Rare edition of Grapes of Wrath sells for $47,800
Published February 19th, 2007
A rare edition of “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck’s epic 1939 tale of Depression-era poverty, sold at auction for US$47,800, a newspaper reported Monday.
A number of other first-edition copies of Steinbeck works were sold Sunday at an auction held by Bonhams & Butterfields. A copy of “Of Mice and Men” sold for $7,768,”East of Eden” for $8,365 and “In Dubious Battle” for $11,353, the Los Angeles Times reported
The books were owned by the author’s sister, Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth, who died in 1992. The Steinbeck family chose to sell the books to finance renovation of a Pacific Grove, California, bungalow where Steinbeck wrote some of his books, said Catherine Williamson, director of fine books and manuscripts for Bonhams.
The collection sold for more than US$200,000.
