NEW YORK, NY.- The groundbreaking and historic sale series Gen One: Innovations from the Paul G. Allen Collection concluded September 12, 2024 with the closing of two online sales: Firsts: The History of Computing achieved $3,635,982—highest total ever for a history of computing auction—and Over the Horizon: Art of the Future achieved $2,927,358. Both sales exceed expectations, selling 100% by lot and well over their estimates. Together with the live auction on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the collection totaled $16,816,840.

Marc Porter, Chairman of Christie’s Americas, remarks: “It has been a privilege and an honor to once again work with the Estate of Paul G. Allen in offering this singular collection of objects and artifacts that pay tribute to the history of scientific achievement and technological ingenuity. The sales were demonstrative of Christie’s unique ability to reach global audiences through both live and online sale formats, with deep bidding on an array of categories ranging from vintage computers to space memorabilia. We are thrilled with the final outcome today, with all three sales achieving far above their high estimate and together totaling $16.8 million. This is particularly humbling given that pursuant to Mr. Allen’s wishes, the estate will generously be donating its proceeds to philanthropy.”

In the online sales, the top lot was an Apple Lisa 1 Microcomputer, which achieved an impressive $882,000, 44 times its low estimate, which was sold in Firsts: The History of Computing. This set the record for an Apple Lisa at auction. Additional top lots from the sale include an Apple-1 Computer, which realized $352,800, a CDC 6500 Supercomputer, which made $252,000, and a DEC PDP-10 KI10 Mainframe Computer, which achieved $189,000, setting the record for any DEC system at auction. Another notable lot is a Univac Mercury Delay Line Memory, which made 89 times its low estimate, totaling $107,100.

Other records from the sale include the record for a Kenbak, which achieved $119,700, a Micral-N, which realized $126,000, and for a Nextcube, which made $21,420.

Chesley Bonestell’s Saturn as Seen from Titan led Over the Horizon: Art of the Future, achieving $302,400, a world auction record for the artist. Ten further works by Chesley Bonestell—all of which illustrated Collier’s “Man Will Conquer Space Soon” series—sold for a total of $1,184,400. Other standout lots include Robert T. McCall’s Pioneering the Space Frontier No. 8, which realized $277,200, and Clean Air Park by Fred Freeman, which sold for $27,720, more than 34 times its low estimate.

Of the full sale series, the top lot was a signed letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin Roosevelt, warning him of the scientific discovery that led to the atomic bomb, which realized $3,922,000 and set the record for an Einstein letter. Additional records from the sales include the Cray-1 Supercomputer, which set the record for any computer to sell at auction, breaking the record set earlier in the sale by the Apple-1, a lunch menu from the Titanic which set the record for a menu sold at auction, the record for any IBM—set by an IBM System 360 Model 91 Control Console, and the record for an Apple-1.