REMARKABLE RARITIES September 28, 2015 at 1:00 pm EST | Boston, Massachusetts
How to participate Bid in person
Monday, September 28 Attend the auction and bid live. The auction will be held at the Royal Sonesta Boston, 40 Edwin Land Boulevard, Cambridge, MA 02142, and starts promptly at 1:00 pm EST.
Bid by internet
Thursday, September 17 - Sunday, September 27 Visit www.RRAuction.com to place bids on lots before the live auction begins. Pre-live auction bidding will close at 12:00 pm EST, September 27. Monday, September 28 Live bidding begins at www.RRAuction.com at 1:00 pm EST.
Bid by phone
Please call (603) 732-4280 today to schedule a live auction phone call. You may also call to leave absentee bids if unable to attend.
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You can email your bids to Sue Recks (Sue@RRAuction.com). Please list lot numbers and maximum bids. Include your name, address, and phone number as well as a statement confirming that you accept the terms and conditions of the auction.
Auction Preview
Thursday, September 24 The Remarkable Rarities auction preview will be held at our RR Auction Gallery, 236 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm EST. We will be displaying a selection of the top pieces; additional items may be viewed, by appointment only, at our New Hampshire offices.
Live Auction 1 p.m. EST on September 28, 2015 Royal Sonesta Boston 40 Edwin Land Boulevard, Cambridge, MA 02142
contents 02 Royalty 04 John F. Kennedy
Contributors Bob Eaton CEO, Acquisitions bob.eaton@rrauction.com
Ernesto Gonzalez Inventory Executive shipping@rrauction.com
Carla Eaton Owner, Auctioneer carla.eaton@rrauction.com
Erika Rosenfeld Managing Editor erika.rosenfeld@rrauction.com
Bobby Livingston Executive Vice President, Public Relations bobby.livingston@rrauction.com
Tricia Eaton Specialty Editor, Handwriting Expert tricia.eaton@rrauction.com
Bobby Eaton Vice President of Operations Auctioneer, MA/Lic. #3214 bobby.eaton@rrauction.com
Bill White Handwriting Expert bill.white@rrauction.com
Mandy Eaton-Casey Finance Manager amanda.casey@rrauction.com Elizebeth Otto Consignment Director elizebeth.otto@rrauction.com Jon Siefken Consignment Director jon.siefken@RRAuction.com Kelly Daniell Consignment Director kelly.daniell@rrauction.com Linda Hernandez Quality Control, Consignor Services Manager linda.hernandez@rrauction.com Joe Doucette Lead Inventory Executive joe.doucette@rrauction.com
Dan McCarthy Writer, Researcher dan.mccarthy@rrauction.com Evan Mugford Writer evan.mugford@rrauction.com Sue Recks Customer Service Executive sue.recks@rrauction.com Sarina Carlo Creative Director sarina.carlo@rrauction.com Annie Nichols Junior Art Director annie.nichols@rrauction.com
28 Declaration of Independence 34 Presidents 46 Abraham Lincoln 54 Civil War 66 World War II 80 World Leaders 83 Aviation 88 Titanic 92 Space 99 Scientists, Inventors, & Explorers 100 Royalty 110 Art & Literature 138 Notorious Figures & Lawmen 150 20th Century American Icons
Robert S. Eaton Sr. 1940–2001
168 Conditions of Sale
John F. Kennedy
John & Jackie Quintessential oversized Karsh portrait of Camelot’s first couple
8002 John and Jackie Kennedy Oversized Signed Photographic Print Estimate $8,000-10,000 Stunning color 17 x 22 Yousuf Karsh photographic portrait print of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, captioned “The President and Mrs. John Fitzgerald Kennedy,” signed and inscribed in the lower border in black ink, “For the Duke, with the esteem of his friend, John F. Kennedy,” and in blue ballpoint, “Jacqueline Kennedy, 2–6–61.” Printed text in the lower right border credits the photo to Ottawa of Karsh. In fine condition, with minor spots of discoloration to the borders from old tape remnants on the reverse. During a career that spanned over 60 years, portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh captured many of the most important figures of the 20th century. Immortalizing his subjects with an eye for lighting, color, and geometry, Karsh’s keen attention to detail is readily apparent in this dynamic portrayal. The Kennedys sat for Karsh on many occasions throughout their decadelong marriage, but it was 1957—the year this photo was taken—that would produce Karsh’s most complex and enduring images of the couple. This vivid senator-era image, signed as president and first lady, is a perfect characterization of couple’s stoic dignity embraced during their time in Camelot.
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Jackie’s Camera Property of the ‘Inquiring Camera Girl’
Jackie with similar camera
8003 Jacqueline Kennedy’s Nikon Camera Estimate $6,000-8,000 Jacqueline Kennedy’s personally-owned and –used Nikon FM 35mm single lens manual focus camera, measuring 5.5 x 6 x 3.5 with the AF Nikkor 28-85 zoom lens attached. Manufactured between 1977 and 1982, the camera includes its Nikon lens cap, adjustable black leather shoulder strap, the original brown leather Leitz Wetzlar camera case bearing an affixed ‘inspected baggage’ customs label, and a Nikon Nikkor 28mm 1:3.5 camera lens. The camera is in fine condition, with expected wear from use. Mild wear and scuffing to the case, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by the original warranty and instruction manual for the Nikon zoom lens, a copy of the Sotheby’s receipt, as well as three copies of images featuring Jackie holding cameras—one which appears to possibly be this example, or a similar version.
Well before she became the focal point of the world’s paparazzi, Jacqueline Kennedy was making a name for herself behind the camera. In the fall of 1951, a 23-year-old Jacqueline Bouvier landed her first job as the ‘Inquiring Camera Girl,’ a roving photojournalist position for the Washington Times Herald newspaper that involved taking pictures of people she interviewed on the street. In addition to her coverage of President Eisenhower’s 1951 inauguration and Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, her impromptu photo-shoots led to a chance encounter with a soon-to-be senator from Massachusetts. As photography helped fashion Kennedy’s keen eye for detail and framing, she developed a fondness for the craft itself, attesting that she loved ‘ferreting out people’s secrets and exploring how a photo—an exterior exposure—can reveal their interior.’ Synonymous with style and grace, Kennedy’s imprint on modern beauty remains unrivaled amongst first ladies, with this camera existing as a unique extension of one of Kennedy’s foremost passions. Provenance: Sotheby’s, February 2005 Kennedy Homes Auction; ex. The Frank Harvey Kennedy Collection.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 5
6 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Kennedy Wedding Gift
Brooks Brothers umbrella given to JFK groomsman Torbert Macdonald 8004 John F. Kennedy’s Groomsman Wedding Gift Umbrella Estimate $12,000-14,000 Monogrammed Brooks Brothers ‘Doorman’ umbrella presented by then–Senator John F. Kennedy to Torbert Macdonald, a groomsman at his wedding to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier at St. Mary’s Church in Newport, Rhode Island. The umbrella measures 36.25˝ long, features a natural wood hook handle, a black polyester canopy, and a gold-toned tip cup engraved on opposing sides with the initials of the usher, “T. H. C.,” and those of the groom, “J. F. K., 9-12-53,” with the wedding date below. In very good condition, with scattered wear and discoloration to handle, end, and ferrule, numerous clean separations to ribbing in canopy, the tip cup loose, and some tearing and fraying to canopy near end tips and upper hub. Oversized. Kennedy’s fondness for slim ‘Number Two’ two-button suits, made him an unofficial Brooks Brothers model during his presidency, but his earliest public association with the brand began several years prior. At his rehearsal dinner, Senator Kennedy gifted personally monogrammed Brooks Brothers umbrellas to each of his nine groomsmen, a prominent lot that included his brother Edward, cousin Joe Gargan, brother-inlaws Sargent Shriver and Michael Canfield, and friends Lem Billings, Charles Bartlett, and Macdonald. A Massachusetts congressman from 1963 to 1976, Macdonald roomed with
Kennedy at Harvard and forged a friendship with the future president that would conclude with Macdonald serving as one of Kennedy’s honorary pallbearers. A similar umbrella is pictured on page 45 of Jay Mulvaney’s book Kennedy Weddings: A Family Album. Widely documented and observed by presidential and fashion enthusiasts alike, this rare umbrella is a fetching piece of Kennedy history, intimately tied to John and Jackie’s iconic Newport wedding.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 7
The White House Restoration
Comprehensive correspondence between Jackie and White House Curator William Elder 8005 Jacqueline Kennedy White House Restoration Archive Estimate $20,000-25,000
An Overview of the Elder Archive:
As first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy’s major project was the restoration of the White House to reflect its historic past and the promotion of its importance to the American public. This is a fascinating archive of material related to her ambitious project, primarily comprised of correspondence between her and White House curator, William Elder, including: • Seven Jackie handwritten letters and two notes (undated, but circa 1962–63; seven are signed) • Eight letters from Elder to Jackie with numerous annotations in her hand • Scathing typed memo signed by JFK as president • Color engraving of the White House signed and inscribed on the mat by Jackie • Limited edition copy of the White House guidebook with a note from Jackie affixed inside Elder was one of her principal assistants in acquiring new pieces for the Executive Mansion, and this fabulous collection of letters illuminates the thorough, thoughtful yet intense process behind her successful mission to develop the White House as a symbol of American history and accomplishment.
Jackie’s White House Restoration Project:
Jacqueline Kennedy had first visited the White House as a tourist with her family in 1941 and left wholly disappointed, dismayed by the absence of period furnishings and lack of information on the history of the house. Unbeknownst to her at the time, she would move into the great home twenty years later. She began planning to correct this problem as soon as her husband was elected in 1960, with one of the first steps being the declaration of the White House as a museum and establishment of the position of curator of the White House. The first to serve in this capacity was Lorraine Pearce, whose work helped to make enough progress to reveal the newly restored White House to the world in a famous February 1962 hour-long CBS special in which Jackie gave a guided tour, explaining the various rooms and historical value of the pieces within. However, Jackie—demanding control over the project—could not tolerate Pearce’s independent decision making without asking for approval and her failure to subordinate her voice in drafts of the introduction to the White House guidebook. Thus, Pearce resigned ‘for personal reasons’ on August 2, 1962, and the White House staff registrar, William Elder, was promoted to the curator position.
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The ‘Baltimore Desk’ Incident and JFK’s Scathing Letter:
Elder’s first major test came a month later. Newspapers broke a story regarding the discovery that a ‘Baltimore desk’ donated by Mrs. Maurice Noun of Iowa was not genuine, a revelation that took the White House—and Mrs. Noun—by surprise. A highlight of this collection is a typed memo signed by John F. Kennedy, one page, 8 x 10.5, White House letterhead, September 6, 1962, in which he tersely demands answers to eight pointed questions. In part: “It does not seem to me, after reading Maxine Cheshire’s article, that the White House handled the matter of the desk in a way fair to Mrs. Noun. I would like the answers to the following questions…Cheshire suggests that suspicions had arisen some months ago when we got the desk and that you yourself ‘had long been skeptical of the desk’s pedigree.’ I would like to know the date on which you first became skeptical…I would like to know the date on which the Baltimore Museum Curator ‘confided’ that there was ‘something unsatisfactory about the desk’…the Washington Post learned ‘months ago’ of the experts’ warnings to the White House. When was Mrs. Kennedy first informed?…Why, in short, was this matter first brought to the attention of Mr. Salinger and Miss Turnure by the Des Moines Register and not by the White House Curator?” The Baltimore desk, represented as dating to about 1800, was placed in the Green Room and one of the featured items in the broadcast of Jacqueline Kennedy’s guided tour. In the television special, Kennedy cited Mrs. Noun by name and effusively praised her generosity, noting that the desk was the first piece of unsolicited fine furniture donated to the White House. The desk was already in place in the Green Room when Elder was hired as registrar in November 1961, and he was unsure of its authenticity from the beginning. Upon examination by more experts, enough suspicion arose that the desk was disassembled and found to be constructed of newer wood. They determined it to be a reproduction from about 1880—still old, but not a gem of early American furniture. Given the circumstances—the televised publicity and the fact that Mrs. Noun had already taken an $18,000 tax deduction—Elder and Jackie had decided to keep the piece in the White House but remove it from the Green Room and replace it with a legitimate period piece. While JFK was upset with Elder for the position Mrs. Noun was put in, Jackie was even more enraged with the press—she feared that fallout from this mishap could derail her plans for further restoration, but skillful damage control quieted it quickly.
September 6, 1962 typed memo signed by John F. Kennedy
Image of the green room from The White House Guidebook
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 9
“My main work—as you know— has been the W. House— I still care about it more than anything”
View all the pages of this incredible content twelve-page ALS online at www.RRAuction.com
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Five-page ALS by Jacqueline Kennedy
Jackie’s Handwritten Letters:
The lengthiest, most impressive ALS by Jackie is signed, “J,” twelve pages, 5 x 8, White House letterhead (pages two through seven are still connected at the top, having originated from a WH letterhead notepad), in part: “You are a marvelous & devoted curator..but...Do not accept anything without letting me pass on it first... even if it is some old lady whom Harry DuPont has told we will take her grisaille bathtub...let me know immediately. I see these people all the time..I cannot expect them to slave for me—if I do not show prompt appreciation. My main work—as you know—has been the W. House...having you here instead of Lorraine—is paradise—but I do not wish to be cut off completely—as I still care about it more than anything—& I want to be kept up to date on it...you must receive grand curators and take important groups on tour—That is a nuisance for you—but you do it with such grace you make us (the W. H.) many friends...(That was all Lorraine ever wanted to do—& told me we couldn’t possibly get a guide written for 5 yrs)...Jim Fosburgh said you told him she is planning to write a book—when you hear perilous things like that let me know immediately—so I can see that it’s done the best way without hurting us or detracting from our guidebook sales...You & I are the backbone of this whole business...I want to go over the whole layout & text & replacing pictures for the new issue of guide I had them take Queens Room horizontally.” The second longest ALS by Jacqueline Kennedy is signed “J.,” five pages, 5 x 8, White House letterhead, and describes in specific detail several different pieces of furniture and other decor she would like for the White House. In part: “You know what I’m interested in—side tables—French—or even Haitian marquetry—not frou frou. A big round table de milieu—either black or with marble-top & wood legs…A set of dining chairs—They must be comfortable for a man so sit in them either Louis XVI Biedmeir—Empire—Directoire...Any Memento—JFK adores these—Andrew Jackson’s tooth pick—or old coins gold—for buttons—like I tried to buy at Parke Bernet…Do you know my Judith Lewis painting to left of fireplace in Oval Room—any rather exotic scene like that—even still life with parrots or peacocks & unmuddy colors—I’d like—but not those boring Eng[lish] ones of horses & hounds all running & yelling Yoicks.”
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The other seven handwritten letters and notes from Jackie contain interesting content regarding the restoration, generally touching upon new acquisitions or placement of things around the White House. • ALS in pencil and ballpoint, signed “JBK,” one page both .sides, 5 x 8, White House letterhead, in part: “Could you put 2 lamps in pineapple room (1 there now between beds—green marble column—in Lincoln sitting room…If they look too big in Lincoln S. room change them back.” • ALS in blue ballpoint signed “J.,” one page, 5 x 8, White House .letterhead, in full: “Would you please tell Mary G. how much .the sofa in the map room was so she can give you a check.”
Five handwritten letters and two notes from Jacqueline Kennedy to Bill Elder
• Handwritten letter in pencil and ballpoint (unsigned), one page both sides, White House letterhead, 5 x 8, in part: “Will you please send the 2 Cezannes back to Nat. Gal. today properly crated…Please rehang my oval room today— Lettuce & Tomatoes is not the same as looking at my Boudin.” • Handwritten letter in pencil (unsigned), one page both sides, 5 x 8, in part: “I don’t want my things to get all mixed up with WH…If ever in doubt ask me before all my treasures go off to Smithsonian.” • ANS in blue ballpoint signed, “Jackie” on a postcard depicting the East Room of the White House, offering a simple “thinking of you.” • ALS in blue ballpoint signed “Jacqueline Kennedy,” on both sides of a 4.5 x 3.5 White House stationery card, in full: “My pillow might make you feel tired to look at—as every swatch is a memory of hard working hours—but to me it is the greatest treasure and delight.” • ANS in pencil, on White House notepad paper, signed “J.,” directing Elder to have a picture taken of her bathroom for a new edition of “G.B.,” the White House guidebook.
Excerpts From Jackie’s Responses to the Curator:
Notable excerpts from Jackie's responses to the curator
On a July 20, 1962 letter from Elder, Jackie copiously annotated her responses on the margins. She wrote: “I really want this legend so future Pres[ident’s] wives will know what’s what in each room & not toss it out or to the basement—I picture a frame that could be lain on a table & people could pick it up & look at it—State dinner guests etc.” She adds a sketch of her vision on the reverse, drawing the Green Room and identifying three objects: “1. Andirons belonging to Pres. Zachary Taylor…2. Baltimore Classical ladies desk…3. Mirror used by Washington in Phila[delphia]—gift of Mt. Vernon.”
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On a November 7, 1962 letter from Elder informing Jackie that they “have received a request from the Republican Women’s Committee to have a ‘portrait plate’ made of Mrs. Eisenhower to add to the collection in the cases in the Gold Room,” the first lady responds: “Bill—this is a hot one—it would be all we need for Repub[lican] women to say we wouldn’t show Mamie’s plate.” On a May 10, 1963 letter from Elder, Jackie responds concerning the difficulty of accurately reproducing a color photo of JFK to be used in the White House guidebook. Elder suggests they use the famous Bachrach photo of the president and Jacqueline replies to the proposal at the bottom, insisting on the color photograph: “Use this—it gives a feeling of the office of the Presidency—& the gloomy color even adds to the oppressive feeling—Probably he will no longer be Pres. when this new edition is sold out—but I promise to get him to pose for a new picture like this one in the next yr...I HATE all other pics of Pres.—only this one will do.”
Color engraving of the 1805 White House inscribed on the mat by Jackie
The remaining pair of items signed by Jackie are the White House print and special copy of the White House guidebook, both given as gifts to Elder: a color 6 x 4 print engraving of the White House as it appeared in 1805, presented in a 10.75 x 9 mat, signed and inscribed on the mat in blue ballpoint, “For Bill—to whom this building is not unfamiliar. With our greatest appreciation, Jacqueline Kennedy, Christmas 1962,” and framed to an overall size of 12 x 10.5; and a special limited edition leatherbound copy of The White House published by the White House Historical Association in 1962, numbered 21/100, bearing an ANS on a White House notecard affixed to the colophon, signed “Jacqueline Kennedy,” in full: “At last our guidebook is a reality!—and I can never thank you enough for all you did to make it possible.” Also present is a fantastic January 22, 1964, TLS from RFK, signed “Robert Kennedy,” two pages on embossed “Office of the Attorney General, Elder's copy of the White House Guide Book, Washington, DC” letterhead, plus a four-page with a personal note from the first lady attachment. Lengthy letter regards Mr. Elder’s inclusion in the Kennedy Administration’s Oral History. The archive also includes a substantial amount of related ephemera, including Elder’s handwritten notes and lists of furnishings, his rough draft of a letter concerning the future of the restored White House from December 1963, magazines from the period discussing the subject, letters to Elder from various other figures, a plaque seemingly for a Benjamin Franklin portrait, and an array of other material. In overall very good to fine condition.
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“The personal conduct of an individual Senator does not represent the United States Senate as a whole� 14 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
JFK's McCarthy Statement JFK tiptoes around “the activities of Senator McCarthy”
8006 John F. Kennedy Typed Letter Signed and Statement Estimate $3,000-4,000 TLS signed “Jack,” one page, 6.25 x 9.25, United States Senate letterhead, March 12, 1954. Letter to Massachusetts lawyer Endicott Peabody, who would go on to become the state’s governor. In full: “Thanks for your letter concerning the activities of Senator McCarthy. I have received quite a volume of mail on this subject and have prepared a statement of my views. I am enclosing a copy for your information and will appreciate any comments you may care to make.” Included is the enclosure referenced, entitled “Statement on the Conduct of Congressional Committees and Members of Congress,” in which Kennedy addresses the subject but goes to great lengths to avoid singling out McCarthy. In part: “First, I do not think that anyone, particularly after the Chief Justice Warren affair, doubts that committee investigations have from time to time exceeded the limits of fairness. Witnesses have been unfairly abused and hearings have been improperly conducted. To the extent that this problem arises solely out of the personality of one or more Senators…it cannot be corrected…Second, there is a very serious question as to whether investigating committees have exceeded their jurisdiction or overlapped the functions of other committees. Certainly we should not abandon the very important instrument of full legislative inquiry; nor has it been demonstrated that Congress can safely refrain from any inquiry into the matter of subversive activities in and out of Government.
My vote to appropriate funds to the McCarthy Subcommittee was based upon these beliefs…Third…The personal conduct of an individual Senator does not represent the United States Senate as a whole; nor is every other Senator responsible for such conduct…I am sure that you will agree that in the long run this is essential to our democratic way of life. If a majority were permitted to still the voice of a minority or of a single Member…or to expel him from the Senate because his views and methods may be repugnant to them; this would, I believe, set a precedent that would return to haunt those of us who believe with Thomas Jefferson that ‘…error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.’” In fine condition, with slightly irregular light toning and a couple of paperclip impressions to top edge. The rise of Joseph R. McCarthy and his demagoguery presented an unusual challenge for Kennedy—his Irish-Catholic roots in a Protestant political system gave McCarthy and the Kennedy family a common bond, and he was a friend of patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. Three days before Kennedy wrote this letter, CBS broadcasted Edward R. Murrow’s famous special ‘A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy,’ which exposed his poor behavior and rough tactics. McCarthy’s decline came sharply, and the Subcommittee on Investigations Army–McCarthy hearings began on March 16. These were also broadcast and discredited McCarthy even further, made most famous by the question posed to McCarthy by Boston lawyer Joseph Welch: ‘Have you no sense of decency?’ The anti-McCarthy sentiment culminated on December 2, 1954, when Senate voted to censure McCarthy by a vote of 67 to 22; Kennedy, who was hospitalized for back surgery, was the lone senator not on record, and he never officially indicated how he would have voted.
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“I have always had an image of America, as fulfilling a noble and historic role as the defender of liberty�
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Announcing His Presidential Candidacy Historic 1959 Kennedy manuscript revealing his deep-seated presidential intentions
8007 John F. Kennedy Handwritten Manuscript Announcing His Presidential Candidacy Estimate $60,000-80,000 Astounding JFK-handwritten manuscript announcing his intention to run for president of the United States. Drafted in pencil, unsigned, three pages on two sheets, 7.25 x 10.5, North Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida letterhead, no date but circa late 1959. Kennedy’s early draft of the speech. In full: “I am announcing today my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States. The Presidency is the most powerful office in the World. Through its leadership can come a more vital life for our people. In it are centered the hopes of the globe around us for a freedom and a more secure life. For 18 years I have been in the service of the United States, first as a naval officer in the 2nd World War, and for the past 14 years as a member of the Congress of the US. I have always had an image of America, as fulfilling a noble and historic role as the defender of liberty in a time of maximum peril—and of the American people as confident, courageous and persevering. I seek the Presidency for in that office in the next decade will be determined whether war or peace is to be our fate, and whether the heritage of freedom so forcefully guarded for us from our earliest beginnings can be spread through a war torn world.” Kennedy makes corrections throughout the text, striking through several words. The handwritten manuscript is bolstered by a significant archive of additional step-by-step drafts of the speech, including two typescripts with further pencil corrections in Kennedy’s own hand, an additional three-page handwritten version on Palm Beach letterhead in an unknown hand, and four nonhand-amended typed drafts, including one titled, “December 8, 1959, Kennedy Announcement—Draft #2.” The final three are on onionskin; all seem to have slight variations to the text. The first Kennedy-amended version is headed “TCS Draft,” two pages, 8.5 x 11, and differs dramatically from Kennedy’s
handwritten draft. This version retains the sentiment of the first but offers greater specificity, as well as a direct mention of the Soviet Union. In part: “For it is in the Executive Branch that the most crucial decisions of this century must be made in the next four years—how to end or alter the burdensome arms race, where Soviet gains already threaten our very existence—how to maintain freedom and order in the newly emerging nations—how to rebuild the stature of American science and education—how to prevent the collapse of our farm economy and the decay of our cities.” Kennedy revises wording in several lines and also eliminates entire passages. The second Kennedy-amended draft is three typed pages and most closely resembles the final draft of his announcement. Generously annotated by Kennedy throughout, in the closing paragraph, the future president writes in pencil, “In the last 20 years I have travelled to nearly every land…from Leningrad to Saigon, from Bucharest to Lima,” a line which appears almost verbatim in his final speech. Kennedy ends with the handwritten addition of a strong closing statement: “It is with this image that I begin this campaign.” In overall fine condition, with irregular intersecting folds to the Kennedy handwritten draft. This remarkable step-by-step archive—highlighted by JFK’s initial handwritten draft—offers remarkable insight into the development of his candidacy announcement speech, which he gave in the US Senate Caucus Room on January 2, 1960. Elements of each draft are found in his final speech nearly word-for-word, including the opening lines from his handwritten draft as well as the notation about his international travel. The letterhead on the here-offered fully handwritten three-page draft is notable as it represents the Kennedy family’s Palm Beach estate: the site of JFK’s first formal campaign strategy meeting on April 1, 1959. Kennedy went on to secure the Democratic nomination in July and emerged victorious in the November elections, taking office on January 20, 1961. As Kennedy’s personal drafts for the speech that launched his iconic campaign, these are absolutely unique and of immense historical importance.
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18 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Profiles in Courage Presidentially signed “White House, January 1962”
8008 John F. Kennedy Signed Profiles in Courage Estimate $5,000-6,000 Signed book: Profiles in Courage. Later printing. NY: Harper & Brothers, 1956. Hardcover with dust jacket, 6 x 8.75, 266 pages. Signed and inscribed on an off-white 5.5 x 8.25 sheet originally tipped in before the title page in bold black ink, “White House, For Mark Duffy—with warmest regards, John F. Kennedy, January 1962.” Autographic condition: light soiling to lower right corner, brushing to latter portion of the inscription (as noted in Evelyn Lincoln’s letter), and show-through from adhesive to reverse of left edge resulting from the now fully detached signed page originally being tipped in, otherwise fine condition; overall presentability and boldness of the writing remains unaffected. Book condition: VG-/VG-.
American Booksellers Association, in part: “The President responded with both speed and grace to our request for an autographed sheet to tip into Mark’s copy of Profiles in Courage…The inscription arrived a bit smudged by the Presidential hand, but I guess this will add to its historicity.” Also accompanied by a mimeographed letter bearing a facsimile signature from President Kennedy addressed to Mother Marion Duffy, “Ethel Kennedy has told me of your recent letter and your kind remarks concerning the Alliance for Progress. I want you to know how much I appreciate your interest and your thoughtfulness in sending these comments along to Ethel.”
“The inscription arrived a bit smudged by the Presidential hand, but I guess this will add to its historicity”
Accompanied by two letters of provenance concerning the autographed sheet, one from Presidential Secretary Evelyn Lincoln to executive vice president of Harper & Brothers Evan Thomas, and the second from Thomas to Joseph Duffy of
As student director at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls school in Bronx’s Maplehurst neighborhood, Sister Marion Duffy served as an important matriarchal figure for America’s royal family. To date, five Kennedy women—including Bobby’s wife Ethel—are alumnae. Given JFK’s faith and familial ties to Sacred Heart, this book serves as an uncommon associative piece relative to his own religious convictions as our first Catholic president. The extensive background correspondence and rare presidential inscription, “White House, January 1962,” considerably bolster this book’s overall desirability.
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20 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
From JBK to JFK
JBK pens a note to Jack in preparation for their family’s final public event 8009 Jacqueline Kennedy Handwritten Notes to JFK Estimate $4,000-6,000 Handwritten notes, one page, 6.25 x 9.25, White House letterhead, November 8, 1963. Lengthy handwritten notes on a typed memo written to her by White House Social Secretary Nancy Tuckerman. Tuckerman’s message to the first lady, in full: “Is it all right with you if we invite Sol Hurok to the Black Watch? He is their agent in this country, and the British Embassy just called.” Jackie’s note to Nancy, in full: “Ask JFK—Sol Hurok has been a pain—as you know—Also the Black Watch informed JFK that they would rather arrange the W. H. thing without him—I would say no—he will be pushing in every picture & giving statements. But if the British want it—ok.” She pens another cramped note at the top to the president, “Jack—Have talked to Nancy. Apparently Sol Keeps calling Mr. Robertson at British Embassy—is very hurt that he hasn’t been asked—He is calling back this afternoon to see if they can get him invited. So you decide if we want to insult Sol or just smooth things over. We really don’t need him now—as we can get performers without him—& it seems commercial to have him—but if we don’t—we might start a feud—Whatever you decide is perfect.” Also includes an unsigned glossy 10 x 8 press photo of the first family observing the festivities, stamp-dated November 13, 1963; and a carbon typescript of the president’s itinerary for the day. In fine condition.
“The Black Watch informed JFK that they would rather arrange the W. H. thing without him”
These notes concern the performance of the Black Watch of the Royal Highlanders Regiment, the Scottish regimental marching band, at the White House on November 13, 1963. As a part of her effort to revitalize the White House, Jackie began using the expanse of the great South Lawn to host various events and receptions. In this case, the White House invited several hundred students and teachers from the area to attend a performance by the accomplished pipe and drum band. John F. Kennedy, Jackie, Caroline, and John, Jr., happily observed from the South Portico in what would sadly become the last public appearance of the whole family. Tragedy struck just nine days later when the president was assassinated in Dallas. Still in the Washington area due to their performance schedule, the Black Watch granted another request by the first lady and provided solemn bagpipe music along the route from the White House to St. Matthew’s Cathedral for the president’s funeral.
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The Kennedys Holiday Card
Exceedingly rare 1963 holiday card, signed 48 hours before leaving for Dallas 8010 John and Jacqueline Kennedy Signed Holiday Card Estimate $15,000-20,000
Exceedingly rare official Hallmark card issued during the 1963 holiday season, featuring an image of a nativity scene on the front, measuring 4.5 x 6.5 closed, signed inside in bold ink as president, “John Kennedy,” and as first lady, “Jacqueline Kennedy.” The image on the front is identified as “Creche in East Room, The White House,” and a gilt-embossed presidential seal and engraved holiday greeting appear above the signatures, reading: “With best wishes for a Happy New Year.” In fine condition. According to Mary Evans Seeley’s book Season’s Greetings from the White House, Hallmark published over 2,200 White House holiday cards bearing the printed sentiment ‘With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year,’ 1,500 of which featured facsimile signatures of President and Mrs. Kennedy, with another 700 ordered without signatures. A letter dated November 14, 1963, from Hallmark V. P. Jeannette Lee, informed Maj. Gen. C.V. Clifton, Jr., Kennedy’s military aide, that 500 of the unsigned cards would be shipped directly to the White House, awaiting the President upon his return. After attending a test launch of a Polaris missile at Cape Canaveral and then flying south to Palm Beach on November 16th, President Kennedy made speeches in Tampa and Miami and returned to Washington around midnight two days later on November 18th; the 500 blank cards having already arrived and awaiting his signature. With its noticeable lack of a Christmas mention, this scarce variant of the holiday card was either signed November 19th or November 20th, just days before the Kennedys made their fateful trip to Dallas. Research indicates that there are a mere five other known Kennedy-signed 1963 holiday cards in existence, and this is the only non-denominational example experts have encountered. A truly rare card further enhanced by the presence of both the President and First Lady.
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Air Force One Passenger List
The official passenger list for the Kennedys’ final flight 8012 John F. Kennedy’s Air Force One Passenger List Estimate $20,000-25,000 Original passenger manifest from Air Force One for Kennedy’s November 1963 trip to Texas, 8 x 10.5, six pages, November 21, 1963. The first page identifies the plane as “VC-137C 26000,” is stamped twice, “For Official Use Only,” and bears a ball point notation, “AF #1, Guard.” First page consists of the passenger list for the flight from Andrews Air Force Base to San Antonio on November 21, with especially notable passengers including “The President,” “Mrs Kennedy,” “Mr. David F. Powers,” “Senator Ralph Yarborough,” “Mrs Evelyn Lincoln,” and “Mr. Clint Hill.” This list was evidently used as a checklist to make sure everyone made it aboard. Page two is for their next flight later that day, from San Antonio to Houston, with the notable additions of “Governor Connally” and “Mrs Connally.” Following this is the list of passengers flying from Houston to Fort Worth, set to take off at 10:30 p.m. and land 45 minutes later.
“Arrive: Dallas, Texas – 1135 – 22 November 1963,” carrying “1.The President” and “2. Mrs Kennedy”
The most historic page is the fourth, for the flight from Fort Worth to Dallas on the morning of November 22, taking off at 11:15 a.m. and landing 20 minutes later at Love Field. The president and first lady existing Despite two more scheduled flights, this was the last KenAir Force One at Love Field in Dallas nedy would take—the president was assassinated during the motorcade from Love Field to the Dallas Trade Mart. Had the trip gone as planned, Kennedy would have left Dallas for Austin at 2:35 p.m., stayed the night, and flown to Dulles International the following day at 2:15 p.m. Central vertical and horizontal folds and some soiling to the first page, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by two LBJ pins. Originating from the estate of Sgt. Thomas Webb, the first crew chief of the Air Force One jet, a Boeing VC-137C, tail number 2600 (as indicated in this manifest), this piece is accompanied by exceptional provenance including several photos of Webb receiving distinguished awards for his service. A remarkable official piece from what would become a national day of mourning.
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26 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Watch Band
Supremely well-documented leather watch band from JFK’s Dallas-worn Cartier 8013 John F. Kennedy’s Brown Leather Watch Band Estimate $25,000-30,000 Kennedy’s personally-owned and -worn Lord Elgin brown leather watch band removed from the gold Cartier watch, which had been engraved on the back with their wedding date, “J.F.K., 9-12-57.” In overall fine condition. This historic piece is accompanied by a binder of extensive documentation and research detailing its history, compiled by previous owner and renowned Kennedy collector Robert L. White. A gift from Jackie to her husband in celebration of their fourth wedding anniversary, the watch—according to a letter from Kennedy’s longtime secretary Evelyn Lincoln to White—“was worn by President John F. Kennedy for a short while, but he then discarded it because he didn’t like the wrist band.” The band was then replaced with a black alligator band, and Kennedy began to wear the watch on a regular basis; he was wearing it as such on November 22, 1963. After being rushed to Parkland Hospital, Kennedy was brought to Trauma Room #1, where Nurse Diana Bowron was on duty. Included in the accompanying information with this band are a copy of her testimony before the Warren Commission and a hospital memo describing her role in treating Kennedy, in part: “Two of the doctors wished to start fluids in the President’s left arm, upon which he was wearing a gold watch with a black leather strap. As this was about to fall off I removed it and placed it in my pocket for safe keeping…I ran to the blood bank and collected two units of uncrossmatched blood. I returned to the Emergency Room and…was told that the President was dead…As the body was being removed, I remembered that
I still had the President’s gold watch in my pocket. I ran out to the Triage desk and there I saw Mr. Wright. I gave him the gold watch and explained how I had come by it.” Additional corroborating accounts, including an excerpt from O. P. Wright, Head of Security at Parkland, are also provided. The watch was then given to Special Agent Roger C. Warner; a notarized statement from Warner confirms that he picked up the watch from Mr. Wright on November 26, 1963, and sent it back to Washington. From there, Special Agent Robert Bouck released the watch to agent Clint Hill for its return to Mrs. Kennedy; a receipt from the National Archives confirms this. Before he returned it, Hill replaced the bloodied black alligator band with this original one, to spare the grieving widow the additional reminder of the gruesome event. A photocopied letter from Evelyn Lincoln to Robert White reads, in part: “Soon after Mrs. Kennedy moved out of the White House in 1964… she filled an entire room with cast offs. Dresses, yard goods, all kinds of clothing belonging to the President, herself and her children…Mrs. Kennedy invited me, among the first of many of her friends, to come to that room and choose anything I wanted…I carried away many, many very personal items.” Completing the chain of ownership, Robert White has included two notarized letters, both showing images of the watch and this band, reading, in part: “This is…as I received it on June 5th, 1992 from Evelyn Lincoln…it is indeed the watch he wore for many years and was wearing the day of the assassination in Dallas. The original black Cartier alligator strap…was removed by the Secret Service and replaced with the Lord Elgin leather strap before the watch was returned to Mrs. Kennedy on December 2nd, 1963.” An extensively documented Kennedy artifact with clear ties to Camelot’s first couple and their fateful day in Dallas. Provenance: The Robert White Collection.
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Declaration of Independence
Force Print
Scarce 1848 Force engraving of the Declaration of Independence 8014 Declaration of Independence Force Print Estimate $15,000-20,000
Striking rice paper engraving of the Declaration of Independence, 26 x 29, printed by Peter Force in 1848 for inclusion in his series American Archives, beginning, “In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.” Folded as issued and in fine condition, with unobtrusive tear to the upper left (expertly repaired on the reverse), a few trivial spots of staining, and expected mild mirroring of ink. By 1820, the original Declaration of Independence had seriously deteriorated due to inappropriate handling and storage, creating an immediate need for a facsimile reproduction. Commissioned by John Quincy Adams, William J. Stone engraved a copperplate by lifting ink directly from the original and creating a perfect copy. He printed 201 before placing the plate in storage for safekeeping. Twenty years later, in 1843, Peter Force was commissioned by Congress to print a series of books—now known as the American Archives—featuring the founding documents of the United States. For the occasion, the Stone engraving was removed from storage and used to produce new copies on rice paper, distinguished from the original by an engraving in the lower left corner “W.J. Stone S.C. Washn.” Printed in 1848, each copy was folded into the first volume of the fifth series of books. After printing, the plate was again retired, now residing with the original Declaration at the National Archives. Congress authorized the printing of 1500 copies of American Archives, but subscriptions for the elaborate edition were disappointing, and in the end many fewer copies—perhaps only 500—were issued. Most, including this copy, were folded and bound into Volume I, Series Five. A magnificent example in its seldom-seen original state.
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30 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
John Hancock As president of the Continental Congress in 1776
8015 John Hancock Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $12,000-15,000 Revolutionary War-dated ALS signed “John Hancock, Prest,” one page, 8 x 12.5, January 10, 1776. Letter to Lord Stirling, in full: “I have it in Charge from Congress to order Col. Maxwell to put his Regimt in a State of Readiness to March to Albany, which you will pleased to direct immediately, & as soon as Ready pray inform me, that the particular orders of Congress may be Transmitted for his proceedings.” Letter is removably encapsulated in acid free Mylar. With intersecting folds, one through a single letter of signature, some areas of restored paper loss to reverse edges and corner tips, and some staining to upper and lower corners, otherwise fine condition.
“Order Col. Maxwell to put his Regimt in a State of Readiness to March to Albany”
With the Revolution underway, Hancock arrived in Philadelphia in 1775 and was unanimously elected president of the Continental Congress, the first national government of the United States. As public support for independence strengthened and Congress prepared to officially declare, Hancock dealt with their official correspondence, including select military orders. In this letter to the 2nd New Jersey Regiment’s Colonel William Maxwell, through Lord (General William Alexander) Stirling, he orders their preparation for a march to Albany, from whence they would begin their role in the investment of Quebec. This regiment and both men noted remained active through the entirety of the war, participating in such noted battles as Brandywine, Germantown, and the final Battle of Yorktown. Sending orders to two loyal Patriots who saw the war through to the end, this is a wonderful early Revolutionary War-dated letter in Hancock’s hand, penned just six months before he placed his famous signature on the Declaration of Independence.
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Benjamin Franklin Twice-signed document with the seldom-seen “Benj. Franklin” signature used on the Declaration
8016 Benjamin Franklin Signed Document Estimate $10,000-12,000 Impressive twice-signed manuscript DS on vellum, signed “B. Franklin” and “Benj. Franklin,” one page, 26 x 21.5, January 12, 1753. An indenture wherein “widdow” Hannah White of Germantown [Pennsylvania] transfers to Thomas Rose of Bristol a parcel of land “for the consideration of the sum of one hundred and twenty two pounds lawful money.” Franklin signs twice, within (“Benj. Franklin”) and following (“B. Franklin”) a statement of witness. Two seals, one wax and one wax and paper, remain intact near the right edge. Handsomely matted and framed with a nineteenth-century portrait engraving to an overall size of 43 x 32. In very good condition, with heavy folds (one touching the last name of ‘internal’ signature), toning and some separations at intersections of folds (affecting a few words), and scattered soiling and spotting (mainly confined to lower border), as well as mirroring of text to blank lower margin. Overall, the document displays quite attractively and the second signature is virtually unaffected by any of the document’s flaws. Franklin was at the peak of his scientific discoveries when he signed this document. In 1753, he founded the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia and published—in his own Poor Richard’s Almanack—his pioneering article describing the lightning rod, an invention that evolved from his legendary kite-flying experiment of the previous year. In addition, he was awarded with the Royal Society’s Copley Medal for his work on electricity, and both Harvard and Yale awarded him honorary degrees. Franklin’s offices at the time included Postmaster of Philadelphia, Deputy Postmaster of the British Colonies in America, and member of the Pennsylvania Assembly. A commanding document signed in the rare manner of “Benj. Franklin,” the form he used to sign the Declaration of Independence. Oversized.
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Presidents
George Washington Revolutionary War orders concerning “Flags of truce from the Enemy”
8017 George Washington Letter Signed Estimate $15,000-20,000 LS signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 8.25 x 13.25, January 1, 1783 [inadvertently dated 1782]. Letter to Colonel Joseph Vose. In full: “I approve of your conduct respecting the Flag. Messrs Lewis and Nicholson are to be permitted to proceed on their Journey, but Mr Kinloch will be under the necessity of returning back as I have informed him. Mr. Mott, who was detained some days ago may also return. In future, Flags of truce from the Enemy properly authenticated and conducted are to be received at the New Bridge on the Croton until further directions. Other Instructions will be given in a few days on this subject to the Officer commanding on the Lines…P.S. You will please to send a safe guard back with Mr Kinloch if he chooses it.” The body of the letter is in the hand of David Humphreys, Washington’s aide-de-camp, and the man entrusted to bring the surrendered British flag and Washington's battle report from Yorktown to Congress. Handsomely double-matted and framed with an engraved portrait and plaque to an overall size of 21.75 x 20.25. In very good condition, with intersecting folds, repairs to various tears and separations (none affecting the signature), and a circular area of toning above the signature from seal to reverse. As fighting ceased and peace negotiations began, it became necessary to establish a point at which people could safely cross over enemy lines—representatives from both countries needed to meet for negotiations and loyalists who had fled to British-held New York desired to return home. To control access Washington established one crossing point at Dobbs Ferry, but as winter set in the ice made crossing a precarious proposition. Vose wrote to General Washington on December 29, explaining that three individuals, natives of Virginia and Carolina, arrived under a flag of truce at New Bridge and
said they could not cross at Dobbs Ferry. Requesting further instruction from Washington, Vose wrote that he detained two of them at the lines ‘as it is conterary to orders for flagg’s to come any other rout but Dobbs ferry.’ However, he sent one of them ahead to explain their situation to Washington. Washington responded with the present letter, approving of Vose’s dutiful compliance and telling him to allow the remaining pair to cross. In light of the problems at Dobbs Ferry, Washington instructs flags of truce to be received at “the New Bridge on the Croton,” informing the British commander Guy Carleton of this change on the same day. Entry was refused to Kinlock, however, because Washington was bound by a measure passed by Congress that forbade entry into the United States by anyone coming through the British lines without special permissions. In addition to its outstanding content from the end of the Revolutionary War, this letter demonstrates Washington’s respect for the civil authority of Congress, which would become a central philosophy in the development of America’s three branches of government.
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John Adams
Presidential letter to his Mississippi Territory appointee 8018 John Adams Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $9,000-12,000
ALS as president, one page, 7.75 x 9.75, April 7, 1799. Letter to Governor of the Mississippi Territory Winthrop Sargent. In full: “I have rec’d your friendly private Letter of the 8 of January and thank you for the interesting Sentiments it contains. The most acceptable Service you can render to me, and indeed the only Service that I can at present imagine, will be a continuance of your Activity Patience and Ability in the very important public Station you now hold. I congratulate you very sincerely on your marriage and wish you every domestic felicity as well as every public honor which your past Services have wanted. I thank you for the Strawberry Seeds, which shall be planted in the Garden at Quincy though I have little hope that they will there succeed as they did in yours.” In very good condition, with tape-repaired edge separations to intersecting folds, scattered toning, and old toned tape remnants to edges.
for ten years until Adams appointed him the first governor of the Mississippi Territory in 1798. Like Adams, Sargent was a Massachusettsborn Federalist educated at Harvard, and in his new post laid the basic groundwork for local government. This included dividing the land into districts—including an “Adams” county—establishing a court system, developing a militia, and adopting various rules and regulations. In Winthrop’s letters to Adams he expresses great pleasure in Adams’s presidency and a devotion to advancing the goals of his administration. Unfortunately, his allegiance to the Federalists cost Sargent his governorship when Adams was ousted from office by Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election, who made sweeping appointments of like-minded Democratic-Republicans throughout the nation. Presidential handwritten letters by Adams are scarce and extremely soughtafter, particularly with this interesting political content.
“The only Service that I can at present imagine, will be a continuance of your Activity Patience and Ability”
A veteran of the Revolutionary War, Sargent served as secretary of the Northwest Territory
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Thomas Jefferson Jefferson as he pays for seven slaves, “I am in hopes you will have been able to procure me some”
8019 Thomas Jefferson Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $60,000-80,000 ALS as vice president, signed “Th: Jefferson,” one page, 7.75 x 9.5, January 8, 1801. Letter to Richard Richardson, the overseer of Monticello. In part: (spelling and grammar retained): “I recieved a few days ago your letter of Dec. 22 and on the 5th inst. I wrote to mr. [George] Jefferson and now inclose you an order on him for 550.16 D or say £165.1. to be applied as follows. for Henry Duke for: Simon—£21.10, Stepney—20.10, Ed[w]’d Goodwin adm’r of Dickeson’s estate: John—16.15, [Isa]ac—16.1, the [wi]dow Duke for Hendrick’s estate for: Mat—20.0, Moses—20.0, yourself for: Joe—19.0, d’o on account: 31.4, [totaling:] 165.5=550.16 D...I procured an exchange of money here with a person who was to recieve money there. tho I believe there is no doubt of it's being paid on de[m]and, yet I have desired mr. Jefferson if there is any delay to let me know by return of post...I am very sorry indeed to hear of so poor a chance for hiring laborers. it will be a serious embarrasment to me. I am in hopes you will have been able [t] o procure me some.” Professionally silked on the reverse and in very good condition, with several areas of repaired papers loss, intersecting folds (one vertical fold passing through a single letter of the signature), and scattered soiling. Of the slaveholders comprising America’s founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson held the most complex attitude toward the barbaric institution. He kept hundreds of slaves during his lifetime and was equally willing to rent slave labor from other owners, as is evident in this letter. The payments he discusses are renumeration for use of the seven men held as slaves— Simon, Stepney, John, Isaac, Mat, Moses, and Joe—due as rent to their owners. Five of these men are mentioned in The Slave Families of Thomas Jefferson, a comprehensive study published in 2007 by B. Bernetiae Reed. Although a great statesman, Jefferson was not a terribly astute businessman and this letter derives from a botched deal with John G. Craven, who had signed a lease for a plot of land on the Monticello
estate in September 1800. One of the terms of the transaction was that Jefferson would build a house for him on the property and have several dozen acres of land cleared to be usable for planting. When Craven arrived on December 31, he was dismayed to find his house unfinished—walls were missing and it had no windows or doors—and the ‘cleared land’ was essentially untouched. In order to save himself from, as Jefferson says, “serious embarrasment [sic],” he urgently requested the managers of Monticello to rent slave labor from nearby owners. In light of their inability to do so, Jefferson ultimately directed his son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph, who helped oversee the nailmaking blacksmith shop at Monticello, to divert all able-bodied slaves from their forges at the nailery—one of the most profitable ventures of the plantation— and tasked them with clearing the land promised to Craven. Jefferson wrestled with the topic of slavery and despite engaging in the practice as a private citizen he was ardently against it in his political career. These struggles are found even in this instance, with Jefferson’s humanity revealed amidst an institutionalized inhumanity in both the land-clearing project and the real estate transaction with Craven. Within weeks of writing the present letter, after deciding to suspend work at the nailery in order to clear land, Jefferson followed up with Randolph on the subject and provided instructions for Gabriel Lilly—known as one of the most brutal supervisors at Monticello—writing, ‘I forgot to ask the favor of you to speak to Lilly as to the treatment of the nailers. it would destroy their value in my estimation to degrade them in their own eyes by the whip.’ In addition to the promise of cleared land, another item in the indenture with John H. Craven for lease of the property was that Jefferson would provide forty-eight of his slaves for Craven’s use. In that document, Jefferson also saw fit to add a stipulation as to their treatment, with Craven agreeing to ‘feed and clothe the Said Negroes well, & take care of them in Sickness, employing medical aid When necessary; & useing towards them no unreasonable Treatment.’ As a handwritten letter by Jefferson on the topic of slavery, dating to less than three months before taking office as the third president of the United States, this is an immensely desirable and historically important piece.
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Thomas Jefferson
Recommendation to President Madison for the future Washington Monument architect 8020 Thomas Jefferson Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $60,000-70,000 ALS signed “Th: Jefferson,” one page, 7.75 x 9.75, February 17, 1814. Letter to President James Madison, written from Monticello, in full (spelling and grammar retained): “In my letter of yesterday I forgot to put the inclosed one from mr Mills, which I now send merely to inform you of his wishes, and to do on it what you find right. he is an excellent young man, modest, cautious & very manageable. his skill in architecture will be proved by his drawings & he has had a good deal of experience. he married a daughter of Colo Smith of Winchester formerly (perhaps now) a member of Congress.” Reverse of second integral page is addressed in Jefferson’s hand to “James Madison, President of the US, Washington.” Professional restorations along intersecting folds and slightly irregular overall toning, otherwise fine condition.
“His skill in architecture will be proved by his drawings”
When he was about nineteen years old, Robert Mills went to Washington to work with his mentor James Hoban on the construction of the White House. He met and befriended Jefferson during this time, who introduced him to the prominent British architect Benjamin Latrobe. In 1814, Mills won an architectural competition for the design of the first major monument honoring George Washington, to be situated in Baltimore. The cornerstone was laid in 1815 and construction continued for fifteen years, resulting in a colossal 178-foot tall marble column topped by a sculpture of Washington. In 1836 he won another competition, this time for a monument in Washington, D. C., with his stone obelisk design for the now-iconic Washington Monument on the National Mall. In the present letter, Jefferson supports Mills’s application to fill the position of Surveyor of the Public Buildings at Washington, recently vacated due to Latrobe’s retirement; however, it appears that Mills did not receive the appointment. Connecting three important presidential founding fathers—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison—with an architect who played a role in establishing the iconic neoclassical style of the Washington landscape, this is an absolutely extraordinary letter.
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White House Plinth Architectural ornament present from 1817 to 1902 renovation
8022 The White House Plinth Estimate $200,000-300,000 A remarkable original circa 1817 wooden plinth from the White House as reconstructed during the presidency of James Madison after its burning in 1814, removed from the Cross Hall during the extensive renovations undertaken in 1902 by Theodore Roosevelt. This plinth, a decorative architectural ornament used as a base, sat at the bottom of the trim outlining one of two niches in the Cross Hall, the broad eighty-foot long hallway on the first floor that provides access to the State Dining Room, East Room, Red Room, Blue Room, and Green Room. The niches, situated between the entrances of the Red, Blue, and Green Rooms, were originally meant to hold large iron heating stoves and used in this capacity until at least 1850. The piece measures approximately 14 x 30 x 4 and is constructed of a pine base with pine moldings, cast composition ornaments, and hand-forged nails. According to preeminent White House historian William Seale, the plinth’s neoclassical design conforms to the other decorations that architect James Hoban used while rebuilding the White House between 1814 and 1817, and “there is no reason whatsoever to think that the plinths were replaced between the completion of the rebuilt house in late 1817 and 1902, when they were removed.” The plinth is coated with a remarkable seventeen layers of paint, three of which incorporate period applications of decorative gold leaf on the ornamentation. Comparing this evidence with the number of presidents living in the White House during this time period, it seems that the hallway was repainted each time a newly elected president moved in. In essence, this plinth represents the entire history of the White House during the great majority of the 19th century. After Theodore Roosevelt unexpectedly took office in 1901 following the assassination of President McKinley, he hired the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White to undertake a major renovation of the White House. He desired to return the building to its Federalist roots by removing the Victorian-era ‘modernization’ of the decor, much of which had resulted from
The main hall of the first floor of the White House during the 1890's. The Plinth is located at the lower right. a less substantial renovation overseen by Chester A. Arthur in 1873. One of Roosevelt’s more controversial changes was the removal of an expensive glass screen—situated opposite this plinth in the main hall—designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. However, these changes were as practical as they were aesthetic. The main offices were growing cramped with an ever-increasing staff, and one of Roosevelt’s major additions was the construction of the West Wing—an architectural feature now synonymous with the presidency itself. During the renovations in the summer and autumn of 1902, the interior of the White House was entirely stripped down to its plaster walls. The excess material was strewn outside the mansion to be disposed of later. Relic hunters inevitably swarmed the piles of wood, plaster, glass, curtains, and other remnants in order to have a piece of the historic home for themselves. This piece originates from the great-grandson of one of these relic collectors. Despite the apparent availability of such pieces in 1902, they have largely been lost to history; the few fragments of the original White House that are known were used to make some sort of souvenir, such as a small box or gavel. This is, as far as we can discern, the only White House piece that retains its original paint. Seated in the primary hallway on the first floor of the White House, this plinth is a true witness to history that represents the lives—public and private—of the presidents from Madison to Roosevelt. Oversized.
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Andrew Jackson
Anticipating the 1824 election, Jackson denies his worthiness as commander in chief 8023 Andrew Jackson Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $10,000-12,000 Boldly penned ALS, one page both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, April 8, 1824. Letter to Iona Dayton of New Jersey. In part: “The situation in which the good feelings of a portion of my country, have thought proper to place me, is one with which I had nothing to do. I asked it not, nor ever insinuated, even to any, that I considered myself calculated for so responsible a trust, or in the least desired it. That it has heretofore been in my power to be of some service & benefit to my country, many are willing to admit; and that willingness, added to the confidence, I hope not a misplaced one, which they reposed on me, induced with some a desire that I should be called to administer the offices of the Government. Inasmuch then, as the relation I at present occupy to the country, is one in which the free expression of the public will has placed me, there would be an evident impropriety in my saying or doing aught in relation to it. My friends therefore may fully confide in this, whatever rumor may say at any time to the contrary, that under no circumstances shall I be found entering in to arrangements, plans, or combinations with any. The people have placed my name before the country, it is of course a matter with which they, not I, have anything to do. It will be a matter of great satisfaction to me, (should I be called to act,) that the good opinion you and others are pleased to
entertain toward me, shall in nothing be forfeited. My object then, as it ever has been, will be to discharge my duty properly, & with a view to the best interest of my country.” The reverse of the second integral page is addressed in Jackson’s hand and franked in the upper right, “Free, Andrew Jackson.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds, light scattered toning, show-through from writing to opposing sides, and expected paper loss to the second integral page from seal removal.
“I asked it not, nor was insinuated, even to any, that I considered myself calculated for so responsible a trust”
Widely viewed as a champion of the common man, Andrew Jackson was nominated as the DemocraticRepublican candidate for the 1824 election with his chief competitor being John Quincy Adams, as well as the less formidable candidates Henry Clay and William H. Crawford. The election took a dramatic turn when Jackson led the popular vote and received the most electoral votes but—with the race split between four candidates—did not attain the 131 votes needed to win. The House of Representatives voted to determine the winner and selected John Quincy Adams, who appointed Henry Clay as his secretary of state. Jackson and his supporters were outraged and suspected collusion, calling the decision a ‘corrupt bargain.’ Jackson was determined to right this wrong, and unlike his sentiments in this letter he took an active role in his 1828 campaign, which became a brutal battle of mudslinging between parties and candidates. Jackson was successfully voted into office and served two terms, fulfilling the will of the people who called for him “to administer the offices of the Government.”
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46 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln The 16th president prepares to suspend habeas corpus in September 1863
8025 Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $40,000-50,000
ALS signed “A. Lincoln,” one page, 5 x 8, Executive Mansion letterhead, dated by the president, “Sep 14,” 1863. Letter to Secretary of State William H. Seward. In full: “Please call the Cabinet for Eleven A. M. to-day.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds (vertical fold passing through the first letter of his last name), light creases to upper left and lower right corners, and two stray ink blots. Lincoln held this special meeting of the cabinet to discuss the suspension of habeas corpus in light of some judges releasing drafted men by writ. This meeting had important implications, as President Lincoln issued a proclamation on the following day, September 15, suspending the writ of habeas corpus throughout the Union in any case involving prisoners of war, spies, traitors, or any member of the military.
suspension of habeas corpus is a Congressional power only to be used when ’in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it,’ Congress passed an act in March 1863 that authorized the president to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. Once Lincoln exercised this power in September, the suspension remained in effect through the end of 1865. An especially notable example of this came when, after Lincoln’s assassination, the lawyers of conspirator Mary Surratt applied for and received a writ of habeas corpus from a District of Columbia court under the argument that a military tribunal had no jurisdiction over their client. Given the national suspension of habeas corpus, President Andrew Johnson was able to cancel the writ and Surratt was executed later that day. This Executive Mansion letterhead is uncommon and desirable as it was used for official, important communications, and this letter is of particular historical significance.
“Please call the Cabinet for Eleven A. M. to-day”
Although the Constitution specifies that
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48 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Lincoln & Grant Dual-signed Civil War document
8026 Abraham Lincoln and US Grant Signed Document Estimate $10,000-12,000
War-dated DS as president, signed on the reverse “A. Lincoln,” and twice signed “U. S. Grant, Lt. Gen. USA,” one page both sides, 5.5 x 3, War Department letterhead, December 30, 1864. Official War Department pass issued to A. Holbrook to travel to “City Point Va. to visit Col. Strong 16 NY Arty, dangerously wounded in hospital. Pass expires January 2, 1864.” Pass is signed at the bottom, “Louis H. Pelouze, Asst, Adjt.Genl,” and also “U. S. Grant, Lt. Gen. USA.” Signed on the reverse, “A. Lincoln,” “U. S. Grant, Lt. Gen. USA,” and also signed “Benj. F. Butler, Maj. Genl.” Two official date stamps to front, small cancellation cut to bottom of reverse, and some portions of light toning to edges, otherwise fine condition. Lincoln would decide to remove Butler from command on the very day this pass was issued, just five days after his failure to take Fort Fisher, North Carolina in a joint armynavy expedition. By 1864, long-term Union advantages in geography, manpower, industry, finance, political organization and transportation were overwhelming the Confederacy. Grant fought a number of bloody battles with Lee in Virginia in the summer of 1864. Lee won in a tactical sense but lost strategically, as he could not replace his casualties and was forced to retreat into trenches around his capital, Richmond, Virginia. With the exception of autograph albums, in the last 35 years records indicate that, no other single item has been sold with both Lincoln’s and Grant’s signatures. This pass was offered at Sotheby’s in 1985 as part of the Sang Collection and sold for $2,600, at a time when typical Lincoln documents were being sold for around $1,000. A closer point of reference would be Christie’s offering the pairing of a Lincoln letter to Grant and the general’s written response—their signatures appearing on two separate and unofficial documents—in May of 1999, for $150,000. An attractive Lincoln and Grant dual-signed Civil War document of the utmost rarity.
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50 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Worn at Ford’s Theatre
Lincoln blood-stained dress fabric certified by Our American Cousin actress Laura Keene 8027 Fabric from Laura Keene’s Dress Worn at Ford’s Theatre Estimate $40,000-60,000 Incredible blood-stained 4.5 x 5 swatch of fabric cut by actress Laura Keene from the dress she was wearing on the night of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. The swatch is affixed to a 5.5 x 7.5 mount identified at the top in Keene’s hand, “The Blood of President Lincoln, Assassinated April 14th 1865,” and signed below, “Presented by Laura Keene.” The white floral fabric features a pink-and-green flower in the center and has several dark blood stains throughout, particularly to the right edge and lower left. Double-matted and framed to an overall size of 11 x 13.25. In fine condition. Laura Keene’s company was performing Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, on April 14, 1865. While watching the show in the presidential box, President Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth. Amidst the ensuing confusion, Keene famously rushed up to the balcony to aid the wounded president, cradling his head in her lap as physicians attended to him. Keene kept the dress she wore that night as a keepsake from the tragedy, which was eventually cut into pieces to be given as curiosities, with most remaining within the family. Relics from the dress are exceedingly rare and owned by many institutions, with similar fragments held by the National Museum of American History, Chicago Historical Society, Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, and New York State Military Museum—none of these, however, have the same extraordinary handwritten provenance from Keene herself.
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52 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Mrs. Lincoln
Eleven days before the assassination, she assigns the bodyguard who would abandon the president 8028 Mary Todd Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $15,000-20,000
LS signed “Mrs. Lincoln,” one page, 5 x 8, Executive Mansion letterhead, April 3, 1865. In full: “This is to certify that John F. Parker, a member of the Metropolitan Police, has been detailed for duty at the Executive Mansion by order of [Mrs. Lincoln].” In fine condition. Accompanied by a hardcover presentation folder. Eleven d a y s l a t e r, Parker was assigned to guard President Lincoln’s box at Ford’s Theatre during the Good Friday performance of Our American Cousin. A rather inept policeman, Parker had been disciplined several times in the past for misconduct, with official infractions such as tardiness and—while on duty—being drunk, sleeping, and frequenting prostitutes, as well as civil complaints including swearing at a grocer and firing his pistol through a brothel window. Nevertheless, Parker was assigned to the White House detail in 1865 and became one of the eleven men who served as bodyguards during Lincoln’s term in office. Early in March 1865, some members of the presidential guard, including Parker, became subject to the Union draft. Exemptions had to be
arranged to ensure their continued service to the president, and with this letter Mary Todd secured Parker’s assignment to the White House. Accompanied by a copy of page 179 from Killing Lincoln, in which Bill O’Reilly wrote in regard to the first lady’s interference on behalf of Parker as early as the latter half of 1864: “Mary Lincoln herself wrote the letter excepting him from service.”
“John F. Parker, a member of the Metropolitan Police, has been detailed for duty at the Executive Mansion”
On the night of the assassination, Parker’s duty was simply to sit outside the president’s box. Frustrated that he could only hear the play and not see it, Parker abandoned his post for a seat at the front of the first gallery. He then left Ford’s Theatre at intermission to get a drink next door. Given Parker’s absence from his post, John Wilkes Booth easily entered the box without resistance and shot Lincoln at point-blank range, fatally wounding him. Although he was initially charged with dereliction of duty, charges against Parker were dropped and he retained a job as a White House security guard and was—at times—assigned to Mary Todd Lincoln herself. With enormous historical implications, this is a quintessential letter from the first lady.
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54 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Civil War
Jefferson Davis
Invoking America’s founding fathers before the 1860 presidential election 8029 Jefferson Davis Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $4,000-6,000 ALS signed “Jeffer. Davis,” one page, 6.5 x 8, July 11, 1860. Letter to David Funsten of Virginia, who would serve in the Confederate Congress. In full: “I regret that my health will not permit me to accept the kind invitation communicated by you, to address the Democracy of Alexandria, Va. tomorrow evening. My heart will be with you and my hope is confident that the land of Washington of Henry, of Jefferson and Madison will not fail to appreciate and to maintain the principles which saved the Government in 1800 and which are involved in the issues of 1860.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds (one vertical fold passing through a single letter of the signature).
“The land of Washington of Henry, of Jefferson and Madison will not fail to appreciate and maintain the principles which are involved in the issues of 1860”
During this period conflict erupted in Davis’s Democratic Party over the nomination of a candidate for the 1860 presidential election, resulting in a division that produced multiple nominees, most notably John C. Breckinridge and Stephen A. Douglas. The division was irreconcilable—Breckinridge favored secession and the breakup of the Union, while Douglas denounced secession as criminal and was willing to maintain the integrity of the Union at all hazards. Jefferson Davis pledged his full support to Breckinridge, and here invokes the names of Virginia’s greatest patriots—George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison—to express his confidence in the people’s dedication to states’ rights and the Democratic cause. He further recalls the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800, which represented a major political realignment and ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican Party rule. An exceptional letter—written less than ten months before Virginia’s secession—touching upon American history past and present.
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Gettysburg
Rare Gettysburg-worn jacket from Hampton's Battery Pvt. Creese 8030 Gettysburg-worn Jacket and Archive Belonging to Samuel Creese Estimate $30,000-35,000 An outstanding collection of personal possessions of Private Samuel Creese, a member of the Company ‘F,’ 2nd Independent Pennsylvania Light Artillery, commonly known as Hampton’s Battery. The highlight of the collection is Creese’s battle-worn Schuylkill Arsenal artilleryman’s shell jacket worn at Gettysburg, one of very few known specimens. The jacket exhibits all hand-sewn construction and is made of a fine, heavy wool jean material dyed a deep indigo blue. It is stamped in the upper sleeve area in black, “2 S. A.,” indicating the size and Schuylkill Arsenal manufacture. The front retains eleven of its twelve original brass eagle ‘shield’ buttons with original stitching intact. The shell features a standup collar decorated with four horizontal rows of wide artillery red worsted herringbone piping. Cuff-size buttons adorn each side of the collar to punctuate the rows of red braid. This attractive red braid decorates the entire border along the edge of the collar, down the front, and along the bottom edge. The cuffs are similarly adorned with red piping in a chevron shape and bear additional ‘shield’ buttons. Both shoulders retain all the original brass shoulder scale attachments sewn to the blue cloth. The interior of the jacket is lined with the original red-and-green plaid wool lining. The jacket is in very good condition, with larger moth holes to the piping on the collar closure area, small erasersize moth holes throughout the body and sleeves, and various areas of the red piping worn through, and the plaid wool lining especially strong. The overall collection rates in very good to fine condition; the leather scabbard is worn at the tip.
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Also included in the collection are three impressively large, professionally framed displays of items from Creese, each measuring approximately 30 x 30, including his original enlistment and discharge papers, photographs, ribbons, medals, a belt buckle, canister, buttons, currency, smoking pipe, brass artillery insignia, wooden matches, ivory notepad, and a postwar tintype of Creese and his son. Other notable artifacts include Creese’s G. A. R. sword with scabbard and leather belt, a pair of brass shoulder scales, and Creese’s 1890s-style straw hat. All of these items were found in the attic of the Creese family home in Union City, Pennsylvania. As an extensive, oversized collection, extra shipping charges will apply: please contact us for more details. This Gettysburg-worn shell jacket belonging to Samuel Creese had been the subject of several articles: it is discussed and pictured in the reference book Union Army Uniforms at Gettysburg by Michael J. Winey, and the entire Creese collection is described and pictured in a 1992 issue of North South Trader’s Civil War. Both of these publications are included. In addition to Gettysburg, Creese and Company ‘F’ saw action at the important battles of Antietam and Chancellorsville; although they suffered few losses, their commander Robert B. Hampton was killed at Chancellorsville. At Gettysburg they experienced just one member killed and seven wounded despite seeing heavy action on the last day of fighting. Only a handful of such welldocumented Gettysburg jackets are known, with this example improved by its extensive archive of supplementary material belonging to the associated soldier. Provenance: The Horse Soldier.
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Sharpshooter’s Rifle New York 151st Infantry rifle: “Dem Youngers, 1st Brig. Sharpshooters”
8032 Union Sharpshooter’s Rifle Estimate $15,000-20,000 Sharps New Model 1859 full stock .52 caliber percussion rifle carried by regimental sharpshooter Dem Youngers of the 151st New York Infantry during the Civil War. The rifle measures 53˝ long with a 36˝ barrel configured for a saber bayonet. It is stamped on the top with the early serial number 37402 and bears a plaque on the left side of the butt handsomely engraved, “Dem Youngers, 1st Brig. Sharpshooters, 3rd Div. 6th Corps.” Matching the plaque are pairs of diamond-shaped inlays decorating both sides of the forestock. In fine condition, with normal usage and a smooth patina, and minor pitting primarily on front of lock around hammer and on breech. Accompanied by an extensive packet of photocopies of Youngers’s war records. Provenance: Heritage Auctions. Enlisting in the Union army on September 10, 1862, the German-born Youngers was commissioned as an 18-year-old soldier in the 151st NY Infantry until June 26, 1864. During the infantry’s assignment with the 6th Corps, Youngers participated in all fights following the crossing of Virginia’s Rapidan River, engaging in conflicts at the Battle of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. Although Youngers miraculously survived each contest, he would succumb to an ongoing war-related disease on August 11, 1872. Augmented by its comprehensive documentation, this is an exceptionally rare sharpshooter’s rifle employed during several of the Civil War’s most infamous battles. Oversized.
58 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Union Colt Dragoon Scarce 1859 “U. S. Dragoons” variation
8033 Union Colt Third Model Dragoon Estimate $8,000-10,000 Civil War-used “U.S.” Marked Colt Third Model Dragoon Percussion Revolver. Made in 1859, serial number 18236, caliber .44 with a 7 1⁄2˝ part round/part octagonal barrel. All serial numbers on the metal parts are matching, with the exception of the wedge, which is 8320—the last four digits of the serial numbers are used on wedges and this is likely a ‘field’ mismatch. The metal parts have small single letter military inspector’s stamps, and the one-piece walnut grip has two military inspector’s cartouches that are in good to very good condition. This third model Dragoon is not cut for a shoulder stock and is the scarce variation with “U. S. Dragoons” as part of the roll engraved cylinder scene with the Texas Ranger and Indian fight. The cylinder retains four of the safety pins, and about 50% of the scene. All serial numbers, patent markings, and “U. S.” on the frame are in fine condition. The top of the barrel lug has a good condition marking “ADDRESS COLT NEW YORK CITY” with faint pitting, and the bore has strong rifling with some fine pitting. The mechanism needs adjustment, as the hammer will not engage at full cock. All of the steel surfaces have an attractive dark patina and are generally smooth with a patch of moderate pitting at the top front of the barrel lay. The wedge spring is missing and does not affect operation. The brass gripstraps have an attractive ocher patina and the grip retains almost all of its oil finish with one small ding and otherwise only light wear. Included is a plastic specimen tube with a partial original ‘skin’ cartridge. This is a very nice example of the sought-after ‘martially marked’ Colt Dragoon. The Third Model single-action percussion revolver proved to be the most successful version of the Colt Dragoon series. Over 10,000 units of this main production version were completed between 1851 and 1860, drastically outweighing assembly of its Second Model predecessor, which were only built during 1850-51. Differentiated from its two earlier square-backed incarnations by the presence of a round trigger guard, this particular Third Model excludes a shoulder stock cut, and its shorter barrel is indicative of an earlier make. Designed as a solution to the problematic Walker Colt, this Third Model Dragoon is an exceptional example of the arm relied upon by civilians and soldiers alike throughout the 1850s and 1860s.
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Griswold Revolver Impeccably made second model Confederate Griswold
8034 Confederate Griswold Revolver Estimate $20,000-25,000 Serial number 1165, caliber .36 with a 7 1⁄2″ barrel having the rounded top barrel lug contour. Bears matching serial numbers on the frame, barrel lug and cylinder with the partial number “65” on the loading lever and inspector’s mark on the barrel a backward letter “J.” The cylinder clearly shows this manufacturer’s trademark ‘twist’ lines and the barrel has the proper six groove rifling with right-handed gain twist. The brass frame and gripstraps have a one-piece walnut grip which shows the slight upward angle typified of a Griswold, and the mechanism works well. The wedge is not numbered and may be a replacement, as may be three small screws. The cylinder has scattered moderate pitting, the barrel with a little light pitting and a couple of small dings, and there is an area of holster wear at the muzzle. The brass has a couple of small dings but is generally smooth with a nice patina, the barrel and cylinder have a mostly dark patina, and the grip is in fine condition with a couple small chips at the top and otherwise only light wear. Considered to be among the best made of all Confederate revolvers, early collector terminology referred to this arm’s manufacturer as Griswold and Grier. After converting his Macon, Georgia cotton gin into a gun factory at the onset of the Civil War, Samuel Griswold became the Confederacy’s most prolific and relied upon revolver maker. These second models are even rarer than the first model examples, of which only 3,700 were initially produced. Often confused with the 1860 Colt Army and Navy Colt revolvers manufactured in the Union North, this handsome revolver proved to be exceptionally lethal in the hands of an adept marksman, and remains a resounding example of true ‘Griswoldville’ ingenuity.
60 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
LeMat Revolver
Rare LeMat ‘grape shot’ #340
8035 Confederate LeMat Revolver Estimate $10,000-15,000 These formidable revolvers had a nine-shot .42 caliber cylinder revolving around a central axis that was a .63 caliber smoothbore barrel for buckshot. This French made LeMat is an early transitional model with the spurred trigger guard, rotating lanyard ring in the butt, and reciprocating pin cylinder locking mechanism of the first model revolvers; and the left side loading lever location and “L” and “M” block letters beneath a star trademark of the second model revolvers. It has a very unusual fully round 7˝ barrel with the top engraved, “Col. LeMat BTE SCDG PARIS,” and the serial number “340” appears on the barrel and frame. The mechanism works well, the loading lever is missing, and the pivoting hammer nose is missing a tiny piece but is still fully functional. All of the metal has a smooth dark patina with several small bruises and dings on the barrels. The barrel address is in very good condition and both bores are in good condition. The walnut grips are in very good condition with only light wear on the checkering. Few Confederate collectors are fortunate enough to have a LeMat in their collections. French émigré Jean Alexandre LeMat developed this ‘Grape Shot’ revolver in New Orleans in 1856, with aspirations of marketing his unique sidearm as a primary weapon for dragoons and other mounted troops. Due to his familial ties with US Army Major Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, this unique 10-shot gun, made particularly distinct by the option of a 20-gauge smoothbore barrel, was eventually embraced by the Confederate Army and Navy, and was notably favored by Confederate Major General J. E. B. Stuart. Manufactured in France and Belgium, and then secretly shipped from England to Bermuda to avoid the Union Navy blockade, it’s estimated that less than 2,900 of these intimidating guns were produced during 1856–1865, with the Confederate Army and Navy receiving around 2,500 shipments. In both appearance and historical stature, this LeMat revolver is a truly impressive and powerful gun made all the more desirable by its sheer scarcity.
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Nashville Plow Works Saber
Rare NPW Confederate officer’s sword branded “CSA”
8036 Confederate Nashville Plow Works Officer’s Saber Estimate $15,000-20,000 Confederate staff and field officer’s sword with a 31˝ blade and a cast brass guard with large raised letters “CSA” on the bottom below the blade edge, and in smaller raised letters around the spine, “NASHVILLE PLOW WORKS.” The top of the guard is rough textured and partially stippled. The brass backstop and bird’s head pommel are smooth and of one piece, and the brown leather-covered grip is bound with twisted brass wire. A leather blade washer is still present. The hilt rates very good with a dark brown patina on the guard, moderate wear on the leather-covered grip with all of the wire intact, and the blade bears an unstopped fuller and shows evidence of an old cleaning with a small area of faint pitting. The original iron scabbard has a brass throat and drag with two brass bands having iron rings. The scabbard has an old repair to an open seam at the throat and is in good condition with a dark patina and patches of dark corrosion but no significant dents. Oversized. With arms at short supply during the early days of the Civil War, the Nashville Plow Works of Nashville, Tennessee, effectively plied the opposite of Isaiah 2:3-4’s scripture verse by beating plow shears into swords and sabers for scores of Confederate soldiers. Also known as Sharp & Hamilton, the firm is most often associated with manufacturing weaponry for western armies between 1861 and the Federal capture of Nashville in 1862, generating a wealth of Confederate arms that ranged from enlisted men’s sabers to high-ranking field officer swords such as this. Produced during the infancy of the Southern war effort, this officer’s saber is known as the rarest and most sought-after of all Nashville Plow Works swords. Provenance: Rebel Relics.
62 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
James A. Garfield
Rare foreign affairs document as president 8037 James A. Garfield Signed Document Estimate $8,000-10,000 Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 8 x 10, May 21, 1881. President Garfield directs the “Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to an envelope containing the letter of Recall of Mr. Dichman, as Minister Resident of the U. S. to Colombia.” Light intersecting folds and an abrasion at the “ames” in Garfield’s signature expertly and inconspicuously effaced to restore its original appearance, otherwise fine condition. Ernest Dichman had been appointed by President Hayes in 1878 and here is recalled by his successor, James Garfield, at the request of the Colombian government. It seems that Dichman had difficulties working with Colombian official Dr. Becerra, the Secretary of Public Instruction and Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs, so President Garfield appointed George Maney as his replacement. This document dates to just six weeks before Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, an injury that proved fatal in September. As he was in office for a mere six months—and incapacitated for two—documents signed as president are very scarce.
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Pickett's Charge-used Confederate sword captured at Gettysburg and carried home to the North
8038 Confederate Pickett’s Charge-used Sword Estimate $40,000-45,000 Francis Marion Arthur’s Confederate Officer’s sword captured at Gettysburg during Pickett’s Charge. This unique Confederate officer’s sword is similar to the Staff & Field officer’s sword made by Louis Froelich, of Wilmington, North Carolina. After March 12, 1862, the sword maker continued operations in Kenansville, North Carolina under the name Confederate States Army. The sword has a 30˝ slightly curved blade with unstopped fullers on each side. The brass guard is pierced to form the large letters “CSA.” The grip is wrapped in brown leather and bound with a thin strand of twisted brass wire; the brass grip ferule and pommel appears to be a pattern unique to this sword. The original brass mounted black leather scabbard has brass suspension bands and rings and the scabbard throat is head engraved, “F.M.A.,” in a ribboned over “Co. (I) 9 VA.” The sword and scabbard are in fine condition with a dark patina on the blade and guard and tight leather and binding on the grip. Oversized. “F.M.A.” are the initials of Francis Marion Arthur, who enlisted in Company I of the 9th Virginia Infantry on April 17, 1962. A mere six weeks later, on June 1, 1862, the 9th Virginia joined the ranks of Brigadier General Louis A. Armistead’s Brigade; the unit fought in the Battle of Seven Pines, the Seven Days Battles, Malvern Hill, 2nd Manassas, and Sharpsburg. After Sharpsburg, the 9th VA became part of a new division under the command of Major General George E. Pickett and fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg, in the winter of 1862. In June of 1863, Pickett’s division was part of the Confederate incursion into Pennsylvania. On July 2, 1863, they marched into Gettysburg and took position behind Seminary Ridge. And on that fateful following day, Sargent Francis M. Arthur— one of the select few who breached Union lines at the Bloody Angle—was one of the heroes who charged up the slope of Cemetery Hill during Pickett’s Charge. Near Confederate General Louis Armistead
when he fell mortally wounded, Arthur himself was captured and confined at Fort Delaware and Point Lookout for about 14 months; while imprisoned he was elected second lieutenant by his comrades. Arthur rejoined his company after being exchanged on October 30, 1864, and was in command of the company during the Siege of Richmond at the Battle of Dinwiddie Courthouse, VA on April 1, 1865. He was captured and imprisoned at Johnson’s Island, Ohio until June 17, 1865. It was at the Bloody Angle on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863 where Francis Arthur’s path crossed that of Sargent Royal B. Decker of the 20th Maine Infantry under the command of Coronel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Decker enlisted into COB of the 20th Maine on August 29, 1862. Although the regiment participated in many battles, their most famous engagement was at Little Round Top, on July 2, 1863. On the next day, the 20th Maine was assigned to a safer position in reserve at the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. When the Confederates breached the Union lines at the Bloody Angle, the 20th Maine charged to reinforce the Union position. It is almost certain that this is where Sargent Royal Decker of the 20th Maine captured Francis Marion Arthur of the 9th VA, along with the here-offered sword. Decker brought the war trophy along when he returned to Maine, and the weapon remained in his family until 2008, when they sold it at auction. A notarized letter from his great-great-grandson is included that states the sword “was captured during the Civil War by my great-great-grandfather Royal and has been in my family’s possession my entire life.” Much research on Arthur and Decker is present, including photocopies of the original muster rolls showing them each rising in rank from private to sargent at the time of the Gettysburg Battle; both were first lieutenants by the end of the war. An exceptional confederate artifact present at one of the most harrowing engagements of the Civil War.
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World War II
Franklin D. Roosevelt
FDR intervenes for his mistress’s daughter before an inevitable entry into WWII 8039 Franklin D. Roosevelt Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $10,000-12,000 ALS as president signed “FDR,” one page, 6.5 x 8.5, White House letterhead, no date. Letter to Norman Davis, chairman of the Red Cross and president of the Council on Foreign Relations, regarding a job for Barbara Rutherford, the daughter of his mistress Lucy Mercer Rutherford. In full: “Barbara & her family think that she should rejoin them for the next few months—and I think that is best—It was good of you to give her this chance for training and she & I are very grateful—If this war does break out she will be working at it somewhere!” Archivally matted and framed to an overall size of 25 x 14. In fine condition. Accompanied by the original White House transmittal envelope addressed in his own hand, “Hon. Norman Davis, Kindness of Miss Rutherford.”
“If this war doesn’t break out she will be working at it somewhere!”
Though Roosevelt’s affair with mistress Lucy Mercer Rutherford essentially ended in 1918 after its discovery by Eleanor, he remained close with her and her family throughout his life. Here, it seems that the president acted as a liaison to help her daughter secure training or an internship with the Red Cross, and FDR’s words of thanks indicate that the favor was obliged. Beyond that, his connected comment, “If this war does break out she will be working at it somewhere!” belies his feeling of the inevitability of American entry into World War II. Combining the political significance of the comment with the personal connection to his mistress, this is an absolutely extraordinary letter. Oversized.
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68 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Franklin D. Roosevelt In one of his final letters, FDR addresses VP Truman and blasts Congressional leaders for visiting war zones
8040 Franklin D. Roosevelt Typed Letter Signed Estimate $6,000-8,000 Typed memorandum signed as president, one page, 8 x 10.5, White House letterhead, dated March 26, 1945. Memorandum sent to the Vice President [Truman], the Speaker [Rayburn], Senator Barkley [Majority Leader], Senator White [Minority Leader], Congressman McCormack [Majority Leader], and Congressman Martin [Minority Leader]. In full: “On March 23, 1943, I addressed the attached memorandum to you [typescript present], urging the limitation of visits of Congressional Committees to the theaters of war. It was hoped that this policy would permit committees directly concerned with the prosecution of the war to view the front-line activities at first hand but that, at the same time, such Congressional visits would be limited sufficiently as to avoid placing undue burdens on the military commanders in the field.
commanders or their staffs to avoid recognition of persons of national prominence and, as a consequence, their attention is diverted from the very pressing and difficult tasks at hand. I feel it highly desirable, in view of this situation, to keep such requests to theater commanders to a minimum, and I am sure you will agree with me as to the necessity for this. I hope, therefore, that you will find it possible to suggest to members of the Senate and of the House that they refrain from visits to areas of active operations unless they are in possession of a Military Permit issued by the Joint Chiefs of Staff prior to their departure from Washington.” Removably contained in Mylar. In very good condition, with staining to corners from adhesive residue on reverse, block of toning over text and signature from previous display, and paperclip impressions to top edge. Accompanied by photocopies of related letters and documents noted to be “Reproduced from Holdings at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.”
“Suggest to members of the Senate and of the House that they refrain from visits to areas of active operations”
The Secretaries of War and the Navy have recently sent me a memorandum, a copy of which I am sending to each of you in confidence [photocopy present], calling my attention to problems with respect to visits overseas by individual Congressmen as contrasted to committee trips. It appears that in numerous recent instances, individual members of Congress have approached theater commanders in rear areas, such as the United Kingdom, with a request that they be permitted to enter areas of active operations for which they do not have the required Joint Chiefs of Staff Military Permit. The theater commanders concerned have, quite understandably, usually given the requested permission in spite of the fact that they know that such visits might interfere with military activities. You will readily appreciate that it is very difficult for the theater
This dates to a critical time during World War II as Allied forces closed in on Germany and a conclusion to war in the European theatre appeared imminent. Looking toward the future of postwar Europe, President Roosevelt met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference a month earlier. Even with victory on the horizon, Roosevelt recognized the importance of maintaining focus on the operations at hand and distractions would not be tolerated, thus this memorandum. Three days after sending this correspondence, on March 29, the president left Washington by train for Warm Springs, Georgia, where he would die 17 days later. An extremely rare and historically important piece, as research indicates this may be the only communication between FDR and Vice President Truman in private hands, and there is only one other known White House letter written by President Roosevelt after this date.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 69
“I wanted my
country saved, but I preferred to have
somebody
else save it... Does that unfit me for the
presidency?�
70 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Harry S. Truman
Senator Truman summons Twain in 1935 Missouri speech 8042 Harry S. Truman Typed Speech With Autograph Note Signed Estimate $2,500-3,000
Typescript of a speech Senator Harry S. Truman delivered in Hannibal, Missouri, on October, 25, 1935, entitled “’Mark Twain and the Presidency,’” five pages, 5.25 x 8, signed and inscribed on the title page in black ink, “Dear Governor: This came from my mother’s old scrap book—a clipping from either the Cincinnati Inquirer or the St. Louis Republican of May 1880. It is not included in his published works. Harry S. Truman.” The speech, in part: “If any congressional committee is disposed to prowl around my biography in the hope of discovering any dark and deadly deed that I have secreted, why–let it prowl…In the first place, I admit that I treed a reumatic [sic] grandfather of mine in the winter of 1850. He was old and inexpert in climbing trees, but with the heartless brutality that is a characteristic of me I ran him out the front door in his night shirt at the point of a shot-gun, and caused him to bowl up a maple tree, where he remained all night, while I emptied shot into his legs. I did this because he snored. I will do it again if I ever have another grandfather. I candidly acknowledge that I ran away at the battle of Gettysburg. My friends have to smooth over this fact by asserting that I did so for the purpose of imitating Washington who went into the woods at Valley Forge for the purpose of saying his prayers. It was a miserable subterfuge…I wanted my country saved, but I preferred to have somebody else save it…My financial views are of the most decided character…I do not insist upon special supremacy of rag money or hard money. The great fundamental principal of my life is to take any kind I can get. The rumor that I buried a dead aunt under my grape vine was correct. The vine needed fertilizing; my aunt had to be buried, and I dedicated her to this high purpose. Does that unfit me for the presidency?” Stapled within its original presentation folder. A central vertical fold (passing through a portion of the last name of the signature) and the centerfold detached from bottom staple, otherwise fine condition. As part of Hannibal’s ongoing celebrations for the Mark Twain Centennial, Truman—in his first year as senator of his native Missouri—delivered this decidedly witty and darkly humored speech at the dedication banquet for the Mark Twain Zephyr passenger train. First published in 1879 as ‘Mark Twain as a Presidential Candidate,’ Clemens’s short essay playfully mocks the American political process and its scrutiny of candidates through its wry usage of reductio ad absurdum, conjuring the deadpan style made famous in Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal.’ Playing the part of the unnaturally candid nominee, Truman demonstrates the ingenuous charm that would eventually earn him his own presidential moniker: the plain-speaking man of Missouri.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 71
Close-up of flag's battlefield wear
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'Generals Row,' from left to right: Spaatz, Patton, Doolittle, Vandenberg, and Weyland
Patton-captured 'Battle of the Bulge' Flag Retrieved at Bastogne by Patton himself
8043 General Patton-captured ‘Battle of the Bulge' German Flag Estimate $30,000-40,000
Historic Nazi flag captured by General George Patton at the Battle of the Bulge and given to General Hoyt Vandenberg. The flag measures 48 x 80 and is constructed of red fabric with circular white-and-black swastika emblems sewn on both sides. In very good condition, with expected soiling and tears from battlefield use; some of the tears have been re-stitched. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Vandenberg’s son (himself a retired Air Force General), in part: “The 48˝ by 80˝ German flag was given to my father by General Patton after the so called Battle of the Bulge. Patton was giving my father a jeep tour of important landmarks in and near Bastogne and ordered his driver to retrieve the flag from a German Command Post. I received this flag from my father after the war and it has been in the possession of my family ever since that time.” As commander of the Ninth Air Force, it was Vandenberg’s responsibility to provide air support for Patton’s Third Army as they attempted to punch through the German encirclement that had trapped American forces in Bastogne. For the first days of the siege heavy cloud cover prevented the Allies from exercising their superior air power, but when the skies cleared on December 23 Vandenberg was ready to act. He first sent a bomber division to destroy the infrastructure behind German lines with tactical strikes on roads, bridges, and railroads to dry up reinforcements. Vandenberg then targeted the German armored columns besieging Bastogne with his fighter groups. From December 23 to 27, the Ninth flew 5,291 sorties. General A. C. McAuliffe later thanked Vandenberg for the ‘tremendous support’ that was a ‘vital contribution’ to his division’s successful defense. Reveling in the victory, Vandenberg said, ‘We have bottlenecked the enemy’s supplies and throttled his offensive power. The results underscore the fact that tactical air power has come of age.’ Meanwhile, Patton’s command was able to open up a corridor to resupply the besieged forces and ultimately repel the German offensive in one of the most important battles of the war. As a flag captured by Patton following the battle and given to a commander critical in the Allied victory, this is an absolutely extraordinary historical piece. Photos of the entire 48x80 flag are available upon request.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 73
George S. Patton Jr. Iconic portrait featured on the cover of LIFE: “To Gen Kenner”
8044 George S. Patton, Jr. Signed Photograph Estimate $3,000-5,000 Rare glossy 8 x 10 photo, boldly signed and inscribed in black fountain pen “To Gen Kenner, from G. S. Patton, Jr.” In very good condition, with neatly trimmed right edge, scattered overall creasing, small tear to lower edge, and missing lower left corner tip. This striking photograph is inscribed to Major General Albert Kenner, the chief medical officer for Operations Torch and Overlord: the invasions of French North Africa and Normandy, respectively. An absolutely iconic image of General Patton—captured during his prime—it was used for the cover of January 15, 1945’s issue of LIFE magazine. A more ideal combination of WWII relevancy, stunning image quality, and autographic rarity could scarcely be imagined.
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After the war’s end
Two weeks after the war’s end, Patton seeks to aid the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 8045 George S. Patton, Jr. Typed Letter Signed Estimate $3,000-4,000 TLS signed “GSP, Jr.,” one page, 8.25 x 10.5, Headquarters, Third United States Army, Office of the Commanding General letterhead, September 16, 1945. Letter to Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes, in full: “Young Count Rudolph Czernein, who is connected by marriage with the Grand Duchese of Luxembourg who has been very helpful to the Americans, is anxious to attend college in Heidelberg. Could you please have somebody inform me whether or not it is possible for him to do so and what papers, if any, he needs from here? He lives with his mother on an estate in the vicinity of Munich.” In fine condition, with stray ink to lower left corner, faint area of dampstaining to right edge, and a pair of punch holes to top. Accompanied by the following insignia owned by General Keyes: a 2.25 x 2.5 metallic seal of the United States, a US metallic collar insignia, two metal buttons depicting the seal of the United States, a light brown 4 x 1.25 swatch bearing two woven “U.S.” gold patterns, and a dark brown 1.75 x 1.75 swatch bearing a woven star. On December 17, 1944, a day after Germany launched their last great offensive of World War II, Patton rerouted his Third Army northward to the Nazi-controlled borders of BelgiumLuxembourg with a primary objective—relieve the besieged US 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne. Spearheaded by Patton’s 4th Armored Division, the counter-offensive surged through Luxembourg roads snow-clogged by the worst winter Europe had seen in years and reached the encumbered troops on December 26th. Considered a pivotal turning point in the General Keyes's own military insignia Battle of the Bulge, and a maneuver that cemented Patton’s legend as a seminal military leader, the Third Army’s descent upon Bastogne opened corridors for support and supplies, quickly turning the tides of war in favor of the Allies. Following the conflict’s end on January 25, 1945, Prince Felix, the Consort of Grand Duchess Charlotte, honored Patton with the Croix de Guerre for his bravery and military virtue. Less than four months after the end of World War II, Patton was involved in a fatal automobile accident while in Germany and was later buried in the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Hamm, the very churchyard he helped establish during the Battle of the Bulge.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 75
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Dwight D. Eisenhower
Remarkable Ike-accomplished oil portrait of his chief of staff Major General Persons 8046 Dwight D. Eisenhower Painting of General Wilton Persons Estimate $10,000-12,000 Unique original oil painting accomplished by President Eisenhower during his time in the White House, 15.5 x 17.5, portraying White House Chief of Staff Wilton Persons, who served in Eisenhower’s administration from October 7, 1958 to January 20, 1961. The portrait skillfully depicts Major General Persons in his military uniform and is initialed in the lower right corner in paint, “DE.” Cloth-matted and framed to an overall size of 20 x 22.25. Some insignificant vertical cracking to finish from age, otherwise fine condition. Includes a later TLS from Eisenhower to Persons, signed “Ike” and initialed “D,” one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, April 1, 1966. In part: “We have had a very pleasant winter here in the Desert. While I have been subjected to some minor aches and pains which have, at times, kept me off the golf course…I am at least learning to live with them…After all the doctors don’t want me to play golf more than three times a week and if I did not have some aches I would be frothing at the mouth to get out on the first tee.” Also includes three original snapshot photos, including one showing Wilton Persons with this painting, one showing his wife with the painting, and one of them together. With excellent lineage and historical importance, this is a superb painting by one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century. Dwight D. Eisenhower took up painting as a hobby later in life—a practice suggested by Winston Churchill—as a tool for relaxation, and became quite a skilled artist in his own right. Approximately 260 works by Dwight D. Eisenhower are known and most are landscape scenes, making portraits especially rare. Persons was an accomplished career US Army officer who served in the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and in Europe in World War II. Eisenhower called him into duty as a special assistant at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe during 1951–1952, and Persons was active in Eisenhower’s presidential campaign. He served in various capacities throughout Ike’s administration and in 1958 took over as chief of staff. In this role, he was heavily involved as Eisenhower’s representative in the transition of government between the Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy administrations. Any painting by Eisenhower is tremendously desirable, with this example particularly so as an especially well-accomplished, striking portrait of an important member of his inner circle. Provenance: The Estate of Major General Wilton B. ‘Jerry’ Persons.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 77
Dwight D. Eisenhower December 1959 Ike handwritten note penned aboard the U.S.S Des Moines
8047 Dwight D. Eisenhower Log Book With Autograph Note Signed Estimate $3,000-5,000 Leather-bound guest log for the U.S.S. Des Moines CA–134, 8.5 x 10.75, signed on the seventh page in fountain pen, “Des Moines—with her captain and crew have made of my three days cruise not only recreation and rest but a most enjoyable holiday—I am grateful. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 15–18 December, 1959.” Signed below on the same page by his son and daughter-in-law, John and Barbara. Owned by Captain Charles C. Slayton, the guest log begins on November 25, 1959. Following its decommission in July 1961, the log was used as Clayton’s personal guest book until its final entry on August 25, 1973. Filled out on the first 116 pages, the log is signed by hundreds of guests, with several notables that include Emory P. Roberts, James J. Rowley, James Hagerty, W. F. Peterson, and W. R. Shuler, Robert D. Murphy (his calling card is also included). In fine condition, with expected wear to logbook cover; signed page is exceptionally crisp and bold. Accompanied by an unsigned book photo of Eisenhower preparing to descend a staircase on the U.S.S Des Moines, and three correspondence letters between Captain Slayton and the Navy Department. In an effort to promote US foreign relations, President Eisenhower set about on an international goodwill tour in December of 1959, visiting eleven European, Asian, and North African countries on an ambitious nineteen-day trip. As part of the expedition, Eisenhower boarded the U.S.S. Des Moines CA-134 while the cruiser was anchored off the coast of Athens, and embarked on a restful voyage that would ultimately dock in Toulon, France three days later. The short respite proved effectual for the President, who would charge forward on the second leg of his international tour, visiting Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay in February 1960, trips that he hoped would go far in softening a tense international climate. A rare, bold presidential-era note, written during the last few years of his distinguished two-term presidency.
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Raoul Wallenberg Rare Schutz-Pass to save a Hungarian Jew from the Nazis
8048 Raoul Wallenberg Signed Document Estimate $8,000-10,000 DS in German and Hungarian, quickly signed in ink, “R” (as typical on documents of this type), one page, 8.25 x 13.25, August 26, 1944. Blue and gold two-language SchutzPass issued to Franz Halasz. The upper left section is filled out in type with personal information including his 1893 birth date, height, and eye and hair color. Affixed adjacent to his personal information is a passport-style photo bearing an official ink stamp. The bottom portion bears printed statements in German and Hungarian, briskly signed in the lower left corner by Wallenberg, and countersigned by Swedish Minister to Budapest Carl Ivan Danielsson. In very good condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds with a pinhole at the intersection, small edge separations at folds, and some scattered creases. Accompanied by a related document bearing a stamped Wallenberg signature. Wallenberg arrived in Hungary in July 1944 as the country’s Jewish population was under siege. Nearly every other major Jewish community in Europe had already been decimated, and the Nazis were dispatching more than 10,000 Hungarian Jews to their deaths daily. With time of the essence, he devised and distributed thousands of these ‘Schutz-Passes’—official-looking, but essentially invalid, Swedish passports granting the Hungarian bearer immunity from deportation. Nazi officials readily accepted the paperwork. Thus, with his simple, nondescript scribble on this Schutz-Pass, Wallenberg saved Franz Halasz—an important reminder of one heroic man’s tireless efforts to outwit the Nazis and save countless lives.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 79
World Leaders and Politicians
Emperor Hirohito
Japan initiates diplomacy with Honduras in 1935 8049 Emperor Hirohito Signed Document Estimate $4,000-6,000 Scarce manuscript DS in Japanese, boldly signed at the top of the first page by Hirohito as emperor, two pages on two adjoining sheets, 9.5 x 12.5 (measures 18.5 x 12.5 open), March 29, 1935. Document in which the emperor of Japan appoints Yoshiatsu Hori as the Japanese Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Honduras. The thirteen lines of handwritten content is translated, in part: “By the grace of heaven, emperor of Japan…To his Excellency the President of the Republic of Honduras, our great and illustrious friend...animated by the desire to strengthen and deepen increasingly the bonds of friendship and good understanding that so happily exist between our two countries have decided to appoint Yoshiatsu Hori, Joshii...second class of our Imperial Order of the Rising Sun… Minister Plenipotentiary…of the Republic of Honduras…we have signed...and have applied the seal of the empire in our Imperial Palace and Tokyo, the fourth day of the third month of the tenth year of the Showa, corresponding to the year two thousand five hundred ninety-five the accession to the throne of Emperor Jimmu.” In fine condition, with evidence of prior binding at middle hinge and trivial slivers of foxing along extreme vertical edges. Accompanied by two official translations of the original time period: one Spanish version produced at the National Palace in Tegucigalpa, and one French version (the international language of diplomacy). Honduras was initially neutral in World War II, but joined the Allied side after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Central American republic declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941, and on Germany and Italy five days later; while they contributed food and materials to the Allied effort, they did not send troops. Despite their differing views during WWII, this year marks the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Honduras. As the very document that seems to have solidified their union, this is an exceedingly desirable piece from the tenth year of Hirohito’s legendary 63-year reign.
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Chou En-lai
Seldom-seen 1946 letter organizing “transportation of supplies to the Communist Liberated Areas” 8050 Chou En-lai Typed Letter Signed Estimate $20,000-25,000 Rare TLS in English, one page, 8 x 10.25, Communist Delegation Office letterhead, August 8, 1946. Letter to Mr. J. Franklin Ray, Jr., acting director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration [UNRRA] in Shanghai. In part: “Your efforts towards overcoming difficulties in the way of the transportation of supplies to the Communist Liberated Areas are greatly appreciated. We associate ourselves fully with your view of the cancellation of passes system for shipment of supplies to the Liberated Areas. Certificates of UNRRA or CNRRA should be sufficient for obtaining free passage there. In light of this, we have already cabled to Yenan authorities asking them to give instructions to the local governments of various Communist Liberated Areas to this effect.” Light diagonal creases above the recipient’s address, trimming and show-through from mounting remnants to the top edge, and erased office notations to upper right, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by an unsigned photo. The UNRRA was an international agency founded to organize the administration of relief measures such as food, fuel, clothing, and medical supplies to countries that had been hit especially hard during World War II. However, the end of WWII brought about the resumption of the Chinese Civil War in which the Nationalist and Communist factions battled for control. Although the UNRRA was supposed to be an apolitical humanitarian organization, it seemed that the vast majority of aid was falling into the hands of the Nationalists. Supply trucks bound for areas held by the Communists were also frequently intercepted by the Nationalists, who either seized the goods being transported or simply prevented them from reaching the Communist areas. According to Chou En-lai, the Communists controlled all or part of nineteen provinces yet received less than one percent of all UNRRA shipments into China. George C. Marshall spent the year of 1946 in China attempting to broker peace between the warring parties and reach a democratic resolution, but the relationship between the United States and the Communists had grown increasingly strained and by the time of this letter it seemed clear that these efforts were futile. By the end of the year it was clear that war was inevitable and President Truman called Marshall back to the US, where he began developing his next major project—the Marshall Plan. With fine content regarding the situation of China at the beginning of the Communist Revolution, this is an extremely rare and desirable letter.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 81
Martin Luther King Jr. Signed by King a day after his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech
8052 Martin Luther King, Jr. Signed Brochure Estimate $6,000-8,000 Exceptionally rare folding brochure for the Lincoln Memorial, eight pages, 6 x 8.5, dated 1962, issued by the United States Department of the Interior, and signed vertically on the front cover in blue ballpoint, “Martin Luther King.” The brochure offers information on the building, murals, and statue, background on construction and architecture, and includes images of Lincoln’s Gettysburg and Second Inauguration Addresses engraved on the memorial’s north and south walls. Scattered overall creasing, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from the original recipient, “I...went to the March on Washington in 1963 as a 6 year old with my family. We had the honor of meeting Dr. King the day after the March when we went sightseeing at the Lincoln Memorial.” On August 28, 1963, King and several other civil and economic rights leaders undertook the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, an unprecedented demonstration that saw over 250,000 participants join the mile-long walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. As the event’s closing speaker, King famously delivered his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, an oration which palpably expressed the country’s manifest need for racial equality. Signed by King a mere day after the rally—at virtually the same site as his iconic speech—this remarkable brochure commemorates two of the most influential civil rights champions of the 19th and 20th centuries: Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King.
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Aviation
Wilbur Wright
Wright Flyer signed during his tests at “Lemans, 12 Nov. 1908” 8053 Wilbur Wright Autograph Note Signed on Postcard Estimate $6,000-8,000 Rare real photo postcard depicting the Wright Model A in flight, 5.5 x 3.5, signed on the reverse in black ink, “Lemans, 12 Nov. 1908, With my compliments, Wilbur Wright.” Addressed in another hand to American sculptor Frederick Macmonies in Giverny. Scattered soiling to correspondence side and scattered light creases and silvering to image side, otherwise fine condition. In the course of delivering his Wright Flyer to a French syndicate, Wilbur traveled to Camp d’Auvours near Le Mans to perform a captivating series of flights and prove his plane’s capabilities. During these test flights he repeatedly broke his own speed and endurance records, far surpassing the requirements of the French contract. A month before signing this postcard, on October 10, he set the distance and duration records for a flight with a passenger, and six days later on November 18 he set an altitude record, soaring to 90 meters. Autographs of the elder Wright are extremely scarce due to his early death from typhoid fever in 1912, with this being an exceptionally desirable format as it both depicts his famous Flyer and was signed at the site of his important demonstrations.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 83
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Wright Aeronautical Lithographs Stunning Wright ‘Unforgettable Exploits of the Air’ prints
8054 Set of Five Signed Wright Aeronautical Lithographs Estimate $10,000-12,000 Rare, unnumbered set seven of Wright Aeronautical Corporation’s 1928 Flights hand-colored lithographs, depicting historic feats accomplished by several pioneers of the air; five of the seven are signed. Featuring artwork by noted artist Frank Lemon, these spectacular lithos measure approximately 17 x 21, with two affixed to same-size mounts. Five of the illustrations are signed in either pencil or fountain pen by the given subject, with three inscribed to Wallace B. Donham. Signers include: Orville Wright, Charles Lindbergh (pencil, who adds “1935”), Richard E. Byrd (ins), Albert C. Read (ins), and Louis Bleriot (ins), who makes a handwritten correction to the printed date. In overall fine condition with some insignificant chipping to brittle edges. Created for a series entitled ‘Flights: Unforgettable Exploits of the Air,’ these lithographs were originally produced as corporate Christmas gifts limited to 500 copies. The recipient of this particularly stunning set was Wallace B. Donham, the second dean of the Harvard Business School from 1919-1942. Given that the 500 numbered editions were not autographed by the pilots portrayed, these visually appealing, seldom-seen signed versions are rendered that much more desirable.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 85
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Orville Wright The famed aviator fact-checks information on his first flight
8055 Orville Wright Typed Letter Signed Estimate $4,000-6,000
Historic TLS, two pages, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, May 16, 1940. Wright responds to fact-checking requests regarding his first flight from John Walter Wood, author of Airports: Some Elements of Design and Future Development. In part: “First in regard to ‘Wright Field 1904–905’: On page 1, last line, the length of the 1901 wind tunnel is given as 8 feet instead of 6 feet. I should have noticed this error in former drafts but failed to do so…The statement that Kill Devil Hill has moved about a quarter mile south since the early years of our experiments there is not correct. The base of the hill at that time was a little over 1200 feet from the spot on which the boulder now stands. I can not believe it is more than 1600 or 1700 feet from the boulder now. Maybe the reference to the hill moving had better be omitted…The weight of the bare motor was 152 pounds; with magneto it weighed 170 pounds…It might be well to state that the motor was a horizontal one, so that it be not confused with our later four cylinder vertical one.” In fine condition, with two punch holes to top edge and faint staple mark to the upper left corner. Accompanied by two carbon copies of Wood’s February 21 and February 27 letters to Wright.
Orville Wright first met John Walter Wood in 1935, and the two began a steady stream of correspondence regarding Wood’s writing projects. Wright, concerned with leaving behind accurate records for generations to come, happily complied with the author’s requests for information. In this letter, he corrects facts about his airplane, the weight and orientation of the motor, and the topography of Kill Devil Hills, the dunes just south of Kitty Hawk where the Wrights’ first historic flight began in 1903. The hill, difficult to measure due to shifting sands over the three decades since the first flight, holds a small rockfaced granite boulder placed by the National Aeronautic Association to mark the lift-off site. Wright references the marker, saying, “The base of the hill at that time was a little over 1200 feet from the spot on which the boulder now stands. I can not believe it is more than 1600 or 1700 feet from the boulder now.” After years of work, with his facts checked by the pioneers of aviation, Wood’s book was published in 1940 and provided one of the first thorough surveys of early flight. This is a wonderful glimpse into the correspondence between two passionate figures in aviation history, presenting facts of the first flight straight from the aviator’s hand.
“The statement
that Kill Devil Hill
has moved about
a quarter mile south
since the early years of our experiments
there is not correct”
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 87
“Third Class Passage Ticket by your Steamer leaving ‘Titanic’ Southampton on the 10th day of April”
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Titanic
Third-Class Passenger Purchase Receipt Rare fully intact Titanic receipt for “William Alexander, 23”
8056 Titanic Third-Class Passenger Purchase Receipt Estimate $10,000-12,000
Partly-printed White Star Line certificate of receipt for Titanic passenger William Alexander’s prepaid third-class ticket, one page, 14 x 8.5, March 23, 1912. The receipt, issued at Albion, New York, indicates the name and age of the passenger, “William Alexander, 23.” The primary text reads, in part: “Received Forty 25/100 Dollars, for Third Class Passage of One Adults…in consideration of which the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (Limited) agrees with the persons named in the margin to transport them from Southampton and thence to New York.” Attached to the left side is the notice of embarkation, number S. E. 34269, filled out with further details, in part: “Annexed I beg to hand you my American Prepaid Certificate, and shall be obliged by your sending me in exchange, a Third Class Passage Ticket by your Steamer leaving ‘Titanic’ Southampton on the 10th day of April.” A printed notice concerning conditions of transport and baggage liability is affixed to the upper portion of the certificate, and an additional detached receipt is filled out, “Ocean Fare Received—$36.25, American Inland Received—$7, Tax Received—$4, This Prepaid is available for passage on the following steamers:—Titanic or Olympic.” Receipt is accompanied by a small archive of correspondence concerning remuneration for the Alexander family after the tragedy. In very good condition, with scattered creases and toning, and several small edge tears. The correspondence included is between William Alexander’s sister, Helen, who paid for the ticket, the White Star Line, and their lawyers. It seems that Helen filed a claim for reimbursement of the fares she paid for his passage, while her parents filed for compensation for his loss of life. One of her letters, dated February 3, 1916, in part: “I hope now the Titanic case is settled something will be done for me in regards of refunding my money to me at least the fares I paid for my brother Wm. The claim mentioned is for fares paid by myself nothing to do with life claim whatever.” According to the letters from the White Star Line and retained carbon copies from their law firm Hill Dickinson, the White Star Line had reimbursed her a total of $11 in 1913, accounting for the $4 tax and $7 train fare from New York to Albion; however, they did not refund the cost of the ticket itself. Alexander, a general laborer, was traveling to the United States in hopes of finding a well-paying job to support his parents back in England. The family would suffer further tragedy in 1917, when they lost two more sons in action during World War I. These Titanic certificates of purchase are quite rare, particularly with the ship identified in both the notice of embarkation and attached receipt. An outstanding grouping representing both the passage of the Titanic and the compensation struggles families faced in the wake of the disaster.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 89
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Titanic Obstruction Report Ominous six-part 1912 obstruction report for the “Commander of the Titanic”
8057 Titanic Navigation Obstruction Report Estimate $3,000-5,000
Fascinating “Reports of obstruction to Navigation” sent to “The Commander” of the Titanic, seven pages, 8.25 x 13.25, dated from March 9 to April 10, 1912. The six individual reports included are dated as follows: March 9, 13, 20, 27, and April 6 and 10. Compiled by Hill Dickinson & Co., the maritime law firm representing shipping company White Star Line, the reports detail a variety of obstacles deemed detrimental to the safe passage of the Titanic. The first, dated March 9, 1912, in part: “’Belfast Feb. 29th. Howth Head (s) from New Orleans arrived here today reports on Feb. 20, 6.50 a.m. 42.57 N, 57.21 W, passed a spar projecting about 5 feet out of the water, and surrounded by a mass of wreckage and from above position for a distance of 50’ E.N.E. passed through numerous pieces of wreckage tree trunks and undressed spars or logs.’” The second report, on March 13, reads, “’British steamer Bengore Head…which passed the Tuskar March 7, reported having on board the crew of the Norwegian barque Illawarra, Leith for Valparaiso, which vessel was abandoned in Lat. 50.51 N, Long. 12.49 W, dangerous to navigation.’” A week later, on March 20, a report concerning three submerged vessels and floating logs, in part: “’Louisiana (s) reports Feb. 23 lat. 32.44 N. long. 78.37 W. in 20 fathoms passed close to a wreck, with about 25 feet of a heel of a mast projecting out of water fast to wreckage. Could see under water what appeared to be sails.’” The fourth and fifth reports, dated March 27 and April 6, are the first officially addressed to “Captain E. J. Smith,” and concern submerged ships with masts projecting from the water. The final report, dated April 10—the day Titanic departed on its maiden voyage—notes three sunken wrecks, in part: “’Galway, April 8, French steamer ‘La Touraine,’ from New York, reports by wireless that in lat. 40.56 long. 66.18 she passed a broken mast emerging vertically, very dangerous.’” The packet bears the original clasp and concludes with a title page. In very good condition, with scattered creasing and soiling, and edge tears to upper right corners, not affecting any text. Before he replaced Captain Herbert Haddock as commander of the RMS Titanic on April 1st, Smith twice played a role in the postponement of the ill-fated ship’s maiden voyage. As captain of the RMS Olympic, the older sister ship of the Titanic, Smith collided with the British Cruiser the HMS Hawke on September 20, 1911, and then lost a propeller blade during a crossing in February 1912—mishaps which pushed the ship’s subsequent departure date to April 10th. Five days later, on April 15, the Titanic sunk at the coordinates of 41.7 N, 49.9 W. Some of the reports included in this packet refer to potentially harmful waters in relative close proximity to Titanic’s intended course of travel. Interestingly, although these reports inform of numerous submerged vessels and two instances of floating logs, there remains a notable absence of ice warnings. Originates from the offices of White Star Line lawyers Hill Dickinson & Co.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 91
92 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Space
Apollo 11
“The first landing of men on the Moon was less than 10 hours away” 8058 Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 Lunar Orbit-Flown Flight Plan Page Estimate $15,000-20,000 Flown double-sided flight plan page carried on board the Apollo 11 mission, identified as “MSC Form 29 (May 69),” 10.5 x 8, signed and flight-certified vertically in the notes field in blue ballpoint, at a later date, “This page was flown to the moon aboard Apollo XI, July 1969, Buzz Aldrin.” While in lunar orbit on July 20, 1969, CMP Michael Collins recorded pencil notations to central portion of sheet, “Start solo storage, unpack solo book,” as well as a check mark to the lower left corner. The first side, “Page 3-60” and “Day/Rev 4/9—10,” lists the last hour and a half of the crew’s fourth rest period starting at “530 EDT,” approximately 85 hours after launch. The second signed side, “Page 3-61” and “Day/Rev 5/10,” lists the allotted one-hour breakfast period at “0730 EDT,” scheduled during the crew’s tenth revolution of the moon. Ink notations made in an unidentified hand to center and left margin read, “P22 for observation of LDG site LMK130, LAT +01.243, LONG/2 +11.844, ALT–001.46” and “Roll RT 40° to R122°, R229°, Y0°, HGA, P–31, Y263.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a copy of the flight plan’s front cover and a signed letter of provenance from Aldrin, on his personal stationery, reading in part: “Enclosed with this letter is a sheet numbered 3-60 and 3-61 from the Apollo 11 Flight Plan, Part No. SKB32100080–350, S/N 1001. It is part of the entire document that was carried to the Moon in Command Module Columbia during the first lunar landing mission. This sheet is from the detailed timeline section and covers hour 92 to the
beginning of hour 95 in the mission…Page 3-60 lists the last hour and a half of our fourth rest period which started at approximately 85 hours after launch. This was the first sleep we had after entering lunar orbit...Page 3-61 lists our scheduled breakfast during the tenth revolution of the Moon. The first landing of men on the Moon was less than 10 hours away at this point on July 20, 1969. Mike Collins wrote the following on this side during the mission: ‘Start Solo Stowage, Unpack Solo Book. This was a note to himself that he should start to secure Columbia for his time alone while Neil Armstrong and I landed and explored the lunar surface...The flight plan was probably the single most important document related to the success of our mission. It provided a time schedule of crew activities and spacecraft maneuvers to accomplish the first lunar landing.” As the Columbia orbited 60 nautical miles above the lunar surface, the Apollo 11 crew was overcome with such excitement that mundane chores like eating and sleeping proved nearly impossible. Despite having launched 85 hours prior, the included fourth resting stage represents the first time the crew managed to achieve any semblance of sleep, with Aldrin and Neil Armstrong logging five hours, and Collins sleeping six. Less than ten hours before their historic lunar landing, the crew convened for a one-hour breakfast period during which Collins made the notations, “Start solo stowage, unpack solo book,” a reminder to himself to secure the command module while his crewmates landed and explored the moon. The “solo book” refers to a checklist Collins used for flight operations during this juncture of the mission. Representing two Apollo 11 ‘leisure’ periods, this incredible flight plan page clearly captures the crew’s excitable energy shortly before the first lunar landing.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 93
‘Type 3’ Cover
Aldrin’s own ‘Type 3’ insurance cover 8059 Apollo 11 Signed ‘Type 3’ Insurance Cover Estimate $18,000-20,000 Sought-after Apollo 11 ‘Type 3’ insurance cover, 6.5 x 3.5, with a color cachet of the mission insignia and a July 16, 1969, Kennedy Space Center launch date postmark, signed in blue felt tip by Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Affixed by its corners, between descriptive paragraphs, on Dr. Aldrin’s 8.5 x 11 personal Apollo 11 stationery. Signed at the conclusion in blue ballpoint by Aldrin, the presentation reads, in part: “The cover displayed above has been in my private collection since 1969 and has an identifier of BA02 written on the reverse side. It was signed by the Apollo 11 crew…prior to our launch in 1969.” In fine condition. The ‘Type 3’ cover rates as the least common of the three Apollo 11 insurance covers and is highly desired by collectors. A wonderfully crisp example originating from the personal collection of the second man to walk on the moon.
94 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Lunar Map
“Presented to the U. S. Army Topographic Commandin” 8060 Apollo 11 Signed Lunar Map Estimate $10,000-15,000 Magnificent lunar map of the Apollo 11 landing area near the southern edge of Mare Tranquillitatis, 9.75 x 12.5, inscribed in the lower left in printed text, “This map is presented to the U. S. Army Topographic Command in appreciation for the outstanding support in providing lunar maps for Apollo 11,” signed underneath in black ink, “Neil Armstrong,” “Buzz Aldrin,” and “Michael Collins.” The map is labeled “Landing Site 2” at the very top [partially obscured by mat], and depicts the landing area, Surveyor V location, and craters “Moltke,” “Maskelyne G,” “Sabine B,” and “Sabine E.” Following the Apollo 11 mission, the latter two craters were renamed ‘Aldrin’ and ‘Armstrong.’ The unlabeled ‘Sabine D’ crater renamed ‘Collins’ is visible on this map between the other two. Matted and framed to an overall size of 18 x 21. In fine condition, with a couple light surface creases and a light spot of soiling to the presentation area. The United States Army Topographic Command produced specifically prepared maps for the first lunar landing based on information gathered by the Ranger and Surveyor spacecraft on the lunar surface and orbital photos taken on the Apollo 8 and Apollo 10 missions. In June 1969, the US Army delivered to NASA 116 charts and geologic maps, complete with NASA’s robotic images and the USGS’s geologic interpretations. An outstanding presentation to the department that made vital contributions to the Apollo 11 mission and a rare fully signed format depicting the site of mankind’s first lunar landing.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 95
AP11 Flown Robbins Medal
Coveted flown medallion #190, from the collection of moonwalker Dave Scott
Images larger than actual size.
8062 Dave Scott’s Apollo 11 Flown Robbins Medal Estimate $20,000-30,000
Historic flown sterling silver Apollo 11 Robbins Medal, approximately 1.25˝ diameter, with a raised early design on the face of the iconic Apollo 11 mission insignia, with the eagle carrying the olive branch in its beak. The reverse of the sterling silver medal is engraved with the last names of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, along with the July 16, 1969, launch date; July 20, 1969, moon landing date; and July 24, 1969, return date. This medal is serial numbered “190.” Condition is mint state. Medal is accompanied by the original case, labeled “190.” Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Dave Scott stating, in part: “I hereby certify that the Apollo 11 silver medallion number ‘190’ included with this letter is from my personal collection and was flown aboard Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969…After the mission, the Astronaut Office distributed the medallions accordingly. I specifically requested the Apollo 11 number ‘190’ included with this letter.” Remarkably scarce flight-flown mementos such as this—particularly one from man’s first step into a brave new world—are highly prized by collectors.
96 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Charles Conrad Training Suit
Apollo 12 training-worn ICG: “Size: SS S/N 1035, Subject: P. Conrad” 8063 Charles "Pete" Conrad Apollo 12 Training Suit Estimate $10,000-12,000
Charles Conrad’s white In-Flight Coverall Garment used during training for Apollo 12, consisting of both the jacket and pants. The jacket bears his name patch on the left breast, “P. [Pete] Conrad,” an official NASA ‘meatball’ patch on the right, and an American flag patch on the left sleeve. The patch sewn inside the collar area reads: "Coverall Jacket, P/N: BW-1060-002, Size: SS S/N 1035, Subject: P. Conrad, Contract No. NAS 9-8309, Date of Mfg.: 12-9-68,” with a faded red ink notation below, “Class III.” The pants are unsigned and bear a patch sewn inside the waistband reading: "Coverall Trousers, P/N BW-1061-001, Size: SS S/N 1035, Subject: P. Conrad, Contract No.: NAS 9-8309, Date of Mfg.: 12-9-68, Mfg. by: B. Welson Co,” also bearing the ink notation below, “Class III.” In fine condition, with expected wear from use. Accompanied by a modern satin-finish photo of Conrad wearing this, or a very similar ICG suit. The In-Flight Coverall Garment was developed by NASA to offer far more flexibility than the bulky spacesuit, so astronauts changed into these after launch to be more comfortable during their long flight. The Apollo 12 astronauts wore Class III coveralls like this one while training inside the simulators at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. As a training-worn Apollo ICG from the third man to walk on the moon, this is a truly extraordinary piece. Provenance: The Leon Ford Collection.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 97
Flown Flag
“Carried to the Lunar surface by the crew of Apollo XII”
8064 Apollo 12 Flown Flag Estimate $10,000-12,000 Fantastic flown American flag carried to the moon on the Apollo 12 mission, 6.25 x 3.75, affixed to an 8 x 13 presentation mount signed in black felt tip by the Command Module Pilot, “This flag was carried to the Lunar surface by the crew of Apollo XII, Richard Gordon.” The mount also bears an affixed embroidered Apollo 12 mission patch and typed slip, “Sailed with Yankee Clipper and Intrepid to the Ocean of Storms, November 1969.” In fine condition, with some slight showthrough from adhesive on reverse of the flag. An attractive and boldly signed presentation piece representative of man’s second moon landing. Provenance: The Leon Ford Collection.
98 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Scientists, Inventors, and Explorers
Isaac Newton
History’s most influential scientist returns home 8065 Isaac Newton Signed Document Estimate $10,000-15,000 Rare, handsome partially printed and calligraphic DS on vellum, signed on the reverse “Isaac Newton,” one page, 20.25 x 13.25, November 10, 1719. Newton signs as witness to a land transaction wherein Thomas Sturges transfers a parcel of land in Colsterworth, Lincoln County to Robert Newton, “in Consideration of the sum of five shillings of lawfull British money.” The left margin bears a strip of three embossed paper revenue stamps; the bottom margin bears Sturges’ signature and red wax seal. Expected intersecting folds, overall toning to reverse, and clipped portion to blank left margin, otherwise fine, attractive condition. Newton’s signature is large, dark, and generally unaffected. The “Robert Newton” in this transaction is most probably Isaac Newton’s first cousin, who was born in 1654. Although by this time Isaac Newton was living in London as the director of the Royal Mint, the extended Newton family still lived in the vicinity of Colsterworth, the location of the parcel in question. The nearby hamlet of Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth was Newton’s birthplace and childhood home. Newton takes a place among the most avidly sought names in the fields of science, mathematics, and philosophy; documents boasting such a high level of visual appeal and a direct family association represent one of the topmost levels of desirability and collector interest.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 99
Catherine the Great Expertly achieved high-level military appointment
8066 Catherine the Great Signed Document Estimate $4,000-6,000 Exceptional handcolored vellum DS in Cyrillic, one page, 15.5 x 10.75, January 4, 1791. A stunning military appointment granting the resignation of Peter Souponet, a former Lieutenant of the Life Guards, and bestowing upon him the honorary rank of Captain. Signed at the conclusion by Catherine and two other officials. The embossed imperial seal with the empress’s title is trimmed and reaffixed to the lower left. In very good condition, with a central vertical fold, a tiny tear to top edge, scattered soiling and foxing, and the signature a shade light, though entirely legible. Accompanied by a full English translation, in part: “This is to certify that Peter Souponet, who served us as Lieutenant in our Life Guards, in the beginning at Preobrajensk in 1784, then in the Cavalry from 1790; and then in the year 1791, on the 1st of January, he requested, because of illness, to be allowed to resign from the army, which resignation, we, most graciously accord and bestow upon him the honorary rank of Captain—In witness of this, and that he may dwell wherever he pleases freely, we have signed this with our own hand and have ordered it sealed with our own imperial seal.” Formed by Peter the Great in the late 17th century, the Preobrazhensky Regiment is considered one of the oldest elite regiments of the Imperial Russian Army and Guard. Known for their unabashed pride and strict dismissal of lesser forces, the regiment distinguished itself most prominently during several large-scale wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. Most famously known for its defense of Catherine the Great’s bloodless coup against her husband Peter III, the Preobrazhensky Regiment was deemed the highest in the military order of precedence on July 17, 1762. Given that the majority of military diplomas from this period are black and white, it seems that only officers belonging to the Preobrazhensky Regiment and other higherranking outfits were privileged to receive these hand-colored diplomas. A scarce and visually appealing document reminiscent of Russia’s ‘Golden Age.’
100 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Marie Curie
Seldom-seen 1924 certificate concerning Belgian radium 8067 Marie Curie Signed Document Estimate $3,000-4,000 Scarce DS in French on “Institut du Radium, Paris” letterhead, signed “M. Curie,” one page, 8.25 x 12, December 24, 1924. Certificate No. 4. 203 in which Curie measures the “Dosage of Radium.” In part (filled out in an assistant’s hand): “Measurement Conditions. The device radiation Y is compared to the Laboratory radiation Y Standard. If device has not reached its radiation limit, it is deducted from measurements by calculation. The device covered by this Certificate had not reached its radiation limit. Measurement Results. The radiation Y limit emitted outside the device is equal to 5.21 Milligrams of radium element. Radium Quantity Contained in Device. This quantity is evaluated taking into account radiation Y absorption through the device wall, according to its thickness and its absorption coefficient. Thickness indicated by the Belgian Radium is mm: 0.1. Resulting correction is evaluated at 0.52% of radiation Y which emanates substance. Radium quantity contained in device is therefore: Radium Element Milligrams 5.23.” With intersecting folds and two paperclip impressions to upper left, otherwise fine. Despite having successfully isolated radium by 1910, procuring the element she helped co-discover remained a considerable challenge for Curie. However, following Belgium’s 1913 unearthing of huge reserves of highly rich pitchblende in Congo mines, Curie gained unparalleled access to the element when she managed to negotiate fair prices from the Belgian manufacturers, an agreement that allowed her to carry on further large-scale research. An exceptional document relating to an element forever linked to the Curie name.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 101
102 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Thomas Edison
Recalling Menlo Park in 1881: “I was then working on my electric light system” 8068 Thomas Edison Typed Letter Signed Estimate $2,000-4,000 TLS signed “Thos. A. Edison,” one page, 8.5 x 11, Laboratory of Thomas A. Edison letterhead, February 19, 1924. Letter to Charles A. Janke at the Bell Telephone Company. In part: “I was very interested in reading…the copy of the circular letter that I sent out from Menlo Park in February 1881. I was then working on my electric light system, and gathering statistics in regard to gas. The letter was sent out in order to get information as to how much competition I was likely to encounter when I introduced the electric lighting system.” Handsomely mounted, matted, and framed beside a portrait of Edison to an overall size of 24.5 x 19. Intersecting folds (one vertical fold passing through a single letter of the signature), a small separation to a fold at the top edge, and light toning (mainly confined to edges), otherwise fine condition. Edison began working to create a practical system of electric lighting in 1878 that could compete with lighting fueled by gas and oil. To make an electric light commercially viable he had to contend with several difficult factors—cost of manufacture, cost of electricity, and usage lifetime. With the support of some of America’s greatest financiers—J. P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts— Edison established the Edison Electric Light Company in New York, and in Menlo Park on December 31, 1879, made the first public demonstration of his incandescent lightbulb. By 1881, Edison had established the groundwork for large scale production of his lamp and began to focus on the even more ambitious project of developing an infrastructure for the distribution of electricity. As shown in this letter about conducting market research, Edison was not only a genius inventor but a savvy businessman.
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104 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Howard Carter
Carter’s measurements of King Tut’s four elaborate, nested shrines and sarcophagus
“Sarcophagus 274 147.5= Max of cornice”
8069 Howard Carter Handwritten Dimensions Estimate $10,000-12,000 Significant handwritten notes in pencil, unsigned, one page, 4.75 x 8, no date. Carter writes the measurements of the four shrines of the tomb of Tutankhamun. In full: “Base measurements of:—First (Outermost Shrine) (No. 207) L. 525 W. 340 H.; Second Shrine (No. 237), L. 382 W. 255 H.; Third Shrine (No. 238), L. 342 W. 209 H.; Fourth (Innermost) Shrine (No. 239) L. 292 W. 163 H.; Inside measurement L. 280 W. 151 See Sarcophagus; Sarcophagus 274 147.5= Max of cornice.” A few numbers have been rubbed out and changed, and a
few mathematical sums appear to the top and reverse side. In fine condition. After discovering King Tut’s tomb on November 4, 1922, Carter’s excavation continued throughout the next decade until 1932. They did not initially realize the expanse of the tomb, spending considerable time cataloging the antechamber before breaking through the wall to find the burial chamber. Carter opened the sealed doorway on February 16, 1923, catching his first glimpse of the outermost shrine. King Tut’s actual sarcophagus was contained within four outer shrines, the largest of which filled virtually the entire room. An incredible piece detailing the multilayered afterlife vessel that held the legendary boy king’s mummy for over three thousand years. Provenance: family of Howard Carter.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 105
106 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Albert Einstein
Poignant 1933 letter for an escaped German-Jewish master violinmaker 8070 Albert Einstein Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $8,000-10,000 ALS in German, signed “A. Einstein,” one page, 8 x 10.75, August 18, 1933. Letter to Belgian artist Marie Destree-Danse regarding expert violinmaker Julius Levin. In full (translated): “This is my chance today to turn to you in a truly interesting matter. Among the refugees from Germany is also the physician and author Dr. Levin, who over decades of dedicated re-building work on violins (more precisely, ennobling them in a time efficient manner), thereby creating instruments of such high quality to make them equal to the best old Italian ones. I am playing for years on one of these instruments myself and am enjoying it immensely. This man, who is in his seventies and in poor health is driven by only one desire: his art shall not be taken to the grave with him. It would be his dream to have a small work shop in Brussels (in conjunction with a school for craftsman) where he would have the chance of teaching his art to wood working apprentices. He has all the necessary tools, as well as a considerable supply of the expensive violin wood. This most unassuming man would only require a modest salary for the rest of his life. In return he would create here a new branch of the craft, a specialty that by no means would be unimportant. I consider myself in a position to judge the achievements of this man.
Even the Queen of Belgium has admired the instrument I am playing on, one which had been ennobled by him. I am not sure what I could do to help this man reaching his goal. Would you perhaps have any advice? Would you care to see one of his violins? I am under the impression that you indeed are quite knowledge-able on this very subject.” Central vertical and horizontal folds with repaired partial edge separations (one passing between the first initial and last name in the signature), otherwise fine condition.
“Instruments of such high quality to make them equal to the best old Italian ones”
Einstein emigrated to the United States earlier in 1933 due to Hitler’s rise to power in Germany, and in addition to taking up a position at Princeton he began using his influence to help fellow Jews flee from Germany and establish residences elsewhere. Levin fled to exile in Belgium in July 1933, where he hoped to establish a violin school. In addition to his skill as a luthier, Levin was also an accomplished teacher who once had a young Marlene Dietrich under his tutelage. Einstein had been introduced to the violin at the age of six, fostering a lifelong passion for music; he often remarked that if he were not a scientist, he would have been a musician. As a violin connoisseur, Einstein treasured his instruments as enduring companions and this glowing praise for a violinmaker and his craftsmanship is certainly one of the highest compliments he could pay. An undoubtedly magnificent letter representing the conflicting extremes of Einstein’s biography—his flight from Germany and his beloved pastime.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 107
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Stephen Hawking Exceedingly rare 1973 signed book by the brilliant theoretical physicist
8073 Stephen Hawking Signed Book Estimate $20,000-30,000 Signed book: The Archaeology of the Industrial Revolution. First edition, first printing. London: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1973. Hardcover with dust jacket, 9 x 11.25, 207 pages. Signed by Hawking in blue ballpoint, along with 15 other colleagues in various inks, as a presentation to a faculty member. The inscription in one colleague’s hand reads, “With gratitude and best wishes, from the friends of the IOA computer staff.” Autographic condition is fine; book condition is VG+/VG. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from the original recipient, reading: “The book was a gift to me in 1973 on leaving a job as a computer operator at the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy at Cambridge University where Stephen Hawking also worked as a research scientist.” In 1968, Hawking joined the staff of the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, where he remained until 1973. This became the site of some of his most important early scientific breakthroughs in the study of singularities and black holes. At the end of his tenure at the Institute of Astronomy, Hawking published his first book, The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time, a highly technical work exploring the foundation of space itself and its nature of infinite expansion. This period also marked Hawking’s physical deterioration from ALS, and he would soon lose his ability to walk and write; by 1975 he was confined to a wheelchair. Hawking autographs are of the utmost rarity, with this rare example exhibiting ironclad provenance.
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110 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Art and Literature
Jonathan Swift
The Gulliver’s Travels author praises Thomas Sheridan’s “excellent taste in all parts of Literature” 8074 Jonathan Swift Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $20,000-25,000 ALS signed “Jonath. Swift,” one page both sides, 7.25 x 9, March 22, 1734. Letter of recommendation for his friend Thomas Sheridan, to the Duke of Dorset. In full (spelling and grammar retained): “My Lord, Your Grace must please to remember that I carried you to see a comedy of Terence acted by the Scholars of Doctor Sheridan, with which performance you were very well pleased. The Doctor is the most learned person I know in this kingdom, and the best schoolmaster here in the memory of man, having an excellent tast[e] in all parts of Literature. I prevayled on my Lord Cartaret to make him one of his Chaplains, and to bestow him a good living, which the Doctor afterwards exchanged for another about seven miles from Dublin.
publick State of the Kingdom—your secretaryes have forgot it. In the mean time the poor Doctor hath given up his school in town, to his great loss, and hath parted with his house, continuing in uneasiness and suspence till your letter comes. Therefore I humbly beg, you will please to order me of your secretaryes immediately to send the letter, that will impower the Doctor and Knowles the Schoolmaster to exchange stations. My letter is the worst part of the matter, because it will cost you three minutes to read, but the request is short and reasonable. I writ some day ago to my Lady E. Germain on the same purpose, but it is possible her ladyship might forget; which your Grace to my knowledge is not capable of.” Reverse of second integral page bears a docketing notation in another hand. Intersecting folds, scattered foxing, and trivial showthrough from writing to opposing sides, otherwise fine condition.
“The Doctor is the most learned person I know in this kingdom, and the best schoolmaster here in the memory of man”
But his health impairing by the Air of the Town, and being invited by the Gentlemen of the County of Cavan to accept the Free School of Cavan, which is endowed equall to his living, and he being born in the county, the present schoolmaster, one Mr. Knowlls, is desirous to change his school for the Doctor’s living of much the same value, called Dunboyn in your Grace’s gift. This affair hath been so long managing, that it was in agitation before you left me and I begged your consent for the change which, as a very reasonable request, not crossing any measures of your Grace, you were pleased to grant. All things have been long agreed, the B[isho]p of Kilmore (Hort) hath writ to you upon it, so your Lords Justices have done, for some months past but being a thing of no great consequence to the
Thomas Sheridan (1687–1738) was an Anglican clergyman, writer, and schoolmaster, best known as Swift’s close friend and principal collaborator. Sheridan ran his own school in Dublin and Swift admired his teaching methods and abilities, and the great writer occasionally visited to hear recitations and examinations. Although Sheridan had been appointed royal chaplain in 1725, he was relieved from his post after delivering a sermon considered by some as politically suspect. With this letter, Swift successfully praises his friend’s qualifications—Sheridan did, indeed, become the headmaster of Cavan School in 1735, where he remained for three years until his death. Swift autographic material is extremely rare—especially so in such exemplary condition—and the associations presented with this letter elevate it to the highest desirability.
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112 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Noah Webster
Full leaf from Webster’s draft for his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language 8075 Noah Webster Handwritten Manuscript Estimate $10,000-12,000 Rare handwritten manuscript from a draft of An American Dictionary of the English Language, unsigned, one page both sides, 8 x 10, no date but circa 1824–1825. Definitions from the ‘B’ section of Webster’s dictionary, beginning with “Biped” and ending with “Bird.” Among these are numerous scientific terms, such as “Bipedal,” “Bipetalous,” “Biquadrate,” “Biquintile,” “Biradiated,” and “Birch,” with various corrections and emendations to many. His definition of bird is particularly interesting, in full: “a chicken or young fowl, a young or small fowl. In modern usage, a fowl or flying animal. It is to be regretted that this word is used as the generic name of flying or winged animals. A bird is a chicken; fowl…signifies the flying animal & is the proper generic term; & this was used at the time when the present version of the scriptures was made.” For “Birch,” he writes: “A genus of trees, known technically under the name Betula, of which there are four or five species; as the white or common birch—the dwarf birch—the Canada birch of which there are several varieties & the black birch.” An alternate definition of “Birch” appears above but has been crossed out by Webster. Expertly repaired partial separations to intersecting folds, otherwise fine condition. The bulk of Webster’s manuscript—over 450 leaves—now resides in the Pierpont Morgan Library—and rarely appear for sale, particularly as a complete page. Webster’s dictionary is the cornerstone of the brand of English spoken in America today, and this manuscript offers fabulous insight into Webster’s discerning editorial process as he compiled the foundational text.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 113
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Edgar Allan Poe
Exceptionally rare 1843 letter to his potential 'Penn' literary journal subscriber 8076 Edgar Allan Poe Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $60,000-80,000 Rare, boldly penned ALS signed “Edgar A. Poe,” one page, 7.25 x 9.75, September 21, 1843. Poe writes from Philadelphia to Elwood Evans, in full: “I have been absent from the city for the last few weeks and your note of the 15th is only this moment received. I have the pleasure of informing you that Mr. Dana’s address is Chestnut Street, Boston.” Reverse of second integral page is addressed in Poe’s hand, “Elwood Evans Esq[ui]re, Philadelphia.” In fine condition, with light intersecting mailing folds, a block of mild toning from previous display, old reinforcement along inner hinge, and a strip of mounting residue along extreme right edge of the integral page affecting nothing. The exceptionally crisp letter displays beautifully, with all writing clear and bold. Elwood Evans, a Philadelphian lawyer and later politician who governed the Washington Territory, was one of Poe’s acquaintances during his time living in Philadelphia between 1838 and 1844. While living there Poe was at his most prolific, publishing more than thirty short stories including some of his most famous, such as ‘The Tell-Tale Heart,’ ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue,’ and ‘The Gold-Bug.’ He also began planning to publish a high quality literary journal to be called The Penn (later renamed The Sylus), a project that he put an enormous amount of effort into but never came to fruition. The cost was too great for him to finance personally and he never raised enough funds to establish it, despite having subscribers in place. Interestingly, Elwood Evans appears on a list of subscribers-to-be kept by Poe later on in the 1840s. Poe’s autograph is excessively rare in any form and among the most sought-after of all literary figures, with this especially desirable as a complete letter from an especially productive and creative period in his life.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 115
116 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Samuel L. Clemens Twain, concluding with a dual signature, praises his better half
8077 Samuel L. Clemens Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $3,000-4,000
ALS signed “Samuel L. Clemens, Mark Twain,” one page, 4.5 x 6.75, February 14 [1871]. Letter to an unidentified gentleman, in full: “I am only too proud of the chance to help with this the only Valentine I venture to write this day—for although I am twain in my own person I am only half a person in my matrimonial firm, & sometimes my wife shows that she is so much better & nobler than I am that I seriously question I am really any more than about a quarter!” In very good condition, with scattered light staining to letter, not affecting legibility, and mounting remnants to reverse.
and take care of his wife Olivia, who had been stricken with typhoid fever. Her illness worried Clemens into what he deemed a “state of absolute frenzy,” and without Olivia at the helm, the family’s household slipped into chaos. Langdon, their sickly young son, cried incessantly for his ailing mother, prompting Clemens to lament, “I believe if that baby goes on crying 3 more hours this way I will butt my frantic brains out & try to get some peace.” Not only does this witty Valentine note reveal Clemens’s love and dependence for his wife—who had begun to recover by mid-month—but it features the uncommon and highly desirable pairing of both his given and pen names on correspondence.
“Sometimes my wife shows that she is so much better & nobler than I”
In February 1871, Clemens shortened a trip to Washington, D.C. to return home
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 117
118 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Walt Whitman
Twice-signed first edition of ‘Complete Poems & Prose’ and a letter to fellow poet Gabriel Sarrazin 8078 Walt Whitman Signed Book and Letter Estimate $10,000-12,000 Definitive autographed first edition of Complete Poems & Prose of Walt Whitman, 1855…1888, limited to 600 copies printed for the author’s use, published in Philadelphia by Ferguson Bros. & Co., 1888–89. Hardcover with dark-green morocco and marbled boards and a gilt-lettered spine, 6.75 x 10.5, approximately 892 pages. The volume consists of Leaves of Grass, November Boughs, and Specimen Days and Collect. Signed at the base of the Leaves of Grass title page in black ink, and also signed and inscribed on a tipped-in free end page in black ink, “Gabriel Sarrazin, France, from the author Walt Whitman, America, Jan: 28, 1889.”
you all right—I told you I had y’r essay ab’t L of G English’d, (& it has done me more comfort than you can know)—& it shall be printed here one of these days (It and our Col. Ingersoll’s speech lately are my grand panaceas)—I have also a copy of the London Universal Review that prints it in French. I am collecting a little final annex (2d annex) to be added to L of G. When printed I will send you the sheets—Also an appendix to November Boughs—What can I send you hence? Write to me and tell—I am sitting here alone in comfort & the fifth sunny perfect day outside as I glance from the window.” Affixed to the upper edge of the tipped free end page is the original mailing envelope panel, addressed in Whitman’s own hand, “M Gabriel Sarrazin Magistrate Nouméa Nouvelle Caledonie (Colonies Francaises).” Autographic condition: very good, with the tipped-in inscribed page exhibiting foxing, tape to edges, and evidence of letter affixed to the reverse; apart from both being permanently affixed and the ALS folded, the letter and corresponding envelope present nicely. Book condition: G+/None.
“Also an appendix to November Boughs— What can I send you hence?”
Affixed to the reverse of the tipped-in page is an ALS, signed “Walt Whitman,” one page, measuring 8.5 x 11 unfolded, dated September 5, 1890, from Camden, New Jersey. Addressed to Sarrazin, the letter reads, in full: “Your letter from Noumea [South Pacific] came this forenoon & has quite surprised me—no doubt it will all be better for you—any mark’d move by a man, (we call it in English ‘a change of base’) will be something of a gain. Still, here, laid up in my old chair & room, waning slightly but surely, pretty fair in physical conditions (had some oysters, ryebread & coffee for breakfast) maintain good spirits—am propelled in wheel chair out door & to the river side nearly every day—& in other respects ‘hold the fort’ sort o as we might call it—& as I believe I have told you in letters before—y’r letter to H. L. Traubel comes here & that to Morris is doubtless rec’d… We will see if this gets through as well to you—& I must be sure to send you a paper now and then, & see if they reach
Gabriel Sarrazin, a noted translator and poet, was the recipient of this remarkable book and letter pairing. Sarrazin’s translation of Rosetti’s ‘Blessed Damozel’ was fittingly set to music by Claude Debussy, with ‘La demoiselle élue’: what some scholars consider the young composer’s first masterpiece. Sarrazin praised Whitman extravagantly in an essay in his book: La Renaissance de la Poésie Anglaise, 1798-1889, which the Leaves of Grass author had translated. Whitman scholar Ed Folsom says of the relationship between Whitman and Sarrazin: it was ‘one of the warmest and most satisfying relationships of Whitman’s last years.’ Whitman wrote that Sarrazin’s article on him was ‘a great steady trade wind hurrying the ship into port.’ As a triple autographic scarcity—two signatures in the uncommon, Leaves of Grass-related book and a handwritten letter—this is an exquisite literary offering.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 119
120 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Pierre-Auguste Renoir Superlative artistic content from the renowned Impressionist
8079 Pierre-Auguste Renoir Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $8,000-10,000 ALS in French, signed “Renoir,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, 5.25 x 8.25, no date but circa October 1890. Letter written from his new workshop. In part (translated): “I learned today when I was at Durand Ruel that you came to Paris, furious to have missed you. I was near Paris in Anvers, trying to capture the secrets of autumnal nature, and then I went home. Continuing my relocation because all my affairs are thrown together in a heap and I have not yet done anything…I take this opportunity to tell you that I am still scratching out paintings, and that I still believe I can find the secrets of the Masters. It is as good an infatuation as any other, and that absorbs me to a ridiculous point, but it amuses me, with this I can get to a well-deserved old age and to the grave without noticing it too much. I know less and less what is happening and I would be
happy if I did not have such high paint bills to pay…I have to find my lost models and get back to drawing.” In fine condition, with small repaired partial separations to central horizontal fold. Renoir’s marriage to girlfriend Aline Charigot in 1890 inspired the impressionist leader to create many of his most influential works in the years ahead. Employing his old method of dissolving outlines with the use of thinly brushed colors, Renoir painted numerous scenes of his growing family while punctuating his acclaimed ‘two girls’ series with the tenderly achieved ‘Girls at the Piano.’ Although he would develop rheumatoid arthritis in 1892, Renoir’s migration to the warmer climate of Cagnes-sur-Mer enabled the artist to continue painting for the remainder of his life. Shortly before his death, Renoir, now restricted to a wheelchair and his hand dexterity nearly debilitated, traveled to the Louvre in 1919 to observe his own pieces aligned with those “of the Masters”—an experience that surely affirmed Renoir’s lifelong admiration.
“Am still scratching out paintings, and I still believe I can find the secrets of the Masters”
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 121
Jack London
Extensive archive from London to his Greek ‘friend’—controversial views on race and ethnicity
The signed photo depicts Jack and Charmian at the fishpond located in front of their cottage on Beauty Ranch in Glen Ellen
8080 Jack London Correspondence Archive Estimate $8,000-10,000
Fascinating archive of correspondence between Jack London and his friend Spiro Orfans chronicling a complicated relationship over the course of six years, with the material from the author comprising an ALS, eight TLSs, and a signed photo; London’s letters consist of seventeen pages all together. Also includes nine letters from London’s wife Charmian to Orfans, one unsigned and one stamped typed letter from Jack London, three letters from his secretary, and retained drafts and carbon copies of Orfans’s responses. Included as well are eight unsigned original candid photographs. An immigrant from Greece who arrived on the west coast in 1908, Orfans was inspired to write to London after reading his 1909 novel Martin Eden. London responded with an invitation to his ranch, where Orfans soon visited—in a 1917 newspaper interview with Orfans, he said that on his first visit to London’s home he intended to stay for three days but ended up spending eight weeks. Orfans continued to visit every summer for weeks at a time. In the same article Orfans credits London with all the progress he has made since arriving in America, and the headline calls him London’s ‘protege.’
122 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Like others of his day, London adopted the concepts behind social Darwinism and held racialist tendencies that are often implicit in his work. London’s beliefs are attributed to several factors—the popularity of these theories within his generation, his experiences in raising and breeding livestock, anxiety about his own mixed heritage—and they become the subject of his later correspondence. In light of London’s misinformed views, Orfans’s Greek heritage introduced a conundrum difficult for London to rectify and he begins a war of words attacking his close friend from all fronts, criticizing everything from his intellect to his behavior while attributing it all to his ethnicity. These later letters present a paradox, as all seem intensely cruel and brutal but sometimes sarcastic or written in jest, while others—beneath their harsh shells—portray London as a mentor attempting to mold Orfans into the hypermasculine ubermensch espoused in his writing. The signed photo depicts Jack and Charmian at the fishpond located in front of their cottage on Beauty Ranch in Glen Ellen, California, 3.75 x 2.75, signed and inscribed on the reverse in fountain pen by both Jack and his wife, “To Spiro, from his friends in the valley of the moon—Charmian” and “Jack London.” All of the letters from Jack are signed “Jack London,” with two also initialed “J. L.” A selection of the letters follows:
The earliest TLS, November 21, 1910, invites Orfans to visit at his ranch
The earliest is a TLS, November 21, 1910, invites Orfans to visit at his ranch, in part: “Let me tell you how keenly I appreciate your letter. It means more to me than the kind appreciation of one thousand critics…In reply to your questions. I have no knowledge of any language except my own. Have never studied Greek nor Latin.” The ALS, August 22, 1913, in full: “Dreadfully rushed. No time to write. Yours was a bully letter. Run up during the latter half of Sept. First half of September I should be running around to agricultural fairs.” A typed notation at the top, initialed by his wife, “C. K. L.,” reads: “Our new home burned last Friday night, so we are full up with troubles of our own!” On the date of this letter, August 22, the famous Wolf House being built by London—a 26-room mansion in Glen Ellen, California—burned to the ground. It was nearly complete and they were planning to move in soon when disaster struck, and Charmian later wrote that the ’razing of his house killed something in Jack, and he never ceased to feel the tragic inner sense of loss.’
The ALS, August 22, 1913
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TLS, two pages, January 25, 1916
Lengthy TLS, four pages, March 22, 1916
TLS, two pages, January 25, 1916, in part: “God abhors a mongrel. In nature there is no place for a mixed-breed. The purest breeds, when they are interbred, produce mongrels. Breed a Shire stallion to a Thoroughbred mare, and you get a mongrel...Consult the entire history of the human world in all past ages, and you will find that the world has ever belonged to the pure breed and has never belonged to the mongrel. I give you this as a challenge: Read up your history of the human race…There's no use in your talking to me about the Greeks...The Greeks died two thousand years ago, when they became mongrelized. Just because a lot of people talk the Greek language, does not make those people pure Greeks...The Greeks were strong as long as they remained pure. They were possessed with power, achievement, culture, creativeness, individuality.” This portion of the letter reveals London’s misguided views on racial superiority and eugenicist leanings, but the language used is interesting within his body of work—Buck, the hero-dog of his most famous story, The Call of the Wild, was indeed a “mongrel". London continued, "And, in conclusion, let me repeat—you know the straight talker I am—that no matter how straight-out and savagely I talk, my hand rests no less warmly upon your shoulder, and that only you can be offended by me, and that you cannot offend me.” In a lengthy TLS, four pages, March 22, 1916, London writes, in part: “You are a fool…You are a fool, because, amongst many other things, you are not a philosopher, and try to ape the philosopher. This is the first and last sign of a fool. You prove that you are not a clear thinker, you prove that you have no homogeneity of blood in you, you prove that you have a base heterogeneity of blood in you when you treat me the way you do…You who come along, fawning and lick-spittling at my feet, kissing my hand, saying that you are a disciple of my great God-Almightiness of intellect, and have read all that I have written and swallowed it whole, and assert that I am the most magnificent and wonderful humanthinking creature that ever came down the pike...and then, because you have happened to have read one of my latest novels [The Mutiny of the Elsinore], proceed to get in and worry me, and challenge me...for me to tell you what I really meant in said latest novel, and I finally patiently come through and tell you what every written word of mine has uttered from my first book I ever published."The dedication London references in The Son of the Wolf reads, ‘To the sons of the wolf who sought their heritage and left their bones among the shadows of the circle.’ He concludes by discussing Lord Byron’s involvement in the Greek War of Independence: “You dare to quote Byron to me…Byron wrote in his diary: ‘The worst of the Greeks is that they are such damned liars.’ He thought he was talking about the Greeks. In reality he was talking about the mongrel descendants compounded out of the many breeds of the Greeks."
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TLS, two pages, May 31, 1916, in part: “You more than surprise me by verifying the correctness of my diagnosis of you as a mongrel…to meet you upon your own low basis, I am going to make you feel easier by accepting your proposition to pay me for board and lodging. When I told you I had given you much, it never entered my head, at the time, to think of you as so abominably low as to imagine for a moment that I had anything in mind except things of the spirit and intellect that I had given you.” London’s last letter to Orfans, two pages, October 19, 1916, in part: “Whenever I hear a man saying ‘Honest to God,’ ‘Believe me,’ ‘I am telling the truth,’ whenever I hear a man talking that way I conclude he is not telling the truth. In your case, when I see you repeatedly using the one favorite phrase of vituperation on your list, namely ‘you chunk of bluff,’ I can only conclude that you are continually advertising your own weakness. This weakness is bluff… Please remember that only a mongrel can mistake vituperage for logic.”
TLS, two pages, May 31, 1916
The correspondence between Orfans and Charmian London continues after Jack’s death, with his widow writing an ALS on December 5, 1916: “Really, I’ve felt sorry for you time & time again, lately, because of your late unpleasantness with Jack—which, after all was an intellectual unpleasantness. He never was really angry, temperamentally, about it. Your failing, in the whole start of the thing, was your London's last letter to Orfans, two pages, October 19, 1916 own temperamental inability to keep on a mind basis, and not get your feelings hurt…Jack never hated or even disliked you, Spiro. You outraged what he called his Arithmetic—and anyone who did that ‘got his.’ That was all.” The eight unsigned original candid photographs included range in size from 3.5 x 5.25 to 7.5 x 5.25, with four depicting Jack and Charmian London together and four of Jack, with images of him on his horse at Glen Ellen, fencing with Spiro, and at Guadalcanal. In overall very good to fine condition. As a whole this archive is tremendously interesting for scholars and laymen alike, portraying a side of London that has only recently begun being explored by critics. His letters are rife with excellent quotes and filled with desirable content that at once reveal both his intellect and his folly. Their chronology is also of interest, with a change in tone and increase in negativity after the burning of Wolf House—one of the most devastating moments of London’s adult life. London became increasingly depressed, ornery, and alcoholic as he neared the end of his days, and these letters demonstrate this downward spiral. An overall outstanding archive of great literary importance.
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Arthur Conan Doyle Superior June 1914 photo of the Sherlock Holmes creator
8082 Arthur Conan Doyle Signed Photograph Estimate $4,000-5,000 Rare matte-finish 6 x 8 Walter Benington photo boldly signed and inscribed on the 8.5 x 11.5 mount in black fountain pen, “With all thanks for kindness shown, Arthur Conan Doyle, New York, June 3rd, 1914.” Benington’s blindstamp is present on mount. A prominent British photographer who later freelanced for Elliot and Fry Studio, Walter Benington’s work is featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery and Doyle is among his most wellknown subjects. In fine condition. In September 1914—three months after the 55-yearold author signed this photograph—the Strand Magazine published portions of The Valley of Fear, Doyle’s fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel. This particular piece is notable in not only its exceptional autographic rarity and size, but also it’s relation to Doyle’s personal and professional life. On August 4, 1914, a mere two months after signing this image, Britain declared war on Germany, forever changing the future of the author’s career.
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Virginia Woolf
Unique 1933 passport photo of the exceedingly rare British writer
8083 Virginia Woolf Signed Passport Photo Page
Excessively rare matte-finish 1.5 x 2.25 photo of Woolf affixed to the original 5.75 x 3.75 British passport page, signed below in fountain pen. The page bears two ink stamps indicating the date of issue, April 18, 1933. In fine condition, with the expected Foreign Office date stamp trivially affecting a couple letters of the signature.
Estimate $6,000-8,000
After tidying up edits for The Pargiters, an early draft of her 1937 novel The Years, Woolf and her husband Leonard joined painter and friend Roger Eliot Fry and his sister Margery on a Mediterranean holiday in the spring of 1933. During her time in Italy, she was in between corrections for her forthcoming book, Flush—an off-beat story of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s cocker spaniel. Flush tied into the Italian trip as the location to which Barrett and Browning eloped. A unique and immensely desirable format intimately associated with Woolf’s work.
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128 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
James Ensor
Poetic treatise on the art of engraving 8084 James Ensor Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $4,000-6,000 AMS in French, signed “J. Ensor,” one page both sides, 8 x 11, no date. Handwritten essay by Ensor with excellent artistic content, entitled “La gravure une et indivisible [Engraving one and indivisible].” In full (translated): “Submit your plate to the printmaker hundreds of times. Polish it and polish it again unceasingly. Here are my barbed lines to salute our printmakers. Beautiful art of engraving sublimate of mystery, art with intense alchemy, alembics and retorts, diabolic art, reminiscent of Sulphur and bright silver, art served by strong acids, art fed by effervescent salts, art of immaterial essences, caustic, metallic, anti-academic art, unique art for brave at heart gentlemen with kindled sense and mind. And I mention Jacques Callot, your king and noble character. And you, Francisco Goya, brave and bold. And you, great humorists from England charging in spite of everyone and our printmakers from Belgium and the forthcoming ones from France and the ones from countries where bells ring, where darts and swords vibrate. And you above all our mordant and generous Rops you loved giving arms to your adversaries. The sharp tip of a good printmaker is related to the fencer’s foils, to the poet’s tapered pen, to the screech’s owl, to lightning zig-zags, to the panther’s fangs, to the mirror-maker’s diamond, and from one thing to another, to the rapid back-and-forth motion of our mothers’ needle, to the Virgin’s floating thread, to the small eye of the needle narrowed by our sisters. Noble tips, bladed weapon [white] or tawny ran with continuous-flow of blue acid, spiritual tips how far removed from sharp brushes, palettes smeared with rancid oil and foul, viscous materials common to painters of largest pieces. Alas, alas, alas!! Printmakers in the wrong fail in their duty, betray the fine profession, their thick lines such as cables
filled with heavy ink, their coppers drowned, smoky by sticky tar, greased clouded, soiled, over scrubbed by rough cloth or scuffed by rags has no appeal. Gross maneuvers, messy anti voluptuous curling up the finest lines, manipulating with no respect the line-engraving, the softest vellum. Shut off your stoves! Spill your cuvettes! Money-grabbers, tinmen hovering blindly, state workers, vague beneficiary obsessed by illusive gains, imbalanced wading plumbers, deep in mud, plunged in mash. Honors to sight and smell, good taste, and touch. And to sum up lets love engraving pure and virgin, engraving curator of our painter’s masterpieces, our loved father’s and master’s engraving, honest engraving, clear and neat, one and indivisible.” In fine condition, with vertical and horizontal folds (the vertical fold passing between the first initial and last name in the signature), and faint brushing to a few lines of text on the reverse (not affecting legibility).
“I mention Jacques Callot, your king and noble character. And you, Francisco Goya, brave and bold”
In this remarkable essay Ensor thoughtfully observes the craft of engraving and all of its aspects, touching upon the history, process, and aesthetic of the classic printmaking technique. After opening with a dramatic description of the method, Ensor acknowledges his forebears Callot and Goya. The influential Callot, a baroque printmaker of the 17th century, produced hundreds upon hundreds of etchings and developed tools and techniques used for centuries thereafter. The well-known Goya advanced the art even further as the last of the Old Masters, paving the way for more experimental printmakers such as Ensor’s fellow Belgian, Felicien Rops. Ensor utilized the medium to produce prints of the utmost detail using the finest lines, and he praises the “sharp tip of a good printmaker” while denigrating the poor quality and sloppy work of some of his contemporaries who sacrificed the essence of the art for the sake of money. This wonderful piece exemplifies Ensor’s artistic ideals, and it appears that the essay was published by Editions Dynamo in 1949 with a foreword by Max Elskamp.
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130 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Arthur Miller
Contract for the great American playwright’s first book 8085 Arthur Miller’s First Book Contract and Signed Copy of ‘Situation Normal’ Estimate $2,000-3,000 Superb pair of items, including the contract for and first edition of Arthur Miller’s debut book, Situation Normal. First is a DS signed “Arthur Miller,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 8.5 x 14, July 26, 1944. Agreement between Miller and Reynal and Hitchcock for the publication of his very first book, in which Miller grants “to the Publisher the sole and exclusive right to publish in book form in the English language in the United States and Canada his book covering his experiences in [army] training camps, title to be determined…It is understood that the copyright for ’Situation Normal’ shall be taken out by the Publisher at his own expense in the name of Lester Cowan Productions, Inc.” Boldly signed at the conclusion in fountain pen by Miller and countersigned by a Reynal and Hitchcock representative and two witnesses. Second is a presentation copy of the first edition of Situation Normal, hardcover with unclipped original dust jacket, signed and inscribed to a collector on the title page in blue ballpoint by Miller. Both the document and book are in fine autographic condition, with expected document wear. The book is in VG/VG condition. The book and contract are housed in a custom-made crimson clamshell box (Dragonfly Bindery Studio, Woonsocket, RI). Despite having already written a few unpublished plays, Miller’s first actual book was Situation Normal. Recognized as an up-and-coming radio dramatist, Miller was hired by Hollywood producer Lester Cowan to work on the screenplay for a movie based on the life of pulitzer prize-winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle. Miller visited army bases nationwide as a part of his research, collecting tales from the soldiers he encountered. He envisioned a film portraying these collective stories, but the studio needed a marketable single hero. Disappointed, Miller soon left the job. The movie came out under the title The Story of GI Joe, and Miller went uncredited. Still determined to publish his research, Miller transformed his material into a book of reportage, Situation Normal. It developed the themes that would continue throughout Miller’s oeuvre, offering a critique of American values on the whole with an attentiveness to social injustice and racism. He continued to explore these themes in his second book, the novel entitled Focus, which was published by Reynal and Hitchcock the following year. A rare pairing featuring the contract for the first book written by a leading figure in 20th-century American literature.
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J.D. Salinger
Nearly 30 years after it’s release, the reclusive Salinger discusses Catcher in the Rye 8086 J. D. Salinger Typed Letter Signed Estimate $15,000-20,000 TLS, two pages, 5.5 x 8.5, March 10, 1980. Letter to paramour Janet Eagleson, a sometime houseguest at his reclusive New Hampshire home, reads, in part: “I do indeed take your brother Tim’s assessment of The Catcher in the Rye as ‘subjective’ as a compliment. A high and entirely comfortable compliment. It happens that I know a couple of people who privately, lonelily reconstitute words to suit themselves, finding the usual context unacceptable or unlikable. How lucky for Tim to have a sister who apparently doesn’t have any trouble with the language. (I hope Tim’s mother, too, speaks or understands Tim’s words. Or is that too much to hope or expect).”
He closes this letter with some kind words about Eagleson’s home state of Maine, and takes a jab at New Hampshire’s first in the country primary, “Nice that you live in Maine, I think. So northern, so attractively inaccessible, so removed from asinine Presidential primaries.” In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. Critics delighted in the “subjective” perspective of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, but Salinger’s later writings fell short of literary acclaim. Released in The New Yorker in 1965, ‘Hapworth 16, 1924’ was his last published work. Though disparaged by critics who deemed the piece self-indulgent, Salinger considered it the high point of his career. The author saw the maturation of subjectivity in his writing, a complete escape from the distasteful “usual context.” He seems to confirm this in the letter, referring obliquely to himself in those “couple of people” who “lonelily reconstitute words to suit themselves.” Many speculate the harsh critical reception of “Hapworth” caused him to stop publishing, but he continued to write only to suit himself, supposedly completing as many as fifteen novels in his remote New England home.
“I do indeed take your brother’s assessment of The Catcher in the Rye as ‘subjective’ as a compliment. A high and entirely comfortable compliment”
Salinger goes on to apologize for an “inaccurate magazine article” about his testiness towards outsiders who “sometimes park their cars across my driveway or lay for me outside the P.O. with their zoom-lens cameras, things like that, as that piece he saw tried to convey. My son, though, happened to be with me on the day that young Canadian weasel showed up, and I emphatically am embarrassed and infuriated when my children, are indirectly involved, victimized by all that business.” He refers a couple of good baseball books for Tim, then breaking into his opinion of shock therapy “Barbarous and worse. Could forgive allopathic, physicians, psychiatrists, etc., or could at least try to, if they weren’t universally such a pretentious, arrogant, conceited lot. I’m so sorry your brother went through that dreadful mill.”
Salinger had moved to “attractively inaccessible” Cornish, New Hampshire in 1953 to escape his unwanted fame. Although he occasionally attended church suppers and was often found shopping in town, he remained aloof even to locals. As to the press and admirers, he was completely remote: Salinger gave his last interview a few months after this letter. A rare and exceptional piece of correspondence from the enigmatic writer, and the perfect combination of topics: his most famous work and his reclusive lifestyle.
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J. R. R. Tolkien
The Return of the King on the horizon, Tolkien muses: “I do not suppose I shall write any more about hobbits” 8087 J. R. R. Tolkien Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $10,000-12,000
ALS, one page both sides, 5.25 x 6.75, July 28, 1955. Letter written shortly before the printing of The Return of the King, referencing his best-selling classic. In part: “Part of the delay is due to the labours of passing Vol. III for press amidst very many other duties. I hope you will enjoy Wol. III as much as the others—there is at any rate a lot (about 100 pages) of ‘information’ in it. I do not suppose I shall write any more about hobbits; but the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ has been quite surprising to the publishers as to me (possibly more so), so that it seems likely also that they will wish to publish the Legends of the First and Second Ages (written first, but refused)…even in ‘The Shire’ they had heard some tales of the far South.” In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed in Tolkien’s hand.
here as “the Legends of the First and Second Ages,” were rejected and his publisher asked for a sequel because public demand was for ‘more about hobbits.’ It was this sequel that developed into The Lord of the Rings, which was then released in three volumes between July 1954 and October 1955.
“The success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ has been quite surprising to the publishers as to me”
After Tolkien’s first novel, The Hobbit, was met with unexpected success upon its release in 1937, his publisher George Allen & Unwin requested a second book. The drafts of the first stories he submitted, which he mentions
The delays he mentions were due in part to the intensive processes of producing appendices, maps, and indices to include in each of the volumes; the subject of this letter, the third volume entitled The Return of the King, was especially delayed. Although Tolkien returned to his earlier rejected drafts, he continued to intermittently revise them for the rest of his life without ever coming to completion. Contrary to his optimism for imminent publication in this letter, these legends went unpublished until they were posthumously compiled and edited by his son and released in 1977 as The Silmarillion. An excellent letter offering a firsthand publication history of one of the most influential literary works of the 20th century.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 135
136 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Thomas Pynchon Exceedingly rare signed first of Gravity’s Rainbow
8088 Thomas Pynchon Signed Book Estimate $15,000-20,000
Signed book: Gravity’s Rainbow. First edition, first printing. NY: Viking, 1973. Hardcover with original, first issue dust jacket, 6 x 8.75, 760 pages. Signed and inscribed on the half-title page in black ink, “10/86, To Michael Urban, Best Wishes, Thomas Pynchon.” Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: NF/VG+. Pynchon and Gravity’s Rainbow hold a place in the pantheon of modern literature, with the author as storied as the tale itself. Considered his greatest novel, Gravity’s Rainbow is arguably the definitive postmodern literary work and has been the subject of much acclaim and controversy—in addition to receiving the National Book Award in 1974, it was selected for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction but went unawarded after objections from the board. Pynchon famously shuns any sort of public attention and is recursively reclusive—indeed, his private private life is the most notable feature of his biography, of which little is known. Photographs of him are virtually nonexistent and his whereabouts the subject of speculation, making any autographic material incredibly rare. As an inscribed first edition of his most important book, this is undoubtedly one of the rarest and most sought-after pieces in all of literature.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 137
“Doc was not his pal, but just an acquaintance, but not a bad man at that�
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Notorious Figures and Lawmen
Wyatt Earp
Earp sets the record straight on his relationship with Holliday 8089 Wyatt Earp-dictated Letter Penned by His Wife Estimate $8,000-10,000 Autograph letter, dictated by Earp and written by his wife Josie, three pages on two sheets, 8 x 10, no date but postmarked April 18, 1927. Letter to John H. Flood, Jr., in part: “Since writing you this long letter I thought it all over, I wonder is it a good idea to answer any of the questions from Tucson. Perhaps we will have trouble with Burns, on account of answering his questions. What do you think. You have a chance to find out. Any way we told him in his letter to not write Mr. E. up at all. He is tricky. Now I just don’t know what to think about it. Everybody is writing to him for information and are ready to trick him just because he is sincere and honest. We have just come to the conclusion that it best to keep quiet. So I think if you will just write him a few lines tell him his letter was forwarded here from Oakland to him. And he is leaving and will be in L. A. the last of May. And that he is not so well just now tell him Bunc has all of that datta [sic] as Wyatt sent it to him. Tell him though Doc was not his pal, but just an acquaintance, but not a bad man at that, a certain kind of element were his enemies. Will you find out Hays Hammond? Or Ham of Haye’s address. Think it a good idea to write him a nice letter explain to him about the book and see what he will do. I imagine he would like to write the story. Tell Mr. Walker to give Wyatt’s regards to Breckinridge.”
A postscript is included on the second page, and reads, in part: “I know you are going to have another headache trying to read my letter. But you understand my beautiful handwriting so well. He seems like a sincere man. Write him a real nice letter. And tell him Wyatt sends regards to Breckinridge. If you mean Virgil my brother he died in Nevada and is buried in Portland, Oregon. Was not assassinated.” Central horizontal and vertical folds, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed in his wife’s hand to Flood, and signed on the reverse, again in the hand of his wife, “W. Earp, Vidal, Calif.” Nearing the end of his life, Earp was determined to finally clear his reputation and counter the years of varied and negative accounts that had filled the public’s minds. One of the major misconceptions, which still remains today, is that Earp and Doc Holliday were lifelong friends and partners: here we see an outright denial of that, “Tell him though Doc was not his pal, but just an acquaintance, but not a bad man at that, a certain kind of element were his enemies.” Intent on setting the record straight, Earp hired John H. Flood, to whom Josie is writing, as his secretary and began working solely with him on his official biography, denying requests from other writers including author Walter Noble Burns, “we told him in his letter to not write Mr. E. up at all. He is tricky.” This incredible letter, written from the small cottage that Wyatt and Josie owned from 1925-1928, not only addresses the major players in the attempt to get Earp’s biography in print, but also blatantly denies the core of Tombstone legend—the Earp-Holliday partnership.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 139
140 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Lizzie Borden A combative Borden submits demands to her neighbor
8090 Lizzie Borden Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $4,000-5,000
American woman (1860–1927) who was tried and acquitted in the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. The saga ultimately became one of the most celebrated unsolved cases in the history of American crime. ALS signed “L. A. Borden,” one page both sides, 3.75 x 6, no date. Letter to her neighbor James Kenney, in full: “The man who was anxious for the house lost his wife last night, and so does not wish to do anything about it at present. So if you want it at $600 and free house from Nov. 1 and move it this fall if you wish take it. I surely have given you your own terms now. I want you to let me know today please.” In fine condition.
After her acquittal in June of 1893, Lizzie Borden moved to Maplecroft, an enormous Victorian home at 306 French Street in Fall River’s fashionable Highlands neighborhood. Already infamous and unwelcome, she did nothing to gain friends on her new street, frequently throwing loud and lavish parties into the early morning hours, and complaining about other residents’ habits. She was especially antagonistic towards this letter’s recipient, James Kenney, whose property abutted her own; in 1897 she purchased the lot on which he lived, forcing him to relocate his house shortly after. Autographically scarce, items written by the notorious American folk figure are difficult to find and always in demand.
"I surely have given you your own terms now. I want you to let me know today please”
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 141
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Bartolomeo Vanzetti Amazing six-page letter by the imprisoned Vanzetti as he awaits his fate
8092 Bartolomeo Vanzetti Autograph Letter Signed Estimate $10,000-15,000
and conforted. The judges have joined us against their regime—our figure project themselves higher than those of other persecuters in history; the comrades have been, as it were, galvanized by our trial and are performing wonders. Mankind as done for two obscure and rebellious workers what on the past would have only be done for saints and kings…Have all our greetings and good wishes from Nick & I.” Vanzetti also discusses demonstrations at Madison Square Garden and their inaccurate portrayals in newspapers. In very good condition, with intersecting folds (a vertical fold passing through a couple letters of the signature), one small area of paper loss affecting no text, scattered creases, and soiling to the last page.
“The comrades have been, as it were, galvanized by our trial and are performing wonders. Mankind as done for two obscure and rebellious workers what on the past would have only be done for saints and kings”
Lengthy ALS signed “Bartolomeo Vanzetti,” three pages both sides, 8 x 10, May 22, 1927. Letter to Lilly Sarnoff, written while imprisoned in Dedham Jail. In part (spelling and grammar retained): “Now on hope…we are hoping very little. As a matter of fact we have never hoped in Courts and Judges… we are still hoping only on what the comrades and the people will compel the State to give us. Because our case is grave, the solidarity so vast and great, the accuse so weak and wreched, and our defencive proofs so strong and evident: people have always hope that we will have won. Thus, from one trial to another, from the first to the last seventh appeals, the people hoped in a victory and they always got a defeat. Now we are in the hands of the Gubernatorial discretion. A bad beast, believe me. But as the evidences in our favor are so strong, as the protest is universal, the people hope again in a victory. Our case a proved one thing positively: That that handful of men invested of power by the stupidity of the people and who call themselves public-servants care a fig for the people wishes and pay no attention to the people claims…I guess it was Victor Hugo who said that ‘Hope would be the last godness in life were it not for disperation.’ I think that there is still something beyond disperation. And I have learnt that man cannot lives without hoping. You ask: for what is man, when hope is death? I answer: A death man—I mean so phisically… You understand that there ate several things deriving either directly or indirectly from our case—of which I am glad, proud,
In the famed Sacco and Vanzetti case, the anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted of killing a guard and paymaster during the 1920 armed robbery of the Slater and Morrill Shoe Company in South Braintree, Massachusetts. Vehemently proclaiming their innocence, the pair soon became the center of a worldwide cause celebre in which many prominent writers, artists, and academics pleaded for their pardon or a new trial. By the time of this letter, the two had exhausted their appeals and been sentenced to death on April 9, 1927. As Vanzetti writes in this letter, their fate fell into the hands of Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller, who faced last-minute petitions to grant clemency to the convicted anarchists. He assembled a panel that determined Sacco and Vanzetti had received a fair trial, and despite ongoing large public protests they were executed by electric chair on August 23, 1927. As a lengthy letter with outstanding content including reflections on his trial, the public’s reaction, and philosophical musings on ‘hope,’ this is an ideal Vanzetti letter of the utmost historical interest.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 143
The 15-year-old in the Civil Air Patrol 8093 Lee Harvey Oswald 1955 Civil Air Patrol Photograph Estimate $1,000-2,000 Vintage matte-finish 3.25 x 4.25 portrait of Oswald in his Civil Air Patrol uniform, annotated on the reverse in blue ballpoint by his mother, “Lee, age 15 1/2 Civil Air Patrol picture taken in N. O. La. [New Orleans, Louisiana], Enlargement made at,” with an arrow pointing to studio stamp, and signed by her, “Marguerite Oswald.” In very good condition, with slightly trimmed edges, a vertical crease to the left border and moderate mounting remnants to reverse from previous display in a scrapbook (affecting Marguerite’s notations and signature, though most writing is legible and showing through remnants). Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from University Archives. Marguerite initially sold the photo to Dr. John Lattimer, a notable researcher of the Kennedy assassination. In 1955, Oswald joined a squadron of the Civil Air Patrol in New Orleans, where one of the instructors was the mysterious David Ferrie—a name that would come up in future investigations of the assassination. An incredible photograph from Oswald’s youth with direct provenance from his mother.
Original 1957 Marine aircraft control training class photo 8094 Lee Harvey Oswald 1957 US Marine Corps Photograph Estimate $1,000-2,000 Oswald’s personallyowned vintage mattefinish 10 x 8 photo of himself and a group of fellow Marines graduating from an Aircraft Control and Warning Operator course in Mississippi on June 6, 1957, signed on the reverse in pencil by ten of his classmates. Oswald is seen in a dark uniform to the far left of the image, standing on the first riser. Laminated on both sides with small areas of one corner exposed. Some slight scattered staining to reverse and wrinkling to lamination on reverse, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from his older brother, Robert L. Oswald. This class included further training in aircraft surveillance and the radar operation; Oswald finished seventh in the class of thirty students.
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Lee Harvey Oswald
Young LHO’s well-worn Marine Corps knife
8095 Lee Harvey Oswald’s US Marine Corps Knife Estimate $10,000-15,000 Oswald’s personally-owned and -used fixed-blade knife and leather sheath issued by the United States Marine Corps, approximately 11.25˝ in length, featuring an unmarked steel blade, stacked leather handle, and metal ring at the bottom. Oswald lightly carved his initials, “LHO,” into the leather on the reverse of the sheath, which is indiscernible to the human eye. In very good condition, with general marks and wear from use. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from his elder brother, Robert L. Oswald. The certificate states, in full: “This is to certify that I took the photograph, reproduced above left, of my brother, Lee
Harvey Oswald, in 1958, on one of our hunting trips, while he was on leave from the Marines. In his back pocket was his Marine knife depicted below. The knife is visible in the photo on the right at his back pocket. Lee carved his initials ‘L H O’ into the sheath which is almost discernible to the naked eye.” Lee Harvey Oswald served in the Marines for nearly three years, enlisting in October 1956 and being discharged in September 1959. Offered here is a unique artifact supported by direct family lineage—a rare opportunity to acquire a weapon owned and used by history’s most infamous assassin.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 145
LHO’s Tweed Jacket Extensively photo-documented and hand-embroidered “Lee H. Oswald”
8096 Lee Harvey Oswald’s Tweed Jacket Estimate $8,000-10,000
Oswald’s personally-owned and -worn tweed jacket made by Kawashima Tailors of Yokohama, Japan, embroidered with his name above the inner pocket, “Lee H. Oswald.” In fine condition, with some scattered staining inside. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from his older brother, Robert L. Oswald, which states that Lee bought the jacket in 1957 or 1958 while stationed in Japan, and subsequently brought it with him to Russia. Additionally accompanied by six images of Lee wearing the jacket: four while in Russia with his wife, Marina and family and two single portraits of him. A generously worn piece of Oswald clothing, bolstered by photo evidence and impeccable lineage.
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Exhibit 314-A—annotated by Oswald, “April 30, 1961, Marina-Lee” 8097 Lee and Marina Oswald Annotated 1961 Wedding Photograph Estimate $3,000-5,000 Original satin-finish 3.5 x 5.5 photo of Lee Harvey Oswald and his wife Marina on their wedding day, annotated by Lee on the reverse in blue ink, “April 30, 1961, Marina - Lee.” In fine condition, with a small area of surface loss to reverse upper left blank area (not at all affecting the writing or image), and a central strip of adhesive remnants to reverse where Warren Commission label was once affixed; this was exhibit 314-A. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from his older brother, Robert L. Oswald. When nineteen-year-old Marina Prusakova accepted Oswald’s proposal after just two months of courtship, the couple filed notice of their intent to wed and requested the special consent necessary for an alien to marry a citizen, waiting the usual ten days for approval. According to Oswald’s diary, ‘two of Marinas girl friends act as bridesmaids. We are married. At her aunts home we have a dinner reception for about 20 friends…who wish us happiness (in spite of my origin and [accent]…).’ According to Robert Oswald, this is the original photo that Lee sent from Russia to his mother in Texas, making it an even more exceptional and irreplaceable keepsake.
“Lee arriving Dallas Love Field 7:30 PM tonight” 8098 Lee Harvey Oswald 1962 Telegram Announcing His Return to the United States Estimate $1,000-2,000 Original Western Union typed telegram sent to Robert L. Oswald to notify him of Lee Harvey Oswald’s return to the US, one page, 8 x 5.75, stamp-dated June 14, 1962. In full: “Lee arriving Dallas Love Field 7:30 PM tonight, Flight 821.” Telegram was sent by Janet F. Ruscoll of the Special Services Welfare Center in New York. In very good condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds, overall creases, and a couple edge tears. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from his older brother, Robert L. Oswald. Returning from the USSR, the Oswalds arrived in Hoboken, New Jersey, on June 13 via the ocean liner SS Maasdam, and the following day took Delta Flight 821 to Dallas. Upon his arrival at Love Field, Oswald was disappointed that they received absolutely no attention from the press—he had even prepared answers to questions he anticipated being asked at press conferences or interviews.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 147
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Jack Ruby
“Then and there I made up my mind that I will never go anywhere’s without my pistol” 8099 Jack Ruby Handwritten Letter Mentioning His Pistol Estimate $2,000-3,000 Unsigned handwritten letter in pencil, nine pages, 6 x 4, no date. Ruby describes a close call with trouble, in part (spelling and grammar retained): "One evening at the Carousel I get a call from a fellow who was a friend of Kathy Kay…he tells me a story that there is a party going on in his apartment, and that if I would like to come up after I close the club, and he said be sure to invite Kathy and Millie…I asked are these going to be nice fellows and girls, and he said yes, I tried to pump as to who will be there and he said that I didn't know these people...Very rarely do I ever accept invitations to any party's, because as a rule I don't have any fun and before the evening is over the girls inevitably get to talking with me about the business and we get into a hassle…I accept the invitation against my better judgement, and I sent the girls ahead. I finally arrive there at the Picadilly after about an hour later, and I knock on the door and much to my surprise the persons I would never want to run into in a dark alley. Two of the biggest burly fellows that I've had static with at the Vegas Club many times. Then and there I made up my mind that I will never go anywhere's without my pistol. They each must weigh at 220 lbs. and they are the vicious type.
One of the fellows brother I've had some very bad moments at my club. His name is Paul Carter and sometime back was shot in the stomach by a woman named Betty…As soon as I sat down I remarked that I only wanted to show my respects and drop by for a few moments…I really thought we may have trouble trying to get out of there...the accountant friend of Kathy's suggested I go over to the next building being built, where there may be the opportunity of taking over the private club...I used some excuse to go to the car, hence I went and taken the pistol out of the trunk of the car, without this person seeing me…Returned to the apt. and as soon as I returned I asked the girls what they were going to do and they received the hint and they said they were going, and the look on these fellows were all in anger, but luckily if I didn't have the pistol in my pocket and hadn't felt that I would be on the offensive they would have succeeded in keeping the girls there. When we left the building Kathy told how that before I got to the apt. that these fellows told her what they would like to do with me etc. I scolded her why she didn't call me and inform me of what they had said so I wouldn't have walked into a trap." Signed on the first page in red felt tip over the text by Ruby's brother, "Earl Ruby." In fine condition, with staple holes to upper left corner. A fascinating letter that explains why Ruby was carrying a gun on the morning of November 24—Ruby testified before the Warren Commission that the thought of killing Oswald had not occurred to him until he was already nearby the police station, having gone downtown to send a money order to an employee.
“I went and taken the pistol out of the trunk of the car”
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 149
20th Century American Icons
Harry Houdini
“Harry Hancuff Houdini” in 1911
8100 Harry Houdini Signed Photograph Estimate $3,000-4,000 Spectacular matte-finish 3.5 x 5.25 real photo postcard of Houdini examining a pair of handcuffs, boldly signed and inscribed in black fountain pen “Harry Houdini, Jan 26–[19]11.” The magician is identified as “Harry Hancuff Houdini” in print along the top border. In fine condition, with some silvering to darker edge portions. Disillusioned by numerous imitators, in early 1908, Houdini broke away from his familiar handcuff routine and focused on expanding his repertoire. This provided an opportunity to tackle ever-escalating escapes from confined, often water-filled spaces. In September 1911, Houdini accomplished one of his most bizarre feats: escaping from a beached sea creature at Boston’s B. F. Keith’s Theater. The here-offered signed image is quite scarce—and although it was signed during a time he was expanding his horizons—it harkens back to his most wellknown moniker.
Image is larger than actual size.
150 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Charlie Chaplin Chaplin and Hearst—the two suitors of Marion Davies
8102 Charlie Chaplin Signed Photo Inscribed to William Randolph Hearst Estimate $3,000-4,000 Ideal vintage matte-finish 6.75 x 8.75 photo of Chaplin in near-profile, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To William Randolph Hearst, From Charlie Chaplin.” Double-cloth-matted and framed in a gold leaf frame to an overall size of 13 x 15. In fine condition, with trivial silvering to extreme right edge and moderate contrast to lead portions of inscription and signature against his dark suit. Chaplin’s relationship with Hearst remains curiously linked to a purported love triangle with actress Marion Davies—the publishing magnate’s wellpublicized mistress—and the mysterious death of pioneer filmmaker Thomas Ince, a contemporary of D. W. Griffith. On November 16, 1924, Ince and many others, including Chaplin and Davies, boarded Hearst’s 288-foot yacht, the USS Oneida, for a weekend party to celebrate the director/producer’s forty-second birthday. Suspecting his mistress’s romantic involvement with Chaplin, Hearst invited the pantomimist on the voyage to observe Chaplin's interactions with his inamorata. Speculation still exists that upon finding the pair in an amorous entanglement, Hearst drew his diamond-studded revolver, inadvertently firing at Ince, who died a few days later. Considering the volatile history of Chaplin, Hearst, and their shared love interest, this is an exceptional association piece. Provenance: Tollett and Harman Autographs.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 151
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Waterman Autograph Album Remarkable offering highlighted by Gehrig, Cobb, and Earhart
8103 Waterman Autograph Album Estimate $4,000-6,000 Fantastic Waterman’s autograph album, 5 x 7.25, signed inside on affixed slips by over one hundred notable figures from a variety of fields, including sports, entertainment, politics, the arts, and business. Highlights include baseball players Lou Gehrig, John McGraw, Ty Cobb, Connie Mack, and Pepper Martin; entertainment legends such as Carl Laemmle, Freeman 'Amos' Gosden, and Charles ‘Andy’ Correll; American icons Amelia Earhart, Charles Horace Mayo, William James Mayo, and Charles M. Schwab; athletic notables Paavo Nurmi, Glenn Scobey 'Pop' Warner, Amos Alonzo Stagg, and Gene Tunney; writers H. L. Mencken and Zane Grey; and political figures Calvin Coolidge, Grace Coolidge, and Charles Curtis. Other signers include: Grace Abbott, Jane Addams, Richard Barthelmess, Joan Bennett, Harry F. Byrd, Charles W. Bryan, Charles Wakefield Cadman, Ronald Colman, Bing Crosby, Bebe Daniels, Ben Eastman, Eugene C. Eppley, Ruth Etting, Griffith Ogden Ellis, Douglas Fairbanks, John Gilbert, A. C. Ivy, Hiram Johnson, Martin Elmer Johnson, Isham Jones, Jack Keller, Philip La Follette, Irving Langmuir, Harry Lauder, Al Smith, Kate Smith, Reed Smoot, Walter R. Steiner, Douglas Tilden, Bob Tisdall, Eddie Tolan, Rudy Vallee, Thomas J. Walsh, Arthur J. Weaver, Paul Whiteman, Mary Emma Woolley, Malcolm Glenn Wyer, and Ed Wynn. Includes several unaffixed autographs on various slips and sheets, including: George Arliss, Warner Baxter, Carrie Chapman Catt, Maurice Chevalier, Paul Lukas, Tom Mix, and Conrad Nagel. A more comprehensive list of signers is available online at www.RRAuction.com. In overall fine condition. rt Tangora, Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey, and Fusa Yamashita. In overall fine condition. The Walt Disney signature in the album is secretarial. Accompanied by many of the original transmittal letters and mailing envelopes. Waterman albums of this high caliber are uncommon, with this example featuring an outstanding representation of the greatest names of the period—a truly outstanding piece.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 153
Walt Disney
Presenting Governor Knight his 1959 Gold Pass—“Your key to our Magic Kingdom” 8104 Walt Disney Typed Letter Signed Estimate $2,000-4,000 TLS, signed “Walt Disney,” one page, 8.5 x 11, Disneyland Inc., letterhead, dated December 20, 1958. Disney writes to California Governor Goodwin Knight, presenting him with a Gold Pass, in part: “It is my pleasure to send you your 1959 Gold Pass to Disneyland and by means of this letter to give my personal welcome to you and your guests. We have scheduled—to be ready by June—some new attractions which we’re quite excited about. One of our big projects has been the building of a 1/100 scale model of the Matterhorn. We have added a bobsled ride down the mountain and the Skyway ride will go through it, viewing the interior glaciers and grottos. We have a Monorail Train and a Submarine Ride…and we’ve added new multi-leveled ramps in Autopia and new courses for the Motor Boat cruise. We’re anxious to have you see them and share our excitement. The Gold Pass is your key to our Magic Kingdom and will be honored anywhere in the Park.” With expected office notations and toning confined to edges, otherwise fine condition. On Sunday July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates with an official dedication ceremony attended by 25,000 invited guests— an event witnessed across the nation by hundreds of thousands. Televised by ABC, the show began as the E. P. Ripley train made its debut trip, rolling along the Santa Fe Disneyland Railroad tracks with California Governor Goodwin Knight, Disney, and Mickey Mouse standing in as the train’s original engineers. Deriving from an integral period in the growth of the Disney franchise, this is a wonderful letter inviting Knight and his family to return and experience the park’s newest attractions—a destination which has since become an iconic piece of the Magic Kingdom.
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Charles Schulz Tremendous hand-inked Peanuts baseball strip
8105 Charles Schulz Original Signed Comic Strip Estimate $20,000-25,000
Fantastic original hand-inked three-panel Peanuts daily comic strip, dated March 12, 1988, on an off-white 19.75 x 6.25 sheet of artist’s cardstock, signed vertically in the final panel, “Schulz.” The strip shows Charlie Brown meeting with Marcie on the pitcher’s mound during the middle of a baseball game, with Charlie telling her to go play right field instead of standing next to him. After she refuses, Charlie finds the silver lining in the last panel, saying, “We don’t win any games, but I have happy players.” Attractively double-matted and framed to an overall size of 25 x 11.5. In fine condition. A wonderful example of a classic Peanuts baseball comic, a recurring theme throughout the series—Charlie Brown’s team never wins, yet he plays on. Oversized.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 155
Dr. Seuss
Notably sized and expertly accomplished original Cat in the Hat drawing 8106 Dr. Seuss ‘Cat in the Hat’ Hand-drawn Illustration and Signed Book Estimate $2,000-4,000 Two items: an original signed illustration of the Cat in the Hat in profile on an off-white 8.25 x 9.5 piece of quality artist’s paper, inscribed in black ink, “A Cat for Chris, with Best Wishes for the Best of Everything!” and signed in black felt tip, “Dr. Seuss.” Second, a signed book: The Cat in the Hat. Educational edition. NY: Random House. Hardcover, 6.75 x 9.25, 61 pages. Signed and inscribed on the reverse of a free end page in black ink, “With Best Wishes to my new old friend, Chris Padovano, Dr. Seuss.” The illustration is in fine condition, with toning to extreme edges from previous display. The signature within the book is in fine condition, and the book itself is in VG+ condition. An experienced cartoonist and artist, Padovano shared a long-running ‘pen pal’ correspondence with Dr. Seuss for several years, even inviting the famed children’s author to his wedding ceremony in Florida. Cognizant that the California-based writer would be unable to attend, Padovano and his fiancee hoped that he would respond with a congratulatory note they could keep as a memento. To their elation, Dr. Seuss replied with this incredible drawing. Outlined in pencil, layered with black ink and felt tip, and realized with red artist pencil, this is an impressively sized rendering of Dr. Seuss’s most recognizable character, a ‘commission’ style piece made all the more desirable by its vintage appeal and uncommon detail.
156 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Roy Lichtenstein
Vibrant original 1963 ‘Crying Girl’ Litho
8107 Roy Lichtenstein ‘Crying Girl’ Lithograph Estimate $4,000-6,000 Vivid offset colored lithograph, 22.75 x 17, of Lichtenstein’s ‘Crying Girl.’ Printed by Colorcraft, New York, and published by NYC’s Leo Castelli Gallery, 1963. Desirable original litho has the Castelli Gallery envelope information on the reverse and is postmarked September 26, 1963. Archivally framed to an overall size of 24 x 18.25, with a window for viewing the Castelli envelope on the reverse. In fine condition, with some slight loss of ink along a single black fold line. This litho was used as a two-fold mailer to promote the artist’s private gallery showing which included this—one of his most recognizable works—and ran from September 28, to October 24, 1963.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 157
158 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
James Dean
Vivid Dean-accomplished oil painting— one of just three from 1954 8108 James Dean Original Painting Estimate $40,000-60,000 Exemplary original painting of an AfricanAmerican trumpet player, oil on canvas, 15.5 x 19.5, accomplished by James Dean, signed in black paint in the lower right corner, “James Dean, 1954.” This vivid oil painting, exhibiting bright red, orange, and yellow brush strokes, is lavishly framed to an overall size of 26 x 30. In fine condition. Oversized. Accompanied by a 1995 letter of authenticity from David Loehr of the James Dean Gallery, in part: “This letter is in regards to the oil painting of a…trumpet player signed by James Dean 1954. Based on the style of the painting and the colors used, I believe that, to the best of my ability, it does indeed appear to be the work of the film star James Dean.” This piece is prominently documented in the James Dean Collectors Guide by David Loehr (1999) page 262; James Dean by George Perry (2005) page 89; and once hung in the James Dean Memorial Gallery (confirmed in an included 1997 letter from David Loehr); photos of the painting hanging in the gallery are also present. Known for his legendary Hollywood status, most are unaware that Dean was actually an accomplished artist. Dean’s most famous and final work—a portrait of actor and musician Billy Gunn—has distinct similarities to the here-offered painting: most notably his distinct, bold brush stokes and his block letter-style signature. This is one of only three documented Dean paintings from 1954, the year he would shoot his classic East of Eden. This is a truly spectacular piece, both for its artistic merit and close ties to this pop culture icon.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 159
Monroe & Miller One-of-a-kind dual-signed 1957 photo of honeymooners Monroe and Miller
8109 Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller Signed Photograph Estimate $8,000-10,000 Vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 first-generation candid photo of the newly wed Monroe and Miller during their Jamaican honeymoon in 1957, signed in black ink, “Warmest Regards, Marilyn Monroe Miller” and “Arthur Miller.” Permanently affixed to a same sized scrapbook page. With some minor creasing and silvering confined to edges and corners, not affecting the overall image and bold signatures, otherwise in fine condition. Six months after marrying at the Westchester County Court House in White Plains, New York, Monroe and Miller celebrated their honeymoon by flying to the Caribbean on January 3, 1957. Before returning to the states two weeks later, the couple spent several days at Moon Point, Jamaica, living it up at the luxurious villa of English aristocrat Lady Pamela Bird. This dual-signed photo serves as a rare passing glimpse of the couple at their most ebullient, and a bittersweet departure from a relationship that would grow increasingly tumultuous, culminating with Monroe’s final completed film—the Miller-penned Misfits.
160 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
The Beatles
Striking 1961 Marrion portrait from the original Fab Four’s first professional shoot 8110 Beatles Signed Photograph Estimate $10,000-15,000 Spectacular vintage glossy 8.5 x 6.5 Albert Marrion group photo taken in December of 1961 during the Beatles first professional photo session. The band is clad in their leather outfits and holding their instruments, complete with original drummer Pete Best behind his kit. This early photo is signed and inscribed in red ballpoint by the entire band, on the reverse, “To Meron, Love from John Lennon xx,” “Love to Meron from George Harrison xxxx,” “To Meron love from Paul McCartney xxx,” and “Lots of love to Meron from Pete Best xxx.” Albert Marrion photographer’s stamp is present at center of reverse. With scattered light creasing and surface impressions to image side from signatures on reverse, otherwise fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Beatles expert Frank Caiazzo, stating the signatures date to early 1962. Albert Marrion, a local wedding photographer, was brought on by influential Beatles manager Brian Epstein to capture a professional shot of the future international sensations. Though he snapped about 30 photos at his Wallesy studio in December 1961, records indicate that only 17 still exist, with the here-offered example being one of the most appealing. The photographer later recalled, ‘John and Paul joked and laughed throughout most of the session. George Harrison was quiet and Pete Best didn’t speak almost at all.’ Marrion remembered it was actually Lennon and McCartney’s ‘acting up’ that spoiled many of the discarded negatives. Best, the band’s original drummer, who would be replaced by Ringo Starr only eight months later, in August 1962, certainly foreshadows here with his mundane facial expression. An uncommon photograph in of itself, the chance to obtain a fully band-signed version of this official Cavern Club-era image is a rare opportunity: one not to be missed by the discerning rock n’ roll collector.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 161
162 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi urges The Cherokees to keep “the ‘Groovy’ music happening” 8112 Jimi Hendrix Autograph Note Signed Estimate $25,000-30,000 Extraordinarily rare ANS in Hendrix’s hand, one page on the reverse of Warwick Hotel, New York, letterhead, 7.25 x 10.5, no date but circa July 13–16, 1967. In his favorite purple pencil, Hendrix writes a note of support to another band, in full: “To the Cherokees, Good luck in your musical success—And the ‘Groovy’ music happening—Be kool, Jimi Hendrix.” Also signed in pencil by Mitch Mitchell, “‘Stay Nice,’ Mitch,” who also adds “Noel Redding” in black ballpoint on behalf of his bandmate. In fine condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from the original recipient, Carol West, an Australian model and music manager. In part: “I obtained this when I went on Monkees tour as Lynne Randell’s manager. I also managed the Cherokees a top group in ’67. Jimi gave me this in person at the hotel on paper from where we were all staying during tour.” Also accompanied by a color photocopy of a snapshot of West with Hendrix during the tour, a copy of a photo she took of Hendrix with Davy Jones, and a copy of a newspaper article about her career. In one of the most unusual pairings in rock music history, the Monkees asked Jimi Hendrix to be the opening act for their tour of the US during the summer of 1967, as they hoped to appeal to a more sophisticated musical palette. The audience they drew, however, understandably failed to appreciate Hendrix’s music. After joining the Monkees in Florida on July 8, Hendrix lasted only seven shows before abandoning the tour. Promoter Dick Clark reportedly concocted a story that the Daughters of the American Revolution were complaining of the Experience's wild, erotic act performing in front of their teenage daughters. Carol West was traveling with her client, singer Lynne Randell, who was briefly in a relationship with Davy Jones and toured with them as well. They performed three shows at Forest Hills Stadium in New York on July 14, 15, and 16, during which they must stayed at the Warwick Hotel. It’s said that Hendrix grew tried of the ‘We want the Monkees’ chant that greeted him every time he took the stage, and at the Forest Hills show on the 16th flipped the bird at the less-than-enthusiastic crowd and stormed offstage, never to return.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 163
164 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Johnny Ramone Exceptionally rare stage-used CBGB’s-era Rickenbacker
8113 Johnny Ramone’s Stage-used Rickenbacker Guitar Estimate $40,000-50,000 Johnny Ramone’s personally-owned and -used 1966 Rickenbacker 450 ‘Fireglo’ finish guitar frequently used on stage and adjusted to his personal preferences, including a replaced higher output pickup to accommodate the Ramones’ new punk rock sound. The bridge is stamped with the serial number FA180, and secured with small brads in order to keep it in place due to Johnny’s aggressive playing style. The guitar features its original Kluson Deluxe tuners. The guitar exhibits extensive wear from use, including dings and wear to the finish, and a large area of buckle rash to the back. Includes Ramone’s original hard case for the guitar, stenciled “Ramones” on both sides by famous Ramones art director Arturo Vega. Oversized. Accompanied by letters of provenance from longtime Ramones tour manager Monte A. Melnick, Johnny Ramone’s guitar technician Matt Loyla, Ramones crew member and tour assistant Warren Cohen, Ramones photographer and gear expert Ian Harper and Chris Lamy, close friend of The Ramones and guitarist of The Jabbers, formerly GG Allin & The Jabbers. Cognizant of the way rock bands were embracing a more modernized sound, Ramone removed this guitar’s original Rickenbacker bridge pickup and replaced it with a more advanced Stratocaster version. Johnny displayed the modified guitar’s fuller, louder tone on stages across the world, and rather than house it in the band's storage facility, this Rickenbacker was stored safely under both Johnny's 10th Street and then later his 22nd Street apartment beds when the band was in between tours and after the guitar's retirement. Johnny Ramone loved the Beatles and this Rickenbacker was his apartment guitar. Additionally, its retirement before a major 1983 tour theft affirms that this guitar was used throughout the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, and is a CBGB’s-era piece of Ramones gear viewable during performances on the DVD, ‘Ramones It's Alive 1974-1996.’ This guitar is the second-oldest documented guitar of Johnny’s, all earlier guitars having been stolen in 1977 (aside from Johnny’s famous white Mosrite, which was purchased in 1977 as was this guitar). In accordance with Rickenbacker factory logs, only sixty-four of these model-450 guitars were produced in this finish, making the instrument collectible in its own right. While not original to the Rickenbacker guitar, the accompanying tour-used carrying case prominently stenciled on the front and back by the Ramones’ trusted art director Arturo Vega is indicative of the earliest era of Ramones gear, as the band soon acquired rolling cases for gear protection. The Chris Lamy Collection.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 165
166 Remarkable Rarities | www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Jerry Seinfeld
Copiously hand-annotated biography sheet from 1989—the year Seinfeld’s sitcom debuted 8114 Jerry Seinfeld’s Hand-corrected Biography Estimate $4,000-6,000 Hand-corrected typed biography sheet, two pages, 8.5 x 11, Jonas public relations letterhead, no date but circa September 1989, signed and inscribed in the upper left corner in blue ballpoint, “Lori, This should do it. Love, Jerry.” A draft for a biography sheet, entitled “Jerry Seinfeld, A Biography,” extensively hand-edited and corrected by Seinfeld, who adds numerous corrections within the text, margins, and reverse side of first page. In part [Seinfeld’s additions in bold]: “’I’m a hookless act. I have absolutely no hook. There’s nothing physically odd about me, no screaming or profanity, no props, nothing ethnic, no strange clothes—and my name isn’t catchy either. If I don’t have the jokes, I’m dead’…With an intelligent and subtle style, Jerry Seinfeld has gone against the trend of stand-up comedians who favor style over substance. Instead, Seinfeld has chosen to concentrate on his material, and by using that deceptively simple approach to comedy has quietly become one of America’s top salaried night club performers… Seinfeld’s universal appeal led to his first TV special, ‘Jerry Seinfeld’s Stand-Up Confidential,’ seen on HBO in 1987-88. Early this year he created his own NBC Special ‘The Seinfeld Chronicles,’ ‘Chronicles’ was particularly satisfying for Seinfeld because it allowed him to act out his own life as a stand-up comedian in a sitcom format." Seinfeld then hand writes on
the reverse of the first page: “The critical and popular success of the single episode prompted NBC to order four more episodes set to air in Spring off 1990 as a series of prime time comedy specials.” In the following paragraph, Seinfeld details his experience on Carson and Letter man: “Of Seinfeld, David Letterman has said he’s easily one of the best stand-up comedians working today. In all, Seinfeld has made over 50 appearances on the Carson and Letterman shows alone.”
“The critical and popular success of the single episode prompted NBC to order four more episodes set to air in Spring off 1990 as a series of prime time comedy specials”
As the biography goes on, Seinfeld adds some insights into his origins as a comedian: “I knew I was going to be a comedian very early in life. I remember one time I made a friend laugh so hard that he sprayed a mouthful of cookies and milk all over me and I liked it. That was the beginning.” In fine condition, with light horizontal folds and trivial staple holes to upper left corners. Accompanied by Seinfeld’s itinerary for the week of September 20-25, 1989, and two publicity photos.
Echoing his eponymously titled ‘show about nothing,’ this fantastic, handedited biography was written less than three months after Seinfeld piloted on July 5, 1989. Originally premiering as The Seinfeld Chronicles, the show was abbreviated to the famous surname after a successful four-show trial following Cheers on Thursday nights. Offering insight into Seinfeld’s tireless touring effort as an up-and-coming comedian, and his subsequent success and appearances on late shows with David Letterman and Johnny Carson, these copiously annotated pages predate the development of a show that would become one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.
Live Auction | September 28, 2015 167
Conditions of Sale ANYONE EITHER REGISTERING TO BID OR PLACING A BID (“BIDDER”) ACCEPTS THESE CONDITIONS OF SALE AND ENTERS INTO A LEGALLY, BINDING, ENFORCEABLE AGREEMENT WITH R&R AUCTION COMPANY OF MASSACHUSETTS, LLC (“RR AUCTION,” TOGETHER WITH BIDDER, THE “PARTIES”). The following terms and conditions (“Conditions of Sale”) constitute the sole terms and conditions under which RR Auction will offer for sale and sell the property described in the catalog of items for auction (the “Catalog”). These Conditions of Sale constitute a binding agreement between the Parties with respect to the auction in which Bidder participates (the “Auction”). By bidding at the Auction, whether in person, through an agent or representative, by telephone, facsimile, online, absentee bid, or by any other form of bid or by any other means, Bidder acknowledges the thorough reading and understanding of all of these Conditions of Sale, all descriptions of items in the Catalog, and all matters incorporated herein by reference, and agrees to be fully bound thereby. This acknowledgement is a material term of these Conditions of Sale and of the consideration under which RR Auction agrees to these terms. RR Auction and Auction: This Auction is presented by RR Auction, a d/b/a/ of R&R Auction Company of Massachusetts, LLC, as identified with the applicable licensing information on the title page of the Catalog or on the www.RRauction.com Internet site (“RRauction.com”). The Auction is conducted under these Conditions of Sale. Announcements and corrections from the podium at live auctions and those made through the Conditions of Sale appearing on the Internet at RRauction.com supersede those in the printed Catalog. Bidder: Bidder shall mean the original Bidder on the property offered for sale by RR Auction and not any subsequent owner or other person who may acquire or have acquired an interest therein. If Bidder is an agent, the agency must be disclosed in writing to RR Auction prior to the time of sale, otherwise the benefits of the warranty shall be limited to the agent and not transferable to the undisclosed principal. The rights granted to Bidder under these Conditions of Sale are personal and may not be assigned or transferred to any other person or entity, whether by operation of law or otherwise without the express written assent of RR Auction. Bidder may not transfer, assign, or otherwise convey these Conditions of Sale or any of the rights herein, and such purported transfer, assignment, or conveyance shall be null and void. No third party may rely on any benefit or right conferred on any Bidder by these Conditions of Sale, and no third party is intended as a beneficiary of these Conditions of Sale. Bids will not be accepted from minor persons under eighteen (18) years of age without a parent’s written consent containing an acknowledgment of the Conditions of Sale herein and indicating their agreement to be bound thereby on behalf of the Bidder. All Bidders must meet RR Auction’s qualifications to bid. Any
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from their obligation to pay RR Auction its fees (seller’s and Buyer’s Premium) on the lot and any other damages pertaining to the lot. All sales are strictly for cash in United States dollars (including U.S. currency, bank wire, cashier checks, eChecks, and bank money orders), and are subject to all reporting requirements. All deliveries are subject to good funds; funds being received in RR Auction’s account before delivery of the Purchases; and all payments are subject to a clearing period. RR Auction reserves the right to determine if a check constitutes “good funds”: checks drawn on a U.S. bank are subject to a ten (10) calendar day hold, and ten (10) business days when drawn on an international bank. Clients with pre-arranged credit status may receive immediate credit for payments via e-Check, personal or corporate checks. In the event that a Bidder’s payment is dishonored upon presentment(s), Bidder shall pay the maximum statutory processing fee set by applicable state law. If Bidder attempts to pay via check and the financial institution denies the transfer from Bidder’s bank account, or the payment cannot be completed using the selected funding source, Bidder agrees to complete payment. If RR Auction refers any invoice to an attorney for collection, the Bidder agrees to pay attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by RR Auction. If RR Auction assigns collection to its house counsel, such attorney’s time expended on the matter shall be compensated at a rate comparable to the hourly rate of independent attorneys. RR Auction shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the Bidder to secure payment of the Auction invoice. RR Auction is further granted a lien and the right to retain possession of any other property of the Bidder then held by RR Auction or its affiliates to secure payment of any Auction invoice or any other amounts due RR Auction or affiliates from the Bidder. With respect to these lien rights, RR Auction shall have all the rights of a secured creditor, including but not limited to the right of sale. In addition, with respect to payment of the Auction invoice(s), the Bidder waives any and all rights of offset he might otherwise have against RR Auction and the consignor of the merchandise included on the invoice (the “Consignor”). If a Bidder owes RR Auction or its affiliates on any account, RR Auction and its affiliates shall have the right to offset such unpaid account by any credit balance due Bidder, and it may secure by possessory lien any unpaid amount by any of the Bidder’s property in their possession. All checks, cashiers checks, bank checks, or money orders are payable to R&R Auction Company of Massachusetts, LLC. Delivery; Shipping; and Handling Charges: Bidder is liable for shipping and handling. RR Auction is unable to combine purchases from other auctions or affiliates into one package for shipping purposes. Lots won will be shipped in a commercially reasonable time after payment in good funds for the merchandise and the shipping fees is received or credit extended, except when third-party shipment
occurs. Bidder agrees that service and handling charges related to shipping items which are not pre-paid may be charged to a credit card on file with RR Auction. Successful international Bidders shall provide written shipping instructions, including specified Customs declarations, to RR Auction for any lots to be delivered outside of the United States. NOTE: Declaration value shall be the item’(s) hammer price and RR Auction shall use the correct harmonized code for the lot. Domestic Bidders on lots designated for third-party shipment must designate the common carrier, accept risk of loss, and prepay shipping costs. Title: Title shall not pass to the successful Bidder until all invoices are paid in full. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to provide adequate insurance coverage for the items once they have been delivered to a common carrier or third-party shipper. Rights Reserved: RR Auction reserves the right to withdraw any lot before or at the time of the Auction, and/or to postpone the Auction of all or any lots or parts thereof, for any reason. RR Auction shall not be liable to any Bidder in the event of such withdrawal or postponement under any circumstances. RR Auction reserves the right to refuse to accept bids from anyone. Conducting the Auction: RR Auction reserves the right to postpone the Auction or any session thereof for a reasonable period of time for any reason whatsoever, and no Bidder or prospective Bidder shall have any claim as a result thereof, including consequential damages. RR Auction’s Discretion: RR Auction shall determine opening bids and bidding increments. RR Auction has the right in its absolute discretion to reject any bid in the event of dispute between Bidders or if RR Auction has doubt as to the validity of any bid, to advance the bidding at its absolute discretion and to determine the successful Bidder in the event of a dispute between Bidders, to continue the bidding or to reoffer and resell the lot in question. In the event of a dispute after the sale, RR Auction’s record of final sale shall be conclusive. RR Auction also may reject any bid if RR Auction decides either that any bid is below the reserve of the lot or article or that an advance is insufficient. Unless otherwise announced by RR Auction at the time of sale, no lots may be divided for the purpose of sale. Reserves: Lots may be subject to a reserve which is the confidential minimum price below which the lot will not be sold. Consignors may not bid on their own lots or property. RR Auction may, from time to time, bid on items that it does not own. Off-Site Bidding: Bidding by telephone, facsimile, online, or absentee bidding (advance written bids submitted by mail) are offered solely as a convenience and permitted subject to advance arrangements, availability, and RR Auction’s approval which shall be exercised at RR Auction’s sole discretion. Neither RR Auction nor its agents or employees shall be held liable for the failure to execute bids or for errors relating to any transmission or execution thereof. In order to be considered for off-site bidding in any manner, Bidders must comply with all
of these Conditions of Sale and the terms contained on the Registration Form. RR Auction’s Remedies: Failure of the Bidder to comply with any of these Conditions of Sale or the terms of the Registration Form is an event of default. In such event, RR Auction may, in addition to any other available remedies specifically including the right to hold the defaulting Bidder liable for the Purchase Price or to charge and collect from the defaulting Bidder’s credit or debit accounts as provided for elsewhere herein: (a) cancel the sale, retaining any payment made by the Bidder as damages (the Bidder understands and acknowledges that RR Auction will be substantially damaged should such default occur, and that damages under sub-part (a) are necessary to compensate RR Auction for such damages); (b) resell the property without reserve at public auction or privately; (c) charge the Bidder interest on the Purchase Price at the rate of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month or the highest allowable interest rate; (d) take any other action that RR Auction, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate to preserve and protect RR Auction’s rights and remedies. Should RR Auction resell the property, the original defaulting Bidder shall be liable for the payment of any deficiency in the purchase price and all costs and expenses associated there with, including but not limited to warehousing, salesrelated expenses, reasonable attorney fees and court costs, commissions, incidental damages and any other charges due hereunder which were not collected or collectable. In the event that such Bidder is the successful Bidder on more than one lot and pays less than the purchase price for the total lots purchased, RR Auction shall apply the payment received to such lot or lots that RR Auction, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. If RR Auction does not exercise such discretion, the lots to which the payment shall be applied will be in descending order from the highest purchase price to the lowest. Any Bidder failing to comply with these Conditions of Sale shall be deemed to have granted RR Auction a security interest in, and RR Auction may retain as collateral such security for such Bidder’s obligations to RR Auction, any property in RR Auction’s possession owned by such Bidder. RR Auction shall have the benefit of all rights of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.) as adopted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Warranties: RR Auction does not provide any warranties to Bidders, whether expressed or implied, beyond those expressly provided in these Conditions of Sale. All property and lots are sold “as is” and “where is”. By way of illustration rather than limitation, neither RR Auction nor the Consignor makes any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to merchantability or fitness for intended use, condition of the property (including any condition report), correctness of description, origin, measurement, quality, rarity, importance, exhibition, relevance, attribution, source, provenance, date, authorship, condition, culture, genuineness, value, or period of the property. Additionally, neither RR Auction nor the Consignor makes any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to whether the Bidder acquires rights in copyright or other intellectual property (including exhibition or reproduction rights) or whether the property is subject to any limitations or other rights. RR Auction does not make any representation or warranty as to title.
All descriptions, photographs, illustrations, and terminology including but not limited to words describing condition (including any condition reports requested by Bidder, see also Terminology), authorship, period, culture, source, origin, measurement, quality, rarity, provenance, importance, exhibition, and relevance, used in the Catalog, bill of sale, invoice, or anywhere else, represent a good faith effort made by RR Auction to fairly represent the lots and property offered for sale as to origin, date, condition, and other information contained therein; they are statements of opinion only. They are not representations or warranties and Bidder agrees and acknowledges that he or she shall not rely on them in determining whether or not to bid or for what price. Price estimates (which are determined well in advance of the Auction and are therefore subject to revision) and condition reports are provided solely as a convenience to Bidders and are not intended nor shall they be relied on by Bidders as statements, representations or warranties of actual value or predictions of final bid prices. Bidders are accorded the opportunity to inspect the lots and to otherwise satisfy themselves as to the nature and sufficiency of each lot prior to bidding, and RR Auction urges Bidders to avail themselves accordingly. All lots sold by RR Auction are accompanied by an Auction Certificate (“AC”). On any lot presented with an AC issued by RR Auction, the certification is only as to its attribution to the person or entity described or to the lot’s usage and only as explicitly stated therein (the “Certification of Authenticity”), to the exclusion of any other warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to those pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code. The Certification of Authenticity inures only to the original Bidder (as shown in RR Auction’s records). Bidder may not transfer, assign, or otherwise convey the Certification of Authenticity, and such purported transfer, assignment, or conveyance shall be null and void. The Certification of Authenticity is valid from date of the Auction in which Bidder was awarded the lot (the “Auction Date”) until five (5) years after the Auction Date, without exception. FIREARMS. RR Auction complies with all Federal and State rules and regulations relating to the purchasing, registration and shipping of firearms. A Bidder is required to provide appropriate documents and the payment of associated fees, if any. Bidder is responsible for providing a shipping address that is suitable for the receipt of a firearm. Limitation of Damages: In the event that RR Auction is prevented for any reason from delivering any property to Bidder, or Bidder is otherwise dissatisfied with the performance of RR Auction, the liability, if any, of RR Auction, shall be limited to, and shall not exceed, the amount actually paid for the property by Bidder. In no event shall RR Auction be liable for incidental, special, indirect, exemplary or consequential damages of any kind, including but not limited to loss of profits, value of investment or opportunity cost. Unauthorized Statements: Under no circumstances is any employee, agent or representative of RR Auction authorized by RR Auction to modify, amend, waive or contradict any of these Conditions of Sale, any term or condition set forth on a registration form, any
warranty or limitation or exclusion of warranty, any term or condition in either the Registration Form or these Terms and Conditions regarding payment requirements, including but not limited to due date, manner of payment, and what constitutes payment in full, or any other term or condition contained in any documents issued by RR Auction unless such modification, amendment, waiver or contradiction is contained in a writing signed by all parties. Any statements, oral or written, made by employees, agents or representatives of RR Auction to Bidder, including statements regarding specific lots, even if such employee, agent or representative represents that such statement is authorized, unless reduced to a writing signed by all parties, are statements of personal opinion only and are not binding on RR Auction, and under no circumstances shall be relied upon by Bidder as a statement, representation or warranty of RR Auction. Bidder’s Remedies: Under no circumstance will RR Auction incur liability to a Bidder in excess of the purchase price actually paid. This section sets forth the sole and exclusive remedies of Bidder in conformity with the Warranties and Limitation of Damages provisions of these Conditions of Sale, and is expressly in lieu of any other rights or remedies which might be available to Bidder by law. The Bidder hereby accepts the benefit of the Consignor’s warranty of title and any other representations and warranties made by the Consignor for the Bidder’s benefit. In the event that Bidder demonstrates in writing, in the sole discretion of RR Auction, that there was a breach of the Consignor’s warranty of title concerning a lot purchased by Bidder, RR Auction shall make demand upon the Consignor to pay to Bidder the Purchase Price (including any premiums, taxes, or other amounts paid or due to RR Auction). Should the Consignor not pay the Purchase Price to Bidder within thirty days after such demand, RR Auction shall disclose the identity of the Consignor to Bidder and assign to Bidder all of RR Auction’s rights against the Consignor with respect to such lot or property. Upon such disclosure and assignment, all responsibility and liability, if any, of RR Auction with respect to said lot or property shall automatically terminate. RR Auction shall be entitled to retain the premiums and other amounts paid to RR Auction - this remedy is as to the Consignor only. The rights and remedies provided herein are for the original Bidder only and they may not be assigned or relied upon by any transferee or assignee under any circumstances. If Bidder wishes to challenge the AC within the period of the Certification of Authenticity, Bidder must present written evidence that the lot is not authentic as determined by a known expert in the field. If RR Auction agrees that the lot is not as represented, Bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy shall be a refund of their purchase price, with no other costs, liabilities or amounts recoverable. If RR Auction does not agree with the claim by Bidder, then the Parties shall follow the dispute resolution procedures of these Conditions of Sale. Any such challenge concerning an AC or Certification of Authenticity must, without any exception, be brought within one (1) year of Bidder’s notice to RR Auction of Bidder’s contention that the lot was not authentic, or six (6) years from the Auction Date, whichever is sooner.
If the description of any lot in the Catalog is materially incorrect (e.g., gross cataloging error), the lot is returnable if returned within five (5) calendar days of receipt, and received by RR Auction no later than twenty-one (21) calendar days after the Auction Date. If there is any discrepancy between the description in the Catalog and the AC, then the description in the AC shall control. This paragraph shall constitute Bidder’s sole right with respect to the return of items, and no refunds shall be given for any items not returned to and received by RR Auction. NO RETURN OR REFUND OF ANY AUCTION LOT WILL BE CONSIDERED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THESE CONDITIONS OF SALE. RR Auction’s Additional Services: For Bidders who do not remove purchased property from RR Auction’s premises, RR Auction, in its sole discretion and solely as a service and accommodation to Bidders, may arrange to have purchased lots packed, insured and forwarded at the sole request, expense, and risk of Bidder. RR Auction assumes no and disclaims all responsibility and liability for acts or omissions in such packing or shipping by RR Auction or other packers and carriers, whether or not recommended by RR Auction. RR Auction assumes no and disclaims all responsibility and liability for damage to frames, glass or other breakable items. Where RR Auction arranges and bills for such services via invoice, RR Auction will include an administration charge. Headings: Headings are for convenience only and shall not be used to interpret the substantive sections to which they refer. Entire Agreement: These Conditions of Sale constitute the entire agreement between the parties together with the terms and conditions contained in the Registration Form. They may not be amended, modified or superseded except in a signed writing executed by all parties. No oral or written statement by anyone employed by RR Auction or acting as agent or representative of RR Auction may amend, modify, waive or supersede the terms herein unless such amendment, waiver or modification is contained in a writing signed by all parties. If any section of these Conditions of Sale or any term or provision of any section is held to be invalid, void, or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining sections or terms and provisions of a section shall continue in full force and effect without being impaired or invalidated in any way. Governing Law and Enforcement The Parties agree that any agreements between the Parties including but not limited to these Conditions of Sale are entered into in Boston, Massachusetts, no matter where Bidder is situated and no matter by what means or where Bidder was informed of the Auction and regardless of whether catalogs, materials, or other communications were received by Bidder in another location. The Parties agree that these Conditions of Sale, and any other related agreement(s) are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard for its conflict of laws principles. The Parties agree that any dispute related to or arising out of these Conditions of Sale, or related to or arising out of any other related agreement(s) shall be
submitted to confidential binding arbitration (the “Arbitration”) before a single Arbitrator of the American Arbitration Association (the “AAA”). The Parties agree that the Arbitration shall be conducted pursuant to the commercial rules of the AAA. In the event that the Parties cannot agree on the selection of the Arbitrator, then the Arbitrator shall be selected by the AAA. The prevailing Party in the Arbitration shall be entitled to recover all of its related costs, whether before or after the formal institution of the Arbitration, including but not limited to its reasonable attorneys’ fees and, if RR Auction prevails, the Buyer’s Premium as defined in these Conditions of Sale. The Parties agree that Bidder shall have no right to recover consequential or indirect damages, or lost profits damages. The Parties consent to the enforcement of the decision in the Arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act in either the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Except as provided in Bidder’s Remedies with regard to the Certification of Authenticity, any dispute, claim, cause of action related to or arising out of these Conditions of Sale or any other agreement(s) between the Parties must be brought within one (1) year of the acts, omissions or circumstances giving rise to the alleged claim, without exceptions. This provision is intended as a full, complete and absolute release of any claims after one (1) year of such acts, omissions or circumstances. The Parties agree further that these waiver provisions are intended to be binding on all parties in the event of any dispute, specifically including but not limited to third party claims and cross-actions brought by either RR Auction or Bidder. These provisions are consideration for the execution of these Conditions of Sale. The Bidder hereby agrees that RR Auction shall be entitled to present these Conditions of Sale to a court in any jurisdiction other than set forth in this paragraph as conclusive evidence of the Parties’ agreement, and the Parties further agree that the court shall immediately dismiss any action filed in such jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, RR Auction may, in its sole discretion, enforce its rights pursuant to these Conditions of Sale in the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts rather than in an Arbitration related to or arising out of any Auction of an item sold for less than $10,000. This right shall relate to the individual item price, such that RR Auction may, in its sole discretion, enforce its rights pursuant to these Conditions of Sale in the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts rather than in an Arbitration for items that in the aggregate exceed $10,000. The prevailing Party in such a proceeding shall be entitled to recover all of its related costs, whether before or after the formal institution of the proceeding, including but not limited to its reasonable attorneys’ fees and, if RR Auction prevails, the Buyer’s Premium as defined in these Conditions of Sale. This right of enforcement is unique to RR Auction, and these Conditions of Sale are a waiver by the Bidder of any right to enforcement or adjudication outside of an Arbitration.
CONDUCT OF AUCTION Estimate Prices: In addition to descriptive information, each item in the Catalog sometimes includes a price range which reflects opinion as to the price expected at auction (the “Estimate Prices”). In other instances, Estimate Prices can be obtained by calling RR Auction at (603) 732-4280. The Estimate Prices are based upon various factors including prices recently paid at auction for comparable property, condition, rarity, quality, history and provenance. Estimate Prices are prepared well in advance of the sale and subject to revision. Estimates do not include the Buyer’s Premium or sales tax (see under separate heading). Owned or Guaranteed Property: RR Auction generally offers property consigned by others for sale at public auction; in very limited occasion, lots are offered that are the property of RR Auction. Before the Auction: Bidder may attend pre-sale viewing for all of RR Auction’s auctions at no charge. All property to be auctioned is usually on view for several days prior to the sale. Bidder is encouraged to examine lots thoroughly. Bidder may also request condition reports (see below). RR Auction’s staff are available at viewings and by appointment. Maximum Bids – All Auctions: To maximize Bidder’s chance of winning, RR Auction strongly encourages the use of maximum bids. RR Auction will then bid for Bidder until the lot reaches Bidder’s specified maximum. Maximum bids are strictly confidential. Placing arbitrary, non-incremental bids on lots with prior maximum bids may result in these lots being sold for less than 10% above the under Bidder’s bid. Successful Bids: The fall of RR Auction’s hammer indicates the final bid. RR Auction will record the paddle number of the Bidder. If Bidder’s salesroom or absentee bid is successful, Bidder will be notified after the sale by mailed or emailed invoice. Unsold Lots: If a lot does not reach the reserve, it is bought-in. In other words, it remains unsold and is returned to the Consignor. RR Auction has the right to sell certain unsold items after the close of the Auction. Such lots shall be considered sold during the Auction and all these Terms and Conditions shall apply to such sales including but not limited to the Buyer’s Premium, return rights, and disclaimers. Bidding—Timed Auction: Bidder may open, monitor, and/or raise bids at any time before the close of a lot through www.rrauction.com. RR Auction offers a callback service the day of the Auction, but Bidder is responsible for supplying a correct telephone number(s) where Bidder can be reached until the Auction closes. Bidder must request this service in writing. RR Auction will make reasonable efforts to ensure that Bidders who request a callback are contacted if outbid; however, RR Auction does not guarantee this service and it is merely a courtesy and not an enforceable right. The auctioneer may also execute a bid on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve, either by entering a
bid in response to salesroom, telephone or absentee bids. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer place any bid on behalf of the consignor above the reserve. The auctioneer will not specifically identify bids placed on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve. To ensure proper registration, those Bidders intending to bid via the Internet must visit www.RRauction.com and register accordingly at least one full day prior to the actual auction. Winning bidders will be notified by RR Auction. RR Auction is not responsible or liable for any problems, delays, or any other issues or problems resulting out of use of the Internet generally or specifically, including but not limited to transmission, execution or processing of bids. Any Bidder may bid on any lot prior to 6 pm EST/EDT. At that time, an extended bidding period goes into effect. If Bidder has not bid on a lot before 6 pm EST/EDT, Bidder may not bid on that lot after 6 pm EST/EDT. Only those Bidders who have placed bids on a lot before 6 pm EST/EDT will be allowed to bid on that lot after 6 pm EST/EDT. If Bidder is the only Bidder on a lot at 6 pm EST/EDT, that lot is awarded to Bidder. During the extended bidding period, a lot will remain open only to those who bid on that lot prior to 6 pm EST/ EDT. All lots WITHOUT an opening bid at 6 pm EST/EDT will remain OPEN to ALL Bidders until 7 pm EST/EDT or until they receive their first bid. These lots will close immediately upon receipt of a bid or at 7 pm EST/EDT, whichever comes first. For all lots that are active after 7 pm EST/EDT, bidding will remain open until 30 minutes pass without a bid being placed on THAT lot (the “30 Minute Rule”). The 30 Minute Rule is applied on a PER LOT BASIS; each lot in the Auction closes individually based on bidding activity after 7 pm EST/ EDT. On a PER LOT BASIS, the 30 minute timer will reset each time a bid is placed after 7 pm EST/EDT. If Bidder is the high Bidder, raising Bidder’s maximum bid will NOT reset the timer. RR Auction reserves the right to close the Auction at any time at its sole discretion. Bidding - Internet – Live Auction: Bidder may open, monitor, and/or raise bids at any time before the close of a lot through www.rrauction.com. RR Auction offers a callback service the day of the Auction, but Bidder is responsible for supplying a correct telephone number(s) where Bidder can be reached until the Auction closes. Bidder must request this service in writing. RR Auction will make reasonable efforts to ensure that Bidders who request a callback are contacted if outbid; however, RR Auction does not guarantee this service and it is merely a courtesy and not an enforceable right. To ensure proper registration, those Bidders intending to bid via the Internet must visit www.RRauction.com and register accordingly at least one full day prior to the actual auction. Winning bidders will be notified by RR Auction. RR Auction is not responsible or liable for any problems, delays, or any other issues or problems resulting out of use of the Internet generally or specifically, including but not limited to transmission, execution or processing of bids. Property is auctioned in consecutive numerical order, as it appears in the catalog. The auctioneer will accept bids from those present in the salesroom or absentee bidders participating by telephone, internet or by written bid left with RR Auction in advance of the auction. The auctioneer may also execute a bid on behalf of the consignor to protect the re-
serve, either by entering a bid in response to salesroom, telephone or absentee bids. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer place any bid on behalf of the consignor above the reserve. The auctioneer will not specifically identify bids placed on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve. During live Auctions, internet bids can be placed in real time through one or more of the following Third Party services: www.liveauctioneers.com, www.invaluable.com and www. icollector.com. RR Auction is not responsible or liable for any problems, delays, or any other issues or problems resulting out of use of the Internet generally or specifically, including but not limited to transmission, execution or processing of bids. RR Auction treats any third-party site bids as floor or telephone bids. Floor bids and telephone bids are always considered first over third party sites bids, and floor bids are considered earlier than telephone bids. All RR Auction lots purchased through the third party sites carry an additional Buyer’s Premium. Miscellaneous: Agreements between Bidders and Consignors to effectuate a non-sale of an item at Auction, inhibit bidding on a consigned item to enter into a private sale agreement for said item, or to utilize RR Auction’s Auction to obtain sales for non-selling consigned items subsequent to the Auction, are strictly prohibited. If a subsequent sale of a previously consigned item occurs in violation of this provision, RR Auction reserves the right to charge Bidder the applicable Buyer’s Premium and Consignor a Seller’s Commission as determined for each auction venue and by the terms of the seller’s agreement. Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions qualifies Bidder as a client who has consented to be contacted by RR Auction in the future. In conformity with “do-not-call” regulations promulgated by the Federal or State regulatory agencies, participation by the Bidder is affirmative consent to being contacted at the phone number shown in his application and this consent shall remain in effect until it is revoked in writing. RR Auction may from time to time contact Bidder concerning sale, purchase, and auction opportunities available. Rules of Construction: RR Auction presents properties in a number of collectible fields, and as such, specific venues have promulgated supplemental Terms and Conditions. Nothing herein shall be construed to waive the general Conditions of Sale by these additional rules and shall be construed to give force and effect to the rules in their entirety.
Your Passion. Your Pride.
YOUR LIFETIME COLLECTION Building a distinguished collection takes time, care, and dedication—just like RR Auction’s custom-tailored consignment experience.
Our Passion. Our Pride.
OUR PROMISE
• Complimentary and meticulous appraisal • Expertly researched descriptions and exclusive catalog representation • Your own live auction event in Boston A lifetime of work deserves a well-established auction house with 35 years of experience. Contact Bob Eaton at (603) 732-4280 or Bob@RRAuction.com and consign today.
Established in 1980
www.RRAuction.com
Apollo 15
lunar surface-worn chronograph
lunar surface
post recovery
today
Bidding will begin October 15th