Centralia College Library Supervisor Hyesoo Albright, left, and library specialist Darlene Rahn move the "Pomona Britannica", a collection of illustrations published in 1812, from a stand in the library to a box.
A rare, oversized book titled “Pomona Britannica,” which sat in the Centralia College Library since 1964, will be auctioned off June 22 at Christie’s auction sale room in Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
The book, published in London in 1812, is expected to be sold for between $80,000 and $120,000.
The 200-year-old book, authored by botanical artist George Brookshaw, contains written descriptions and paintings of berries, grapes and other native fruit found in the Royal Gardens and Hampton Court in London in the early 1800s.
Mary Chenoweth of Silver Creek donated “Pomona Britannica” to Centralia College in the spring of 1964 along with her other publications in her rare book collection.
In 2006, officials at the college decided the library couldn’t serve as a rare book depository and sent Chenoweth’s books to the University of Washington.
However, the 23-inch-long and 18.5-inch-wide “Pomona Britannica” couldn’t fit in a box to be sent north.
“The only reason we didn’t give this book was that it didn’t fit in the box,” Centralia College Library Specialist Darlene Rahn told The Chronicle.
For the Christie’s auction, “Pomona Britannica” was shipped to New York in early March. The college then sent a letter confirming a reserve price of $75,000 for the book, which is the minimum amount the book can be sold for at the auction.
The auction will begin at 10 a.m. Friday, June 22, and last until 4 p.m. with a two-hour break in the afternoon, according to Christie’s auction house. The college will be able to call in and check the progress of bids throughout the day.
The “Pomona Britannica” will be auctioned off along with other historic items, including a book by Charles Dickens that he signed and gave to Hans Christian Andersen, which is estimated to be sold for $120,000 to $180,000. The title page reads, “Hans Christian Andersen From his friend and admirer Charles Dickens London Jul. 1847.”
An Apple-1 motherboard, sent from the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents’ house, will also be auctioned off and sold for $100,000 to $150,000.
Once “Pomona Britannica” is sold, Christie’s will send the payment within a month of the auction.
Centralia College President Jim Walton said the money raised at the auction will go toward a Chenoweth Student Loan Fund to honor the book’s donor and benefit students through the new loan program.
“(The student loan fund) will be used for a long time to come,” Walton said. “$100,000 would help a lot of students.”
