad you liked the brooch and pendant." In the first telegram, Ray also writes "Helga cooking up deal to care for you," this a reference to Chandler's literary Agent Helga Greene and plans Ray was making to incorporate Jean further into his life. The brooch, pendant and telegrams are proof that Ray was capable of feeling and giving love in his last years. While he is often described in this period as lonely, sick with drink and incapable of writing, the present items and others in this archive present Ray as caring, traveling, writing, and constantly making plans for the future.
Estate / Collection: The Jean Vounder-Davis Collection of Raymond Chandler
CHANDLER, RAYMOND
A Georgian Gold and Foil-Backed Pink Paste Swag Brooch and Pendant gifted from Raymond Chandler to Jean Fracasse [later Vounder-Davis]. Two gold brooches accented by vari-shaped foil-backed pink paste (resembling pink topaz); Together with two telegrams mentioning the gifts, one postmarked from London on 2 July 1958. Wear to pink foil-backing. Some tarnish and patina to gold, few faint bends and losses to gold.
The brooch: Five oval foil-backed pink paste, backed by gold, c. 1850, ap. 12 dwts.
The pendant: One pear-shaped foil-backed pink paste, backed by gold, c. 1850, ap. 3 dwts.
In the summer of 1958, Raymond Chandler was in London while Jean, Sybil and Vincent Fracasse visited her family in Australia. For Jean's birthday, Ray sent as a gift this brooch and pendant with colorful gemstones. In the accompanying telegrams, Ray writes Jean "sending you horribly expensive gem may arrive late" and in the next "glad you liked the brooch and pendant." In the first telegram, Ray also writes "Helga cooking up deal to care for you," this a reference to Chandler's literary Agent Helga Greene and plans Ray was making to incorporate Jean further into his life. The brooch, pendant and telegrams are proof that Ray was capable of feeling and giving love in his last years. While he is often described in this period as lonely, sick with drink and incapable of writing, the present items and others in this archive present Ray as caring, traveling, writing, and constantly making plans for the future.
Gold tests 14 kt.
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact and our Organization shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please contact the specialist department to request further information or additional images that may be available.
Auction: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps, Dec 6, 2024
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Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on December 6, 2024
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Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
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We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Books, Autographs & Maps
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle held a successful auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps onDecember 6, 2024 showcased is a wonderful diversity of Americana, maps, autographs, early books and landmarks of literature and science.
Highlighting the sale was the first edition of Spinoza's Tractatus theologico-politicus from 1670 that soared to $70,350. Spinoza’s Tractatus is his only work published during his lifetime and remains his most significant. It presents a clear theory of natural right, asserting that the love of God leads to love for others. The state exists to ensure liberty, not oppression, with justice, wisdom, and toleration as key. Influential to thinkers like Blake and Goethe, it shaped Romanticism.
The Jean Vounder-Davis Collection offered the largest trove of unpublished Raymond Chandler stories, poetry, letters, books and personal artifacts to come to market. Best known for his Philip Marlowe detective novels including The Big Sleep (1939) and Farewell, My Lovely (1940) and as screenwriter of film noir classics such as Double Indemnity (1944) and The Blue Dahlia (1946), Raymond Chandler is considered one of the top writers in the hardboiled fiction genre alongside Dashiell Hammett and James Cain. Held for decades, the archive belonged to Jean Fracasse [later Vounder-Davis] who was first hired in January 1957 as Chandler's personal secretary but quickly became his close friend, confidant, fiancé and muse to whom he dedicated his last book.
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact Peter Costanzo at 212-427-4141 ext 248, Edward Ripley-Duggan at ext 234, or Noah Goldrach at ext 226, or email Books@Doyle.com
