A first edition I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura by Palladio, which had belonged to Lord Burlington, an ardent admirer of the Italian architect, was in four parts and printed in Venice in 1570. It boasted numerous woodcut illustrations, had Lord Burlington’s signature and was dated 1732. Estimated $20/30,000, it flew out of the saleroom for $61,770.

Bloomsbury’s March 25′6 auction of photographs, travel, military, natural history, maps and atlases was a successful, bumper two-day sale and a true embodiment of the “something for everyone” maxim, according to the auction house.

There were two outstanding highlights of the sale in two different sections. The superb association copy of one of the most important first edition architectural books, I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura by Palladio , had belonged to Lord Burlington, an ardent admirer of the Italian architect. This magnificent folio, in four parts and printed in Venice in 1570, boasted numerous woodcut illustrations, had Lord Burlington’s signature and was dated 1732. It was estimated $20/30,000, and it flew out of the saleroom for $61,770.

A Romanov family album of informal photographs by the Grand Duchess Eleonor of Hesse and the Rhine of the tsar’s family consists of family group portraits such as the tsar’s daughters, members of the imperial family playing tennis and even dressed as Cossacks. The 89 silver gelatin prints of intimate group portraits, dated April⁍ay 1912 (two shown), were estimated $800․1,000, but were bid up to $25,750.

The other highly prized lot was the private family album of the Romanovs. These informal photographs of Tsar Nicholas II and his family on holiday in 1912 were estimated $800․1,000, and were bid up to $25,750.

Other parts of the sale also did very well. The private collection of military and naval books, which included books on the Peninsular War, military uniforms, regimental histories and the like proved popular, often selling for double their estimates. A rare copy of Eight Months on Active Service signed by Major General Cardigan, who led the legendary Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War, fetched $4,800, three times the low estimate.

Having established world record prices for Albert Einstein, Bloomsbury has become the place to sell works by the great scientist. A collection of 49 periodical scientific works, including many of his most important papers, sold for $7,900, double the lower estimate.

Among photographs, an album of views of the major cities in Italy, circa 1870, made $3,775, well over the $570/850 estimate. Another album of the same period but of mainly figure subjects from Japan by Kusakabe Kimbei, Baron Raimund von Stillfried and others included heavily tattooed men and geishas, and this also soared to $3,775.

Prices reported have been converted from British pounds to US dollars and include the buyer’s premium. For information, +44 20 7495 9494 or www.bloomsburyauctions.com .