First edition of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” auctioned for $843,000

That was a huge sell-out.

A rare first edition of Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein – one of only three known surviving copies – fetched a staggering $843,750 at auction.

The 1818 edition of the groundbreaking book – officially titled Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus – was the jewel in the Heritage Auctions sale, which also featured works from the 15,000-volume library of rare book collector William Strutz, who died earlier this year.

“This auction establishes Heritage as the premier destination for rare books and manuscripts,” said Francis Wahlgren, the auction house’s international director of rare books and manuscripts, in a statement.

“This sale was made by a single owner and had been in the making for 60 years. The result is a true testament to the great art of a collector and a market that has recognized the treasures assembled by William Strutz.”

The June 27 auction in Dallas, Texas, featured other rare works from the Strutz library, including a signed copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 “The Great Gatsby,” which sold for $425,000, and a presentation copy of JRR Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” which sold for $300,000, Heritage said.

In addition, a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden or Life in the Woods” was sold for $275,000.

The initial bid for “Frankenstein” was $300,000, but quickly increased in the course of a bidding war.

Strutz bought the book in 1975 and it remains the only copy in private hands – the other two are part of the Pforzheimer and Berg collections of the New York Public Library.

Wahlgren described the late collector’s library as “one of the most important collections of English and American literature to come onto the market in decades.”

Strutz’s son Colin said he was honored that his father’s rare volumes had attracted so much attention.

“We are very grateful to everyone who helped make this a record-breaking day,” he said after the auction. “This auction honored my father’s passion and we look forward to working with Heritage as we continue to tell my father’s story through the books he collected and loved.”

With post wires