Lot 397

Christiaan Barnard Signed Early Manuscript For Medical Thriller "The Donor" - Hearts, Kidneys & Medical Dilemmas!

Previous image preload Next image preload

Christiaan Barnard Signed Early Manuscript For Medical Thriller "The Donor" - Hearts, Kidneys & Medical Dilemmas!

Estimate: $1,400 - $1,600

Starting Bid: $450

(0 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Christiaan Barnard
n.p., n.d.
Christiaan Barnard Signed Early Manuscript For Medical Thriller "The Donor" - Hearts, Kidneys & Medical Dilemmas!
AMS

A 4pp autograph manuscript for the medical thriller "The Donor," signed by its author, the renowned South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard (1922-2001), as "C Barnard" near the top of the first page. N.d. but ca. 1995, prior to the novel's publication. N.p. Inscribed on three sheets of double hole-punched red-ruled blue-lined paper; one page is double-sided. A truly working draft in Barnard's challengingly difficult doctor's handwriting, with many edits, cross-outs, and rewrites, still legible despite revisions. Two of the sheets are bound at the top. Expected wear including toning and isolated wrinkling, else near fine. 8.25" x 11.75."

Dr. Barnard's manuscript draft, entitled "Manuscript from 'The Donor'" at the top of the grouping, investigates themes central to his upcoming book of the same name, which would be published in 1996. "The Donor" recounts the struggles of protagonist Dr. Rodney Barnes, who must make a decision about harvesting his dead lover's organs after she's been in a catastrophic accident and declared brain dead. Consequently, the semi-autobiographical novel also explored issues that Barnard faced in his own career.

Barnard's handwriting is sometimes difficult to decipher, but the following words are clearly penned: "artificial heart," "heart transplantation," "artificial kidney," "complications," "surgeon," "patient," "doctors [sic] duty," "patients [sic] sake," and "medical dilemma." In one of the more neatly penned portions of the manuscript, Barnard writes: "Would we ever be able to achieve this goal… We were encouraged by the success of kidney transplantation… but transplanting the heart was a different [illegible]. Here you could make use [of] family members as donors… we had only one heart…"

Barnard successfully performed the first human-to-human heart transplant in December 1967. That operation, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, marked a watershed moment in modern medicine, transforming cardiac surgery from palliative intervention to experimental organ replacements. Dr. Barnard's heart transplant patient, Louis Washkansky, survived 18 days before dying of pneumonia while on immunosuppressive therapy, a limitation that led many surgeons to abandon cardiac transplantation. Barnard persisted in his endeavor, though, charging ahead with the 1968 heart transplant of Philip Blaiberg, who survived 19 months, and later the development of the heterotopic "piggyback" heart transplant, 49 of which were performed in Cape Town between 1975-1984. Barnard's career thus spanned the period before and after the introduction of ciclosporin, the immunosuppressive drug that revitalized transplant success worldwide. These pioneering transplants placed Barnard at the center of ethical, medical, and technological debates surrounding brain death, immunosuppression, and the definition of human life.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 8.25" x 11.75"
  • Medium: AMS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000