Lot 317 · The Alphabet of Genius: Important Autograph Letters and Manuscripts
Autograph letter signed ('Ch. Darwin') to [Thomas Rivers], 28 December [1862]
![Catalog image of Autograph letter signed ('Ch. Darwin') to [Thomas Rivers], 28 December [1862]](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2023/CKS/2023_CKS_22135_0317_000(charles_darwin_autograph_letter_signed_to_thomas_rivers_28_december_18074948).jpg?mode=max)
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- Estimate
- £3,000–£5,000 hammer ≈ $5,024–$8,374
- Result
- Performance
- Sale
- Christie's — The Alphabet of Genius: Important Autograph Letters and Manuscripts, London · 28 May 2014
- Dimensions
- 7 pages, 202 x 126mm, on two bifolia, printed address heading
- Record ID
- TB-2026-3286133
- Record
- first seen 28 Jul 2026 · updated 28 Jul 2026 · source ↗
- Cite this record
- TB-2026-3286133 — https://thebasis.art/cite/TB-2026-3286133
Darwin, Autograph letter signed ('Ch. Darwin') to [Thomas Rivers], 28 December [1862]. Christie's, 28 May 2014, lot 317. result recorded. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-3286133.
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Darwin, Autograph letter signed ('Ch. Darwin') to [Thomas Rivers], 28 December [1862]. Christie's, 28 May 2014, lot 317. result recorded. TheBasis.Art, TB-2026-3286133.
The citation omits the realized price because this record is not unlocked. Everything else in it is complete and permanent.
From the same sale The Alphabet of Genius: Important Autograph Letters and Manuscripts · May 2014
| Lot | Artist | Estimate | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 autograph letters to the Marquis de Condorcet, the majority Limoge… | Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, Baron de l'Aulne (1727-1781) | £20,000–£30,000 | |
| Autograph music manuscript signed of the Second String Quartet, Agate… | Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) | £6,000–£9,000 | |
| Autograph letter signed ('A. Scriabin') to Nikolai Gustavovich [von S… | Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (1872-1915) | £2,500–£3,500 | |
| Autograph letters to the 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, 1778-1784 | Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and Jeremiah Bentham (1712-1792) | £7,000–£10,000 | |
| Typed letter signed (‘C.G. Jung’) to [Dr John Raymond] Smythies, [Küs… | Carl Jung (1875-1961) | £2,500–£3,500 | |
| Typed letter signed (‘C.G. Jung’) to Stephen Abrams, [Küsnacht], 20 J… | Carl Jung (1875-1961) | £4,000–£6,000 |
Comparable results nearest sold works, same medium & price band
| Artist | Lot | vs. estimate | Result USD, incl. premium | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin | On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection, seco | $8,436 | Bonhams, Nov 2025 | |
| Darwin | Signed autograph letter to Lord Sackville Cecil | Hermitage Fine Art, Nov 2021 | ||
| Darwin | ´ I could not distinguish commonest weed from the rarest now | International Autograph Auctions, Sep 2025 | ||
| Darwin | Autograph letter signed to Henry Lee, London, 17 December [1 | Bonhams, Jun 2026 | ||
| Darwin | Autograph letter signed ('Ch. Darwin') to [Richard Trevor Cl | Christie's, Jul 2023 | ||
| Darwin | The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. Londo | Bonhams, Mar 2020 | ||
| Darwin | Charles Darwin (1809-1882) | Hermitage Fine Art, Jun 2021 | ||
| Darwin | Letter signed (‘Charles Darwin’) to [Charles Wyville Thomson | Christie's, Jul 2022 |
The closest sold results by price, artist, and medium — the appraiser's comp set, generated from the corpus. All figures converted to USD at current reference rates.