Dracula Puts the Bite on Heritage!

Dallas, Texas: Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers (HG&A) will offer a rare first edition of the book Dracula, signed by author Bram Stoker, in their upcoming Books, Autographs and Manuscripts auction, to be held February 20 & 21, 2006 in Dallas, Texas, and simulcast in New York City.

"Dracula is, without a doubt, one of the most significant Gothic novels ever written," said Tom Slater, Director of Americana Auctions for HG&A. "Based at least in part on the real-life exploits of the fifteenth-century Wallachian monarch Vlad Tepes, better known as 'Vlad the Impaler,' Stoker's Dracula has become imbedded in our cultural psyche as the undead embodiment of evil, a blood-drinking nosferatu that has brought thrills and chills to millions for over a century."

"Prior to Stoker's novel," Slater said, "vampires were often thought of as dirty, filthy creatures, horrific in both appearance and behavior. Stoker revolutionized this concept by making his vampire an attractive nobleman, as much at home in a European castle as he was in an English drawing room. It is this concept, immortalized on-screen by the legendary Bela Lugosi, that influences our culture's current fascination with vampires, as seen in everything from the novels of Anne Rice to the cult-favorite TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The fact is, virtually all the great vampire tales with which the general public is familiar owe a huge debt of gratitude to this very book."

"In researching his novel," Slater continued, "Stoker relied on the assistance of his brother, William Thornley Stoker, a prominent surgeon whose medical notes on transfusions and autopsies were found on Bram's early manuscript of this book, and whose own experience with a mentally ill wife is echoed by that of Van Helsing in the novel. It is to Thornley that this first edition is inscribed by the author."

"The book we're offering," Slater said, "is in good condition, with the covers stained and worn, the corners bumped and the hinges cracked, but still an incredibly desirable and rare copy of a landmark volume. One of the cornerstones of English literature, many collectors spend their entire lives looking for a copy of this great book. An opportunity to acquire a specimen this desirable, especially one personally autographed by the author, is a rare thing indeed, so I'd encourage anyone with even a passing interest to consider well this amazing opportunity.

The autographed, first edition of Dracula, signed by author Bram Stoker, has a pre-auction estimate of $15,000 - $20,000.

For more information about Heritage auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HeritageGalleries.com.

Potential consignors are invited to contact Tom Slater, TomS@HeritageGalleries.com, or by phone at 800-872-6467, ext. 441 or contact John Hickey at JohnH@HeritageGalleries.com, or by phone at 800-872-6467, ext. 264.

To reserve your copy of a catalog for any upcoming Heritage auction, please contact Nicole Jewell, c/o Heritage Galleries, 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor, Dallas, TX 75219, or call 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272.