Sotheby's

The only known portrait of Samuel de Champlain, shows him firing an Arquebus during a battle with the Iriquois on 30 June 1609 on the banks of what would later become Lake Champlain. Champlain and two French soldiers were with a war party of around 60 Montganais, Algonkaian, and Hurons when they faced around 200 Mohawks. This was the first time the firepower of the new French firearms was used in a native conflict and three skilled Arquebusiers quickly demoralised the Mohawks who fled the field. The Arquebus used a matchlock firing mechanism for simpler, quicker reloading and firing - it was the first firearm with a trigger. This translation of de Champlain's work has all the details.

Collectibles

Champlain’s adventures now world's second-most expensive travel book

Controversial 16th Century adventurer Samuel de Champlain penned two of history’s most captivating travel books, chronicling his exploration and mapping of much of the North American continent and his founding of New France.

This Marcellin Auzolle poster was created to promote the Lumière brothers' landmark screenings in the basement of the Grand Café in Paris across the first months of 1896. It is one of a handful (perhaps less) that survive and it beautifully represents the beginning of one of the most important cultural, artistic and social phenomena in history.

Collectibles

The world's first movie poster set to smash auction records

This poster was created to promote the Lumière brothers' first screenings at the Grand Café in Paris in 1896. It is one of a handful (perhaps less) that survive and it represents the beginning of one of the most important cultural, artistic and social phenomena in history.

The aviary scene in Jurassic Park III will live in the memory of all those who saw it. That's a Pteranodon, as visualised by Steven Spielberg, being none too happy about having unannounced visitors in its home.

Collectibles

Pteranodon sells for US$3.9 million to join fossil pantheon

A rare and large Pteranodon skeleton sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York this evening for US$3,932,000, moving into the top five most valuable fossils of all-time: behind only Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, Triceratops and Gorgosaurus.

The master tape copies of the Golden Record

Space

Carl Sagan's personal Golden Record tapes go on the block

A truly historic Space Age recording is up for auction as the personal copy of the master tapes belonging to Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan for the crafting of the Golden Record that flew on Voyager 1 and 2 goes on the block at Sotheby's.

The Blastech DL-44 from "Star Wars" has been the most valuable movie weapon sold at auction three times. This latest record-setter is the only surviving original from the original 1977 movie.

Collectibles

Han Solo's DL-44 Blaster from "Star Wars" smashes auction records

The original and sole remaining Blastech DL-44 Blaster used by Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in the first 1977 Star Wars movie (Star Wars: A New Hope) has sold for a record US$1,057,500 at Rock Island Auctions.

The 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione won its way into the final of the Peninsula Classic Best of the Best Award by taking out the Trofeo BMW Group (awarded by the jury) for “best of show” at the 2021 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Automotive

Pictorial: World's "Best of the Best" concours car, plus 8 finalists

A 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione yesterday became the winner of 2021 Annual Peninsula Classics ‘Best of the Best’ Award, the most prestigious concours honor in the world. Here's a pictorial of the winning car, and the other 7 finalists

Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. wearing the jacket that sold yesterday for $2.77 million. Aldrin is pictured inside the Apollo 11 Lunar Module during the lunar landing mission. The picture was taken by Neil Armstrong, just prior to the landing on 20 July 1969.

Collectibles

Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 jacket smashes auction records

At the "Buzz Aldrin: American Icon" auction yesterday, Sotheby’s sold the jacket worn to the moon by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin yesterday for $2,772,500, smashing all sorts of auction records in the process.

A 77-million-year-old Gorgosaurus skeleton is going under the hammer this month

Science

Huge carnivorous dinosaur skeleton goes up for auction in New York

It’s hard to find a cooler collectible than the skeleton of a long-dead predator. The latest to hit the auction block is a Gorgosaurus, a distant relative of T-rex, which will be offered for sale by Sotheby’s New York in its Natural History sale.

When the hammer came down on 11 June 2022 in Vienna, Leitz Photographica had broken its own world auction record for the seventh consecutive time. Apart from a charity auction (which we don't count), only 12 cameras have ever sold for more than a million dollars, all of them at Leitz Photographica.

Photography

$15 million Leica camera was owned by the man who democratized photography

Vienna’s Leitz Photographica Auctions celebrated its 20th year in business this week when it sold the camera of the man who invented 35-mm photography for €14,400,000, smashing the previous world record of €2,400,000.

Buzz Aldrin's Apollo 11 Flown LM Lunar Surface Checklist Page (1969) was sold for $143,750 at RR Auction on 21 October 2021

Collectibles

The highlights of the 2021 science, sci-fi and technology auction year

This is the second part of our overview of the 2021 auction year – a year where investors channeled more of their wealth into “investments of passion” than ever before. It covers the 150 science, sci-fi and technology artifacts that sold for more than $100,000

Our annual highlights of the auction year reached a crescendo in this post-2021 coverage - the most explosive growth, the most ridiculous lots, and dozens of examples of the most expensive items in history ... not to mention the most bizarre lots we've yet seen. The most intriguing of them all was the sale by tender of (most of) the cars from the 2015 movie, “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

Collectibles

Top 100 highlights of the 2021 auction year

The 2021 auction market was quite extraordinary, with unprecedented levels of participation and sales. From cars to colt revolvers to multi-million-dollar NFTs, this sweeping look at the highlights is full of fascinating tales and astonishing prices.

This Apollo 11 Vintage NASA "Red Number" Color 10" x 8" print sold for $125,000 at Heritage Auctions on 24 September 2021

Collectibles

Science and sci-fi memorabilia booming at auction

It would be reasonable to expect a slow year at auction for science, technology and science-fiction, but 2021 is on track for a record, with a slew of knowledge-related objects of note hitting the auction block in recent weeks.