NEW YORK, N.Y.- A superlative illuminated manuscript, the "Astor-Aubery de Frawenberg" Book of Hours, France, circa 1500-1520, expected to bring $325,000+, is the undisputed anchor of Heritage Auctions inaugural Signature(r) Rare Books Auction in Manhattan, being held April 7-9 at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion (Ukrainian Institute), 2 East 79th Street at 5th Avenue.

"With 19 large miniatures paintings, four full-page miniatures and 28 small miniatures by the workshops of Jean Pichore and Jean Poyet," said James Gannon, Director of Rare Books at Heritage Auctions , "the manuscript is breathtakingly beautiful and boasts more than fifty original renaissance paintings, all very finely executed and preserved."

An important example of an early printed book is a superb incunable Missale, Use of Magdeburg (Magdeburg: Moritz Brandis) dated April 14, 1497, expected to bring $20,000+. The book, a fine, complete copy, from the liturgical library of Charles Louis de Bourbon, features two large opening initials with contemporary illumination, full-page opening initial and full-page woodcut with contemporary hand-coloring.

"The first book printed at Magdeburg was the first edition (1480) of the Magdeburg Missal," said Joe Fay, Rare Books Manager at Heritage, "printed by Bartholomaeus Ghotan, but with the assistance and types of Lucas Brandis. When Lucas's brother, Moritz, moved from Leipzig to Magdeburg, he brought out two, possibly four, editions of the Missal. It is extremely rare to find a fifteenth century copy at auction. Besides this example, no copy has sold at auction in the last sixty years."

One of the most intriguing lots in the auction, and part of a vast assortment from the giants of modern literature, is F. Scott Fitzgerald's personal copy of his 1911 school book, George Washington's The Farewell Address of George Washington/Daniel Webster's The First Bunker Hill Oration (New York, et al.: American Book Company,1911). It is estimated at $20,000+.

The book is signed four times by the young Fitzgerald, annotated throughout, and contains an amazing long, self-prophetic inscription on the rear pastedown:

"Francis Scott Fitzgerald/Saint Paul/Minn./Playrite (sic), Poet, Novelist, essayist/Philosopher, loafer. useless/disagreeable, silly, talented./ Weak, strong, clever/trivial. A waste. In/short a very parody, a/mockery of one who might/have been more but whom/nature and circumstances/made less. With apologies/for living./Francis Scott Fitzgerald [flourish]"

A copy of The Kelmscott Press Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (Hammersmith: Printed by William Morris in 1896), once belonging to famed early Hollywood actor Jean Hersholt - most notably known for playing Shirley Temple's beloved grandfather in the 1937 film version of Heidi, and for having the Academy Award for Humanitarian Contribution named after him and presented each year at the Oscars - is expected to bring $60,000+ as part of the auction. The book is one of 425 copies printed on "Perch" handmade paper, with 87 large woodcut illustrations after Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

A magnificent set of Henry David Thoreau's writings, set number 1 of the Manuscript Edition, with 18 pages of manuscript in Thoreau's own hand, has already been generating buzz among collectors in advance of the auction. The set is estimated at $15,000+.

"These beautiful volumes present a rare and tantalizing look at the working process of one of America's leading writers and thinkers," said Gannon. "A set of these writings typically comes with one or two pages in Thoreau's hand, while the present set in our auction has eighteen pages of Thoreau manuscript. A lot of such high quality and connection to Thoreau, will always be highly desirable when it shows up at auction, and we expect no less when these come on the block as part of our New York event."

The auction will also feature approximately 130 original illustrations from the estate of beloved children's literature artist Garth Williams, which is being offered by Heritage in several different auction venues. This event will feature preliminary drawings from Williams from all but four of the 46 illustrations from Charlotte's Web, plus several unused illustrations.

Two of the prime highlights of the grouping are Williams' original preliminary drawing for illustration #25 (appearing on page 95) of Charlotte's Web, 1952 - Wilbur, the terrific pig, estimated at $1,000+, and Williams' original preliminary drawing for illustration #17 (appearing on page 59) of Charlotte's Web, 1952 - detail of Wilbur flying, estimated at Estimate: $2,000+.

"We also have original preliminary paintings for dust jacket designs for Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Rabbits' Wedding," said Fay. "We also have many original drawings for Stuart Little and The Rabbits' Wedding, in both pencil and ink."

Further highlights include, but are not limited to:

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution: New-York: M'Lean, 1788. First edition, thick paper issue of the second volume. Estimate: $30,000+.

Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities: London: Chapman and Hall, June-December 1859. First edition, in the original monthly parts. From the Victor Gulotta Collection. Estimate: $7,000+.

Charles Dickens. Autograph Quotation Signed, "Charles Dickens", one page, 8.625" x 10.4375", Tremont House, Boston, January 29, 1842: Written by the great author only one week after arriving in Boston for his first American reading tour, Dickens executes a quote from the climactic scene in his novel, The Old Curiosity Shop, bemoaning the death of Little Nell. From the Victor Gulotta Collection. Estimate: $4,000+.