PARIS.- On March 1st 2017, the Boisgirard - Antonini auction house will begin the dispersal of one of the last great Jules Verne collections. Precious testimonies about the author, assembled by Mr. Weissenberg, will be auctioned off under the hammer of Master Antonini.

An original drawing of The Mysterious Island map will surely attract bidders. The topography is in English and the map is accompanied by a corrected proof completed by the hand of the author.

In addition, a collection of original photographs of the writer and his family, personal letters, original paperbacks, unpublished prints on large paper, will retrace the intimacy of the famous author.

There will be rare editions, including two special book covers of the Mysterious Island in French and Spanish, washes and gouaches, original engravings, Hetzel posters in various stages of progress, polychrome theater posters, etc.

Slideshow of the main lots of this session:

• Map of The Mysterious Island (Lincoln Island) sketched by Jules Verne (dimensions: 30 X 20,5 cm). A first draft drawing, but already neat and detailed, with the name of places still written in English. Inked in red and black. Sketches in pencil. Legends of work bearing various indications of distances. This drawing is accompanied by a proof of the engraved map bearing, besides the corrections, seven topographical legends added by the hand of Jules Verne (signed J. Verne). (100 000/150 000 €)

• Photograph of Jules Verne, circa 1856. Anonymous oval size photograph (dimensions: 15 x 10 cm), on a salted paper print. Only known original print, having belonged to the writer. Sitting, young Jules Verne poses as tormented romantic in the dark. He has just adopted the fine bearded that was in vogue under the reign of Louis-Philippe and still remains. We are only in 1856, just after the Crimean War and three years before Solférino. The writer is 28 years old. (5 000/6 000 €)

• Charcoal by Léon Benett highlighted with white gouache (dimensions: 46,5 x 30,5 cm), pasted on cardboard (52 x 33,3 cm) for the polychrome inset of a famous scene of the Castle of the Carpathians, where the image of the Stilla appears. With the legend «Franz de Télek! exclaimed Rodolphe de Gortz». Handwritten mention of the legend. (4 000/5 000 €)

• Cinq semaines en ballon. First illustrated edition and first issue. Small in-8°. Only known copy of the paperback edition under illustrated cover of the publisher (1865). Sent to Paul Nadar (May 24th, 1865), the son of the famous Nadar, photographer and balloonist. The first great novel by Jules Verne intended for young readers is addressed by privilege to the son as a hint to the father, accomplice of the writer in balloons. This volume contained a photograph of Estelle Henin, the supposed mistress of the writer, dated 1873, signed Nadar and attached to the work. (8 000/10 000 €)

• Personalized cartoon of The Mysterious Island in first illustrated print (1875). This exceptional cover was a stillborn project. It is one of the five known copies of the title of which two were previously snatched at huge prices during a sale. It has never been seen since. (30 000/40 000 €)