Last week the archive of material by Edith Wharton (Shelf Awareness, June 23, 2009) consisting of letters documenting her 42-year relationship with Anna Catherine Bahlmann--originally Wharton's language tutor and governess and later her secretary and literary assistant--sold for $182,500 at Christie's, much higher than the estimate of $80,000-$120,000.

Chris Coover, senior v-p and senior specialist, books and manuscripts, at Christie's, called the archive "a marvelous discovery, and it will significantly enhance our understanding of Wharton's early years, plus will reveal the great influence of her German tutor, Anna Bahlmann. I am glad to report the archive sold to an American educational institution (as yet un-named)."

The New Yorker wrote about the discovery, which helped attract interest in the archive.