Record-Breaking Sale of Original Harry Potter Illustration
The original illustration from the first edition of JK Rowling's 1997 novel, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,' has set a new record, fetching an impressive $1.9 million at an auction in New York. This auction, held by Sotheby's on June 26, 2024, saw four bidders competing for ten minutes, both online and by phone, until the artwork finally changed hands to applause. This watercolor work by British artist Thomas Taylor is now the most valuable Harry Potter object ever sold at auction.
The Iconic Thomas Taylor Illustration
Thomas Taylor, then just 23 years old, created the iconic cover image in 1997 while working in a children's bookshop in Cambridge, England. Commissioned by Barry Cunningham of Bloomsbury, Taylor was tasked with drawing the cover for JK Rowling's upcoming book. He received one of the first copies of the manuscript, which served as inspiration for his drawings, allowing him to get to know the world of Harry Potter before anyone else. The image shows the young wizard Harry Potter – with his distinctive dark brown hair, round glasses, and lightning bolt scar – ready to board the Hogwarts Express train for his first trip to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Legacy of Harry Potter
The first edition of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' was published on June 26, 1997, with only 500 copies printed, 300 of which were distributed to libraries. Today, the Harry Potter series has sold over 500 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 80 languages. The novels have also been adapted into eight films, grossing around 6.5 billion euros at the box office globally. The record-breaking sale of Taylor's illustration is a testament to the enduring legacy and global impact of the Harry Potter series. Fans of the book series are currently eagerly awaiting the film adaptation and speculations about a possible sequel to the Harry Potter books continue to circulate.
- Taylor's watercolor illustration was initially auctioned at Sotheby's in London in 2001, where it sold for four times its estimate, reaching a record £85,750 (about $106,000). The record for a Harry Potter-related item was previously held by an unsigned first edition of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' which sold for $421,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, in 2021.
- At the time of the book's publication, both JK Rowling and Thomas Taylor were largely unknown. Taylor, who now creates and illustrates his own stories, looks back on those magical beginnings with pride. His original cover image was used for several translated versions of the book, although it was not used for the American edition.
