First Edition Frankenstein Sells for $1.17M at Christie’s
A rare first edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has sold at Christie's auction house in New York for the remarkable price of $1.17 million, setting a new benchmark in the world of rare book collecting. The result far exceeded the initial estimates of $200,000 to $300,000 and highlighted the extraordinary cultural and historical weight carried by Shelley's masterpiece. This particular copy came from the collection of Theodore B. Baum, a well-known executive in American cable television, whose library included some of the most significant works of English literature.
The 1818 first edition of Frankenstein was printed in London in a run of only 500 copies, making it one of the most desirable items for collectors of early nineteenth-century literature. Issued in three volumes, following the fashion of the time, the book was published anonymously. Its title page bore no author's name, leading many early readers to assume that Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley's husband and the author of the preface, was responsible for the work. The dedication to William Godwin, Mary Shelley's father and a radical philosopher, further linked the book to a world of intellectual ferment. Only later did Mary Shelley openly claim authorship, cementing her place in the history of literature.
The 1818 first edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein that achieved a record-breaking price of $1.17 million at Christie's New York auction. @Christie
The novel's origins are as famous as the text itself. In the summer of 1816, Mary Shelley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, and physician John Polidori stayed together at Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva. Bad weather confined the group indoors, where they entertained themselves with ghost stories. Lord Byron then suggested a contest in which each person would attempt to write their own supernatural tale. Out of this challenge, Mary Shelley conceived a story that she later described as one intended to rival those that had thrilled the group, one that would speak to the mysterious fears of human nature, awaken horror, make the reader dread to look around, curdle the blood, and quicken the heartbeat. This imaginative spark gave rise to Frankenstein, while Polidori produced The Vampyre, the story that would eventually inspire Bram Stoker's Dracula. In this way, a single summer gathering produced the foundations of modern science fiction and the modern vampire myth.
At the time of its first appearance, Frankenstein did not instantly achieve widespread recognition. Some critics were appalled by its grotesque and shocking subject matter, while others praised its originality. Over the decades, however, the novel's reputation grew steadily. The revised 1831 edition, published under Mary Shelley's name, became the definitive text, with the author adding her famous introduction describing the circumstances of the novel's creation. By the late nineteenth century and especially after the 1931 Universal Pictures film starring Boris Karloff, Frankenstein had become not just a respected novel but also a cultural phenomenon.
Collectors prize the first edition for several reasons. The scarcity of surviving complete sets makes them extraordinarily rare. The historical importance of the novel as both a gothic masterpiece and the first true science fiction novel adds enormous value. Condition is crucial, with well-preserved bindings and clean pages commanding the highest prices, and provenance plays a major role. Copies connected to significant figures fetch particular attention, such as the remarkable 1818 volume discovered in 2011 that contained Mary Shelley's handwritten dedication to Lord Byron. That unique artifact, sold to a British collector in 2012 for an undisclosed but significant sum, stands as one of the most fascinating finds in the world of rare literature.
Mary Shelley herself was only eighteen when she imagined the story and twenty when Frankenstein was first published. Her intellectual background was exceptional: she was the daughter of William Godwin, a radical philosopher, and Mary Wollstonecraft, the pioneering feminist author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Married to Percy Bysshe Shelley, she was part of one of the most extraordinary literary circles of the Romantic age. This environment exposed her to debates about science, politics, morality, and philosophy, all of which shaped the themes of her novel.
The enduring influence of Frankenstein reaches far beyond the printed page. The novel continues to inspire discussions in science and ethics, particularly in relation to modern debates over genetic engineering, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. It has been adapted in more than a hundred films, retold in theatre productions around the world, and referenced in countless cultural works. Even the language of everyday discourse reflects its impact, with "Frankenstein" often used metaphorically to describe creations that spiral beyond the control of their makers.
The Christie's sale of 2021, where the first edition reached $1.17 million, matters not only for collectors but also for cultural history. It demonstrates the continued relevance of Mary Shelley's vision and the recognition of women's contributions to literature at the highest levels of the rare book market. It also signals the stability of rare books as an investment, with iconic works such as Frankenstein maintaining and even increasing their value over time.
Two centuries after its creation during a stormy summer on Lake Geneva, Frankenstein still resonates with readers. The tale of Victor Frankenstein and his creation is as much about human ambition, responsibility, and isolation as it is about horror. The novel's power lies in its ability to reflect the anxieties of its age while continuing to illuminate the dilemmas of our own, from artificial intelligence to the ethics of scientific exploration. The extraordinary value achieved by its first edition reflects not only its rarity as a physical artifact but also the immeasurable significance of the ideas it embodies. The sale at Christie's reaffirms that Frankenstein is not simply a gothic tale from the past, but a living work of art and philosophy that continues to shape the way we think about creation, morality, and what it means to be human.
Own a Modern Collector's Edition
Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus
Hand-bound collector's edition limited to 25 copies. Three volumes set in Brunel Text Roman No. 2 on Century Laid cotton paper, with full leather binding and handcrafted slipcase.