Christopher Coover
Christopher Coover (April 3, 1950 – April 3, 2022) was an American antiquarian book expert. He worked for Christie's in New York City for 35 years. He also was an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow.[1][2]
He was known for several high-profile sales, including:
- selling Leonardo da Vinci’s Hammer Codex, which formerly belonged to Armand Hammer, to Bill Gates for over $30 million, a record at the time;
- overseeing the sale of Malcolm Forbes’ collection of American historical documents in several sales totalling more than $40.9 million
- Jack Kerouac’s manuscript for his 1957 novel On the Road
- Abraham Lincoln's 1864 election victory speech
- The letter George Washington wrote concerning the ratification of the Constitution; and
- Washington’s personal annotated copy of the 1789 Acts of Congress
He died of pneumonia complicated by Parkinson’s disease.[2]
References
- ↑ Roberts, Sam (April 15, 2022). "Christopher Coover, Auction Expert on the Printed Word, Dies at 72". The New York Times.
- 1 2 "Chris Coover, Book Expert, 72". April 19, 2022.