Miller Auction Cancelled, Items Bought by Institution

As you may have read elsewhere over the past few weeks, San Francisco's PBA Galleries were ready to receive all bidders on March 18, 2010, for an incredible auction of Henry Miller items, including his Paris notebooks. These important documents belonged to the personal library of Roger Wagner.

However, those who were salivating to get in on the action should grab a napkin and sit down: the auction will not happen. Yesterday, the entire Miller collection was purchased "by private treaty" with "a major American research institution." Details about the sale can be read at Auction Central News. ACN quotes Mr. Wagner's reaction to the news: ""I'm happy to know that this important archive will stay together and be accessible to the scholars and fans of Henry Miller."

Surely, this can't be such a bad thing to have happened. The name of the institution should be known relatively soon.

The remainder of Roger Wagner's auction items, including papers relating to Charles Darwin and John Steinbeck, will still be auctioned on March 18th at PBA Galleries.