At 6 p.m. on Wed. October 8th t he one-hour extended bidding period begins followed immediately by the 30 Minute Rule. All times in RR Auction guidelines and instructions are stated according to the Eastern (U.S.) time zone.
Bob Eaton CEO, Acquisitions bob.eaton@rrauction.com
Joe Boucher Production Assistant joe.boucher@rrauction.com
Laura Poole Writer laura.poole@rrauction.com
Robert S. Eaton Sr. 1940–2001
Presidents and First Ladies
President Adams
dispatches an American merchant ship to Haiti, carrying “Tobacco, Soap, Wine and Rum”
1. John Adams Document Signed as President - Four-Language Ship’s Papers. Appealing partly-printed DS as president, one page, 19 x 15, May 17, 1797. Four-language ship’s papers issued to Charles Harrison “master or commander of the Schooner called Patuxent…lying at present in the port of Charleston bound for Gonaives and laden with Provisions, Dry goods, Tobacco, Soap, Wine and Rum.” Prominently signed at the center in ink by President John Adams, and countersigned by Secretary of State Timothy Pickering. The large white embossed paper seal affixed to the left side remains intact. Handsomely double-matted and framed with a plaque to an overall size of 33.5 x 30.5. In fine condition. Starting Bid $500
Upon Rhode Island’s ratification of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson signs an act to create its federal district court
2. Thomas Jefferson Document Signed as Secretary of State - Act of Congress Organizing Rhode Island’s US District Court. Historically significant DS, signed as Secretary of State, “Th: Jefferson,” one page, 9 x 15.25, June 23, 1790. Official printing of an act passed by the Congress of the United States during its Second Session, headed, “An Act for giving Effect to an Act, intituled, ‘An Act to establish the judicial Courts of the United States,’ within the State of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations.” The act begins: “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the act intituled, ‘An act to establish the judicial courts of the United States,’ shall have the like force and effect within the state of Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, as elsewhere within the United States… the said State shall be one district, to be called Rhode-Island district…and the same is hereby annexed to the eastern circuit.” The act further outlines the schedule for the sessions of the court, to be held alternately in Newport and Providence. Imprinted at the conclusion with the names of Speaker Frederick Muhlenberg, Vice President John Adams, and President George Washington, and prominently signed below in ink by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. In fine condition.
Rhode Island was the last of the original colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on May 29, 1790, less than one month earlier. Article III established only the Supreme Court while granting Congress the power to create lower courts as necessary—a modest example of the ‘checks and balances’ between the three branches of government. By this act on June 23rd, Congress organized Rhode Island as one judicial district assigned to the Eastern Circuit, authorizing one judgeship, and Jefferson subsequently notified the nation’s governors by sending copies of the newly passed statute. This signed act represents the very beginnings of the United States, with the federal government invoking the Constitutional powers granted to it upon ratification. It is an early example of Jefferson’s role in the creation of the American judicial system, an influence which would only increase during his term as president. Starting Bid $1000
3. James Monroe and John Quincy Adams Document Signed as President and Secretary of State. Partlyprinted vellum DS, signed “James Monroe” as president and “John Quincy Adams” as secretary of state, one page, 11 x 15, December 22, 1821. Scalloped-top ship’s pass issued to the “Brig Vigilant of New York, Pihneas Stewart master of commander… mounted with no guns, navigated with eight men, To Pass with her Company Passengers Goods and Merchandize without any hinderance seisure or molestation.” Signed at the conclusion by President Monroe and Secretary of State Adams. The lower left retains the original paper seal. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
4. William Henry Harrison Signed Check - PSA NM-MT
8. Miami Exporting Company check, 6.5 x 2.25, filled out and signed by Harrison, “Will’m Henry Harrison,” payable to Major Foner for $12, January 4, 1815. Affixed by its top edge to a slightly larger page and in fine condition. The Miami Exporting Company, located in Cincinnati, was the first bank chartered in Ohio by the state legislature in 1803. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.” Starting Bid $200
5. James K. Polk and James Buchanan Document Signed as President and Secretary of State. Partlyprinted DS signed “James K. Polk” as president and “James Buchanan” as secretary of state, one page, 16 x 11.75, January 8, 1846. President Polk appoints Benjamin B. French as a “Justice of the Peace, in the county of Washington, in the District of Columbia.” Signed at the conclusion by both Polk and Buchanan. The white paper seal remains affixed to the lower left corner. In fine condition, with lightly trimmed edges. Starting Bid $200
“As requested by your father, I send you my autograph”—Abraham Lincoln sends his signature to a young collector as he ramps up his 1860 presidential campaign
6. Abraham Lincoln Letter Signed as the Republican Presidential Nominee (1860) - PSA NM-MT 8. LS as the Republican presidential nominee, signed “A. Lincoln,” one page, 7.25 x 3.5, August 1860. Addressed from Springfield, Illinois, a letter to a young autograph collector, “Master D. W. P. Corle,” which was likely penned by one of Lincoln’s two assistants, John Nicolay or John Hay. It reads, in full: “As requested by your father, I send you my autograph.” A small oval has been neatly excised from the upper left corner to frame an affixed portrait of Lincoln. The letter is professionally inlaid into a slightly larger sheet. In fine condition, with some light creasing and soiling. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.”
This letter falls neatly between the date Lincoln received the Republican Party’s presidential nomination (May 16–18, 1860) and his historic presidential victory on November 6, 1860, thus installing him as the first Republican president. His election served as the main catalyst for Southern secession and Civil War, and on December 20, 1860, South Carolina formally seceded from the Union, with six other States following suit. By April 1861, the new Confederate States were openly at war with the United States, resulting in four years of unmitigated bloodshed. Starting Bid $1000
Signatures of Abraham Lincoln and William Seward—both targets of Booth’s assassination conspiracy
7. Abraham Lincoln Signature as President - PSA NM-MT+ 8.5. Crisp ink signature as president, “Abraham Lincoln,” on an off-white 5.5 x 1.75 slip clipped from an official document, also signed by Secretary of State William H. Seward. In fine condition, with light show-through at the left edge from the contemporary notation on the back, which reads: “Presented me by my friend Wm. Mathews of the Office of the Sec’y of the Treasury, S. C. Roberts, May 1, 1865.” Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT+ 8.5.”
A desirable piece signed by two casualties of the Lincoln assassination conspiracy: while John Wilkes Booth succeeded in killing President Lincoln, his associate Lewis Powell seriously wounded Secretary of State Seward in a stabbing at his home in Washington, D.C. Starting Bid $1000
“A. Lincoln”—Abraham Lincoln hand-addresses an envelope directed to his friend, William Tod Otto, a fellow Indiana lawyer who Lincoln later appointed as Assistant Secretary of the Interior
8. Abraham Lincoln Signed Free Frank to William Tod Otto - Friend, Indiana Lawyer, and Cabinet Member. Scarce free franked mailing envelope, 5.25 x 3, addressed in the hand of Abraham Lincoln to “Hon. W. J. Otto, 308 F Street, Washington,” and signed crisply in the upper right with his franking signature, “A. Lincoln.” In very good to fine condition, with expected opening tears to the top edge, impinging on but not touching the signature. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
The recipient, William Tod Otto (1816–1905), was a judge and the eighth reporter of decisions of the United States Supreme Court. A Pennsylvania native, Otto moved west and practiced law in Indiana, eventually becoming a judge. A personal friend of fellow Indiana attorney Abraham Lincoln, Otto headed the Indiana delegation to the 1860 Republican National Convention that nominated Lincoln for the presidency. Subsequently, Otto was among those instrumental in delivering Indiana, a key swing state, to Lincoln in the presidential election.
Lincoln appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Interior after the previous man in the position, John Palmer Usher, was promoted to Secretary of the Interior. Anticipating the outbreak of southern hostilities, Lincoln wanted Otto to be involved in military organization. He served in the Interior Department from 1863 to 1871. According to The New York Times, Judge Otto was among those surrounding Lincoln’s bedside when the President died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth. Starting Bid $1000
From the Lincoln family library— a
volume of
Washington Irving’s
definitive biography of George Washington, signed by Mary Todd during the 1860 presidential campaign
9. Mary Lincoln Signed Book - The Life of George Washington, Vol. II - From the Lincoln Family Library. Signed book from the Lincoln family library: Life of George Washington, Vol. II, by Washington Irving. Later printing. NY: G. P. Putnam, 1860. Hardcover handsomely bound in full chocolate calf with marbled endpapers and fore-edges, and gilt-tooled spine, 5 x 7.5, 486 pages. Neatly signed on the first free end page in bold ink, “Mary Lincoln, 1860.” Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG/None, with edgewear, minor running to boards, and Louise & Barry Taper Collection/ Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum bookplate affixed to front pastedown.
Ex. Lincoln Family Library, with Mary Lincoln’s ownership signature dated to the 1860 presidential campaign; Louise & Barry Taper Collection/Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, with affixed bookplate.
Published during the campaign for Abraham Lincoln’s eventual election year of 1860, and dated by the future first lady in the same year, this volume is part of the definitive five-part biography of George Washington completed by Washington Irving in 1859. On February 27, 1860, Abraham Lincoln delivered his critical Cooper Union address, which elevated him to national prominence. In that speech, Lincoln invoked the legacy of George Washington to argue for the constitutional limits on the expansion of slavery, quoting directly from Volume V of this very series: ‘Some of you delight to flaunt in our faces the warning against sectional parties given by Washington in his
Farewell Address.’ Although this is Volume II, it belongs to the same series that Lincoln likely consulted and referenced while drafting his speech. Volume V of the set includes an entire chapter devoted to Washington’s Farewell Address, the very source Lincoln quoted in his pivotal Cooper Union address.
Mary Lincoln’s ownership signature from 1860—the same year her husband was campaigning and preparing to take the nation’s highest office—makes this a profoundly symbolic artifact. It forms a powerful connection between George Washington, the nation’s founding president, and Abraham Lincoln, who would soon be called to preserve the Union through its greatest crisis.
On July 26, 1862, Mary Lincoln wrote to Commissioner Benjamin Brown French to report that she had purchased books for the White House library using a $250 appropriation, spending $75 in Washington and $150 in New York. She noted that she had replaced the worn sets of Waverley and Shakespeare with new editions and mentioned that President Abraham Lincoln had personally paid for a history of Washington, acquired from New York bookseller T. J. Crowen. While the volume in question is not the same title obtained during that New York trip, it is reasonable to believe that President Lincoln, having completed Irving’s works on Washington, began collecting additional related volumes just two years after the family added this set to their library and he was elected to the presidency. Starting Bid $500
Seward, as Secretary of State, sends a memorial volume presented as a gesture of thanks to those who shared in mourning the fallen president, Abraham Lincoln—”I transmit a copy of a volume, which you will please accept from this Government as a Testimonial of the grateful appreciation by the People of
the generous
expressions
of
condolence
and sympathy in the late National Bereavement”
10. William H. Seward Signed Resolution of Congress: Presenting a Volume Commemorating Condolences Received in the Wake of the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Partly-printed DS from William H. Seward as Secretary of State, presented within a copy of a scarce memorial book compiled in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. The document, one page, 8 x 10, December 10, 1867, represents an official letter from the U.S. Department of State, issued to “The Municipal Council of Stratford-upon-Avon, England,” in full: “Pursuant to the provisions of a Resolution of the Congress of the United States, approved March 5, 1867, a copy of which is hereunto annexed, I transmit a copy of a volume, which you will please accept from this Government as a Testimonial of the grateful appreciation by the People of the generous expressions of condolence and sympathy in the late National Bereavement, which were communicated in so touching a manner by the Municipal Council of Stratford-upon-Avon to the Department of State of the United States.” Signed at the conclusion by Seward.
The Seward document is affixed to an opening page of the government-issued, limited release book The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Late President of the United States of America, and the Attempted Assassination of William H. Seward, Secretary of State, and Frederick W. Seward, Assistant Secretary, on the Evening of the 14th of April, 1865 / Expressions of Condolence and Sympathy Inspired by These Events. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1867. Hardcover in a cloth library binding with marbled edges, rebound in dark blue cloth, 9.5 x 12.25, 930 pages. The printed letter of condolence from the Municipal Council of Stratford-upon-Avon can be found on pages 430 and 431.
Opposite the book’s index is a page headed “A Resolution for Printing Additional Copies of the Appendix to the Diplomatic Correspondence of 1865,” which reads: “Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in addition to the number of copies of papers relating to foreign affairs now authorized by law, there shall be printed for distribution by the Department of State, on fine paper, with wide margin, a sufficient number of copies of the Appendix to the Diplomatic Correspondence of 1865 to supply one copy to each senator and each representative of the Thirty-ninth Congress and to each foreign government, and one copy to each corporation, association, or public body, whose expressions of condolence or sympathy are published in said volume; one hundred of these copies to be bound in full Turkey morocco, full gilt, and the remaining copies to be bound in half Turkey morocco, marble edged. Approved March 2, 1867.”
Adjacent to the Seward document is an affixed transmittal letter presented to the Municipal Council of Stratford-upon-Avon on behalf of Benjamin Moran, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States at London, dated July 23, 1868, which states: “Mr. Moran…has the honour to transmit herewith a letter from the Department of State at Washington City. He begs to say that the volume to which it refers will be sent through the channel named in the Memorandum below. Mr. Moran will be pleased to receive and forward to his Government an acknowledgment of the reception of the letter and volume in question.” The frontispiece is an engraved portrait of Lincoln bearing a facsimile signature. The Seward document is in fine condition, with some light scattered stains. Book condition: VG/None. Starting Bid $300
Handwritten letter as president:
three days after his inauguration, Garfield graciously accepts the resignation of the last administration’s Attorney General
12. James A. Garfield
Autograph Letter Signed as President. ALS as president, one page, 5.25 x 8.5, Executive Mansion letterhead, March 7, 1881. Handwritten letter to Attorney General Charles Devens, written three days after Garfield’s inauguration as president. In full: “Permit me, in accepting your resignation as Attorney General, to express my sincere personal respect and my appreciation of the fidelity and ability with which you have served the government during the past four years.” In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
Devens, who had distinguished himself as a Union general during the Civil War, served out a full four-year term as attorney general under President Rutherford B. Hayes. In keeping with tradition, Devens tendered his resignation effective on the day of President Garfield’s inauguration. Garfield appointed Wayne MacVeagh to fill the role, whose time in it was brief; MacVeagh would resign shortly after Garfield’s death, so that President Arthur could choose his own Attorney General. Because of his assassination, Garfield’s autograph as president is extremely rare, handwritten letters especially so. Between its great rarity and exquisite association as a letter to a former cabinet member and fellow Civil War veteran, this is a superlative Garfield letter. Starting Bid $1000
“Your uncle, Theodore Roosevelt”— Teddy writes to FDR, recommending a naval propaganda artist during World War I
13. Theodore Roosevelt Typed Letter Signed to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Signed “Your Uncle,” Recommending a US Navy Propaganda Artist. TLS signed “Your uncle, Theodore Roosevelt,” one page, 8.5 x 11, Metropolitan letterhead, May 15, 1917. Letter to the Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt, then assistant secretary of the United States Navy, making a recommendation. In full: “The bearer, Mr. Henry Reuterdahl, has been doing everything for the United States Navy that is in his power. He is now arriving to do all he can to help in the recruiting. He has been working under Commander K. M. Bennett as a volunteer without pay. He is glad to sacrifice his income and work entirely for the Navy, but he must live and so he cannot do the admirable work he is doing unless he is given a commission, as requested by the officer in charge of the Naval Publicity Bureau in a letter, copy of which I enclose. Reuterdahl’s only desire is to serve the Navy.” In fine condition, with rusty paperclip impressions to the top edge, and slight fading to the signature. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
A most interesting letter, recommending Swedish-American nautical painter Henry Reuterdahl for a commission in the United States Navy during World War I. Reuterdahl had previously been selected by President Theodore Roosevelt to accompany the Great White Fleet voyage in 1907 in order to document the journey. During World War I, he aided the Naval Publicity Bureau, commanded by K. M. Bennett, in the creation of propaganda posters to encourage enlistment.
Moreover, this is a remarkable association piece: we find no other auction records of letters from Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin D. Roosevelt, though some belong to museums and institutions. Theodore Roosevelt was actually a fifth cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the uncle of his wife, Eleanor. At their 1905 wedding, President Theodore Roosevelt attended and ‘gave the bride away,’ as her parents were long deceased. As a letter from a past president to a future one—from one Roosevelt to another—this is an exceptional, museum-quality piece. Starting Bid $500
14. Theodore Roosevelt Signed Photograph. Superior semi-glossy 8 x 10.25 portrait of Theodore Roosevelt in a distinguished bust-length pose, affixed to a white 9.75 x 12.75 mount, signed and inscribed on the mount in fountain pen, “Inscribed for Dr. Ig. Moress, with the best wishes of Theodore Roosevelt, June 14, 1918.” Handsomely cloth-matted and framed to an overall size of 21 x 24. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Three days before the approval of the 1935 Neutrality Act—“Things do look serious in Europe but we have passed so many serious crises during the past few years that I still hope”
15. Franklin D. Roosevelt Typed Letter Signed as President, Three Days Before the 1935 Neutrality Act: “Things do look serious in Europe”. TLS as president, one page, 7 x 9, White House letterhead, August 28, 1935. Letter to Norman Hapgood, Esq., in full: “Many thanks for your notes. The Senate Resolution has been much modified and an actual reading of it shows that it takes away little Executive authority except the embargo on certain types of arms and munitions (the type to be determined by me) between now and next February. Discretion must, of course, remain in the Executive in the long run. Things do look serious in Europe but we have passed so many serious crises during the past few years that I still hope.” In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Three days after this letter, the Neutrality Act of 1935 was passed by Congress on August 31, 1935, and imposed a general embargo on trading in arms and war materials with all parties in a war. Roosevelt invoked the act after Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in October 1935, which prevented all arms and ammunition shipments to both countries. FDR letters boasting content presaging World War II and referencing important policies are both scarce and very desirable. Starting Bid $500
FDR drafts a cautionary message to Congress:
“If the Nazis conquer Russia, the
Nazi
military machine will be a more dangerous and covetous neighbor than we have ever had before”
16.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Typescript Draft of an Undelivered Message to Congress on Nazi Aggression Against Russia. World War II-dated TLS signed “Oscar Cox,” one page, 6.25 x 9.25, Office for Emergency Management, Division of Defense Aid Reports letterhead, June 27, 1941. Letter to FDR confidante, advisor, and emissary Harry Hopkins, in full: “Enclosed is a copy of the Message I sent over to you yesterday, which apparently arrived after you left. I don’t believe we will ever have as good a time again to say and do the things discussed in the message.”
The accompanying enclosure, an eight-page typescript draft of a message to Congress prepared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on paper watermarked with the presidential seal, carries remarkable commentary on the dangerous world situation and the associated risks for the United States. Roosevelt ponders the fate of Alaska in the event of Russian surrender to Nazi Germany, justifying American aid to Russia and Great Britain—authorized by the Lend-Lease Act— and calling for further resolutions from Congress. Notably, we find no record of this message having ever been delivered.
The message, in small part: “Only a week ago, Nazi Germany, without warning and in violation of solemn treaty promises less than two years old, attacked the Russian people. This brutal assault is filled with lessons for those countries who have not been forced to learn from bitter experience. The folly of appeasing tyrants and of relying on a tyrant’s word has once again been demonstrated.
But there is no time to review the mistakes of the past. I bring before the Congress today, after consultation with the officers of the War Department and the Navy Department, matters of immediate concern to our national security.
The greatest pincers movement in the history of the world is being aimed at the heart of the American people. The jaws of the pincers are aimed across the Pacific and across the Atlantic in a gigantic plan of encirclement.
On the Pacific flank the Nazis drive into Russia. We can be sure that if the Nazis conquer Russia their next steps will be against India and China, for the domination of the continent of Asia.
Even without those steps, the Nazi attack on Russia threatens the Western Hemisphere at Alaska. At the Bering Straits the mainland of Russia and the mainland of Alaska face each other across only sixty miles of water, and Russia’s Big Diomede Island is only four miles from our Little Diomede Island.
Alaska is a rich prize in itself; a territory nearly one-fifth as large as the United States containing vast mineral resources. But, what is strategically more important to the defense of the Western Hemisphere, Alaska is a land-bridge across the Pacific from Asia to the North American continent. On the Pacific, it is democracy’s Northernmost bridgehead.
If the Nazis conquer Russia, the Nazi military machine will be a more dangerous and covetous neighbor than we have ever had before. Imagine a sweep of the Nazi war machine into Russia similar to the sweep across France a year ago. Imagine another so-called armistice agreement, making Russia a new Nazi vassal state. Imagine, then, great squadrons of the Nazi fighters and bombers, gliders and parachutists drawn up armed forces opposite Alaska in battle array.
We cannot wish away these possibilities with talk. We must act to keep the Pacific battle-line away from Alaska and the Western Hemisphere.
On the Atlantic flank the danger is no less. The drive against Russia is Hitler’s way of preparing for a mighty attack on the British Isles and Africa, and then on across the Atlantic to the Western Hemisphere. The defeat of Russia would free the Nazis from any threat from the East and loose their fullest blows against the West. It would strengthen four-fold the Nazi drive toward the British Isles and our shores by giving vast supplies of food and oil and raw materials to the Nazi war machine.
This is the menace to us from the German aggression against Russia. It is a menace which may speedily unfold. But if we act before it unfolds, there is hope, strong hope, that Hitler’s onslaught upon the world will fail before it reaches our shores.
As long as Russian resistance continues, the Nazi forces are divided on two fronts. As long as Russian resistance continues, Germany’s defense against British attacks on Nazi war industries will be weakened. If Russian resistance is strengthened, and if the British take action with increased aid from us, a terrible blow can be dealt to the Nazis’ hope of world conquest.
The Nazi attack on Russia is our greatest danger; it is also our greatest opportunity. We must seize the opportunity before the danger overwhelms us.” The typescript has one minor handwritten correction, evidently in Cox’s hand. In overall fine condition, with a rusty paperclip mark to the top of the letter.
Oscar Cox (1905–1966) served as general counsel of both the LendLease Administration and the Office of Emergency Management during World War II. Starting Bid $300
Wooden dipping pen used by President Truman to sign and amend WW2 legislation that increased federal power
17. Harry S. Truman Bill Signing Pen - ‘An Act to Amend the First War Powers Act, 1941’. Historic dipping pen used by President Harry S. Truman to sign and amend the First War Powers Act of 1941. The official ‘bill signer’ pen measures 8.75˝ long and features a wooden body and a black grip. Mounted with a transmittal letter from White House Executive Clerk M. C. Latta to New York Congressman Emanuel Celler, dated March 15, 1946, which reads: “In accordance with your request, I have pleasure in sending you herewith one of the pens used by the President on March eighth in signing: H. R. 4571, An Act to amend the First War Powers Act, 1941.”
Both are framed together to an overall size of 10.5 x 12.25. In fine condition. H.R. 4571, titled ‘An Act to Amend the First War Powers Act, 1941,’ was a legislative proposal introduced in the 79th Congress during the 1945–1946 session. The bill aimed to modify certain provisions of the original First War Powers Act, a significant piece of legislation that provided the President with broad authority to mobilize the nation’s resources during World War II. The amendments introduced by H.R. 4571 likely reflected the post-war adjustments and the need to redefine the scope of executive powers in peacetime. Starting Bid $200
Ike honors an Operation Overlord comrade-in-arms:
“On this Sixth of June I suspect that your memory goes back, as mine does, to live over again the gnawing anxieties, the realization of unavoidable sacrifices, and the bright hopes that filled us on D-Day, 1944”
18. Dwight D. Eisenhower Typed Letter Signed on the 20th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, Recalling “the gnawing anxieties, the realization of unavoidable sacrifices, and the bright hopes that filled us on D-Day, 1944”. TLS signed “As ever, Ike E.,” one page, 7 x 10.25, personal monogram letterhead, June 5, 1964. Letter to Major General Sir Kenneth W. D. Strong, “Dear Ken,” in full: “On this Sixth of June I suspect that your memory goes back, as mine does, to live over again the gnawing anxieties, the realization of unavoidable sacrifices, and the bright hopes that filled us on D-Day, 1944.
Never, during the two decades that have since passed, have I ceased to render daily and devout thanks to a kindly Providence for permitting us to achieve in eleven months the complete victory that so many believed would require years. In the same way, I have always felt a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude to all who took part in, or who served in a supporting role for, that great Allied venture.
To you, one of my close associates in Overlord, I am impelled to send, once more, a special word of thanks. Your professional skill and selfless dedication to the cause in which we all served will be noted by the histories of those dramatic months, but no historian could possibly be aware of the depth of my obligation to you.” In fine condition, with light handling wear.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, was responsible for planning and overseeing the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. He coordinated the massive amphibious assault on Normandy, which involved over 150,000 troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Allies. Eisenhower’s leadership and decision to launch the invasion despite uncertain weather were pivotal in establishing a Western front against Nazi Germany and turning the tide of World War II.
Provenance: Collection of Major-General Sir Kenneth William Dobson Strong (1900-1982), a senior officer of the British Army who served as Eisenhower’s chief of intelligence at SHAEF. Strong played a leading part in the negotiations of the unconditional German surrender, acting as a translator. Starting Bid $300
“The White House, November 1955”—one of just 120 large service plates ordered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and delivered to the White House
19. Dwight D. Eisenhower White House China Service Plate. Radiant service plate from the official White House china ordered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955. The imposing service plate measures 11.5˝ in diameter and features a gilt presidential seal at center, surrounded by a wide gold rim covered with raised coin gold medallions; the intensive manufacturing process required eight separate firings to acquire the desired finish. Reverse bears the maker’s mark: “Castleton Studios, Made in U.S.A., The White House, November 1955.” This rare and magnificent example is one of just 120 large service plates delivered to the White House in November 1955. In excellent condition. Starting Bid $200
20. John F. Kennedy Signed Photograph. Vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 photo of Kennedy shaking hands during his days in the United States Congress, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To Dr. F. W. Smith, with esteem and every good wish, John Kennedy.” Reverse bears the credit stamp of photographer Marvin Richmond of Worcester, Massachusetts. In very good to fine condition, with moderate signature contrast, and a paperclip impression to the top edge. An outstanding, pre-presidential signed photograph of the Massachusetts politician. Starting Bid $200
Declaration of Independece Notables
96. John Hancock Broadside for the Selection of Massachusetts’ Electors in the First Presidential Election. Scarce and historic broadside issued by John Hancock as governor of Massachusetts, one page, 13.25 x 15.75, November 19, 1788. A resolution for the districting of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and selection of electors in the first presidential election, dividing the Commonwealth into “eight districts for the purpose of choosing eight persons to represent the people… in the Congress of the United States…they shall also give in their votes for two persons…as candidates for an Elector of the President and Vice-President of the United States.” Printed at the conclusion are the names of Samuel Phillips, Theodore Sedgwick, John Hancock, and John Avery. Printed in Boston by Adams & Nourse. In very good condition, with partial splits to intersecting folds (some reinforced on the reverse with archival tape), tattered edges, and foxing to the upper left. Starting Bid $200
97. John Penn Document Signed. Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation as a representative of North Carolina (1741-1781). Revolutionary War-era manuscript DS, signed “J. Penn, Atto,” one page both sides, 9.5 x 15.5, no date [1780]. Land dispute document from the Salisbury district of North Carolina, regarding an allotment of 500 acres that Amos and Mary-Ann Lad, Mathew and Ruth Shaw, and Edward and Rebecca Lovell believe that they are rightfully owed by their uncle, Robert Warnock. Signed at the bottom on the reverse of the second integral page by John Penn, who adds the upper docketing in his own hand, “Amos Ladd & others, vs Robert Warnock, Joseph & John Carmichael.” In very good to fine condition, with some toning and small stains. Starting Bid $200
American Politicians
Handwritten 1788 endorsement from Alexander Hamilton as a practicing New York City lawyer, a year before becoming the first United States Secretary of the Treasury
98. Alexander Hamilton Autograph Endorsement Signed (April 1788). Manuscript DS, signed “A. Hamilton,” one page, 14.25 x 11.5, April 15, 1788. Summary statement between Gerardus Duckink, Jr., and the Murray, Sansom, and Company of London, featuring an account current with a total of £756.10.9. The lower right corner features a handwritten endorsement from Alexander Hamilton as a practicing lawyer in New York City. It reads: “If the Defendant will give a confessor of judgment for the above sum reduced to currency at the now current rate of exchange which is 12 £ above par and will agree that at the time of payment the sum then paid shall be computed according to the then rate of exchange upon the same Sterling sum with interest Mr. Murray will give a stay of execution until July term.” Signed neatly below by Hamilton. In fine condition, with scattered light stains, and archival repairs to the back of some fold splits. Starting Bid $1000
World Leaders and Politicians
Iconic portrait of Churchill at the height of World War II
100. Winston Churchill Signed Photograph - Iconic 1941 Portrait by Walter Stoneman. Vintage matte-finish 4.25 x 5 portrait of Winston Churchill by Walter Stoneman, affixed to its original 5 x 7.5 mount, neatly signed on the mount in fountain pen, “Winston S. Churchill.” Reverse bears Stoneman’s credit stamp. In very good to fine condition, with some light scratches and scuffs to the image.
Walter Stoneman (1876-1958) was the chief photographer for Russell & Sons, a London-based photographic studio. He took numerous portraits of Churchill, several of which are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. This portrait, taken on April 1, 1941, captures the British prime minister at the height of World War II, projecting an image of steadfast resolve during Britain’s darkest hours. The image’s stark lighting, formal pose, and direct gaze emphasize Churchill’s determination and defiance in the face of Nazi aggression—qualities that had already made him an enduring symbol of wartime leadership. Starting Bid $500
Scarce and sought-after
‘Selected Works’ first edition book signed by the ‘Architect of Modern China’
101. Deng Xiaoping Signed Book - Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping (1975-1982). Rare signed book: Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping (1975-1982). First edition. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1984. Softcover, 6 x 8.75, 418 pages. Signed on the front cover in black felt tip by the visionary leader of China. Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG-/None, with edgewear, light creasing to wrappers, and wear to the tail of the spine. A rare signed format from the ‘Architect of Modern China,’ this volume serves as a printed record of Deng Xiaoping’s decisive role in shaping China’s transformation into a global economic power. Starting Bid $1000
“Insurgent Stalin” accedes to his daughter’s playful decree: “I order you to permit me to invite two boys and a girl from my class this weekend”
102. Joseph Stalin Signed Handwritten Order by His Daughter: “I submit myself, Secretary to Svetlanka - insurgent Stalin”. Unique handwritten ‘official order’ from Stalin’s daughter, endorsed at the conclusion in red pencil by the Russian ruler, one page, 4.25 x 6, March 12, 1937. One of Svetlana Stalina’s playful ‘official orders’ to her father, Joseph Stalin, handwritten in Cyrillic in blue and red pencil, with a decorative hand-sketched stamp. In full (translated): “For Secretary Number 1 Mr. Stalin, Decree Number 2, I order you to permit me to invite two boys and a girl from my class this weekend (12/3/37). Insurgent - Svetlanka Stalina.” Below, Joseph Stalin writes: “I submit myself, Secretary to Svetlanka - insurgent Stalin.” Svetlana wrote about these notes to her father in her autobiography, Twenty Letters to a Friend. A humorous and very finely preserved document of Stalin’s private family life, pervaded by the formulae of party bureaucracy. Starting Bid $1000
133. Bechunaland Chiefs and Colonial Administration Archive of (30+) Letters and Documents. Archive of rare documentary materials from British Bechuanaland, a short-lived Crown colony of the United Kingdom that existed in Africa (now a part of present-day South Africa) from 1885 to 1895. The collection comprises over thirty manuscript letters and documents between indigenous chiefs and colonial administrators, pertaining to governance of the colony, various conflicts, trade, firearms, mining, and agriculture. The collection breaks down as follows, largely relating to five different chiefs:
King Khama III: thirteen manuscript letters, eight signed by King Khama, Chief of the Bamangwato, providing a comprehensive account of all matters concerning the governance of Bechuanaland under foreign administration, including tribal conflicts, mining, and trade.
Chief Bathoen I: eight manuscript letters addressing issues of inter-tribal boundary disputes, firearms, liquor trade, cattle sickness and discontentment of revenue management in his country by British legislation. Chief Sechele I: five manuscript letters dealing largely with the governing roles of chiefs within the reforms of the newly established Colony of British Bechuanaland, one featuring Sechele’s rare colonial red wax seal. Multiple Chiefs led by Sekgoma II: three manuscript letters announcing a group of several Botswanan chiefs coming together to confront two others accused of being traitors by granting a concession to one allegedly unscrupulous prospector in Ngamiland. Seleka and Firearms Trade: three documents pertaining to arms and ammunitions importation and trade procedures, and one manuscript letter concerning a murder one of Chief Seleka’s people. In overall very good to fine condition. For a comprehensive description of the archive, visit RRAuction. com. Starting Bid $1000
The Catholic monarchs demand a resolution to a convent’s property dispute Royalty
103. Ferdinand and Isabella Document Signed, Resolving a Convent’s Property Dispute. Manuscript DS in Spanish, signed by Ferdinand, “Yo el Rey [I the King],” and by Isabella, “Yo la Reyna [I the Queen],” one page, 8.5 x 10, April 21, 1498. Decree signed by King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella, the first rulers of dynastically unified Spain, addressed to the prior of the convent of San Benito de Vilha, regarding a dispute over property. The lieutenant Olca de Reynoso had sold a hacienda in Biscaya to one Juan Lopez, but the purchase was contested due to existing rights of the convent to the property. In this document, the monarchs instruct the prior of San Benito to send the titles in his possession so as to resolve the affair through the justice that can be found in them. In fine condition, with a small area of paper loss to the center, slightly affecting a few words of text.
Joint rulers Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, known as the Catholic Monarchs, established the Spanish monarchy, completed the Reconquista, and played a major role in the colonization of the Americas by financing the famous voyages of Christopher Columbus. Starting Bid $1000
Marie Antoinette pays for the maintenance of an apartment’s parquet floors
104. Marie Antoinette Document Signed, Paying for Maintenance of Parquet Floors. Manuscript DS in French, signed “Payez, Marie Antoinette,” one page, 9.5 x 14.5, January 2, 1783. Document addressed to the “Tresorier General,” directing a payment be made to a “frotteur” for the maintenance of a parquet floor. Endorsed at the lower left in ink by Marie Antoinette, and also secretarially signed on her behalf. In fine condition.
There were vast expenditures required for Marie Antoinette to maintain her household and frivolous lifestyle, perhaps best represented by her main project of this year—the construction of a miniature village, the Hameau de la Reine. She spent much of 1783 occupied with the creation of this rustic hamlet, a place of leisure where she could escape from the pressures of royal life. With the public becoming increasingly resentful of her extravagant lifestyle, this period marked the beginning of her downfall. A superb document affiliated with the extravagant spending that led to the queen’s demise. Starting Bid $1000
105. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Signed Photograph. Attractive vintage matte-finish 7.25 x 9.5 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip posing together, bedecked in their royal attire, affixed to its original 8.5 x 11.5 mount, signed on the mount in fountain pen, “Elizabeth R., 1957” and “Philip.” In fine condition. A fabulous, regal portrait of the royal couple. Starting Bid $300
Religious Figures
Incredibly rare baseball signed by Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope— and a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox
106. Pope Leo XIV Single-Signed Baseball - Rare Autographed Format from the Head of the Catholic Church. Official Rawlings Major League (Manfred) baseball signed on a side panel in blue ballpoint by Pope Leo XIV, “Leo PP. XIV.” In very fine condition. A Chicago native, Leo is a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, and was even in attendance at US Cellular Field for Game 1 of the 2005 World Series, which concluded with the White Sox sweeping the Astros in four games, winning their third World Series championship and their first in 88 years. Read more online at www.RRAuction.com. Starting Bid $500
Activists and Social Leaders
Magnificent signed and uninscribed portrait of photo of ‘Montgomery, Alabama’s Rev. Martin Luther King’
107. Martin Luther King, Jr. Signed Photograph - Handsome Portrait of ‘Montgomery, Alabama’s Rev. Martin Luther King’ (PSA NM-MT 8). Exceptional vintage glossy 6.5 x 10 publicity photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. wearing a suit and tie in a handsome half-length pose, signed in blue ballpoint, “Best wishes, Martin Luther King, Jr.” Text to the lower border reads: “Montgomery, Alabama’s Rev. Martin Luther King.” In very good to fine condition, with scattered light creasing. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. earned the formal title of ‘Reverend’ after he was ordained as a Baptist minister on February 25, 1948, at the age of 19, while he was still a student at Morehouse College; his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951 further cemented his clerical standing. In 1954, while studying for his doctorate at Boston University, King was called as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where he served for roughly six years. He resigned in 1959 to concentrate on the civil rights movement and his relocation to Atlanta to direct the activities of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which he had become president of two years earlier. During his time at Dexter Avenue, King rose to national prominence for his role in the successful 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott, the first successful large-scale application of nonviolent resistance, which led to the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. Starting Bid $1000
Scientists and Inventors
109. Marie Curie Twice-Signed Document. Polish-born French physicist (1867–1934), she and her husband Pierre discovered two new elements, polonium and radium, in 1898. In 1911 she won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. She died of leukemia brought about by her work with radioactive material. Manuscript DS in French, signed twice, “Lu et approuvé, M. Curie,” one page both sides, 7 x 10, January 18, 1912. Document pertaining to the lease of a property, signed twice at the conclusion by Marie Curie. In part (translated): “It has been agreed and affirmed...Mr. Prevost...as of this day (January 18, 1912) the lease granted by Mr. Prevost—Madame Curie of the properties at Sceaux, 82 rue de Lycee and 6 rue chemin de fer.” The contract states that a payment of 1800 francs is payable per quarter, and that if the contract is canceled Madame Curie will be obliged to pay Prevost 1100 francs, with further penalties due upon cancellation. In fine condition, with intersecting folds. Starting Bid $500
Darwin double-checks the work of his trusted ally, hoping that “the name of the Trichoptera are correctly spelt”
110. Charles Darwin Autograph Letter Signed to an Editor, Ensuring that “the name of the Trichoptera are correctly spelt”. ALS signed “Ch. Darwin,” one page, 5 x 7.25, personal letterhead, March 12, 1866. Handwritten letter to an editor, in full: “I hope that you will verily oblige me by looking at all the proper names in the enclosed proof of a letter from Fritz Muller to be published in ‘Nature.’ I have no book to look to see whether the name of the Trichoptera are correctly spelt.—I hope that you will agree with me that the case is an interesting one.—Please return the proofs to me, and forgive me for troubling you.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
Fritz Muller was a German biologist and naturalist who had emigrated to Brazil in 1852, and proved to be one of Darwin’s most helpful correspondents. He was an early advocate of Darwinism and published Für Darwin in 1864, which argued that the theory of evolution by natural selection was correct based on his observation that Brazilian crustaceans and their larvae could be affected by adaptations at any growth stage. Impressed with this work, Darwin sponsored the translation and publication of English editions. Darwin released his fourth edition of On the Origin of Species in 1866, and in it incorporated the work of his closest scientific friends, including Muller’s research on crustacean embryology. Muller also had access to a diverse array of flora and fauna given his location in Brazil, and was able to provide Darwin with trusted information on subjects he otherwise had no access to, including detailed diagrams, drawings, specimens, and seeds. Studies of these made their way into several of Darwin’s future works. A remarkable letter associating Darwin with one of his most trusted colleagues. Starting Bid $1000
112. Thomas Edison Document Signed - Annual Report Extract of the Edison Electric Light Company of Europe (1895). DS, signed “Thos. A. Edison,” one page, 8 x 12.75, January 1, 1895. An extract from the annual report of the Edison Electric Light Company of Europe, reporting the value of capital stock at two million dollars and outstanding debts totaling less than $22,000. Signed at the conclusion by Thomas Edison, William S. Perry, and John F. Randolph. and three others. In very good to fine condition, with light toning along the folds, the lower of which has a split that has been repaired on the reverse.
Backed by financiers, including J. P. Morgan and the Vanderbilt family, Edison established the Edison Electric Light Company to own and license his patents in the electric light field. After more than a year of experiments, Edison finally developed a carbon filament that would burn in a vacuum in a glass bulb for forty hours. They demonstrated the light bulb to their backers and by the end of the month were exhibiting the invention to the public. Any document signed by Edison relating to his electric light company is highly sought by collectors. Starting Bid $200
1929 ‘National Air Tour to Ford Airport’ cover signed by Albert Einstein, with associations to Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and ‘Light’s Golden Jubilee’
118. Albert Einstein Signed ‘Light’s Golden Jubilee’ Air Mail CoverPSA NM-MT 8. Uncommon ‘air mail’ envelope with stamped cachet for the “National Air Tour to Ford Airport Oct. 21, 1929,” postmarked at Greenfield, Michigan on October 21, 1929, signed on the reverse in fountain pen, “A. Einstein.” The front of the envelope features an “Edison Celebration Light’s Golden Jubilee” stamp, an affixed 2¢ postage stamp, and ‘golden jubilee’ emblems, the latter of which are also present on the reverse, which also bears an affixed newspaper clipping related to Einstein’s congratulatory radio message to Thomas Edison. In fine condition. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.” On October 21, 1929, Henry Ford hosted Light’s Golden Jubilee, an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Edison’s invention of the incandescent lamp. As part of the evening’s program, guests listened to an account of Edison’s re-enactment of the first successful lighting of his incandescent lamp as it took place in nearby Greenfield Village. Albert Einstein made congratulatory remarks via a radio broadcast from Germany, and Edison shared heartfelt remarks of appreciation. The night concluded with President Hoover formally dedicating The Edison Institute of Technology (Ford’s village and museum complex in Dearborn, Michigan). Starting Bid $500
Concluding his essay on the
‘Essence of the Theory of Relativity,’ Einstein looks toward a unified theory: “The general field laws are not sufficiently determined by the general principle of relativity alone”
114. Albert Einstein Handwritten Draft Paragraph on the Theory of Relativity: “The general field laws are not sufficiently determined by the general principle of relativity alone”. Handwritten draft of a paragraph on relativity by Albert Einstein, penned on 10 x 4.5 envelope panel addressed to him at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, 10 x 4.5, postmarked June 7, 1948. Writing in German, Einstein pens most of the final paragraph of his article, ‘Relativity: Essence of the Theory of Relativity,’ published in 1948 in the American People’s Encyclopedia. The passage is translated into English below in another hand: “while it leads to a well-defined theory of the gravitational field it does not determine sufficiently the theory of the total field (which includes the electromagnetic field). The reason for this is the fact that the general field laws are not sufficiently determined by the general principle of relativity alone.” In fine condition.
Einstein’s theory of relativity—the foundation of modern physics—encompassed his pioneering concepts of special relativity and general relativity, respectively proposed and published in 1905 and 1915. With it came his famed equation, “E = mc2”—the mass-energy relationship—undoubtedly the most well-known equation ever set forth. Nuclear physics had come to the forefront of the public’s attention with the advent of the atomic bomb in World War II, and coherent explanations for the layman were few and far between—hence this essay, prepared for a popular encyclopedia. Concluding the article, he implicitly states why he spent so many of his final years searching for a Unified Field Theory. Starting Bid $1000
Taking pause from calculations in the ‘old quantum theory,’ Einstein drafts a creative poem for his friend and “muse”
113. Albert Einstein Autograph Poem Signed with Quantum Theory Calculations. Unique autograph poem signed, “A. Einstein,” one page both sides, 5.5 x 7.5, no date but circa 1920. Einstein drafts a poem for his friend, Bertha Moszkowski, the wife of writer and satirist Alexander Moszkowski. Beneath the poem, upside down, are various calculations referring to a 1920 publication by Otto Stern on a direct measurement of thermal molecular velocities (Zeitschrift für Physik, Volume 2, 1920, pp. 49-56). These mathematics deal with the distribution of molecular velocities, using the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function. Einstein quotes two results, one labelled “Stern,” and his own result, labelled “richty,” meaning “right.” Einstein had worked with Stern, and in 1913 they had coauthored a paper dealing with the specific heats of gases. Both that paper and the calculations here deal with the branch of physics known as statistical mechanics.
Stern published an addendum to his original work, which was received by the Zeitschrift für Physik on October 22, 1920, and appeared in the same volume (pp. 417-421). In it, he made a correction based on an objection raised by Einstein. The calculations on the manuscript page refer to this objection. Einstein had also corresponded with Max von Laue about this problem in July 1920.
On the reverse are further calculations by Einstein related to the problem of spatial quantization of electron orbits in the ‘old quantum theory.’ Corresponding connections can be found, for example, in Chapter 6, §2 of Arnold Sommerfeld’s ‘Atombau und Spektrallinien,’ 2nd edition, Braunschweig 1921. In the
very last line Einstein writes the Euler-Lagrange equations— a very important and very fundamental set of equations in classical mechanics, learned by every undergraduate physics major—and uses them to determine the equation of motion for the angle psi shown in the diagram (the Greek letter labelling the lower angle).
Einstein’s poem reads, in full (translated): “I’ll take you, O Muse, by the braid. Give some porridge from your pot.
Otherwise (just think!) your friend’s grace will cool. She’s already showing me something like impatience.
So that you’ll be joyfully inclined to this request.
Let your friend be shown to you quickly through the peephole. Whether she’s slender – O Muse – I swear –She goes through the biblical eye of a needle.
And her tongue never rests. And her love is ever watchful. For husband and son and parrot. And the endless row of maids.
You remain silent – O Muse – saving for the community. Of pen-chewing poet friends. Therefore, Bertha Moskowski, with bold flourish, I offer you this as homage.”
In fine condition. Starting Bid $1000
“Albert Einstein, 1933”—significant signed ‘Type I’ portrait of Einstein pictured at Caltech when he first met Robert Oppenheimer
115. Albert Einstein Signed ‘Type I’ Photograph, Pictured During His First Visit to the California Institute of Technology. Vintage glossy 10 x 8 silver gelatin photo of Albert Einstein in a handsome three-quarter-length pose, an image captured during his visit to the California Institute of Technology physics department in early 1931, signed neatly at a later date in black ink, “Albert Einstein, 1933.” In fine condition, with tiny tack holes to the corners, and some light silvering to darker areas of the image. Encapsulated by PSA as an authentic ‘Type I’ photograph.
Einstein served as a researcher and visiting professor at the California Institute of Technology for three winter terms in 1931, 1932, and 1933, the year the offered photograph is dated. This picture of Einstein, however, was taken during his first visit to Caltech in 1931, a trip marked by his formal introduction to a brilliant 27-year-old physicist named Robert Oppenheimer. This is confirmed by Lot 4111, a group photograph of Einstein pictured with numerous Caltech graduate students and faculty, including Oppenheimer and Robert A. Millikan. Einstein is shown wearing the exact same attire of matching striped suit, dark tie, and wing-tipped shirt collar; his tousled hair and visage are likewise identical. Although pictured in 1931, it’s believed that Einstein signed this photograph in 1933 during his final visit to the campus. It was also in 1933 when Einstein decided to escape Europe and settle permanently in the United States, where he assumed a position at Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study.
During his first visit, Caltech’s new Athenaeum was the setting for many dinners to honor the great theoretical physicist. The first, on January 15, 1931, included guests like physicist and Nobel Laureate A. A. Michelson as well as 200 members of the California Institute Associates. Weeks later a second dinner was held and attended by all the astronomers from the Institute and the Mt. Wilson Observatory, a group that included Edwin Hubble and Charles E. St. John, who verified the third prediction of the theory of general relativity. Colleagues from Berkeley also showed, including physical chemist and physicist Richard Tolman’s close friend and co-author G. N. Lewis, who wrote to say he was coming with a friend: ‘I have just accepted an invitation from Oppenheimer to drive me down. Do you think I should take out accident insurance?’
At a farewell luncheon held in his honor on February 24, 1931, Einstein humorously remarked: ‘I want to thank the extraordinary group of scholars in the fields of physics and astronomy who have afforded me glimpses of their work. They have conducted me not only into the world of atoms and crystals, but also to the surface of the sun and into the outermost depths of space. There I saw worlds which are flying away from us with incomprehensible rapidity, in spite of the fact that their inhabitants do not know us well enough to justify any such action.’ Starting Bid $1000
Einstein presents his portrait to his estate’s executor and literary trustee, Otto Nathan
116. Albert Einstein Signed Photograph to Economist and Executor Otto Nathan. Vintage matte-finish 6.75 x 8.25 photo of Albert Einstein hard at work in his study, with bookshelves in the background and papers spread across his desk, signed and inscribed in the lower border in fountain pen, “Der lieben Otto Nathan [To dear Otto Nathan], A. Einstein, 50.” In very good to fine condition, with two faint vertical bends, a tiny corner crease, and a longer diagonal crease to the blank right side of the bottom border. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
Like Einstein, economist Otto Nathan fled Nazi Germany and took a position on the faculty at Princeton University, where his friendship with the genius began. Nathan would serve as the sole executor of Einstein’s estate after the scientist’s death in April 1955, and was designated by Einstein as cotrustee of his literary estate (along with Einstein’s secretary Helen Dukas).
After Einstein’s death, Nathan and Dukas spent 25 years organizing his papers and collecting supplementary material from around the world. They planned for all of Einstein’s papers— personal and scientific—to eventually be published, and in 1971 Princeton University Press undertook the massive publishing effort.
The photographer of this portrait was likely Hermann Landshoff, also a German-Jewish émigré who settled in the United States in the 1930s. He visited Einstein several times in the 1940s and early 1950s, capturing several images of the genius in quiet moments at his home or Princeton study.
Originally from the estate of Margaret Sanders Adams, the daughter of KFC founder Col. Harland Sanders; notably, she received several photographs from Einstein’s executor Otto Nathan to use as reference material for her creation of a bust of Einstein. Starting Bid $1000
Sought-after ticket for the 1933 “Professor Einstein Meeting” at the Royal Albert Hall—his last public appearance in Europe
117. Albert Einstein: 1933 Royal Albert Hall Ticket Stub - His Last Public Appearance in Europe. Desirable original 3.5 x 3 ticket stub for the “Professor Einstein Meeting” held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on October 3, 1933, marked “T 1291 Balcony.” Held just a few months after the Nazis’ rise to power in Germany, this was Albert Einstein’s last public appearance before leaving Europe. In the address, he spoke on the subjects of academic freedom and the dangers faced by the intelligentsia under the new regime in Germany. Other speakers at the meeting were physicist and Nobel Prize winner Lord Ernest Rutherford; leading anti-Nazi politician and Nobel Prize winner Sir Joseph Austen Chamberlain; preacher and suffragist Dr. Maude Royden; and leading economist and social reformer Sir William Beveridge. In fine condition, with one cancelation punch toward the bottom.
In Einstein’s important Royal Albert Hall speech, he presciently observed the looming crisis in Europe, posing the question: ‘How can we save mankind and its spiritual acquisitions of which we are the heirs and how can one save Europe from a new disaster?’ He continued with a moving declaration of human rights in the intellectual space, citing these freedoms as the foundation of modern life: ‘If we want to resist the powers which threaten to suppress intellectual and individual freedom we must keep clearly before us what is at stake, and what we owe to that freedom which our ancestors have won for us after hard struggles. Without such freedom there would have been no Shakespeare, no Goethe, no Newton, no Faraday, no Pasteur and no Lister. There would be no comfortable houses for the mass of people, no railway, no wireless, no protection against epidemics, no cheap books, no culture and no enjoyment of art at all. There would be no machines to relieve the people from the arduous labor needed for the production of the essential necessities of life. Most people would lead a dull life of slavery just as under the ancient despotisms of Asia. It is only men who are free, who create the inventions and intellectual works which to us moderns make life worth while.’
Four days later, Albert Einstein sailed to New York from Southampton to start a new job at Princeton University, originally planning to be away for only six months. He was never to return to Europe again. Starting Bid $500
“You can tell at first glance that they weren’t chosen like presidents!”
119. Albert Einstein Autograph Note Signed: “You can tell at first glance that they weren’t chosen like presidents!” - PSA MINT 9. ANS in German, signed “A. Einstein,” one page on a 3.5 x 2.5 card, January 12, 1954. Einstein writes to “Herr Igersheimer,” thanks his correspondent for an unknown ancestral gallery, adding (translated): “You can tell at first glance that they weren’t chosen like presidents!” In fine to very fine condition, with Einstein’s handwriting remaining exceptionally bold. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.”
The recipient of this note is presumably Joseph Igersheimer (1879-1965), a German ophthalmologist known for his pioneering work on the treatment of syphilis. In 1933, Igersheimer’s Jewish ancestry led to his exile from Nazi Germany. Einstein took an active role in securing him a position in Turkey: he wrote to the Turkish prime minister in September 1933, requesting that forty professors and doctors (including Igersheimer) be permitted to practice in the country as German laws increasingly prohibited Jews from continuing their scientific and medical work. Between 1933 and 1939, Joseph Igersheimer was the architect of modern ophthalmology in Turkey; he then immigrated to the United States, joining the faculty of Tufts University School of Medicine.
Igersheimer was one of many German Jews to benefit from Einstein’s name and influence. Einstein is credited with saving hundreds of lives as an ardent advocate for Jews seeking to escape Hitler’s reach and find asylum elsewhere—he even joked that he ran an ‘immigration office.’ He frequently made visa applications for other German Jews, personally vouched for refugees fleeing Nazi rule, solicited philanthropic support from fellow celebrities, and aided in securing employment for refugees around the world. Starting Bid $500
Summering on Watch Hill, Rhode Island, Einstein declines to accept an inquisitive visitor
120. Albert Einstein Typed Letter Signed - PSA GEM MINT 10. TLS in German, signed “A. Einstein,” one page, 8.5 x 11, July 23, 1934. Letter to Theodore Menzel, a German national and American resident who had initiated a correspondence with the theoretical physicist in late November 1933. Einstein, newly settled in America, replies to Menzel’s polite request to visit at his summer home in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Menzel, himself a scientist of some ilk, sought to pose to Einstein technical questions related to his own research in the high deserts of Death Valley. Einstein’s letter, in full (translated): “It may well be quite inconvenient for you to visit me here in Watch Hill. I will be happy to also answer your questions in writing, as far as I can.” In very good to fine condition, with some light soiling, binder dings to edges, and two file holes to the left edge. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “GEM MT 10.” Accompanied by Menzel’s retained copy of his July 20th letter to Einstein, with full translation. Starting Bid $1000
126. Nikola Tesla Signature. Vintage ink signature, “Nikola Tesla,” on an off-white 3.5 x 2.5 card. In fine condition, with light corner toning affecting only appearance. A beautiful full signature of the great innovator. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.” Starting Bid $500
Oppenheimer extends thanks to his New Hampshire hosts mere
days
after his historic 1955 Visiting Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy
125. Robert Oppenheimer Autograph Letter Signed After His Visiting Fellowship at Phillips Exeter Academy (1955)PSA MINT 9. ALS, one page, 5.5 x 6.5, The Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, New Jersey) letterhead, November 30, 1955. Handwritten letter to the wife of educator Ransom Lynch of Exeter, New Hampshire, in full: “This is a bread & butter letter to thank you de tout couer for the delights of your home, for the warmth and spirit, for the talk and food and wood smoke, and much more besides. My very best to Mr. Lynch and to you, & hasta luegito.” In fine condition. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.” Accompanied by the original handaddressed mailing envelope. The recipient’s husband, Ransom Van Brunt Lynch (1915-2006), was a prestigious mathematics instructor who taught at Phillips Exeter Academy in 1939 and continued to do so for over 40 years.
In a letter dated March 11, 1955, roughly a year after Robert Oppenheimer’s security clearance was officially revoked by the Atomic Energy Commission, William Saltonstall, the president of Phillips Exeter Academy, extended a formal invitation to the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ with the request: ‘Is it possible that you would be able to come to Exeter sometime this spring as the first Visiting Fellow?’ On November 16, 1955, Oppenheimer arrived at Exeter and, as this letter suggests, stayed with the Lynches during his week in New Hampshire. Starting Bid $300
Intellectuals
“The reviewer has the malicious audacity to claim that I deliberately imitated Kant’s style to play a joke on the public!”
127. Johann Gottlieb Fichte Autograph
Letter Signed on a Philosophical Mixup: “The reviewer has the malicious audacity to claim that I deliberately imitated Kant’s style to play a joke on the public!”. German philosopher (1762-1814) whose work forms a bridge between the ideas of Kant and Hegel. ALS in German, signed “J. G. Fichte,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 7.5 x 8.75, March 28, 1793. Lengthy handwritten letter to Gottlieb Hufeland, professor of law in Jena and one of the editors of ‘Allgemeine Literaturzeitung,’ who asked Fichte for cooperation. The main portion of the letter concerns Fichte’s 1792 script ‘Vermerk einer Kritik aller Offenbarung,’ which had been mistakenly issued without the author’s name and was thus attributed to Kant. During the literary controversies that followed, Hufeland had taken Fichte’s side.
In part (translated): “No thanks for your courageous and, to me, infinitely honorable defense of my work against the spiteful attack of the anonymous correspondent in the Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek! You did what you recognized as right, noble man—may your heart reward you! But what must you now feel in the face of the new, raging attack from the reviewer…
It pains me, deeply pains me, to be the innocent cause of a literary feud carried out in such a tone. The entirely innocent cause—I had attached my name and a modest preface to the work, which my publisher omitted at first… And now the reviewer has the malicious audacity to claim that I deliberately imitated Kant’s style to play a joke on the public! Should one not best answer such insolence with silent contempt? That is my resolution.
The honor of everyone involved in this matter will, I believe, depend on whether I can uphold my theory or not. The reviewer’s objections are all based on a blatant distortion of my deduction of the concept of revelation, which he presents as objectively valid, in order to place me in the most obvious contradiction with the subsequent claim that no proof for the reality of revelation can be provided.
A few more contributions to the history of this flattering—yet so enraging to my opponents—confusion: A man who ought to know what is Kantian, if anyone does said long before my manuscript was printed that he foresaw the possibility of such a confusion. One of our most renowned theologians writes to me that he too attributed the work to Kant… Kant himself, in a letter to me, called both the work and its review in the Allgemeine Litteraturzeitung thorough; and it was certainly not his intention to harm either the then-unknown reviewer or me by revealing my name, as the reviewer maliciously insinuates.” In fine condition, with slight show-through from handwriting to opposite sides. Starting Bid $500
Freud writes to a fellow Austrian psychoanalyst, an early supporter and emissary to the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society
128. Sigmund Freud Typed Letter Signed - PSA NM-MT
8. TLS in German, signed “Freud,” one page, 6 x 4, personal letterhead, October 27, 1924. Brief letter to Austrian psychoanalyst Paul Federn, in full (translated): “With this letter I ask you to bring all your opinions on the attached letter during the General Committee.” In fine condition, with old tape stains to the front and back of the top edge. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.” Federn became one of Freud’s earliest followers and most ardent supporters after reading his Interpretation of Dreams. After Freud was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw in 1923, he underwent surgery that deprived him of speech for weeks. Federn was appointed as his official representative, speaking at meetings of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society on the great psychoanalyst’s behalf along with Anna Freud. A desirable letter closely associated with Freud’s work, highlighted by its bold, crisp signature. Starting Bid $300
Explorers and Archaeologists
Historical signature set of 16 explorers from the incredible Nimrod Expedition of 1907–1909, highlighted by legendary adventurer Ernest Shackleton
130. Nimrod Expedition: Ernest Shackleton and Shore Party (16) Signatures. Outstanding set of 16 ink signatures from the shore party of the historic Nimrod Expedition of 1907–1909, otherwise known as the British Antarctic Expedition, which was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton. The signatures are on two off-white 8.5 x 10.75 sheets of illustrated letterhead emblazoned with the emblem for “The British Antarctic Expedition, 1907 / 1909.” The first sheet is signed by the following: Ernest Shackleton (expedition leader), Jameson Boyd Adams (second in command/meteorologist), Eric Marshall (physician/cartographer/ photographer), James Murray (biologist), Raymond Priestley (geologist), Philip Brocklehurst (assistant geologist), Bertram Armytage (pony handler), William Roberts (cook/assistant zoologist), George Marston (artist), Alistair Mackay (physician), Frank Wild (provisions), Ernest Joyce (general stores/zoological collections), Aeneas Mackintosh, (second officer), and Bernard Day (electrician/mechanic). The second sheet bears the signatures of Edgeworth David (director of scientific staff/geologist) and Douglas Mawson (geologist). In fine condition, with scattered light foxing and small stains. Starting Bid $200
Extraordinary 1899 Peary Relief Expedition album with over
150 original photographs documenting
Robert E. Peary’s first official attempt at the North Pole, with stunning scenes of arctic landscapes, Inuit natives, and numerous crewmembers, including pioneering African-American explorer Matthew Henson
129. 1899 Peary Relief Expedition Photograph Archive (175) with Incredible Arctic Imagery and Rare Photos of Robert E. Peary and Matthew Henson. Remarkable photograph album from the 1899 Peary Relief Expedition, containing a total of 175 silver print photographs, ranging in size from 3 x 2 to 6.5 x 4.75, mounted on 52 album leaves, a handful of which bear ink captions made by a member of the expedition steamer Diana, which sailed for Greenland in July 1899 laden with ample provisions to support Robert Peary’s third Arctic expedition. The Diana made stops at Sydney, Nova Scotia, and the larger settlements at Disko Bay and Upernavik, Greenland, before reaching Peary’s base at Etah in northern Greenland. The folio album, 10.25 x 7.25, contains a wealth of photographs that bring the Greenland excursion into vivid, dramatic life. This includes Arctic scenery like glaciers, fjords, and icebergs; groups of Inuit at work or with their children; sled dogs and shots of the Diana and its crew; and several walrus carcasses.
Of the few photographs captioned, one of them depicts Matthew Henson, Peary’s longtime colleague and the most notable Black Arctic explorer, who was with Peary in their still-controversial 1909 dash to the North Pole. Henson is seen wearing his furs on the ice as he prepares to enter an open rowboat. Peary is named in one caption and pictured standing outside his Etah headquarters with the expedition’s physician, T. F. Diedrich. Another group photo shows Peary, Henson, and Diedrich posing with more than 30 Inuit.
Two photographs near the end show the Diana and its expedition members in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on July 20, 1899, with appended captions and photographer credits. The photographer is not credited for the other photographs, but they were likely taken by the relief expedition member who compiled the album, who is believed to be Frank Caspar Hinckley (1874-1935) of Bangor, Maine, who is named in the captions of photos from both expeditions in the rear of this volume. An
1896 graduate of Harvard, Hinckley was part of a 1898 United States Geological Expedition to the southern coast of Alaska, and then spent the summer of 1899 as part of the Peary Relief Expedition in Greenland. Newspaper reports name him as part of the relief expedition’s ‘Sportsmen’s Party.’ He spent the remainder of his life as a woodsman, mapping and exploring timberlands from Maine to Labrador, and then establishing parks and campgrounds in northern Maine.
Photographs at the album’s close are captioned from a different expedition to Alaska, with one example dated August 18th [1898]. Photos show four named men in a canoe, the harbor at Skagway, and a party of Alaskan Natives in a canoe on the Yentna River near the southern Alaska coast. Another group of 10 uncaptioned photos near the end, printed on a different stock from the other Peary Relief photos, may also date from this Alaska expedition. In overall fine condition, with a tear to the spine of the photo album.
Between 1886 and 1909, the Peary Arctic Club, led by U.S. Navy engineer Robert Peary, organized eight expeditions to the Arctic. In 1891-1892 and 1893-95, he crossed the Greenland ice cap and learned Inuit survival techniques. He next sought to retrieve an ancient meteorite in 1896 and 1897. In 1898-1902, he made his first attempts to reach the North Pole aboard the Windward. On that journey, Peary returned from a threemonth sledging trip with severely frostbitten feet that resulted in eight of his toes being amputated, a handicap that would plague him for the rest of his career. Despite Peary’s injury, the expedition resulted in the discovery of the northernmost point on mainland Greenland at Cape Morris Jesup. In 1906, he made swift progress at first, but then open water and a gale forced him to turn back short of the Pole, at 87°06’N. Finally, by Peary’s account, he reached the North Pole in April 1909 with his longstanding companion, Matthew Henson, and four natives. Starting Bid $1000
Historical document and letter archive from Robert Henry Nelson, a lead officer of Henry Morton
Stanley’s
notorious Emin Pasha Relief Expedition
131. Henry M. Stanley: Robert Henry Nelson Letter and Document Archive for the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. Archive of explorer Robert Henry Nelson and his role as a pivotal member of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition led by Henry Morton Stanley between 1887 and 1889. An officer of the British Army, Nelson was brought on as one of Stanley’s trusted advance column, a lead group of nearly 700 men who traveled with Stanley to Equatoria (part of modern-day South Sudan) to rescue its besieged governor, Emin Pasha, from an onslaught of Mahdist forces. The men navigated up the Congo River and then through the Ituri rainforest to reach East Africa. The expedition was arduous, and in October 1887, Captain Nelson became ill and was left behind with 52 others in a camp near the Aruwimi River that was later coined ‘Starvation Fort.’ When the explorers finally returned to the camp, Nelson was one of only five men left alive. He recovered, resumed his part in the expedition, and returned to England in February 1890.
The archive, which details Nelson’s initial involvement and determination to join Stanley on his expedition, is highlighted by a one-page LS from Stanley to Nelson, signed “Henry M. Stanley,” dated February 28, 1890, penned on Villa Victoria (Marini, Cairo) letterhead, offering his gartutude and congratulations on a job well done: “I hope Yorkshire will do the utmost to show its appreciation of your grand work in Africa, of your steady devotion to the interests of the Expedition and of your strong, sturdy British manliness of character, which even many days before we arrived on the Congo, so won my heart.”
Other noteworthy pieces include:
An undated partial letterpress copy of a Stanley’s handwritten letter of recommendation for Nelson, two pages, 8.25 x 13.25, no date (post 1889). In the letter, Stanley lauds the efforts and determination of Nelson during the Emin Pasha expedition before using an anecdote to illustrate “to what a pitch of devotion, a highly honourable man can carry his ideas of duty.” In part: “No position was worse calculated to inspire courage and virtue of endurance than the unhappy one to which Captain Nelson was by force of adverse circumstances compelled to fill on October 5th 1887. There were 52 men most woefully smitten with disease of all kinds, and there was not…provisions to be obtained in the neighborhood. The outlook was of the gloomiest kind. Close to them roared several cataracts and rapids of two narrow rivers precipitated into a deep gorge. Woods of the darkest foliage clothed the slopes ascending to heights of 100 feet above them. We left them with a promise that as soon as food could be procured, we should send some to them…the Expedition on the 12th day stumbled across an Arab settlement. Despite every effort, no relief party could be send for nine days more, and then on the 30th after 25 days absent…[we] found Captain Nelson still in the camp with the dead, and only 5 left out of the 52. Those who had not died fled or
became lost…Captain Nelson had remained at his post. For a year the privations he had endured during those terrible 25 days entirely incapacitated him from duty.”
Nelson’s handwritten “Contract of Engagement for Emin Pacha Relief Expedition,” one page, both sides, 8.25 x 13, January 11, 1887, signed at the conclusion by Henry, who signs on behalf of Stanley on the first page. The contract reads, in part: “I, Robert Henry Nelso, agree to accompany the Emin Pacha Relief Expedition and to place myself under the command of Mr. H. M. Stanley, the leader of the expedition, and to accept any post or position in that expedition to which he may appoint me.”
Two Post Office Telegraphs sent by Stanley to Nelson, dated January 3 and 10, 1887, both requesting that Nelson visit him at his earliest convenience.
An ALS from Major-General Francis Walter de Winton, sent to Nelson on January 14, 1887, one week before the expedition departed London. It reads: “You will be expected to embark per S.S. Navarino on the 21st inst and if you will call here on the 20th you will find your passage ticket ready…your berth has been secured.”
Two nearly identical letters of recommendation penned by Nelson on behalf of Stanley, both dated May 9, 1891, and directed to Sir William Mackinnon, 1st Baronet, the main financier of the relief expedition, imploring the latter to place Nelson in worthy employment, namely “a berth in the Police, or in charge of an inland Station in the East African Company.” Nelson signs for Stanley at the conclusion of both letters. Accompanying these letters is an employment acceptance letter sent to Nelson by the Imperial British East Africa Company on January 22, 1892. The balance of the archive contains additional letters of certification and recommendation written on behalf of Nelson and by Nelson. In overall fine condition.
While successful from the standpoint of Pasha’s retrieval, the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition ultimately dealt a devastating blow to the legacy of Henry Morton Stanley, who initially earned tremendous public praise following his return to Europe in May 1890. The acclaim, however, was short-lived. The cost of the journey (roughly two-thirds of the expedition did not return) and stories of cruelty and brutality soon emerged, including the horrific events of the expedition’s rear column led by Edmund Musgrave Barttelot and James Sligo Jameson. The former, whose deranged behavior resulted in a native shooting him dead, has often been identified as one of the sources for the character of Kurtz in Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novel Heart of Darkness. A rare, firsthand record of one of the last large-scale expeditions from the ‘Scramble for Africa.’ Starting Bid $200
American West
Mint autograph of Alamo defender and legendary knife fighter Jim Bowie
134. James Bowie Signature - The Famed Knife Fighter and Alamo Defender - PSA MINT 9. Legendary American pioneer and soldier (1796-1836) who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution and perished at the Battle of the Alamo; Bowie was renowned for his prowess with a long knife, leading to the widespread popularity of the so-called ‘Bowie knife.’ Bold ink signature, “James Bowie,” on an off-white 3.5 x 1 slip clipped from a document. In fine condition. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.”
James Bowie was a legendary figure of the American Old West, best known for his fearless reputation and deadly skill with the knife that now bears his name. His fame was cemented by the Sandbar Fight of 1827, a violent duel-turnedbrawl on a Mississippi riverbank that left Bowie seriously wounded but victorious, his enemy—Sheriff Norris Wright of Rapides Parish—slain by his blade. This brutal encounter made him a folk hero and symbol of frontier toughness. Later, Bowie played a significant role in the Texas Revolution and died heroically as a defender of the Alamo in 1836. Today, his autograph stands among the rarest of Old West icons. Starting Bid $1000
“This is a true sketch of his hand writing”— Davy Crockett’s son, a fellow hero of the Texas Revolution, sends his father’s signature
135. David Crockett Signature, Certified by His Son. Famed frontiersman, politician, and folk hero (1786–1836) who became famous for his shrewd and humorous speeches; he was killed at the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Sought-after ink signature, “Attest, David Crockett,” on an off-white 5.5 x 1.75 slip clipped from an 1833 bill of sale. In very good to fine condition, with light soiling and uneven edges. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
Accompanied by an ALS by his son Robert Patton Crockett, signed “R. P. Crockett,” one page, 8 x 6.75, November 7, 1873, in full: “In compliance with your request I here inclose you my Father’s signature cut from an old bill of sale written in the year 1833 this is a true sketch of his hand writing.” Shortly after Davy Crockett was killed at the Alamo, his son Richard left his home in Tennessee, went to Texas, and joined the revolution, remaining in the service until independence had been secured. A remarkable, highly desirable early American autograph, enhanced by its familial provenance. Starting Bid $1000
“Dear Sister Nellie, will be along some of these days, Brother Bat”—supremely rare twice-signed photograph of legendary Old West lawman Bat Masterson
136. Bat Masterson Twice-Signed Photograph - “Will be along some of these days, Brother Bat” - Exceedingly Rare Portrait of the Dodge City Lawman. Exceedingly rare vintage 5.5 x 3.5 postcard photograph depicting Bat Masterson seated with two of his friends, William Allan Pinkerton and Sidney Burns, at Hot Air Mine in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in March of 1911, signed and inscribed on the reverse in bold ink, “Dear Sister Nellie, will be along some of these days, Brother Bat,” who writes the names of the picture’s subjects above, which includes his signature, “Left to right, Sidney Burns & Wm. A. Pinkerton, In the middle and lower right, W. B. Masterson.” In very good to fine condition, with creasing to the image side, and slightly irregular toning to the signed side. Masterson remains rare all across autographic formats, with this signed photograph, our very first of the storied Dodge City lawman, elevated furthermore by its familial inscription, dual signatures, and ample, bold handwriting. A marvelous Old West offering and an opportunity not to be missed. Starting Bid $1000
137. California Gold Rush: John Sutter Signature - PSA NM-MT 8. Californian pioneer (1803–1880) known for his association with the Gold Rush as the owner of Sutter’s Mill, where gold was first discovered by James W. Marshall. Large ink signature, “J. A. Sutter,” on a light blue 7.5 x 3.75 lightly-lined slip clipped from the close of a letter. Affixed at the top edge to a slightly larger slip. In fine condition, with light intersecting folds. A bold, prominent example. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.” Starting Bid $200
138. Bill Tilghman Signed ‘Oklahoma Territory’ Document (1897). Famed lawman and gunfighter (1854–1924) who began his career as a deputy under Bat Masterson. Partly-printed DS, signed “Wm. Tilghman,” one page both sides, 8.25 x 7, March 10, 1897. An ‘attachment for contempt’ summons document from the Territory of Oklahoma, “Logan County, First District,” issued to the “U. S. Marshal of said Territory,” to detain and bring “P. J. Heilman…before the Judge of the US District Court of Logan County, now in session to answer for a Contempt of said Court.” Signed on the reverse in black ink by Bill Tilghman as deputy, and countersigned by U. S. Marshal Patrick S. Nagle, who fills out sections of the upper field in his own hand. The front of the document is filled out in red ink by a Logan County clerk. In fine condition, with light staining to the signature panel. Starting Bid $200
Fascinating archive of Morris ‘Mickey’ Rosner—underworld emissary to Charles and Anne Lindbergh—featuring letters, telegrams, and manuscript material on the infamous 1932 kidnapping case
139. Lindbergh Kidnapping: Morris ‘Mickey’ Rosner Archive of (30+) Letters and Personal Papers from the Lindberghs’ Underworld Intermediary. Archive of letters and personal papers from the collection of Morris ‘Mickey’ Rosner, a small-time New York bootlegger hired by Charles and Anne Lindbergh to leverage his underworld connections to gather intelligence on the kidnapping of their infant son, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., who was taken from the couple’s home on March 1, 1932; his lifeless body was found two months later on May 12, 1932. The archive is contained in a large scrapbook album, 12.75 x 15, and is highlighted by sundry letters and telegrams sent to Rosner and the Lindberghs offering clues and support on the case, many of which were mailed by anonymous sources. Examples include (grammar and spelling retained):
Letter to Anne Morrow Lindbergh, postmarked March 8, 1932: “I am a very good friend of yours the one that was about the kidnaping and was where it is is your maid and your Butler they no where the baby is held they no all about it that it was going to be kidnaped they got money for the job.”
Letter from “The White Wolf” to Charles Lindbergh, postmarked March 15, 1932: “Please do not call this a tip off. If you will let Morris Rosnor have his way you will find your baby for he is the brains of this great crime. He is seeking money and praise and a big job.”
Telegram from Captain Don Wilkie, former US Secret Service, to the Lindberghs, March 5, 1932: “To date I have maintained silence due to conviction that speedy return of your son would be affected and because I understand the strain under which you both are attempting to do some straight thinking. But now on behalf of my father, Honorable John E. Wilkie, former chief for sixteen years of the United States Secret Service, and myself, I offer our experience, personal interest, and farflung connections if by the slightest chance your intimate knowledge of the exact situation there indicates we might possibly be of aid.”
Letter from “Mrs H,” sent to Rosner, postmarked March 11,
1932: “Of all the Germans in my house 3 were bad in some ways. But two are in Germany again. The enclosed is from one who mixes in the so-called underworld also with residents of Harlem. Believe he came in through Canada on questionable basis through that lawyer Goldsmith.”
Lengthy anonymous typed letter, no date, which reads: “A year ago this coming May Gleason and I were over in the Hudson County Penitentiary at Snake Hill. Gleason suggested that it might be a good idea to kidnap the Lindbergh baby. On July 30, 1931, I was released from the Hudson County Penitentiary, and after my release from there, I made arrangements to go and see a woman that Gleason and I had talked about…She was the one we had agreed upon to take care of the Lindbergh baby…At that time it was agreed that we would keep the child in one of two places, either Newark or Greenville, a suburb of Jersey City. We picked out the house we were going to use at either one of these places, and I could quite easily take you to either one of them.”
The archive also contains handwritten copies of the ransom notes, several more telegrams related to the Lindberghs’ efforts to contact the kidnappers, various newspaper clippings, and a TLS from New Jersey Governor Harold G. Hoffman, sent to Rosner on April 6, 1936: “I am sure you realize just what I have been ‘up against’ in an attempt to see that the full justice was done in the Lindbergh matter. Instead of cooperating, the police have thrown every possible obstacle in the way of a fair investigation.”
Also of note are several letters unrelated to the Lindbergh but sent to Rosner by notable figures of the day, including a TLS from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, three TLSs from MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer, and a TLS from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, dated November 13, 1963, nine days before JFK’s assassination; includes two other RFK letters signed in autopen or by a secretary. All of the archival material is adhered to scrapbook sheets. In overall fine condition. Starting Bid $1000
Notorious Figures
“Crime: Murder”—rare original Detective Bureau ID card for McKinley assassin Leon Czolgosz, issued by the police department of Buffalo, New York
140. McKinley Assassination: Leon Czolgosz ‘Detective Bureau’ Buffalo Police Department Identification Card (ca. 1901). American wireworker and anarchist (1873-1901) who shot President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. McKinley died on September 14 after his wound became infected. Caught in the act, Czolgosz was tried, convicted, and executed by the State of New York seven weeks later on October 29, 1901. Partly-printed document, one page, 4.75 x 3.25, no date [late September-early October 1901]. Detective Bureau identification card from the Police Department of Buffalo, New York, No. 11273, containing the Bertillon measurements, physical traits, and personal details of Leon Czolgosz, the convicted assassin of President William McKinley. The right side is filled out in a clerical hand and lists fields like name (“Leon F. Czolgosz”), alias (“Fred Nieman”), age (“28”), crime (“murder”), and date of arrest (“Sept. 6, 1901”). The lower right corner bears what may be an original black ink signature of McKinley’s assassin, although this cannot be authenticated due to a lack of accepted comparables. In fine condition, with a few small stains. Accompanied by a period glossy 4.75 x 3 mugshot photo of Czolgosz after his arrest. Starting Bid $500
Military
238. Marquis de Lafayette Autograph Letter Signed. ALS in French, signed “Lafayette,” one page, 6.25 x 8.25, April 10, [no year]. Handwritten letter by Lafayette to Madame Armande Roland, addressed on the integral leaf in his own hand. In full (translated): “I have to thank twice Mrs. Armand Rolland [a well-known novelist] for the pleasure that I’ve had of her kindness to think about me, and the feelings that she is so kind to show towards me will always make me very grateful and I ask her to accept the expression of my respectful friendship.” In very good to fine condition, with overall creasing, and seal-related paper loss to the integral address leaf. Starting Bid $200
239. Marquis de Lafayette Letter Signed. LS in French, signed “Lafayette,” one page, 7.25 x 9, July 13, 1831. Letter signed by Lafayette to Madame Armande Roland, addressed on the integral leaf in another hand. In part (translated): “I’m very touched, Madame, of the good and a generous letter that you sent me. And I ask you to please believe that I attach much value to your support, and for the kind expressions of it. Here I am again in the legislative career for another session that may turn out to be very important for Liberty, as well as for the honor and the well-being of France.” In very good to fine condition, with a few stains, overall creasing, and seal-related paper loss to the integral address leaf. Starting Bid $200
“In Camp near the Battle Field of Sept. 17th”— incredibly detailed handwritten letter from a survivor of Antietam—“There was about three thousand of the enemy dead on that part of the field through which we passed, so you can imagine what a sight it must have been. I cannot describe it”
240. Battle of Antietam: Lyman Nicholas Handwritten ‘Battlefield’ Letter - “The enemy’s sharp shooters picked our men off like sheep”. Remarkable Civil War-dated ALS from Union soldier Lyman Nicholas of the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, Battery D, describing the harrowing events of the Battle of Antietam, four pages, 7.25 x 9.25, September 21, 1862. Handwritten letter to his wife, addressed “In Camp near the Battle Field of Sept. 17th,” in full: “I have not received a letter from you in a long time, although I expect there is letters due me that I have not received, as we have not received any mail for some time.
Marilla, since I wrote you last, we have seen some pretty warm work and I have made some narrow escapes, but God has seen fit to bring me safely through. The battle of the 17th was one of the severest contests that has been fought since the breaking out of the rebellion. You have probably seen an account of it in the paper. The battle commenced Tuesday night and lasted about two hours, when we laid down to rest. We were awakened in the morning by shell and grape be thrown into our midst. We were ordered forward to get into position when we sent them our compliments, in the shape of shell which they did not seem to relish, when we were ordered to fall back again, where we lay under the enemy’s fire for three hours.
About 11 o’clock we were again sent forward on the extreme left to support some Infantry. We came in battery near the enemy’s line when we poured into them canister and shell. The enemy’s sharp shooters picked our men off like sheep. We lost 18 men killed and wounded (about the same as we lost at Bull Run). They took all the horses off of one piece, and if it had not been for the Infantry, we should have lost the piece. They hauled it off by hand, our men helping them. We were forced to fall back to our old position, and it was doubtful which way the battle was going. We opened 36 pieces of Artillery upon them and drove them back. It was the most terrific cannonading that we ever heard of. You cannot imagine how severe it was. The fight lasted until after sun down, repulsing the enemy and getting repulsed, but the setting sun found us victorious, and we held the ground the enemy occupied in the morning.
When we went forward in the morning to support the Infantry, we had to haul the dead and wounded from under the wheels between the enemy and our own men. I tell you it was an awful sight to hear the dying calling on you for water and pleading with you to help them. I ran a narrow escape. A shell struck the carriage which I was on. I was
leaning against the wheel and a shot struck it on the opposite side, and if it had not been for the tire, it must have killed me instantly, but the wretches ain’t fetched me yet.
We lay on the battle field that night, and the next morning a flag of truce from the enemy was sent into our lines to bury their dead, and we lay all day without firing a gun and that night. Friday morning we again prepared for action and expected to see another terrible battle. But the news came in that the enemy, instead of burying the dead had been preparing to skedaddle the day before and during Thursday night had left. We prepared to follow them up, and they had warm work crossing the river. Burnside laid them out in heaps, but they succeeded in crossing, but with a great loss of life on the enemy’s side.
We marched over the battle ground and it was a horrible sight, to see the dead piled up in heaps, some with their heads blown off with a shell, and some with their bodies blown away leaving nothing but their heads and legs. They had begun to smell, and such a stench has went up from the field was awful. There was about three thousand of the enemy dead on that part of the field through which we passed, so you can imagine what a sight it must have been. I cannot describe it. It is estimated that the enemy lost 25 thousand that day. Our Division was cut all to pieces. It numbers only 1,300 men now, and when we started from Fredericksburg, it was the largest Division in the service, numbering about 10,000 men. We have been in the front in every battle and are now in the rear.
I must close, if I live to get home, which I hope will not be a great while, I will give all the particulars of our fights and marches. We can man only four guns now. We have turned over two guns to the Government on account of men and horses. Our Captain has been promoted to Chief of Artillery in the Corps on Doubleday’s Staff which pleases me mightily, and Lieut. Gladding is our Captain. The boys are getting rested, and trusting in God, we’re ready to meet them again in any spot or place. No more paper. Tell the children keep up good courage, for I hope to meet them soon. I want you all to write. Give my love to all. You must make this out the best you can as my pen is a very poor one. God bless you all.” At the top of the first page, Nicholas signs again, “Your aff. husband, Lyman. Send this letter to mother.” In very good to fine condition, with scattered stains, and minor paper loss along the intersecting folds. Accompanied by Nicholas’s official discharge papers from the United States Army, dated September 3, 1864, due to “expiration of term of services.” Starting Bid $200
“The bullet passed through the wall of the house and stuck in the back of this book; in the battle of P. Hill”
241. Civil War: Bullet-Damaged Book with Bullet Fragment from the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Bullet-damaged book and bullet fragment from the Battle of Pleasant Hill on April 9, 1864. The hardcover book, 5˝ x 7.25˝, entitled ‘The New Pastoral. By Thomas Buchanan Read,’ bears a damaged spine that was struck by a stray bullet. The inner pastedown features a period handwritten statement: “The bullet passed through the wall of the house and stuck in the back of this book; in the battle of P. Hill.” The actual bullet fragment, 1˝ x .75˝ x .25˝, is also included. Accompanied by a copy of the softcover 2006 book In the Line of Fire by Steve Mullinax and Jack Melton, which pictures this book on page 42.
The Battle of Pleasant Hill in Louisiana formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War, when Union forces were attempting to occupy the Louisiana state capital, Shreveport. The battle was essentially a continuation of the Battle of Mansfield, a Confederate victory, which had caused the Union commander, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, to send his wagons, with most of his artillery, downriver in retreat. However, both sides had been reinforced through the night, and when the Confederate commander, Major General Richard Taylor, launched an assault against the Union line, it was repulsed, though at a high cost in casualties; the Union army retreated the next day. The majority of historians consider the battle to be a Union tactical victory, although some consider it to be a draw. Starting Bid $200
242. Civil War: 5th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment Identification Tag - Belonging to a Sergeant of ‘The Fighting Fifth’. Civil War identity disc or ‘dog tag’ of Sergeant Thomas H. Walker of Durham, New Hampshire, 1˝ in diameter, with the front engraved, “Serg’t T. H. Walker, Co. K, 5 Reg., N.H.V. Durham,” and the reverse bears an embossed American eagle with raised text, “War of 1861, United States.” In very good to fine condition. Read more online at www.RRAuction.com. Starting Bid $200
Images larger than actual size
“Vicksburg is ours”—extensive Civil War diary and letter collection of Union Officer John W. Wilbur, a veteran of the Siege of Vicksburg, accompanied by his Allen & Wheelock .31 cal percussion ‘pepperbox’ revolving pistol and a bullet-lodged fence relic from the Vicksburg battleground
243. Civil War: John W. Wilbur Diary and Letter Collection with Vicksburg Battlefield Relic and Allen & Wheelock ‘Pepperbox’ Revolver - “Vicksburg is ours”. Civil War collection of 2nd Lieutenant John W. Wilbur, a Union officer of the 47th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which contains four of Wilbur’s copiously handwritten personal diaries (dated to the years 1859, 1861, 1863, and 1864), a group of 10 war-dated handwritten letters that Wilbur sent home to his parents, Wilbur’s Allen & Wheelock .31 cal percussion ‘pepperbox’ revolving pistol, and a 10.5˝ section of wooden fence with a lodged bullet attested to as deriving from Vicksburg battleground.
As part of the 47th Ohio Infantry Regiment, Wilbur and his fellow soldiers were brigaded under the command of Robert L. McCook and the ‘Bully Dutch Brigade’ before joining the Vicksburg expedition as part of Blair’s Division, 15th Corps, Army of the Tennessee. Wilbur’s experience during the Siege of Vicksburg is captured in both his 1863 diary and in two of his handwritten letters. On July 4, 1863, the day of the Confederate surrender, Wilbur sent a letter to his parents, which reads, in part:
“Vicksburg is ours. They surrendered today at 10 a.m… there is one thing for certain & that is you could not enjoy it any better than we do here. Yesterday the rebs. sent over a flag of truce asking for terms of capitulation - this was about 9 a.m. There was then a cessation of hostilities until some time in the afternoon, when as they could not agree upon terms of surrender, we commenced firing on them again. It was not long until they again hoisted the white flag & there has been no firing since.”
The 1863 diary portion extends through the entirety of the Vicksburg siege (May 18 – July 4, 1863), from the initial Union charge to Confederate Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton’s ultimate surrender. Highlighted sections include: May 18, 1863: “In camp near Vicks. At 2 p.m. there was a general charge ordered. At the appointed time we started for the Breastworks under a most terrific fire from the rebs, but could not scale their works. There were a great many killed & wounded. Hot day,” and July 4th: “There was no firing on either side nor had been from the time the flag of truce was sent to us on the day before. At 10 am the rebs surrendered Vicks to us, marching out of their works & stacking their arms.” In overall very good to fine condition. Interested parties can find a complete, more detailed description of this archive on our website. Starting Bid $300
“Few except yourself, have realized the trying times through which I passed. From May 1 to Aug. 13, the least trying of which was the two engagements”— historic letter from Rear Admiral Dewey on the Battle of Manila Bay, one of the most significant and dominant naval battles in American maritime history
247. George Dewey Historic Letter Signed on ‘Trying Times’ and the 1898 Battles of Manila and Manila Bay - “From May 1 to Aug. 13, the least trying of which was the two engagements” Extraordinary, historic LS from Rear Admiral George Dewey, three pages on two adjoining sheets, measures 9 x 7 open, September 1, 1898. Addressed from aboard his legendary flagship, the USS Olympia, while harbored in the waters of “Manila, P.I.,” sent to M. A. Jones of the Syracuse Post, thanking him for a favorable editorial and a copy of a march composed in his honor. Dewey then delved into the difficulties he encountered since the successful Battles of Manila and Manila Bay. The letter, in full: “I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of of [sic] July 12, in which you advise me that the Syracuse Post had published a march dedicated to me, a copy of which was enclosed in separate cover, and also an editorial. I shall have the march arranged at once and played by the band of the flagship.
I can hardly express to you my thanks for, and appreciation of, the editorial. I have had no form of praise that has given me as much pleasure. Few except yourself, have realized the trying times through which I passed. From May 1 to Aug. 13, the least trying of which was the two engagements. I am not a trained diplomat or lawyer, and many nights I slept not at all, trying to solve some knotty question of international law. Thanking you most heartily for your appreciation.” In very good condition, with old tape along the hinge, and several unobtrusive tears to the fragile paper. Accompanied by a beautiful vintage color 6.75 x 9.25 engraved lithograph of Admiral Dewey, entitled “Commodore Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay.”
A fantastic and crucial letter that mentions “the two engagements” he fought to secure the Philippines: Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, plus the capture of the city of Manila on August 13th, the latter having occurred just 18 days prior. Moreover, Dewey provided key personal views about his growing frustration with managing the occupation of the former Spanish possession.
American diplomats in Asia, hoping that Philippine insurgents could assist the United States in their capture of the Spanish possession, assured the exiled insurrectionary leader Emilio Aguinaldo that the United States would support his country’s independence. Several days following the Battle of Manila Bay, Dewey ordered that Aguinaldo be brought from Hong Kong to the Philippines, where he promptly took command of native forces besieging Manila.
At first, the relationship between Dewey and Aguinaldo was agreeable due to their shared common enemy in Spain. However, when the Americans secretly agreed to allow Spanish forces in Manila to surrender to them, rather than to those commanded by Aguinaldo, a rift developed between the erstwhile allies. As it turned out, Washington had no intention of recognizing Philippine independence, nor did the American diplomats, who assured Aguinaldo otherwise, have any such authority to do so. Aguinaldo felt betrayed by Dewey, whom he accused of making similar promises, though Dewey denied this.
Later that year, after American and Filipino forces had completely eradicated the Spanish presence on the islands, President William McKinley issued a proclamation declaring the Philippines ceded to the United States. Aguinaldo considered the document tantamount to a declaration of war, and on January 1, 1899, he declared the Philippines an independent Republic. On February 4th, the first shots were fired against American troops in the Philippine–American War.
Fortunately for Dewey, he was able to return to the United States, where he received a hero’s welcome, including a twoday parade in New York City. He may very well have heard the march ‘Admiral Dewey,’ composed by Helen Frances Philips, which is believed to have been written only four days after the Battle of Manila Bay on May 5, 1898. A peerless, one-of-a-kind letter from the revered Admiral of the Navy, whose signature whilst commanding the United States Asiatic Squadron remains of the utmost desirability and rarity. Starting Bid $1000
244. Jefferson Davis Signed Cabinet Photograph. Uncommon 4.25 x 6.5 cabinet portrait of the Confederate president in later age by Washburn of New Orleans, neatly signed below the image in ink by Jefferson Davis. In fine condition, with some small surface dings to Davis’s jacket lapel. Starting Bid $200
Capitulation
at Vicksburg:
“All Confederate officers and Soldiers now in this City who have been paroled and are able to march are instructed to report”
245. Vicksburg: Special Orders No. 7, Signed by R. R. Townes (1863) - Paroled Confederates Ordered to March. Civil War-dated ALS signed “R. R. Townes A.A.G.,” one page, 7.75 x 9.75, Headquarters, Commander of the Post, 17th Army Corps, Department of the Tennessee letterhead, July 15, 1863. Handwritten extract from “Special Orders No. 7,” in part: “All Confederate officers and Soldiers now in this City who have been paroled and are able to march are instructed to report to Lt. Col. Kent Prevost Marshal General at 9 o’clock A.M. the 15th day at the Court House. They will report provided with all the articles which they are entitled to take with them by the articles of Capitulation. Those claiming to be unable to march will be examined by Surgeon A. H. Brundage.” In fine condition.
The Confederate surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, marked a turning point in the Civil War, giving the Union complete control of the Mississippi River. After a six-week siege by Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant, Confederate General John C. Pemberton capitulated, surrendering nearly 30,000 troops. Grant, not wanting to guard and feed thousands of rebel captives, offered to immediately parole all prisoners of war. The fall of Vicksburg, combined with the Union victory at Gettysburg a day earlier, dealt a severe blow to the Confederacy’s hopes of independence. Starting Bid $200
“In compliance with instructions from Maj. Gen’l Grant, a combined Gunboat and Army Expedition will be made up the Yazoo for the purpose of diverting the attention of the enemy from the movements now in progress below Vicksburg”
246. Vicksburg: Special Orders No. 96, Signed by R. M. Sayer (1863) - Organizing a Diversionary “Gunboat and Army Expedition” on the Yazoo River. LS signed “R. M. Sawyer,” one page both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, April 28, 1863. “Special Orders No. 96,” issued under command of General William T. Sherman at “Hd. Qrs. 15th Army Corps, Camp near Vicksburg,” in part: “In compliance with instructions from Maj. Gen’l Grant, a combined Gunboat and Army Expedition will be made up the Yazoo for the purpose of diverting the attention of the enemy from the movements now in progress below Vicksburg. This demonstration will be made as soon as the Gunboat ‘Choctaw,’ hourly expected, has arrived… The Corps…will provide ten (10) good Steamboats, and have them at the lower landing near these Headqrts. by to-morrow morning…General F. P. Blair will detail ten (10) Regiments of his Division to be ready with three days Rations, 60 rounds of ammunition and in light marching order ready to embark…Woods and Barrett’s Batteries will be embarked at Millikens Bend, and will afterwards be distributed;—one Section of Guns to a Boat, and the artillerists will make a barricade for themselves and their guns in the forward decks, of hay bales…Although there be no intention to make an attack on Haines’ Bluff, or indeed to disembark the troops, yet all preparations should be male to take advantage of any opportunity, afforded by events.” In fine condition. These special orders make notable reference to the USS Choctaw and its feigned attack on Haynes’ Bluff, Mississippi, an operation held from April 29–May 1, 1863, intended to prevent the Confederates from reinforcing Grand Gulf. During this diversionary action, the Choctaw was struck 53 times. The gunboat remained in the Yazoo, taking part in operations that destroyed Confederate defenses and naval assets at Yazoo City later on in May. In June 1863, she helped repel a Confederate assault at Milliken’s Bend, capturing several enemy soldiers as prisoners of war. Starting Bid $200
248. Enola Gay: Morris Jeppson Signed and Annotated ‘Little Boy Bomb’ Blueprints (24˝ x 18˝). Copy of the blueprints for ‘Little Boy,’ the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima, 24 x 18, signed in the lower left corner, “Morris Jeppson, Weapon Test Officer, Enola Gay Mission, Hiroshima, 6 Aug. 1945.” Jeppson adds handwritten notations explaining the main different parts of this atomic bomb. In blue ink, he draws arrows labeling the “Little Boy Bomb, Weight about 5 tons,” “target U235,” “hook to hang bomb from B29,” “gun barrel,” “projectile U235,” and “tail fins.” On the margin, he explains: “The design of Little Boy used the gun assembly method. The bullet of U235 impacting the target of U235 produces a critical mass in a very short period of time – and the heavy nose casing contains critical conditions long enough for the nuclear reaction to proceed. During the flight I removed 3 green electrical plugs and replaced them with red coded plugs. This allowed the detonation voltage to go from fusing to the explosive that fired the projectile of U235 into the target of U235 when the bomb reached about 1500 feet above Hiroshima.” Rolled and in fine condition. Little Boy was the code name of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, by the 12-man crew of the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. Jeppson was one of only two men who were both at Los Alamos during the development and testing of the bomb and also on board the Enola Gay when it dropped the bomb. Starting Bid $200
“This picture which I have never before seen was taken on the beach at Gilla, Sicily...We were actually under fire”
249. George S. Patton Signed Photograph:
“This picture which I have never before seen was taken on the beach at Gilla, Sicily...We were actually under fire”. Historic vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 photo of George S. Patton on the beach at Gela, Sicily, on July 12, 1943, signed and inscribed “To Ollie, from G. S. Patton, Jr.” Patton also captions the portrait on the reverse, misidentifying the date, writing: “Dear Ollie: This picture which I have never before seen was taken on the beach at Gilla, Sicily about 0800 on July 11, 1944. We were actually under fire and you can still see the wet marks on my breeches where I had just come ashore. The town of Gilla is in the background. George.” In very good condition, with rippling and paper loss from dampstaining, affecting the bottom edge and Patton’s handwriting on the back.
In July 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily, Lieutenant General George S. Patton commanded the U.S. Seventh Army in Operation Husky, tasked initially with protecting the British flank. Characteristically aggressive, Patton pushed beyond his orders, driving his forces rapidly across the island, capturing Palermo on July 22 and then racing Montgomery’s Eighth Army to Messina, which he seized on August 17—just ahead of the British. His bold maneuvers shortened the campaign and demonstrated his mastery of mobile warfare, but his time in Sicily was also marred by controversy, including two incidents in which he slapped hospitalized soldiers, leading to public censure and temporary damage to his reputation. Starting Bid $1000
George S. Patton’s military map of neutral zones in North Africa—sent to him by Vichy General Charles Noguès after capitulation in Casablanca
250. George S. Patton’s World War II-Dated North Africa Campaign Neutrality Zone Map, Sent by Moroccan Resident-General Charles Noguès (1942). Original World War II–era French military map of northern Morocco sent to General George S. Patton by Charles Noguès, 1:500,000 scale, printed in July 1941, 39.5 x 24, headed “Maroc Nord,” annotated in blue and red ink to identify “Zone A” and “Zone B.” Includes a TLS signed “Nogues,” one page both sides, 8.25 x 10.75, “Maroc, Le Commissaire Résident Général” letterhead, stamp-dated December 6, 1942, addressed to “Monsieur le Major Général G. S. Patton Junior, Commandant en Chef les Forces Américaines au Maroc, Casablanca,” with an official translation to English: “In the course of our conversation on November 28, I had pointed out to you that negotiations were underway between General Orgaz and myself, the purpose of which was to avoid any incident along the Frontier between the French and Spanish zones of Morocco to the effect that neither party would reinforce their garrisons in proximity to the Border, and that movement of troops would be reduced to the minimum necessary for their relief.
This agreement is in course of realization, and I hope that it will be in effect very soon. The measures to be taken are indicated on the attached map. Zone A, indicated in blue, being the zone in which there will be no movement of troops excepting for the normal relief of elements stationed in that zone. Zone B, indicated in red, being the zone in which movement of troops will be permitted, but where the existing garrisons will not be reinforced. This agreement appears to me best suited to our joint desire to avoid at this time any incident or complication with our Spanish neighbors.
I should be very grateful if you would be good enough to prescribe that from now on, American troops will under no circumstances cross the southern limit on account of the nervousness which any such crossing could not fail to evoke in our neighbors. Naturally, reconnaissances by officers which may be considered necessary may nevertheless be made; it will be sufficient to take a few necessary precautions to be arranged for between the officers concerned and the local French military authorities.” Also includes an unsigned carbon typescript of a letter from Geoffrey Keyes, Patton’s chief of staff, to Major General A. M. Gruenther, forwarding information regarding the “establishment of neutral zones north and south of the Border.” In very good to fine condition, with a few small tape stains to the map, and minor loss to its right edge and at the fold intersections.
This map dates to shortly after General George S. Patton’s success in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of French North Africa which took place from November 8 to 16, 1942. Patton commanded the Western Task Force, consisting of 33,000 men in 100 ships, in amphibious landings centered on Casablanca, Morocco. The landings were opposed by Vichy French forces, but Patton’s men quickly gained a beachhead and pushed through fierce resistance. Casablanca fell on November 11th and Patton negotiated an armistice with French General Charles Noguès. Patton’s leadership in Torch marked his first major combat command in World War II and helped establish his reputation as an aggressive and decisive commander. Starting Bid $300
Two weeks before his death at Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson directs the HMS Victory’s surgeon to examine a Royal Navy lieutenant
251. Horatio Nelson Document Signed “on board the Victory off Cadiz,” Two Weeks Before the Battle of Trafalgar. Manuscript DS, signed “Nelson & Bronte,” three pages on two adjoining 7.75 x 12.25 sheets, October 5, 1805. Military order issued “on board the Victory off Cadiz,” in part: “Captain Bullen of His Majesty’s Ship Britannia having represented to me by Letter of this day that Lieutenant Elphick of that Ship has been affected ever since the beginning of August with repeated attacks of inflammation of both Ears terminating in troublesome abcesses and attended with excruciating Head Aches, by which the sense of hearing is impaired, and that his general health in other respects is very much impaired and requested that a Survey might be held on him—You are hereby required and directed to repair on board the said Ship, taking to your assistance the Captain of His Majesty’s Ship named in the margin [L’Achille] together with your respective surgeons and Mr. Beatty, surgeon of the Victory…you are most strictly and carefully to examine into the state of health and nature of the complaint with which the said Lieutenant Elphick appears to be afflicted.”
Penned on the integral leaf is a manuscript report signed by three surgeons (including William Beatty of the HMS Victory) and two ship captains (Richard King of the Achille and Israel Pellew of the Conqueror), reporting on their examination of Lt. Elphick. In part: “We…have been onboard the Britannia and there most strictly and carefully examined into the state of health and nature of the complaint of Lieutenant James Elphick…he has used many remedies for the recovery of his hearing without any advantage, we therefore find him incapable of discharging his duty and recommend a change of climate as necessary to his recovery.” In very good to fine condition, with old mounting residue on the back of the adjoining page.
This document was issued just weeks before the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, during Admiral Horatio Nelson’s final preparations to engage the combined French and Spanish fleets off the coast of Spain. Written aboard HMS Victory while blockading Cadiz, it reflects the day-to-day responsibilities Nelson continued to oversee even on the eve of a decisive naval confrontation. Notably, the report is signed by William Beatty, who would later attend Nelson at his death during Trafalgar. The surgeons’ recommendation for Elphick’s removal due to chronic ear infections and impaired hearing underscores the Royal Navy’s strict standards for fitness in the Napoleonic Wars, when effective communication and alertness at sea could determine the outcome of battle. A remarkable document signed by the celebrated admiral. Starting Bid $300
Aviation
Iconic ‘first flight’ photograph signed on the 25th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ historic 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk, presented to a legendary Italian fighter pilot from World War I
284. Orville Wright Signed ‘First Flight’ Photograph Presented to an Italian WWI Ace - PSA NM-MT 8. Outstanding vintage matte-finish 7 x 5 photo of the first flight of the Wright Flyer near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To Commander Silvio Scaroni, Orville Wright, December 17, 1928.” In fine condition, with curling to left and right sides. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.”
Orville Wright, age 32, is seen at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle, which operated the wing-warping mechanism. His brother, Wilbur Wright, age 36, ran alongside to help balance the machine, with this image showing him having just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine. The historic photo shoot was organized by Orville Wright, who preset the camera and had John T. Daniels, a member of the U.S. Life-Saving Station in Kill Devil Hills, squeeze the rubber bulb and trigger the shutter.
The recipient, Tenente Silvio Scaroni (1893-1977) was a legendary Italian World War I fighter pilot credited with 26 victories who was the second-ranking Italian ace of the war. It stands to reason that Scaroni was one of the many notable aviators in attendance at a 25th-anniversary celebration of the Wright brothers’ inaugural flight held by the International Air Congress at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1928. Attended by Orville Wright, Amelia Earhart, and other dignitaries, the event was highlighted by the placing of a granite marker, carved to look like a boulder, set at the approximate location of the Wright brothers’ 1903 flight. Starting Bid $300
Art, Architecture, and Design
289. Salvador Dali Signed Sketch of Don Quixote. Original felt tip sketch of Don Quixote on horseback, accomplished by Salvador Dali on a 9.25 x 13 cardstock copyright page removed from a 1974 edition of Maestros Actuales de la Pintura y Escultura Catalanas, boldly signed and inscribed in black felt tip, “A Isabel, Dali.” In fine condition, with an opld tape stain along the right edge. A stylish sketch and impressive, page-filling inscription from the surrealist master. Starting Bid $300
Gauguin writes to Camille Pissarro, referring to a visit from “a friend of Degas”
290. Paul Gauguin Autograph Letter Signed to Camille Pissarro, Mentioning Edgar Degas. ALS in French, signed “Gauguin,” one page both sides, 4.5 x 7, no date but circa August 1884. Handwritten letter to his friend and mentor, the fellow painter Camille Pissarro, written from Rouen, referring to several members of their artistic circle. Gauguin worries that he has heard nothing from his friend, and fears that he is angry with him; but he may not have received his letter of a fortnight ago “with 2 photographs of my children.” He received a visit from Paul Lafond, “a friend of Degas who comes to Rouen quite often; he has been looking for me for two months.” As for Eugène Murer, a self-taught painter and collector of the impressionists: “He has been in Paris for quite some time; I believe his hotel business is not going very well. I read in the newspaper a judgment that condemned him for this business with bankruptcy. Now I do not know how important this judgment is.” In fine condition. A scarce handwritten letter by the celebrated painter, with several artistic associations.
Published in Correspondance de Paul Gauguin, ed. Victor Merlhès, op. 67 (no. 51).
“Judging by the idiotic reviews published in the newspapers, visitors who are not (with a few exceptions) smarter than ‘art critics’ must be stunned when looking at my paintings”
291. Rene Magritte Autograph Letter Signed with Surrealist Sketch: “Below is a sketch of a new painting”. ALS in French, signed “Rene et Georgette,” one page both sides, 5.25 x 8.5, personal letterhead, July 27, 1962. Handwritten letter to his “Chere amie,” art historian Suzi Gablik, talking about how he never takes a vacation, about his exhibitions in Knokke (Belgium) and Minneapolis, and complaining about a car which he only had for four days before reselling it. In the end, he adds a fantastic concept sketch for a new painting—a surrealistic rendering of an open doorway and half a horse, evoking some of the illusory qualities of his most famous paintings.
In full (translated): “Thank you for your holiday card. I can’t seem to ‘take’ a holiday; it’s as if I’m condemned to forced labor for life. And yet you know how tired I am. My exhibition in Knokke is a ‘success,’ but judging by the idiotic reviews published in the newspapers, visitors who are not (with a few exceptions) smarter than ‘art critics’ must be stunned when looking at my paintings. The Minneapolis catalog is indeed a success. It’s good for me and for you too: will you be able to see this exhibition? H. T. will no doubt tell you that I tried driving: I bought a Lancia Flavia and after four days of experience I was disgusted with it. So I’m selling it, happy to be rid of it. Below is a sketch of a new painting.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $1000
Exceptional signed Choumoff portrait photo of Claude Monet posing in front of his revered ‘Water Lilies’ series
292. Claude Monet Signed Photograph by Pierre Choumoff - At Work on His Beloved ‘Water Lilies’ Series. Vintage matte-finish 8.25 x 6.5 platinum photographic print of Claude Monet by esteemed Russian-French photographer Pierre Choumoff, which depicts the Impressionist master at his Giverny home studio, standing in front of one of the huge canvases for his famous Nymphéas (Water Lillies) series, signed on the original studio mount in fountain pen, “Claude Monet.” The lower right corner of the photo bears Choumoff’s studio mark. Tastefully framed to an overall size of 15.75 x 13.25. In fine condition, with scattered light foxing to the image. Monet’s Water Lilies stands among the most celebrated achievements of Impressionism. Consisting of
approximately 250 canvases, the series was inspired by the artist’s enchanting gardens at his home in Giverny. Over the final three decades of his career, Monet returned again and again to this subject, capturing the ever-changing play of light and reflection across the pond’s surface. Many of these works were created during a period when Monet struggled with cataracts, a condition that subtly transformed his vision and imbued the paintings with a distinctive, almost dreamlike quality. A magnificently rare signed portrait of the revered French artist, posing proudly before one of his most enduring series.
Provenance: Christie’s: 19th & 20th Century Photographs, October 1991. Starting Bid $1000
293. Pablo Picasso Autograph Letter Signed - PSA NM-MT 8. ALS in French, signed “Picasso,” one page, 8.25 x 10.5, December 28, 1953. Untranslated handwritten letter to “Max,” sent from Vallauris, where Picasso lived from 1948 to 1955. In fine condition. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.”
In the late 1940s, Pablo Picasso settled in the small town of Vallauris in the south of France, drawn by its light, scenery, and thriving pottery tradition. From 1948 to 1955, he immersed himself in ceramics at the Madoura workshop, producing thousands of pieces that merged ancient forms with his bold modern style. Vallauris also inspired some of his most iconic political works, including the mural War and Peace, and during his stay he became an active figure in the local community, revitalizing its artistic life and international reputation. Starting Bid $300
Tate Gallery
exhibition poster signed by Andy Warhol, featuring his iconic Monroe silkscreen, ‘Shot Sage Blue Marilyn’
294. Andy Warhol Signed 1971 ‘Marilyn Monroe’ Tate Gallery Exhibition Poster (19.75˝ x 26.75˝). Original color 19.75 x 26.75 promotional poster for an Andy Warhol exhibition held at London’s Tate Gallery from February 17 to March 28, 1971, featuring an iconic image of the artist’s silkscreened Marilyn Monroe, entitled ‘Shot Sage Blue Marilyn,’ signed along the bottom in black felt tip, “Andy Warhol.” Printed in London at The Curwen Press Limited. Affixed to a same-sized cardstock mount and in fine condition, with a trivial ripple near the top edge, and faint dampstaining to the lower left corner
The month of Monroe’s tragic death, Warhol, who had only just begun experimenting with the silkscreen process, decided to pay tribute to the late screen legend with a series of multicolored paintings. The basis of this image, and those that represent Warhol’s iconic ‘Marilyn Diptych,’ derives from a publicity shot by Gene Korman for the 1953 film Niagara. A gorgeous vintage Warhol exhibition poster in its own right, this museum-quality display piece finds Warhol signing one of his most identifiable and desirable subjects. The original silkscreen painting of ‘Shot Sage Blue Marilyn’ recently sold at auction for a record $195,000,000. Starting Bid $500
“I believe I will come through right side up and you may yet take pride in Taliesin as I have always hoped and believed you would do”— Frank Lloyd Wright’s handwritten statement to the people of Spring Green, Wisconsin, apologizing for a recent media blitz arranged by his estranged second wife, Miriam Noel
296. Frank Lloyd Wright Handwritten Statement of Apology to the People of Spring Green, Wisconsin (June 1926). Handwritten draft for a public statement by Frank Lloyd Wright, which was later printed in The Weekly Home News, the local newspaper of Spring Green, Wisconsin, on June 10, 1926. Wright wrote this statement as an apology to the people of Spring Green for a recent media swarm of Chicago reporters who descended upon the village to photograph Wright’s ex-wife, Miriam Noel, and her attempts to gain entry into her former home, Taliesin. The statement, penned in black ink on two pages, 7.75 x 11, signed at the conclusion, “Your – Frank Lloyd Wright,” reads, in part: “Taliesin seems to be a storm center for conflicting human interests and emotions. Three times I have built it up from its ashes; each time stronger and more beautiful than before tragedy destroyed it. The cooperation of the countryside was mine in all this and I have appreciated it more than I can tell. But I have never thanked my neighbors and townspeople directly for their friendship and forbearance. I want to do so now, particularly in consideration of their ‘hands off’ attitude in this last attack, this attempt, made in hatred and a spirit of revenge, to destroy any usefulness I have and make what I have struggled to establish here useless to me or anyone…
Enough of that. What I want to say to you was that I like you people of this region. You all seem homelike to me. I’ve been about all over the globe and come back here with that feeling of coming ‘home’ we all seek somewhere, and too often seek in vain…I want to stay here with you, working until I die. I want to mind my own business and not be subject to public question if I can manage it. At the present times it looks as though I yet had some distance to go—and I might die before I got there. I must be patient and I hope those of you who don’t believe in me very much, perhaps, will be patient too—along with those who are closer to me and know better what I have had to contend with and what I would do if I could.
I think the countryside deserves the best of me and if you who make it what it is give me the benefit of the doubt in all this for a year or two, I believe I will come through right side up and you may yet take pride in Taliesin as I have always hoped and believed you would do.” The statement bears copious handwritten corrections by Wright in both ink and pencil. In fine condition.
Accompanied by a printed copy of an article from The Weekly Home News describing the event with the newspapermen and Miriam Noel, Wright’s second wife, with whom he was in the midst of a legal battle. A sculptor, morphine addict, and self-proclaimed spiritualist, Noel became involved with Wright not long after the tragic death of his partner, Mamah Borthwick, one of seven murdered by a deranged Taliesin servant on August 15, 1914. After divorcing his first wife, Catherine ‘Kitty’ Tobin, Wright married Noel on November 19, 1923. The couple quarreled a great deal and, in less than a year, they were separated. Soon thereafter, Wright began a relationship with Olgivanna Lloyd, and Noel filed for a divorce, alleging desertion and cruelty.
Despite what Wright wrote to his neighbors in 1926, things would not get better in “a year or two.” At the end of August, one of Wright’s attorneys (Levi Bancroft) advised Wright to spend some time away from Taliesin, while he and others tried to settle things with Miriam and the Bank of Wisconsin. Wright and his coterie—Olgivanna, her daughter, Svetlana, and Iovanna—traveled to Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, where they stayed in a cottage for about a month. However, by driving Olgivanna across the Wisconsin-Minnesota state line, instead of having her get out and walk, Wright inadvertently violated the Mann Act. On October 21, 1926, Wright was apprehended and brought to the county jail, where he stayed for the weekend until a judge was finally made available. The charges were eventually dropped, and on August 25, 1928, in Rancho Santa Fe, California, Wright and Olgivanna were finally married. Starting Bid $500
295. Andy Warhol TwiceSigned Book with Sketch. Twice-signed book: Andy Warhol’s Exposures. First UK edition. London: Hutchinson, 1979. Hardcover with dust jacket, 9.5 x 11.5, 255 pages. Signed and inscribed on the half-title page in black felt tip, “To John, love, Andy Warhol,” who draws a large sketch of a woman’s lips below. Also signed and inscribed on the front of the dust jacket, “Andy, John.” In fine condition, with light soiling and a short edge tear to the dust jacket. Starting Bid $200
Uncommon signed portrait of “Frank Lloyd Wright,” boasting a desirable full signature
297. Frank Lloyd Wright Signed Photograph with Rare Full Signature. Vintage matte-finish 7.25 x 10 photo of Frank Lloyd Wright sharpening a pencil, signed in the lower border in fountain pen by the legendary architect. In fine condition, with a small stain in the bottom border. Signed portraits of Wright remain quite scarce and desirable, especially those that feature his rare complete signature. Encapsulated in a PSA/ DNA authentication holder. Starting Bid $200
Animation
Disney signs for a cohort from his 1941 goodwill tour of South America
317. Walt Disney Signed Photograph - PSA NM-MT 8. Marvelous vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 photo of Disney smiling and seated with a pencil in his hand, signed and inscribed in bold fountain pen, “To Arnold Tschudy, with all best wishes, Walt Disney.” In very good condition, with creasing, professionally repaired tears, and silvering to the dark areas of the image. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “NM-MT 8.” Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Phil Sears Collectibles.
The recipient, Arnold Tschudy, who served as the head of General Motors Corporation in Brazil and then later as the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo, was hired by Nelson Rockefeller to head a special government project in South America during World War II. Around the same time, in 1941, Rockefeller, as coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, asked Walt Disney to make a goodwill tour across South America, hoping the universal popularity of his characters would help diffuse anti-Axis sentiments in the region. Disney agreed and took a group of his best animators and composers to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. In addition to exercising the Good Neighbor Policy, the trip was intended to lead to a new animated movie that could be shown in Central and South America to celebrate (and secure) their friendly relationship. The film would ultimately become Saludos Amigos. Starting Bid $300
Superb signed photograph of Mark Twain in his classic white suit, graded GEM MINT 10 by PSA/DNA
332. Samuel L. Clemens Signed Photograph in White Suit - PSA GEM MINT 10. Superb vintage matte-finish 3.5 x 5.25 postcard photo of Samuel L. Clemens in a full-length pose standing outdoors and clad in his trademark white suit, signed in the lower border in black ink with his famous pen name, “Mark Twain.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from University Archives. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “GEM MT 10.”
In Mark Twain’s Autobiography, published in 1906, he announced his intention to wear white suits year-round. He was more comfortable in white than in dark colors but had always conformed to seasonal fashion. He wrote: ‘One of my sorrows, when the summer ends, is that I must put off my cheery and comfortable white clothes and enter for the winter into the depressing captivity of the shapeless and degrading black ones.’ Although Clemens’s prolific writing career was long behind him when he began wearing his white suits, it is this image of the author that remains ingrained in the public imagination—this photograph, in particular, showing him with cane and hat against a wooded backdrop, is a wonderfully appropriate example.
Starting Bid $500
“You will not sell the pamphlet to any political or sectarian bookstores or organizations, or to any organizations which have attacked me or the philosophy of Objectivism”
336. Ayn Rand Document Signed - Agreement for the Publication of Her 1976 Lecture ‘The Moral Factor’. DS, two pages, 8.5 x 11, The Ayn Rand Letter, Inc. letterhead, June 16, 1976. Contract between Ayn Rand and the Palo Alto Book Service, allowing them to print The Moral Factor, a lecture that Ayn Rand gave at the Ford Hall Forum in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 11, 1976. In part: “1. The lecture must be published in full without any cuts or changes… 2. The lecture must be published as a pamphlet of the same format as that previously used by The Objectivist, Inc.…6. You will not sell the pamphlet to any political or sectarian bookstores or organizations, or to any organizations which have attacked me or the philosophy of Objectivism.” Signed and dated at the conclusion in blue ballpoint by Rand. In fine condition. In honor of the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Ayn Rand delivered her speech ‘The Moral Factor,’ which contrasted the Founding Fathers’ principled concern for individual rights with the unprincipled views of voters and candidates in the 1976 presidential election. Rand also dissects the evils of the welfare state, focusing on Sweden as its exemplar, and calls for Americans to observe the Bicentennial by discovering and upholding the nation’s founding ideals. Starting Bid $200
“Hemingstein”
discourages his brother from joining up in World War II:
“I know you have a lot of guts. You have, however, two small children, a wife, bad eye-sight and no military education either formal or informal”
333. Ernest Hemingway Typed Letter Signed, Discouraging His Brother from Joining WWII: “This is going to be a long war. To win it will take many years”. TLS signed “Hemingstein, From Ernest Hemingway to L. C. Hemingway,” one page, 8.25 x 11, Finca Vigia letterhead, January 24, [no year but circa early 1940s]. Letter to his brother, Leicester Hemingway, whom he called “Baron.” In part: “I know how you feel about wanting to get into the armed forces and the feelings do you credit. This is going to be a long war. To win it will take many years. No one between eighteen and fourty five or fifty is going to be without a chance to take an active part in it. So get this straight and start thinking with your heard as well as with your heart. You are married and the father and sole support of two children. Your first duty is to support them in some work as useful to the government as possible. You are at present engaged in such work and while there are times when any civilian work seems unimportant you must remember that as things get steadily better organized the importance of your work will be steadily better defined. Do not be a dope and throw up your present job. Instead see how much better you can do it and try to overcome your worst habit; sloppiness in regard to caring for material things which first showed its-self in your guns being badly cleaned when you were going on your first cruise and has culminated in the loss of the Blue Stream. I know how badly you feel about that. But you should feel damned badly. Start in taking care of your razor and keeping it properly (maybe you do) and work ahead from there.
Charles Thompson was responsible for the fact that your other boat was not lost too. You have to learn to take care of stuff Baron. I know how tough your problems have been and how you have every valid excuse. But on taking care of property no excuses are valid. Especially when you were always careless weven when you had no other duty but that toward your and others property. That is the end of the bawling out and God knows I take no pleasure in bawling you out because I have
the utmost goddamned sympathy for you and for Tony in the loss of that lovely craft. About going into the army or Marines: I know you have a lot of guts. You have, however, two small children, a wife, bad eye-sight and no military education either formal or informal. You are much more use in your present job than you would be in any except naval service. I think eventually you will go into that but at present use your head and stick to your job and see how useful you can be.” He adds a handwritten postscript, initialed “E.H.,” in full: “I shall probably have to come to Washington shortly on some work and will see you there.” In very good to fine condition, with staining and discoloration at the bottom.
In the early years of World War II, Leicester Hemingway—Ernest Hemingway’s adventurous younger brother—took a 45-foot schooner, the Blue Stream, on cruising expeditions through waters around Florida and the Caribbean. These voyages were part adventure, part amateur investigation—Les wrote a Reader’s Digest article in November 1940 called ‘Caribbean Snoop Cruise,’ detailing his search for suspected German Uboat activity and Nazi operatives in tropical ports. The boat was apparently lost through Leicester’s carelessness, and Ernest offers some stern brotherly advice on taking better care of things—underscoring both the practical mindset demanded by wartime scarcity and the brothers’ shared maritime interests.
Ernest Hemingway himself was deeply engaged in wartime efforts, contributing as a correspondent to various news outlets and conducting his own anti-submarine patrols off the Cuban coast. Leicester, eager to enlist, was constrained by his role as the sole provider for his wife and two children, as well as by physical limitations such as poor eyesight. The letter captures the broader reality of WWII home front service, where not all patriotism was expressed in uniform, and where personal responsibility to family and resource conservation were cast as vital contributions to the national war effort. Starting Bid $1000
“This is a dull letter”—deep into work on “the new book,” The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway empathizes with a struggling writer and explains how his critics, who know nothing “about love, nor war, nor drinking, nor death, nor about professional soldiers,” sometimes give him “the black-ass too”
334. Ernest Hemingway Autograph Letter Signed on His Critics, the Toil of Writing, and His Progress “on the new book,” The Old Man and the Sea. ALS in pencil, two pages, 8.5 x 11, Finca Vigia letterhead, October 3, 1951. Handwritten letter to aspiring writer James Vizas, in full: “Thank you very much for your letter and for the article. Sometimes the critics give me the black-ass too. This last time it was strange how complete a gang-up there was. Maybe I have just been around too long trying to write too well. Anyway I am going to continue the exercise.
Did you notice how they all have a hatred toward anyone trying to give a non-f— up soldier’s viewpoint (Col. Cantwell) and a hatred for anybody who knows what combat is about? That shows in a pattern like the weaving in a cheap carpet.
I am very sorry you have had bad luck with writing and teaching writing, its-self, is such a completely exhausting job, if you manage to make what you try to convey and work at it with everything you have you are always worked out completely if you carry it far enough; that I can understand why the two, with the great obligations, would not mix. But it is bad luck that you could not do them both and be happy with them. I know that when I write, I can do nothing else; if that’s any comfort.
Actually nothing is any comfort except getting your work done well although there are many pleasures and ways of being happy we should be grateful enough for. I wonder what made them all deride that drinking, with out being an alcoholic, and knowing that bed was a good place and enjoying the different pleasures of living were a cheapness? Very probably because they are not equipped or suited to enjoy life. Because it is tragic doesn’t mean we have to be gloomy about it.
This is a dull letter. But I wanted to thank you for liking the book and for writing about it. Kazin who doesn’t know anything about the Veneto nor about love, nor war, nor drinking, nor death, nor about professional soldiers (good ones) attacked the book on what journalists have written about my own personality. I really doubt if he read the book. An Italian writer I know wrote me that nobody would ever be able to write a book about Venice again. That is as exagerated (mis-spelled)
as the silly stuff John O’Hara wrote in praise of me while 1⁄2 downing the book. But the Italian was from the Veneto and he said I made him see it truly for the first time. But what can you make Kazin see? Nothing. He writes only in reference to personalities and, actually, he knows nothing of mine, only crap he has read.
Well the hell with all of it. Thank you very much for writing me and I’ll keep on writing. Have 182,231 words completed, cut, and re-written on the new book. Now I would like to take a vacation to get away from it and then come back to go over it all again. Wish me luck. Haven’t had any lag-off from writing for 18 months.” Includes the original mailing envelope, handaddressed by Hemingway, who, ostensibly, has added the initial “E.” before his surname on the reverse flap. In fine condition.
Accompanied by a copy of the article Vizas sent to Hemingway, ‘Criticism: The Author or the Book?,’ which derides critic Alfred Kazin’s scathing review of Hemingway’s 1950 novel Across the River and into the Trees, drafts and copies of Vizas’s letters to Hemingway, and three folders rife with newspaper and magazine clippings related to Hemingway.
An exceptional handwritten Hemingway letter from a pivotal time in the author’s career. Despite becoming a bestseller and his only novel to top The New York Times bestseller list, Across the River and into the Trees, Hemingway’s sixth and last novel written during his lifetime was also his first major work to receive widespread negative press and reviews. Critics wrote off Hemingway as finished, and, as this letter illustrates, neither praise nor opprobrium was lost on Papa, despite his shirky exclamation, “Well the hell with all of it.” At 52, Hemingway was still pushing, still searching for his perfect prose, an endless hunt he alludes to at the letter’s start, “Anyway I am going to continue the exercise.” His efforts led to the publication of the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, which was published on September 1, 1952, less than a year after he wrote this letter. The work, widely deemed as Hemingway’s greatest, received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was the only work explicitly mentioned when Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Starting Bid $500
Scarce letter from the Cthulhu creator to the future Psycho
scribe, with
Lovecraft name-dropping
pulp writer friends, talking cinema, and damning strong drink: “I’ve never tasted alcoholic liquor, & never expect to during my few remaining years”
335. H. P. Lovecraft Autograph Letter Signed to Robert Bloch - “I’ve never tasted alcoholic liquor”. Sought-after ALS signed “Ec’h–Pi–El,” one page both sides, 5.5 x 9, December 25, 1933. Lengthy handwritten letter from H. P. Lovecraft to his protege, 16-year-old Robert Bloch, the future author of Psycho. At the top of the page, Lovecraft adds: “EXTRA! KADATH has just come! God!!…Truly a magnificent piece of work—design, atmosphere, colour. Thanks a thousandfold!” He then writes, in part: “Dear Bho-Blok:—Before departing on a week’s visit to Frank B. Long (during which I shall also see [Wilfred Blanch] Talman and [Donald] Wandrei) I must thank you for the generous array of pictorial horrors to the Black wing of my gallery. Truly, they’re a splendid lot, + I get a great kick out of all of them. That coloured specimen shudderingly embodies your favourite monster-type, as do certain of the others. As per request, I return herewith the sheet with the Yuggoth-denizen…+ the multi-ocular lumberer out of nightmare…I also assume you want the ‘golem’ illustration returned…
Enclosed is the FF with my other gods. I think this will form a very encouraging medium for your own work. I guess I told you of Unusual’s need of retrenchment—but after all, it will appear in a shape far outclassing the FF. There will be 64 pages, 9 x 6, of common pulp stock—with cover + illustrations. My opening contribution will be ‘Celephais’…There will be biographical sketches + portraits of weird writers each month—mine being slated for the third issue. I had a hell of a time boiling down the sad story of my life to the prescribed 900 words! The first issue of Unusual is now in the press—indeed, you ought to get it almost as soon as this epistle. I’ll be glad to see copies of The Quill—especially those with the dream tale.
Glad the school upheaval is working out ultimately for the best. How complex are the events of life, + how unpredictable + paradoxical their consequences! Good thing, though that you’re sticking to The Quill.
On [J. Vernon] Shea’s advice I saw ‘Henry VIII’ + certainly did not feel disappointed. A powerful piece of pageantry + a poignant human study, too…Another + still more moving cinematic experience of mine was ‘Berkeley Square’—which I went to see twice. Of course some of the uncanny power which this film had for me was due to my especial psychology—the almost disturbing sense of membership in the 18th century, + of alienage from my own period, which has haunted me ever since I could walk or talk. This cinema was freer from anachronisms that any other 18th century drama I have ever attended…Providence
has many relatively unchanged backwaters like Berkeley Square—indeed, I now live in one! This house is one of the strongest imaginative influences I have ever been exposed to, + it’s getting more + more so as the details of furnishing progress. We are constantly getting additional old family things out of storage—just now the living room fireplace is taking form with an old set of irons + a pair of bellows.
I missed ‘The Invisible Man,’ but will try to take it in when it returns, as it undoubtedly will. I suppose Long + his parents will drag me to half a dozen cinemas, good, bad, + indifferent, during my visit.
Hope you won’t let legal likker launch you on too protracted a spree. For my part, I never could see much good in alcoholic drugging—+ the spectacle of drunkenness, with all the work of millennia of evolution artificially undone, is anything but aesthetic in my eyes. I’ve never tasted alcoholic liquor, + never expect to during my few remaining years.”
In fine condition. Accompanied by the original hand-addressed mailing envelope, on the reverse of which Lovecraft has added his return address with full signature, “From, HP Lovecraft, 66 College St. Providence, R.I.,” and a brief note to the left side: “The more I look at KADATH the more he fascinates me. I have him propped up beside the fireplace amongst my yuletide decorations.”
Robert Bloch (1917-1994) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and crime — the famous author of Psycho — who, as a teenager, absorbed the supernatural fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. When Bloch turned 16 years old on April 5, 1933, he decided to write a letter to Lovecraft care of the pulp magazine Weird Tales, which was then sent to Lovecraft in Providence, Rhode Island.
On April 22, HPL wrote back to Bloch, ‘Your very flattering note has just been forwarded to me by Weird Tales,’ inaugurating an especially interesting, albeit brief, correspondence between the two. HPL generously answered Bloch’s frequent letters with lengthy missives of his own, in which he mentored the budding author and apprised him of literary news. Bloch learned so much about the craft of writing—and about other matters—that he later stated: ‘Lovecraft was my university.’
Lovecraft’s side of this correspondence was published in 1993 by Necronomicon Press as H. P. Lovecraft Letters to Robert Bloch, edited by David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi. Starting Bid $300
Music
Beethoven arranges a meeting with the father of a child prodigy pianist: “I will definitely come to you around 5 o’clock this afternoon”
371. Ludwig van Beethoven Autograph Letter Signed, Arranging a Meeting with the Father of a Child Prodigy Pianist. ALS in German, signed “Ihr, B,” one page, 4.75 x 7.75, no date but likely circa 1817–1818. Handwritten letter by Ludwig van Beethoven to the father of child prodigy pianist Leopoldine Blahetka. In full (translated): “As I know that you will be at home in the afternoon anyway, I will definitely come to you around 5 o’clock this afternoon—in the meantime, farewell, my dear B[lahetka].” Addressed on the integral leaf in Beethoven’s own hand, “an Seine Wohlgebohrn H: v. Blahetka.” In fine condition, with a small area of seal-related paper loss to the adjoining sheet.
Beethoven was reportedly impressed by the skill of the young Leopoldine Blahetka, then just eight or nine years old, and assigned some practice exercises to her (see: ‘Ludwig van Beethoven, seine Schüler und Interpreten’ by Anna Gertrud Huber, p. 36). He also played a role in arranging for her tutelage by Joseph Czerny, who also taught music to Beethoven’s nephew, Karl. The youngster made her first public concert appearance at age nine, and was praised by the Viennese press as a ‘child prodigy.’ She began creating her own compositions at age eleven, incorporating them into her regular performances. During the 1820s, Blahetka mounted concert tours of Europe that brought her to Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, the Hague, and London. Robert Schumann, who heard her on her concert tour in Germany, judged her playing to be ‘a truly feminine one, delicate, prudent and elaborate.’
Provenance: Dr. Hering, London, 14 August 1832 (with presentation inscription in the upper margin of the address leaf); Parke-Bernet, 19 March 1963, lot 53; Stargardt, 1 December 1988, lot 703; Stargardt, 5 April 1991, lot 1018; Stargardt, 19 September 1992, lot 431; Christie’s, 9 July 2025, lot 31. Starting Bid $5000
Brilliant, boldly signed, distinguished portrait of the revered Romantic composer
372. Johannes Brahms Signed Photograph. Exceptional and uncommon mounted 5 x 7.5 head-and-shoulders photo of Johannes Brahms, boldly signed on the mount in ink, and dated at Vienna. In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/ DNA authentication holder. A large, boldly signed, crystal-clear image of the legendary composer. Starting Bid $500
Puccini quotes from his
iconic opera “La
Boheme”
374. Giacomo Puccini Autograph Musical Quotation Signed for “La Boheme”. Large and bold AMQS on an off-white 7.5 x 4.75 album page, prominently signed and dated below in ink, “Giacomo Puccini, Torre del Lago, 20.8.96.” Puccini pens a couple of bars from his iconic opera “La Boheme,” writing the title above. Archivally mounted, doublematted, and framed under museum-quality glass with an original postcard photo (bearing a facsimile signature) to an overall size of 13.75 x 18. In fine condition. Based on a story by French writer Henri Murger set in 1840s Paris, La Boheme was Puccini’s first major success—making him rich and famous—and arguably his greatest work. After its 1896 debut in Turin, the piece was quickly adopted into the international repertoire. Starting Bid $200
Chopin receives payment for foreign publishing rights to his Mazurkas, Op. 59—his evocative expressions of Polish culture, composed for solo piano
373. Frederic Chopin Document Signed - Receipt for Selling Copyright to a Trio of Solo Piano Mazurkas, Op. 59. Polish composer (1810–1849) considered one of the great masters of Romantic music. Partial self-contained partlyprinted DS, signed “F. Chopin,” one page, 7.25 x 6, no date but circa August 1845. A receipt confirming payment for the copyright for a trio of Chopin’s solo mazurkas, featuring a brief musical quote penned by an amanuensis. In part: “Received of Messrs. Wessel & Co., No. 67, Frith Street, Soho Square, London, the sum of Ten Pounds…for the absolute Sale of all my Copyright and Interest, present and future, vested and contingent, or otherwise, for the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of and in the following work: ‘Trois Mazurkas pour le Piano Op. 59.’” In very good to fine condition, with a few small stains, and wrinkling along the right edge. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
Frédéric Chopin’s Mazurkas, Op. 59, composed and published in 1845, are a set of three piano pieces that reflect his deep connection to Polish folk music. These works blend traditional dance rhythms with Chopin’s unique harmonic language, showcasing complex chromaticism and rhythmic intricacy. The trio opens with a warm and comforting Mazurka in A minor, followed by a short, memorable Mazurka in A-flat major, and closes with the fast-paced Mazurka in F-sharp minor, which carries an energetic and powerful melody. Chopin’s Mazurkas, Op. 59, embody both nostalgia and innovation, making them among his most evocative explorations of Polish cultural themes. Starting Bid $1000
“I hope you’re feeling better soon and getting back into the rock n roll, we’re all thinking of you”— Bon Scott and AC/DC wish one of their fans a speedy recovery
375. AC/DC Early Signatures (1976) with Malcolm Young Handwritten Letter to an Unwell Fan. Vintage circa 1976 ballpoint signatures of AC/DC on an off-white 7.75 x 10.25 sheet—“Thinkin’ of ya, Bon Scott,” “Love ya! Angus, xxxxx,” “Get better will you, Mark Evans, xxxx,” “See your better soon, Phil, xxxx,” and “Love, Malcolm,” who adds a handwritten letter to an unwell fan above, which reads: “Hi Helen, This is Malcolm here, sorry to hear about you being ill. I hope you’re feeling better soon and getting back into the rock n roll, we’re all thinking of you.” In very good to fine condition, with small stains, creasing, and intersecting folds. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks. Starting Bid $500
The Fab Four rock the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough during their Summer 1964 UK Tour
378. Beatles Signatures - Obtained at the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough, North Yorkshire (August 9, 1964). Vintage ballpoint signatures of the Beatles — John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr — on an off-white 6 x 4.25 sheet. In very good to fine condition, with staining in the margins, and light show-through from writing on the back. The Beatles performed at the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough, Yorkshire, on August 9, 1964; they had performed there once before on December 11, 1963. Accompanied by letter of provenance from the original recipient, in part: “In 1964, I was at a concert in Scarborough at the Futurist Theatre where the Beatles were appearing. I worked for the Salvation Army and sometimes we would help out at the theatre, the autographs were written for me personally as well…I had not prepared in advance and had to beg a scrap of paper from a friend in order to get the Beatles autographs, at the end of the sets we all gathered round the dance floor – the boys were all very friendly and chatty.” Starting Bid $500
The Beatles take flight in August 1963— marvelous Fab
Four signatures on a BEA in-flight booklet page, with video evidence of the band boarding alongside the stewardess who obtained the autographs
376. Beatles Signed BEA Airlines In-Flight Booklet Page (August 8, 1963). ‘Safety on Board’ page from a British European Airways in-flight booklet, 9 x 6.5, signed beautifully in black ballpoint by the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, who adds “The Beatles” above. The consignor notes that the autographs were signed for a stewardess onboard a flight between Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands on the morning of August 8, 1963. The Beatles had arrived in Jersey to perform two shows at the Springfield Ballroom on the 6th and 7th, and a day later, the group boarded a BEA plane and made the 30-mile journey to Guernsey to perform at Candie Gardens Auditorium. In fine condition, with paper loss to the side edges.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks, an example of a complete BEA in-flight booklet, and a letter of provenance from the brother of the original recipient: “This is to confirm that the autographs of The Beatles, illustrated below, are authentic. My sister Eileen worked as an air stewardess for British European Airways – BEA…between 1961 until 1970. When she joined BEA in 1961, she flew on the Vickers Viscount fleet, doing trips to France and the Channel Islands, and then later transferred to the Vanguard, which was used on the German routes. On 8th August 1963, Eileen flew The Beatles from Jersey to Guernsey in the Channel Islands…During the trip, she obtained The Beatles’ autographs on a page from a BEA in-flight safety booklet and gave them to me.”
Remarkably, the Beatles were video-recorded at Jersey Airport on August 8, 1963. The footage, which shows the band boarding the plane on the runway, also features the stewardess who received the autographs; she can be seen walking behind the band up the boarding ramp to the aircraft. This rare Beatles footage can be viewed on our website. Starting Bid $1000
Terrific Deauville Hotel Ed Sullivan Show archive, highlighted by a Lennon autograph and rare rehearsal ticket stub
377. Beatles: John Lennon Signature, Candid Photographs, and Ticket Stub to Their 1964 Ed Sullivan Show Rehearsal at the Deauville Hotel. Extraordinary archive relating to the Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show at the Deauville Hotel in Miami on February 16, 1964, from the collection of Jane Sollogub, who served as the president of the South Florida Chapter of the official National Beatles Fan Club at the young age of 15. One week after making their famous appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast from New York, the Beatles again joined Sullivan—this time at Miami’s Deauville Hotel—for a special live show. As an intern at Miami radio station WFUN, Sollogub was invited to the Deauville to attend the rehearsal and live broadcast; in the process, she obtained Lennon’s autograph in the hotel’s elevator, received a ticket for the rehearsal, and captured several photographs of the band.
Items in the archive directly related to the Deauville include:
A vintage ballpoint signature, “John Lennon,” on an off-white 4.25 x 5.5 sheet of Deauville Hotel memo paper, bearing a small ballpoint date notation of Sunday, February 16, 1964.
An original 3 x 1.75 ticket stub for the Beatles’ rehearsal for the Ed Sullivan Show at the Deauville Hotel, marked in red, “Rehearsal Only.” Notably, the ticket makes no mention of the Beatles: it simply lists the location, “The Deauville Hotel, Collins Avenue at 67th Street, Miami Beach, Florida,” date and time, “Feb. 16, 2:30 P.M.,” and event, “Lever Bros. and Kent Cigarettes Present The Ed Sullivan Show.” These rehearsal ticket stubs are rarely found in such a complete state; in this instance, the line along the far right edge which separated the stub from the ticket-taker ’s portion is still entirely intact.
Three original black-and-white 3.5 x 3.5 candid photos of the Beatles outside the 12th floor elevator at the Deauville: one showing Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr in their suits, along with two security guards and their stylist; one showing McCartney and Harrison posing together; and one showing McCartney signing an autograph.
An original black-and-white 3.5 x 3.5 candid photo of the Beatles performing on stage at the Deauville Hotel for the Ed Sullivan Show.
In overall fine condition, with light soiling and creasing to Lennon’s signature, and heavy creasing to the ticket stub. A spectacular archive chronicling the advent of ‘Beatlemania’ in the United States. Starting Bid $1000
Extremely rare ‘first state’ stereo version of the Beatles’ infamous butcher cover
379. Beatles ‘First State’ Stereo Butcher Cover Album - Yesterday and Today. Exceedingly rare original ‘first state’ Yesterday and Today stereo album released by Capitol Records in 1966 (ST-2553). This extraordinary album features the notorious ‘butcher’ cover in which the Beatles are seen in butcher smocks draped with meat and plastic doll parts; ‘first state’ signifies that this is an original example which never had the ‘trunk cover’ pasteover applied. Matted and framed with a letter of authenticity from Beatles expert Perry Cox to an overall size of 30 x 21. The consignor notes that the record is included. Condition is VG+, with very light proper age mellowing to edges and back, some very light soiling and small surface abrasions to the back cover, some minuscule flaws to seams and edges, and the upper left corner tip of the front slick color matched in. The Cox letter reads, in part: “This is the number one collectible album of all time by any artist anywhere. Indeed, this is the ultimate record collectible period…This example was manufactured at the Scranton, PA factory as evidenced by the light plumb tinting to the ‘Stereo’ banner bar at the top of the front cover…Stereo examples of this album are much scarcer than their monaural counterparts.” Within days of releasing this miscellany of previous hits, Capitol recalled all copies in response to retailers’ negative reactions to the original macabre cover image. The recalled copies were ‘retrofitted’ with a new pictorial flat, pasted over the first, featuring an innocuous image of the boys posed around a steamer trunk. First-state versions of the infamous Beatles butcher cover, especially of the rarer stereo variety, are among the most desirable and elusive of all Beatles collectibles. Starting Bid $1000
381. Beatles: George Harrison Signed Photograph. Glossy 7 x 9.75 photo of the Beatles guitarist posing with a large stuffed penguin during his Thirty Three & ? period, boldly signed and inscribed in black ink, “To Aaron, George Harrison.” In fine condition, with a Beckett label affixed to the reverse. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from Beckett Authentication Services. Starting Bid $200
Large set of pre-invasion signatures acquired as Beatlemania exploded
380. Beatles Signatures (Pre-Invasion, Mid-1963). Beautiful vintage circa mid-1963 ballpoint signatures, “Love from the Beatles, John Lennon xxx,” “George Harrison xxx,” “Ringo Starr xxx,” and “Paul McCartney xxx,” on an off-white 5.5 x 6 sheet, which is affixed to a heavier cardstock sheet. Double-matted and framed with a composite photo of the band to an overall size of 15 x 21. In very good condition, with overall creasing and multiple intersecting folds. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from noted Beatles expert Frank Caiazzo, which dates the signatures to mid-1963. A visually striking, uninscribed set of large, bold Beatles signatures obtained as the band’s commercial success would soon bring them worldwide exposure. Starting Bid $1000
John Lennon-signed copyright contract from 1968 for the controversial Beatles song ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’
382. Beatles: Lennon and Aspinall. Desirable DS, one page both sides, 7.5 x 12.5, October 15, 1968. Memorandum of agreement between Northern Songs Limited and Maclen (Music) Limited, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, in which the former party will be assigned “the full copyright for all countries of the World for the duration and all extensions” of the “musical work or composition entitled — ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun.’” Signed at the conclusion in black ballpoint by Lennon, and countersigned in black ballpoint by Maclen representative Neil Aspinall. Archivally matted and framed with a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA to an overall size of 24 x 19.25; window to frame back reveals the signed page of the document. In fine condition, with a few spots of staining and some tears to top edge.
Inspired by a magazine headline that producer George Martin had shown to Lennon, the title ‘Happiness Is a Warm Gun’ ultimately derives from ‘Happiness is a warm puppy,’ an adage from Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comics that was frequently riffed on during the 1960s. The song was featured on the Beatles’ White Album and is said to have been Paul McCartney and George Harrison’s favorite song from the record. The song’s progressive structure and lyrical suggestions of violence and sex made it unpopular for airwaves, and it was subsequently banned by the BBC. Starting Bid $500
Post-breakup check signed by former Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney
384. Beatles: Lennon and McCartney Signed Check. Sought-after Maclen (Music) Ltd. business check, 7.5 x 3.25, filled out in another hand and prominently signed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney as company directors, payable to Arthur Young McClelland Moores & Co., for £2052, June 27, 1975. Matted and framed with a full letter of authenticity from REAL, which features a pre-faded image of the check, to an overall size of 21.5 x 17. In fine condition, with noticeable fading to the check and McCartney’s signature. Maclen Music was the company through which Lennon and McCartney received songwriting royalties for the songs they wrote together during the Beatles’ days. Both were well into their solo careers by this point, with both releasing albums in 1975—McCartney’s Wings came out with their fourth album, Venus and Mars, and Lennon released his sixth, Rock ‘n’ Roll. Post-Beatles material signed by both Lennon and McCartney is extremely scarce. Starting Bid $1000
Former Beatles Lennon and McCartney approve the promotion of their musical catalog
383. Beatles: Lennon and McCartney Document Signed. DS, signed “John Lennon” and “Paul McCartney,” three pages, 7.5 x 12.5, February 11, 1975. Contract between Maclen Music Limited and Jackwill S. A., with the latter agreeing to “procure or provide such services for the purpose of promoting the MML Catalogue of musical compositions and placement with recording artists of musical compositions owned by MML” for a period of four years. Approved and signed at the conclusion in blue ballpoint by Paul McCartney and in black ballpoint by John Lennon. Countersigned by J. W. Clement on behalf of Maclen Music and by R. D. A Wills on behalf of Jackwill S. A. Matted and framed with a certificate of authenticity from Tracks to an overall size of 21.5 x 31.25. In fine condition, with a tear to the top edge.
Maclen Music was the company through which Lennon and McCartney received song-writing royalties for the songs they wrote together during the Beatles’ days. Both were well into their solo careers by this point, with both releasing albums in 1975—McCartney’s Wings came out with their fourth album, Venus and Mars, and Lennon released his sixth, Rock ‘n’ Roll. Post-Beatles material signed by both Lennon and McCartney is extremely scarce. Starting Bid $1000
“ALL, When people want John / + / or / Yoko and they ask you – please refer them to our office… otherwise there is no fucking point in Bag Prod.” —direct letter from “John + Yoko” to the full staff of Bag Productions
385. Beatles: John Lennon Autograph Letter Signed to His Bag Productions Staff, Insisting on Following Company Protocol - “Otherwise there is no fucking point in Bag Prod.”. Exceptionally rare ALS signed “John + Yoko,” one page, 8 x 7.5, Bag Productions letterhead, no date [circa 1969]. Handwritten letter from John Lennon to the Apple Corps staff, in full: “ALL, When people want John / + / or / Yoko and they ask you – please refer them to our office – Diana – Sally – eg. John Peel – Tony Bramwell / C.B.S. – Jack Oliver – etc, otherwise there is no fucking point in Bag Prod. – o.k.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks. A pointed letter of direction from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to the full staff at Bag Productions, stressing organization and efficiency to ensure that all media requests are routed through their proper channels—handwritten letters from Lennon remain appreciably rare, with this example, penned on elusive Bag Productions letterhead to the company’s full staff, serving as a choice illustration of Lennon’s unmitigated role as boss. Provenance: Julien’s, Music Icons: The Julian Lennon Collection, May 2025. Starting Bid $1000
‘Listen To This Photo’—wonderful Lennon-signed Walls and Bridges-era promo photo featuring Bob Gruen’s classic NYC ‘rooftop shot’
386. Beatles: John Lennon Signed Photograph - ‘Listen To This Photo’. Wonderful glossy 10 x 8 Apple Records / Capitol Records publicity photo of John Lennon smiling and seated on a rooftop wall in New York City, an image originally taken by photographer Bob Gruen on August 29, 1974, signed nicely in the lower border in black ballpoint, “John Lennon, 75.” The upper border features the text, “Listen To This Photo.,” and the lower border bears a facsimile signature. In very good to fine condition, with scattered light creasing, and some streaking in the image that is inherent to the original negative.
Lennon created the “Listen to This…” advertising campaign for the release of his fourth studio album, Walls and Bridges, which was issued by Apple Records on September 26, 1974, in the United States, and on October 4th in the United Kingdom. The tagline appeared on all manner of merchandise, from buttons, photos, stickers, posters, and T-shirts, to even showing up on the backs of some 500 New York City buses, all of which featured the slogan ‘Listen To This Bus.’ Starting Bid $1000
Publishing document signed twice by John Lennon, who greenlights the Danish release of his first book, In His Own Write
387. Beatles: Lennon, John. Scarce partly-printed DS, signed twice “J. W. Lennon,” three pages on two sheets, 7.75 x 9.75, June 4, 1965. A memorandum of agreement between John Lennon and the Danish publishing firm H. M. Bergs Forlag A. S., in which Lennon grants the latter party the exclusive license to publish ‘In His Own Write’ in the Danish language. Signed twice on the last page in black ink by Lennon. Matted and framed with a letter of authenticity from noted Beatles expert Frank Caiazzo to an overall size of 34 x 19. In very good to fine condition, with a corner crease and staple holes, and both signatures showing just a hint of pen trouble. First published in London in 1964, Lennon’s first literary effort was a thin volume comprised of nonsensical, disjointed short stories and line drawings. The first solo effort of any of the Beatles, In His Own Write remains a great showcase of Lennon’s creative talent. Starting Bid $300
388. Beatles: John Lennon Signed Lithograph (Ltd. Ed. #257/300). Desirable limited edition 30 x 22.75 lithograph from John Lennon’s ‘Bag One’ series of erotic drawings showing Yoko Ono in an intimate solo moment, numbered 257/300, prominently signed in the lower right corner in pencil, “John Lennon.” Mounted to an overall size of 36 x 29. In fine condition.
In 1969, as a wedding gift for Yoko, John drew the ‘Bag One Portfolio’—a chronicle of their wedding ceremony, honeymoon, and their plea for world peace in the Bed-In. The following year the artwork was produced in a series of 300 portfolios of 15 signed prints each. The majority depict John and Yoko’s most intimate, private moments—upon their first exhibition in London, more than half were deemed ‘indecent’ and confiscated by Scotland Yard. The complete set of Bag One lithographs is on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Starting Bid $300
389. Beatles: Paul McCartney Signed Hofner ‘Violin’ Bass Guitar. Gorgeous left-handed sunburstfinish Hofner ‘violin’ or ‘Cavern’ Contemporary Series bass guitar, signed nicely on the pearloid pickguard in black felt tip by Paul McCartney. In very fine condition. In 1961, the Beatles’ original bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe (who had used a Höfner bass), left the band to resume his art studies. The Beatles were without a bass player, and none of them wanted to start playing one, but the job fell to Paul McCartney, who had been playing rhythm guitar and piano; George Harrison had already been settled on as lead guitarist, and John Lennon had just bought a new guitar and refused to switch. In the British vernacular of the day, McCartney found himself ‘lumbered’ with the job.
Sutcliffe initially lent his Höfner bass to McCartney, who had seen another guitarist in Hamburg using a violin-shaped bass. When he saw a similar instrument in the window of a Hamburg music store, he investigated. Because of the instrument’s symmetricality, McCartney could play left-handed without the bass ‘looking daft,’ as he put it. Despite being inexpensive and lightweight, the bass featured a deep, warm tone. McCartney bought the bass he saw in the window and used it for years both in live performances and on recordings. Originally designed by Walter Hofner in 1955, the beautifully shaped ‘Beatle bass’ remains a highly sought-after piece of musical equipment, with this instrument enhanced furthermore by its influential signer. Starting Bid $500
390. Beatles: Paul McCartney and Roy Orbison Signed Promotional Card. Vintage semi-glossy 3.5 x 6 London Records promotional card for Roy Orbison, signed on the reverse in blue ballpoint, “Beatles, love, Paul McCartney, xxx,” and on the front next to his likeness, “To Lillie, love, Roy Orbison.” The consignor notes that the signatures date to 1963. In very good to fine condition, with a small stain, and an unobtrusive crease (more visible on the Orbison side).
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks and by a letter from the daughter of the original recipient: “My Dad worked for The Music Echo in the early 60s, met many celebrities of the day, Marty Wilde, Beatles, Spectres who became Status Quo…If I remember rightly he told us of a story where Paul McCartney owes him £1, it was either a bet they had or he needed it for a cab. Those were the days.” Starting Bid $200
391. Bob Dylan Signature. Ballpoint signature and inscription, “To John, Best wishes, Bob Dylan, 1/17/86,” on an off-white 8.25 x 9.5 sheet of graphing paper. In very fine condition. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from REAL. Starting Bid $200
“Love
always and remember: Teddy Bears NEVER die, Jimi Hendrix”
392. Jimi Hendrix Experience Signatures (Odeon Theatre, Birmingham - April 19, 1967) - “Teddy Bears NEVER die, Jimi Hendrix”. Vintage ballpoint signatures of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on an off-white 4.75 x 7.75 sheet— “Love always and remember: Teddy Bears NEVER die, Jimi Hendrix,” “To Susan, Love forever! Mitch, xxx,” and “Love, Noel Redding, xxx.” The consignor notes that the autographs were obtained before the group’s performance at the Odeon Theatre in Birmingham on April 19, 1967. In fine condition, with light intersecting folds.
Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks and by a letter of provenance from the original recipient: “The Jimi Hendrix Experience autographs were obtained by myself on the 19th April 1967 at the Birmingham Odeon, whilst he was touring with The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens and Engelbert Humperdinck. As a Walker Brothers fan, I was waiting outside the stage door in the afternoon, hoping to see my idols, when the guys turned up and willingly signed autographs for the fans who were waiting. I have an idea of the significance of the dedication and I didn’t even notice exactly what he had written till later as there was so much going on at the time.” Starting Bid $1000
393. Rick James Original Handwritten Song Lyrics for ‘Make Love to Me’. Early original handwritten song lyrics by Rick James for the song ‘Make Love to Me,’ the third track on his fifth studio album, Street Songs, which was released in 1981 on Gordy Records. The lyrics, entitled “(Make love to me)” and signed along the upper margin, “W + M, Rick James,” are handwritten in pencil on an off-white 8.5 x 11 sheet of notebook paper. The lyrics read, in part (spelling retained): “Taste so good to very last drop / You on bottom and me on top / Rolling around to a saxaphone sound / Feel so good don’t wanna come down / Make [love] to me baby / Do it nice and slow / Make love to me woman / Let your feelings show hey baby.” In fine condition.
Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Lisa Sarna, an original member of Rick James and the Stone City Band during the late 1970s and early 1980s, who states: “During our studio sessions, Rick would often ask me to rewrite lyrics so that Motown executives could understand his handwriting. I kept these handwritten versions as reference materials in case the label had questions about the songs.” From the personal collection of Lisa Sarna, an original member of Rick James and the Stone City Band, who worked as one of James’ backup singers, a group coined ‘The Colored Girls.’ Starting Bid $200
Prince plays the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum—a
scarce signed “After Show” pass from his iconic
Purple Rain Tour
394. Prince Signed ‘After Show’ Pass - ‘Purple Rain Tour’. Scarce cloth “Guest” pass from Prince and the Revolution’s 1984–85 ‘Purple Rain Tour,’ 2.5 x 4, stamped “After Show” and annotated “3/24/85,” signed in black ballpoint, “Love God, Prince.” Affixed to the front of a picture sleeve for the ‘God / Purple Rain’ single (Warner Bros. 7-29174), with the purple vinyl 7˝ record included. In fine condition, with poor-to-moderate signature contrast.
Prince and the Revolution played a matinée show at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on March 24, 1985, added to the tour after the initially announced five shows in Uniondale, New York, were close to sold out. The band played a 20-plus song set, highlighted by ‘Let’s Go Crazy,’ ‘1999,’ ‘Little Red Corvette’,’ ‘When Doves Cry,’ ‘I Would Die 4 U,’ and the grand finale, ‘Purple Rain.’ Starting Bid $300
Rolling Stones, Now! album signed by the full band backstage at the Ed Sullivan Show in ‘65
395. Rolling Stones Signed Album - The Rolling Stones, Now! (Obtained backstage at the Ed Sullivan Show on May 2, 1965). The Rolling Stones, Now! album signed on the back cover in red felt tip by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. In very good to fine condition, with light scuffing and soiling, and wear and chipping along the edges. The record is not included. The consignor notes that this was autographed backstage at the Ed Sullivan Show on May 2, 1965, and it has been in her possession since 1966. Following in the footsteps of the Beatles a year earlier, May 2nd marked the Rolling Stones’ second appearance on the program, where they performed ‘The Last Time,’ ‘Little Red Rooster,’ and ‘Someone to Love.’ A marvelous, fully signed example of the band’s third American studio album. Starting Bid $200
396. Rolling Stones Signatures (February 1964). Vintage early 1964 ballpoint signatures of the Rolling Stones on five individual 4.5 x 3.75 album pages, with each musician adding an inscription: “To Carol, Mick Jagger,” “Luv to Carol, Brian Jones,” “Love to Carole, Keith Richard,” “To Carol, love from, Charlie Boy,” and “Love to Carol, Bill Wyman, xx.” The Jones album page retains its adjacent centerfold page, which bears an original affixed ticket stub for the ‘All Star 1964 Show’ at the Sophia Gardens Pavilion in Cardiff, Wales, on February 28, 1964, which lists the Rolling Stones as one of the performing acts. In overall very good to fine condition, with light toning to Jagger and Richards, and some staining to Jones. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from REAL. Starting Bid $200
397. The Who: Keith Moon Signed Photograph. Glossy 10 x 8 Polydor Records publicity photo of drummer Keith Moon of The Who, depicting the legendary drummer smiling behind his kit, signed in the lower border in blue ballpoint by Moon, who adds an inscription in black felt tip, “To Paul.” In fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks and a letter of provenance from the original recipient: “I met Keith Moon when visiting my grandfather in hospital. From memory it was Chelsea and Westminster Hospital around 1977, so not too long before Keith died. He was drying out from one of his alcohol and drugs binges. He signed the photograph for me. He was a really nice guy.” Starting Bid $300
Entertainment
Five-foot tall portrait of John Barrymore, presented by the actor to Chicago’s Selwyn Theatre
445. John Barrymore Massive Oversized Signed Photograph . Massive vintage matte-finish 39 x 60 profile portrait of John Barrymore by Maurice Seymour of Chicago, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To the Selwyn—Thanks—in memory of a delightful Engagement—and with sincere thanks for Everyone connected with the Theatre—John Barrymore.” In very good condition, with bumps to the corners, dings to the edges, and some minor surface scuffing. Barrymore starred in ‘My Dear Children’ at Chicago’s Selwyn Theatre in 1939. Starting Bid $200
446. Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart Signatures. Vintage fountain pen signatures and inscriptions, “To Tony, Best regards, Marlon Brando” and “For Tony, Good luck pal, Humphrey Bogart,” on opposite sides of an off-white 6 x 4.5 album page. In very fine condition. Starting Bid $200
“If I don’t become a plumber and I do become an actor I can never hope for any finer help on my dialogue or real cooperation than I have received from you. Creighton Chaney”
447. Lon Chaney, Jr. Early Signed Photograph. Scarce early vintage matte-finish 7.5 x 9.25 portrait photo of the Lon Chaney, Jr., at the start of his legendary career, signed and inscribed in black ink to noted sound engineer Lodge Cunningham, “For Lodge, If I don’t become a plumber and I do become an actor I can never hope for any finer help on my dialogue or real cooperation than I have received from you. Creighton Chaney.” In fine condition, with tastefully trimmed edges, and poor-to-moderate signature contrast. It was only after his father died in 1930 that Chaney began acting in films, billed under his own name, Creighton. Signed to RKO, Chaney used his given name for roughly four years, until 1935, with The Marriage Bargain serving as his last film billed under that name. Starting Bid $200
Superior oversized portrait of Charlie Chaplin’s famous ‘Tramp’
448. Charlie Chaplin Oversized Signed Photograph as the ‘Tramp’. Extraordinary vintage matte-finish 10 x 13 close-up photo of Charlie Chaplin in character as the ‘Tramp,’ signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To my friend Ed Biby, from Charlie Chaplin, April 1st, 1919.” In very good to fine condition, with trimmed edges, overall rippling, and reduced ink flow to the date. Starting Bid $200
449. Charlie Chaplin Signed Photograph. Vintage glossy 7.25 x 9 fulllength photo of Chaplin dressed as Calvero in the 1952 film Limelight, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To Richard Schweizer, with admiration from Charlie Chaplin, Feb. 23rd, 1953.” Affixed to a same-size cardstock mount and in fine condition, with tastefully trimmed edges. Starting Bid $200
Prop “Soldbuch” German military passport prepared for Tom Cruise in the 2008 historical thriller Valkyrie
450. Tom Cruise Valkyrie Prop ‘Soldbuch’ Military Passport and Signed Photograph. Prop “Soldbuch” German military passport prepared for Tom Cruise in his role as would-be Hitler assassin Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in the 2008 historical thriller Valkyrie, 4 x 5.75, with a portrait of him in uniform affixed inside, annotated below in ink with the character’s name, “Claus Schenk v. Stauffenberg,” and stamped in the corners with the seal of the Oberkommando des Heeres [Upper Command of the Army]. The highly detailed book lists von Stauffenberg’s personal details, promotions, military awards, medical record, leave record, and other related data. The consignor reports that this was originally purchased from a Berlin dealer: ‘The dealer told me that he bought it from a background performer (Statist) who participated in the movie Valkyrie and whom it was given by Cruise. He told me that two of such books were made for the movie.’ Also includes a color glossy 8.25 x 12 photo of Cruise in costume as Claus von Stauffenberg, signed in black felt tip, “Tom Cruise.” In fine condition. In the 2008 film Valkyrie, Tom Cruise stars as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a German officer who becomes central to the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime. Cruise portrays Stauffenberg as a determined yet conflicted patriot, driven by a sense of duty to save Germany from destruction. The film follows his role in planning and executing the failed coup, highlighting both his bravery and the immense risks taken by those who resisted Hitler from within. Starting Bid $300
Harry Houdini’s J. J. Tower ‘double lock’ steel handcuffs, deriving from the esteemed Houdini collection of Sidney Radner
451. Harry Houdini’s Personally Owned J.J. Tower ‘Double Lock’ Handcuffs - From the Houdini Collection of Sidney Radner. Pair of Harry Houdini’s personally-owned J. J. Tower ‘double lock’ steel handcuffs, with each locking shackle ring measuring about 4˝ across, which are attached by a single 1.5˝ link. Mounted with an engraved plaque, an original glossy publicity photo, and a signed certificate of authenticity from noted Houdini collector Sidney Radner, dated September 17, 2004, all of which are framed together to an overall size of 16.5 x 24.5. The irons exhibit trivial wear to plating, and the included key is rusted.
Houdini came to international fame as an escape artist beginning with his 1900 tour of Europe, where he challenged local police departments of each city he visited to restrain him. Houdini, of course, inevitably escaped, and he became famous as the ‘King of Handcuffs,’ or, more simply, Harry ‘Handcuff’ Houdini. A fantastic relic from the legend’s personal collection.
John J. Tower patented a ‘double lock’ design in 1879, which was his most successful attempt at reducing the possibility of escape due to the inclusion of two lock settings and a tightening of the fit of the cuff’s closing mechanism, which prevented the possibility of the prisoner (or magician) from shimmying their way out of the cuffs through the gap. Starting Bid $1000
“‘Safe Bind,’ ‘Safe Find’ does not apply to the undersigned. Harry Handcuff Houdini”
452. Harry Houdini Autograph Quote
Signed - “‘Safe Bind,’ ‘Safe Find’ does not apply to the undersigned. Harry Handcuff Houdini”. Wonderful AQS in bold ink on an off-white 6.25 x 3.75 album page, which reads, in full: “‘Safe Bind,’ ‘Safe Find’ does not apply to the undersigned. Harry Handcuff Houdini, 1/11/11, Nottingham.” In fine condition.
A decidedly appealing Harry Houdini signature boasting a rarely seen quote, his full nickname autograph, and a unique date pattern associated with his legendary series of shows at the Empire Theater in Nottingham, England, for the week of January 9–14, 1911. Starting Bid $300
453. Harry Houdini Signed Society of American Magicians Membership Card. Desirable bright yellow Society of American Magicians “Life” membership card issued to L. D. Beaumont for 1922, 4 x 2.5, boldly signed at the bottom in fountain pen by Harry Houdini as president, and countersigned by Richard Van Dien as secretary. The details of the Society’s “Hospital Benefit” are printed on the reverse. In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Originally founded on May 10, 1902, in the back room of Martinka’s magic shop in New York, the Society of American Magicians expanded under the leadership of Harry Houdini during his term as National President from 1917–1926. Starting Bid $200
Spectacular signed still of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s monster
454. Boris Karloff Signed Photograph as Frankenstein’s Monster. Vintage glossy 8 x 10 photo of Boris Karloff in his iconic horror role as Frankenstein’s monster, signed in fountain pen, “Sincerely, Boris Karloff.” In fine condition, with tack holes to the corners and light surface creasing. Starting Bid $300
Early ‘photoplay’ edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, signed by the man behind the monster, Boris Karloff
455. Boris Karloff Signed Book - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Signed book: Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary W. Shelley. Early photoplay edition. NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1931. Hardcover with modern facsimile dust jacket, 5.75 x 8.25, 240 pages. Signed and inscribed on the first free end page in fountain pen, “To Gladys Lewald, with the sincere good wishes, of Boris Karloff.” Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: G+/None, with worn corners, staining and rubbing to boards, restoration to joints, fraying to spine ends, and an ownership inscription to title page rubbed out. Starting Bid $200
Matching signed vintage promo photos of Bruce Lee as Kato and Van Williams as The Green Hornet
456. The Green Hornet: Bruce Lee and Van Williams (2) Signed Photographs. Two vintage glossy 4 x 5 promotional photos of the main stars of The Green Hornet television series, one of Bruce Lee as Kato, signed neatly in green felt tip, “Bruce Lee,” and the other of Van Williams as the Green Hornet, signed in black ballpoint, “Van Williams.” In overall very good to fine condition, with a single tack hole to the top edge, and some old tape stains to the corners.
Although The Green Hornet was canceled after a single season, Lee’s iconic portrayal of Kato enabled the actor to make three crossover appearances on the wildly popular live-action Batman series between 1966 and 1967. Lee worked in television for a few more years before landing a leading role in The Big Boss, a martial arts action film that not only elevated Lee’s popularity across all of Asia but likewise paved the way for Enter the Dragon, Lee’s final and most enduring motion picture. Starting Bid $1000
1967 National Karate Championship program, signed beautifully by guest of honor Bruce Lee
457. Bruce Lee Signed 1967 National Karate Championship Program. Rare original program for the 1967 National Karate Championship held at the Washington D.C. Armory on May 6, 1967, 12 pages, 9 x 12, signed and inscribed inside over an image of Lee as Kato from The Green Hornet in black felt tip, “To Ken, Best of luck, Bruce Lee,” who adds his ‘Loong’ character below his signature, which represents the Chinese character of a dragon. The page lists Lee as the “Guest of Honor,” and states: “Bruce Lee, the Kato of ‘The Green Hornet’ congratulates all the officials and competitors and wishes good luck to the finalists in the karate matches tonight.” A page dedicated to “Outstanding Champions of Past Tournaments” shows an early image of future movie star Chuck Norris, “Champion, 1967 Champions Tournament.” In fine condition, with light handling wear. Accompanied by full letters of authenticity from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services. During his lifetime, Bruce Lee appeared at select tournaments as a special guest, judge, or performer. Jhoon Rhee, the father of American Taekwondo, first met Bruce Lee in 1964 at Ed Parker’s Long Beach International Karate Championships and, impressed with Lee’s showmanship, invited the young martial artist to collaborate on future projects and events. Lee appeared at several Jhoon Rhee national championships, where he famously performed feats like his two-finger push-up and his one-inch punch and served as either a special guest or a celebrity judge. The Marc and Mary Perkins Collection. Starting Bid $500
458. Bruce Lee Signed Photograph to Herb Jackson. Magnificent circa 1972 vintage glossy 5 x 3.5 photo of Bruce Lee flexing his arms and core in a powerful half-length pose, signed and inscribed in black felt tip to his student and close friend Herb Jackson, “To a dear friend of the family, Herb. Peace, Love, Brotherhood, Bruce,” ??who adds his ‘Loong’ character below his signature, which represents the Chinese character of a dragon. In very good to fine condition, with overall light fading to the ink. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. An imposing and uncommon portrait of the adored martial artist, seen here with facial hair and an impressively sculpted physique, presented to one of Lee’s original student practitioners—Jackson often helped Lee create and improve training equipment at the latter’s Los Angeles martial arts academy. Originates from the family estate of Herb Jackson. The Marc and Mary Perkins Collection. Starting Bid $1000
459. Bruce Lee Signed Photograph to Taky Kimura - PSA MINT 9. Remarkable vintage matte-finish 2.5 x 3.25 photo of Bruce Lee posing next to his legendary Wing Chun master Ip Man, signed and inscribed on the reverse in blue ballpoint, “To my student Taky, from Bruce,” who adds Chinese characters to the left and above writes a caption of the photo: “Taken with Prof. Yip Man, leader of the Wing Chuen Chinese pugilism, in 1957.” In fine condition, with clipped corner tips, and some light soiling and small stains to the signed side. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.”
Takauki ‘Taky’ Kimura (1924–2021) was one of Lee’s earliest students and closest friends, who served as the best man at his wedding and then later as one of his six pallbearers. Starting in 1964, he served as an instructor at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle and was one of three Lee-certified instructors of Jeet Kune Do. Kimura tended to the graves of both Bruce and Brandon Lee every year, and he proudly dedicated his life to teaching and honoring the legacy of his dear friend and mentor. The Marc and Mary Perkins Collection. Starting Bid $1000
Lugosi-signed copy of
Bram Stoker’s horror classic, Dracula
460. Bela Lugosi Signed Book - Dracula by Bram Stoker. Signed book: Dracula by Bram Stoker. Later printing. NY: Modern Library (Random House). Hardcover with modern facsimile dust jacket, 5.25 x 7.25, 418 pages. Signed and inscribed on the title page in black ink, “To Fran, Bela Lugosi.” Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG-/None, with cracked hinges, edgewear, and rubbing to boards. Starting Bid $200
461. Bela Lugosi Early Signed Photograph. Uncommon vintage matte-finish 6.5 x 8.75 portrait photo of the famed horror actor smoking a cigarette in an early half-length pose, signed in Hungarian in bold black ink, “Lugosi Bela…1917 IX/11.” In fine condition, with tastefully trimmed edges. Starting Bid $200
462. Steve McQueen Signed Photograph. Glossy 8 x 10 Paramount Pictures publicity photo of Steve McQueen as the knife-wielding Max Sand in the 1966 Western film Nevada Smith, signed and inscribed in black felt tip, “To Pete – Steve McQueen.” In fine condition, with a short tear to the right edge. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from JSA. Starting Bid $200
Breathtaking early signed portrait of Marilyn Monroe for All About Eve
463. Marilyn Monroe Signed Photograph for All About Eve. Stunning vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 portrait of Monroe in a beautiful strapless top by Laszlo Willinger for All About Eve, signed and inscribed in ballpoint, “To Elzie, My Warm Regards, Marilyn Monroe.” In very good to fine condition, with light border stains and small edge chips, and a short tear to the upper right background area. Monroe played the minor part of Miss Claudia Casswell in 1950’s All About Eve, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Emphasizing Monroe’s angelic face and legendary curves, this is a simply exquisite image of Hollywood’s most iconic starlet. Starting Bid $1000
Marilyn behind the wheel—lovely signed portrait of Monroe, deriving from the estate of her esteemed acting coach, Lee Strasberg
464. Marilyn Monroe Signed Photograph - From the Estate of Lee Strasberg. Wonderful mid-1950s vintage glossy 2.5 x 3.5 deckle-edge photo of Marilyn Monroe smiling from the driver’s side of an automobile, her right hand on the steering wheel and her left elbow hanging out of the open window, signed in black ink. The reverse is stamped “247T.” In fine condition, with some minor crazing to the emulsion. The consignor notes that the autograph was obtained by Frieda Hull, one of the ‘Monroe Six,’ a group of legendary fans with whom Monroe became friendly. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
From the estate of Frieda Hull. Provenance: Julien’s Auctions, Property from the Estate of Lee Strasberg, November 2016. Lee Strasberg was an Austrian-born actor, director, and theater practitioner who cofounded the Group Theatre in 1931 and, twenty years later, became the director of the prestigious Actor’s Studio in New York City. While living in Manhattan, Monroe became Strasberg’s most popular student, bringing great attention to the acting studio while esteeming Strasberg as a sort of father figure. Starting Bid $1000
Marilyn out on the town— lovely
signed and uninscribed portrait of the movie star from circa 1955
465. Marilyn Monroe Signed Photograph (Ca. 1955). Vintage matte-finish 5 x 7 photo of Marilyn Monroe in New York City, circa 1955, shown waving with a bright smile and wearing a white fur coat over a black gown, signed prominently in fountain pen. In fine condition. The consignor notes that the autograph was obtained by Frieda Hull, one of the ‘Monroe Six,’ a group of legendary fans with whom Monroe became friendly. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Provenance: Julien’s Auctions, Property from the Life and Career of Marilyn Monroe, November 2016. The Marc and Mary Perkins Collection. Starting Bid $1000
466. Marilyn Monroe Signed Check to Her Personal Secretary. Choice Marilyn Monroe Productions, Inc. business check, 8.25 x 3, filled out in type and signed by Monroe, “Marilyn Monroe,” payable to May Reis for $70, January 22, 1960. In very fine condition. Monroe met Milton Greene in September 1953 when the latter was a photographer on assignment for Look magazine, and the two quickly became friends. Spurred by Monroe’s desire to have more control over her career, the pair formed an independent film production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions, in 1955. After making Bus Stop in 1956, the Prince and the Showgirl was the company’s second project. However, Monroe’s cordial relationship with Greene soon dissolved, and Marilyn Monroe Productions folded after making only two films. May Reis was Monroe’s personal secretary and trusted confidante, working with the actress from about 1956 to 1962. Starting Bid $500
467. Rudolph Valentino Signed Photograph. Vintage sepia matte-finish 8 x 10 side profile photo of Rudolph Valentino by James Abbe, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To Louis Freidhein, Sincerely, R. Valentino.” In fine condition, with scattered small surface scuffs. Starting Bid $200
Sports
“Your Fighting Friend, Cassius Clay, U.S. Champ”— exceptionally early handwritten letter from an 18-year-old Muhammad Ali, fresh off his Olympic Trials championship and ready for Rome—“I am in the best of shape, I hope to soon be home with the world Championship soon, I am still hitting hard”
639. Muhammad Ali Early Autograph Letter Signed as “Cassius Clay, U.S. Champ” – Two Weeks Before Leaving for the Rome 1960 Summer Olympics. Early ALS signed “Your Fighting Friend, Cassius Clay, U.S. Champ,” one page, 8 x 7.25, August 1, 1960. Handwritten letter to his friend and fellow boxer Melvin D. Harrison, who trained with Clay for the Olympic Trials, in full (spelling and grammar retained): “I hope this letter finds you and your family well, I am here at Fort Dix getting ready for Rome, I am in the best of shape, I hope to soon be home with the world Championship soon, I am still hitting hard, Say look at here, We leave here on the 14 of august, so try to write me before then and send me Connie addrass will you, and try to get a picture of here, I stil dig her, so find here and let here know that I am still talking about here, get that picture man, ‘please’ I will send her and you a card from Rome Itly, Stay in training and you can’t miss, tell all of the boys that I said hello, don’t let me down about Connie.” Included with the letter is the original mailing envelope, hand-addressed by Clay, who incorporates his signature into the return address field, “Cassius M. Clay, c/o Special Service, U.S. Olympic Boxing team, Building 5434 Fort Dix, N.J.” In fine condition, with light handling wear, and a tiny tear and stain to the bottom edge.
Accompanied by full letters of authenticity from JSA and PSA/DNA, and a signed letter of provenance from Harrison, who writes: “I certify that I have been acquainted with Cassius Clay since 1960. We first met that year at a boxing tournament in Chicago and later at the Local 12 boxing gym in Toledo, Ohio. We both trained and fought in the Olympic trials in Louisville, KY in 1960.” Starting Bid $500
‘Flying’ — the eco-friendly torch of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games
640. Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Torch and Display Base. Official 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics torch, constructed of a resin-coated carbon fiber composite, measuring 33” in length and 4” at its widest point. Manufactured by Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company and designed by Li Jianye and his team, the torch was inspired by the natural flowing beauty of plants and flowers, a theme that meshed with Beijing’s green approach to the torch’s materials and combustion fuel—carbon fiber composite, a new material made of petroleum products, and hydrogen gas, a special fuel that proved both smoke-free and environmental-friendly. The flora-like spiral construction resulted in a floating ribbon look, and its beautiful replication of movement led to its being given the name ‘Flying’ [Fei Yang]. The torch utilizes an open design with a stunning red and silver color scheme, a metaphor for ice and fire, meant to symbolize how the torch will bring ‘light and warmth to this world of ice and snow’—this color combination, and even the torch’s design, relates to its 2008 predecessor and ceremonial cauldron. ‘Flying’ is exceptionally light yet durable, having been created with high-tech 3D knitting technology to form a body seven to nine times harder than steel. The upper portion of the body bears the Beijing 2022 emblem, the lower portion features 1,268 laser-engraved convex clouds and low-relief snowflake patterns, and the torch’s centralized swirling red line represents the winding Great Wall, the Olympic ski slopes, and ‘humanity’s relentless quest for light, peace, and excellence.’ The upper right of the torch bears a small area of scuffing. Includes the original presentation case, which bears noticeable wear to corners and top end, its commemorative certificate, and its beautifully made display base that includes its shipping box and certificate of authenticity, which are both numbered “1790.”
The flame for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was lit at the site of the Ancient Olympia in Greece on October 18, 2021, and was passed to the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee the following day before it departed for the Chinese mainland. Due to the COVID pandemic and the measures put in place to meet the prevention and control requirements, it was decided to reduce the length and duration of the traditional relay route, as well as the number of relay runners, which topped off at around 1,200. Shortened to only three days, the Olympic torch relay resumed on February 2nd, when it began its journey through the three Olympic zones, the city of Zhangjiakou and the main sights of Beijing, which became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The relay concluded on the 4th in Beijing National Stadium at the end of the opening ceremony. A fusion of artistry and high technology, this stunningly beautiful Olympic torch evokes Beijing’s ambitious plan for a safe and sustainable Winter Olympiad. Starting Bid $500
Gorgeous 14K white gold 2007 World Series ring awarded to a Fenway Park usher
641. Boston Red Sox: 2007 World Series Championship Ring, Awarded to a Fenway Park Usher. Exceptional 14K white gold 2007 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship ring made by Jostens, about size 10 (with removable wraparound reducer insert) and 40 grams, featuring the Red Sox logo created from red stones on face, set against a base-shaped background of genuine diamonds over navy blue synthetic sapphires. This is a “B”-level ring, as awarded to team staff, presented to longtime Fenway Park usher James O’Conner.
The bezel reads, “World Champions,” with the perimeter encircled by diamonds. One shank features the recipient’s surname, “O’Connor,” with a Red Sox logo and World Series trophy, as well as “Red Sox, 2007” at the bottom. The other shank depicts Fenway Park, with ornate text, “7th World Series Championship, 4-0 Sweep.” The inner band is etched, “Jostens 14K” and “Boston Red Sox, 10-28-07.” Includes the original wooden presentation box, which has the 2007 World Series logo on the front and “2007 World Champions” etched on the glass set into the lid. In fine condition, with light overall wear.
Three short years after reversing the ‘Curse of the Bambino,’ the Boston Red Sox returned to the World Series and easily swept the Colorado Rockies in four games. This attractive World Series ring commemorating the historic victory is of the utmost desirability. Starting Bid $1000
Sought-after signed full ticket from Tom Brady’s NFL debut—representing the humble beginnings of a legendary career
642. Tom Brady Signed NFL Debut Ticket (Patriots at Lions, 11/23/2000) - PSA FULL NM 7/AUTO 9. Graded by PSA FULL NM 7/AUTO 9. Historic original full box office version of the ticket for the New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions at the Silverdome on November 23, 2000, signed in felt tip, “Tom Brady, NFL Debut.” Reverse bears an affixed Tristar authentication label for Brady’s autograph.
This ticket from Tom Brady’s NFL debut represents the unassuming beginnings of a career that would redefine football greatness. Brady, just months removed from leading the Michigan Wolverines as a steady, often underestimated quarterback, entered the Patriots’ Thanksgiving Day loss in Detroit—a city only miles from where he built his college legacy—and completed a single six-yard pass on three attempts. That humble appearance marked the beginning of a career that would see the former sixth-round pick rise from obscurity to capture seven Super Bowl titles and earn recognition as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Starting Bid $5000
644. Roberto Clemente Signed 1966 Topps Baseball Card. Sought-after 1966 Topps baseball card featuring a portrait of Bob Clemente in his Pittsburgh Pirates cap, signed in blue ballpoint, “Roberto Clemente.” In very fine condition. Starting Bid $200
645. Ty Cobb Signed Check - PSA MINT 9. First National Bank of Nevada check, 8.5 x 3.25, boldly filled out and signed by Cobb, “Tyrus R. Cobb,” payable to J. E. Slingerland for $200.58, March 26, 1941, with Cobb noting as a memo: “Settlement in full to date.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Impressive oversized sculpture presented to an American soccer pioneer
646. John Farrell. Impressive and very detailed sculpture of a young boy kicking a soccer ball, measuring 26˝ tall on a stunning green marble and wood base. Work is signed in the base, “Carher,” and is also stamped, “Made in Paris, France.” Black wooden base has a hand-engraved presentation plaque, which reads: “Presented to John B. Farrell by the Football Association of E.P.&D., in appreciation of his services to soccer.” In fine condition, with some minor dings and chips to bottom portion of wooden base, but not to the marble or artwork itself. A highly skilled player and an avid promoter of soccer in the United States, Farrell was presented with this beautiful sculpture in the late 1800s. He passed his passion for the sport down to his son, Henry C. Farrell, who went on to play for the 1924 US Olympic soccer team. This sculpture comes from the collection of Raleigh DeGeer Amyx, who received it from John B. Farrell’s great-granddaughter, Susan Farrell Beatrice. An expertly crafted and beautifully presented piece of sports history. Starting Bid $200
648. Bobby Jones Signed Photograph. Fantastic vintage matte-finish 8 x 10 photo of the golf legend relaxing on a bench, neatly signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “For Bob Heller, With best wishes, Bob Jones.” In very good to fine condition, with a vertical crease to the upper left background area. Encapsulated in a PSA/ DNA authentication holder. Starting Bid $200
650. James Naismith Handwritten Notes on Youth Basketball in Rural Schools: “Basketball gives them the development of accuracy, poise & erect carriage”. Unsigned handwritten manuscript in pencil by James Naismith, one page, 8.5 x 11, no date. Naismith jots down some thoughts on basketball in public schools, and its suitable role in childhood development. In part: “I am very frequently asked if Basketball is suitable for public schools & I was asked…if I would not write an article saying that it was not suitable for rural schools. I immediately answered that I could not do so as I believe it has many qualities suited to children who get a physical development from doing chores & working as they get older. Basketball gives them the development of accuracy, poise & erect carriage. This summer while passing a country school my attention was arrested by the number of children playing in the yard—on enquiry I found that three schools had met for a basketball tournament and all the students seemed to be healthily enjoying themselves. On motoring across country it is always a satisfaction to see a pair of goals in the school yard.” In very good condition, with toning and rough edges, slightly affecting the text. Provenance: Collection of Dr. James Naismith, Heritage Auctions, December 15, 2006; accompanied by a letter of provenance from his granddaughter, Hellen Carpenter. Starting Bid $200
Dr. James Naismith proclaims himself the “Originator of Basket Ball,
651. James Naismith Autograph Document
author of rules &c”
Signed, Identifying Himself as the “Originator of Basket Ball, author of rules &c”. Partly-printed DS, signed “James Naismith A.B.,” one page both sides, 11 x 8.5, December 5, 1895. Naismith fills out a biographical questionnaire for the “Handbook of Canadian Biography,” most notably identifying his “Record in journalism, science or art” as the “Originator of Basket Ball, author of rules &c.,” and “First editor of the ‘Triangle’ (now Physical Education).” He also writes out his full name (“James Naismith A.B.”), parentage ( “John Naismith, Born Scotland, Margaret Young, Born Almonte”), when and where born, educated, and married (“(a) Almonte, Ont. Nov. 1861, (b) Almonte High School 1881–1883, McGill University Montreal 1883–1887, Montreal Presbyterian College 1887–1890, International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School 1890–91), Gross Medical College Denver Colo. 1895 (still there), (c) Miss Maude E. Sherman Springfield, Mass, June 20, 1894”), and names his public positions (“Instructor in Young Men’s Christian Association Training school, Springfield, Mass,” and “Physical Director in Young Men’s Christian Association, Denver, Colo.” among them). On the opposite side is a printed message with facsimile signature from Henry J. Morgan, editor of the subscription-only “Canadian ‘Men of the Time’” publication, explaining that it will carry “biographies or sketches of every prominent Canadian at home and abroad”; annotated below in an unknown hand, “Rev. Jas. Naismith.” In fine condition. Accompanied by an original vintage glossy 4 x 6 silver gelatin photograph of Naismith in a bust-length pose.
In 1891, James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor, invented the game of basketball while working at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Tasked with creating an indoor activity to keep students fit during the winter, he developed a game using a soccer ball and two peach baskets as goals. The YMCA quickly recognized the game’s potential for promoting teamwork and physical health, helping spread basketball to other YMCAs across the country and eventually worldwide. A remarkable, early James Naismith document attesting to his invention of the sport of basketball. Starting Bid $300
Signed scorecard from ‘Babe Ruth Day’ in Colorado Springs
657. Babe Ruth Signed Scorecard - Colorado Springs, July 4, 1940. Scorecard for game between the Colorado Springs Orioles and Pueblo Peppers at Sportsman’s Park, Colorado Springs, on July 4, 1940, two pages, 8 x 10.5, signed on the back cover in pencil, “Babe Ruth.”. In very good to fine condition, with a central horizontal fold, scattered small stains, and trimming to one corner; a few of the innings boxes inside have bene lightly filled out in pencil. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
Ruth was honored with ‘Babe Ruth Day’ at Sportsman’s Park in Colorado Springs on July 4, 1940, receiving keys to the city in a pre-game ceremony along with moving introduction from a representative of the Myron Stratton Home, a local orphanage. Ruth proceeded to thrill the crowd with a batting demonstration, then happily signed autographs for the mob of adoring fans. Days later, he famously launched a ball over the top of the uppermost of Colorado Springs’ famed Seven Falls. Starting Bid $300
“This looks like a big year in baseball”— at the height of his fame, Ruth announces a series of newspaper articles on “baseball and big league players”
655. Babe Ruth Typed Letter Signed on His Newspaper Column: “This looks like a big year in baseball” - PSA MINT 9. TLS, 5.25 x 8.25, personal letterhead, April 12, 1930. Letter to Vick Le Bean of Brooklyn, in full: “As one of many thousands who took part in my All America Baseball Contest last year in the New York World, I want you to know that I am now on the staff of the New York Evening Journal. The Journal, as you know, has one of the biggest circulations in the world and will reach a great many more people, giving me an opportunity to spread baseball interest that much further.
This looks like a big year in baseball and the All America Contest should reach its greatest popularity this summer in The Evening Journal. Starting immediately I will have two articles every week in The Journal, and in addition a special illustrated Baseball Lesson along the lines of those that have already appeared. So don’t fail to watch the Journal and get your friends to read it if you are interested in my articles regarding baseball and big league players.” In fine condition. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.” Accompanied by the original mailing envelope and a full letter of authenticity from JSA.
Babe Ruth was a larger-than-life figure in Depression-era America, and pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh helped to capitalize on his popularity. Walsh built and ran a successful ghostwriting syndicate of thirty-four baseball writers who produced articles, books, and baseball tutorials under the names of famous players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Dizzy Dean, and Rogers Hornsby. Interestingly enough, Ford Frick—who would go on to serve as the president of the National League and commissioner of baseball—served as the ghostwriter for Ruth’s articles in the New York Evening Journal. A desirable letter boasting an ideal, crisp Babe Ruth autograph. Starting Bid $500
Eye-catching early 1930s baseball signed by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
658. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Signed Baseball. Official Partridge League baseball signed in fountain pen on the sweet spot, “Babe Ruth,” and west panel, “Lou Gehrig.” In very good to fine condition, with moderate overall soiling, scuffing slightly affecting the signatures (heaviest to Gehrig’s first name), and an unobtrusive ink inscription below the league stamp; abrasions above Gehrig’s signature suggest an intentional inscription or signature removal. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA and a modern oversized print of Ruth and Gehrig together in 1939. Boasting classic red-and-blue stitching, this is an eye-catching Ruth-Gehrig baseball—one of the most desirable combinations in all of sports. Starting Bid $1000
656. Babe Ruth Signature. Ideal vintage fountain pen signature, “Sincerely, Babe Ruth,” on an off-white 4 x 3 slip. In fine condition, with a light paperclip impression to the top edge, easily matted out. Starting Bid $500
Thorpe signs over the motion picture
rights
to “‘The Red Son of Carlisle,’ also known as ‘Jim Thorpe’s Life History’”
659. Jim Thorpe Document Signed, Selling Autobiographical Motion Picture Rights to MGM. Versatile Native American athlete (1887–1953), widely regarded as the finest all-around athlete of the twentieth century, who won two Olympic gold medals and excelled in football, baseball, and basketball. His Olympic medals were stripped from him for an ostensible violation of the amateur-status rule (Thorpe had earlier played minor-league baseball) but were posthumously restored to him in 1983. DS, signed “James Thorpe,” one page, 9 x 14, November 6, 1931. Agreement between Jim Thorpe and MetroGoldwyn-Mayer for the motion picture rights to his autobiography. In part: “Whereas, the Owner is the sole author of and has sole and unencumbered ownership of all motion picture rights in certain unpublished, literary and/or dramatic writings and material, known as ‘The Red Son of Carlisle,’ also known as ‘Jim Thorpe’s Life History,’ written by Russell J. Birdwell and James Thorpe, (who is also sometimes referred to herein as the ‘Author’)…The Purchaser has paid as full consideration for the rights, title and warranties herein granted and made, the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) to the Owner and Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) to J. G. Mayer, Ltd… The Purchaser agrees to state upon the film itself of any motion picture made by it and based on the Property, and with exposure long enough to be read, that such motion picture is based upon a literary or dramatic composition written by Russell J. Birdwell, with James Thorpe collaborating, or other words to that effect.” Signed at the conclusion in fountain pen by Jim Thorpe, Russell J. Birdwell, and Louis B. Mayer, with a notarized slip affixed below. In fine condition. Although MGM ultimately did not produce a movie based on Thorpe’s life story, Warner Bros. would make Jim Thorpe – All-American in 1951, starring Burt Lancaster in the title role. Starting Bid $200
660. Jim Thorpe Signature - PSA MINT 9.
Versatile Native American athlete (1887–1953), widely regarded as the finest all-around athlete of the twentieth century, who won two Olympic gold medals and excelled in football, baseball, and basketball. His Olympic medals were stripped from him for an ostensible violation of the amateur-status rule (Thorpe had earlier played minor-league baseball) but were posthumously restored to him in 1983. Bold vintage ballpoint signature, “Jim Thorpe,” on an off-white 3.5 x 2.5 slip. In fine condition. Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as “MINT 9.” Starting Bid $200
662. Cy Young Signature. Vintage ink signature, “Cy Young,” on an off-white 6 x 4.25 album page, which is also signed by Joe Dobson. In very good to fine condition, with faint staining and light creasing. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Starting Bid $200
Rare, early professional baseball documents from D.C.’s defunct first franchise:
“The Washington Base Ball Club hereby tenders its resignation as a member of the National League of Professional B. B. Clubs”
661. Washington Nationals: (2) Early Professional Baseball Documents (1889-90), Including Their Resignation from the National League. Two historic, early documents pertaining to the Washington Nationals, a professional baseball team that played in the National League from 1886 to 1889. During these four years, the team had six different managers and compiled a miserable record of 163–337. Notable players were Connie Mack, who played catcher for the Nationals from 1886 to 1889, and deaf outfielder Dummy Hoy, who was on the 1888 and 1889 squads.
ADS signed “Luther E. Burket, Secretary, Washington National Base Ball Club,” one page, 7.75 x 12.5, November 20, 1889. In part: “This is to certify that at the meeting of the ‘Washington National Base Ball Club’…held at the rooms of said club in the city of Washington, D.C….on the twentieth day of November 1889 Walter F. Hewett was duly elected President of said club and Luther E. Burket was duly elected Secretary and Treasurer.” Embossed at the lower left with the seal of the “Washington National Base Ball Club,” featuring crossed bats at the center.
LS signed “Walter F. Hewett,” one page, 7.5 x 6.5, March 21, 1890. Penned in the hand of pioneering baseball executive Nicholas Ephraim Young, and addressed to him as “N. E. Young, Sec’y National League,” a letter withdrawing the Washington National Baseball Club from the league. In full: “The Washington Base Ball Club hereby tenders its resignation as a member of the National League of Professional B. B. Clubs.” Hewett was also manager of the club for part of the 1888 season, leading them to a 10-29 record over 40 games (with one tie).
In overall very good to fine condition, with fold splits to the earlier document.
As with most extant National Association and early National League legal documents, these originated from the estate of N. E. Young. They are reportedly the only known remaining documents of the original Washington Nationals. Starting Bid $500
11. U. S. Grant Document Signed as President, Sending a Letter to the... Starting Bid $200
25. George Bush Typed Letter Signed: "I enjoyed being on 'Meet the Pr... Starting Bid $200
29. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney Signed 2005 Inauguration Invitatio... Starting Bid $200
33. Grover Cleveland Early Document Signed as the 22Year-Old Commiss... Starting Bid $200
22. John Quincy Adams Document Signed as President Starting Bid $200
26. George Bush Typed Letter Signed as President Starting Bid $200
30. Jimmy Carter Personally-Owned andUsed Leather Office Folder Starting Bid $200
34. Bill Clinton Typed Letter Signed: "I want to be governor of Arkan... Starting Bid $200
23. Joe Biden Signed BookPromise Me, Dad Starting Bid $200
27. George W. Bush Signed Book - 41: A Portrait of My Father Starting Bid $200
31. Jimmy Carter (7) Signed Books Starting Bid $200
35. Bill Clinton Signature Starting Bid $200
24. James Buchanan Document Signed as President to Inform Benito Juar... Starting Bid $200
28. George W. Bush Signature Starting Bid $200
32. Grover Cleveland Document Signed as President, Warning Against Se... Starting Bid $200
Bill and Hillary Clinton (2) Signed Books Starting Bid $200
36.
37. Bill and Hillary Clinton (2) Signed Books Starting Bid $200
757. Albert Pujols Signed 2007 UD Game Materials Baseball Card - BAS 1... Starting Bid $200
758. Nolan Ryan Signed Photograph Starting Bid $200
759. Ron Santo Signed Baseball - 'Statball' Starting Bid $200
760. Ron Santo Signed Chicago Cubs Baseball Jersey Starting Bid $200
761. Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics Bronze Participation Medal Starting Bid $200
762. Gale Sayers Signed Photograph Starting Bid $100
763. Bubi Scholz Photography and Ephemera Archive Starting Bid $200
764. Wilbur Shaw Signed Photograph Starting Bid $200
765. George Sisler Signature Starting Bid $200
766. Sports (16) Autographs with Mario Andretti, George Foreman, and C... Starting Bid $200
767. Sports Broadcasters (5) Autographs with Jack Buck, Vin Scully, an... Starting Bid $200
768. Payne Stewart Signed Magazine - Golf Starting Bid $200
769. Derrick Thomas Signed 1989 Score Rookie Card Starting Bid $200
770.
Photograph Starting Bid $200
Signed Oversized Ph... Starting Bid $200
... Starting Bid $200
Signed Photograph Starting Bid $200
Autograph Letter Signed to His
Starting Bid $200
Bill Tilden Signed
771. Triple Crown: Mantle, Williams, Yastrzemski, and Robinson Signed
772. Mike Tyson Oversized
773. Ted Williams
Daughter: "Should of ...
774. Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus
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2.1 In order to place bids, Bidders who have not established an account with RR Auction must either furnish satisfactory credit information (including two collectibles-related business references) or supply additional information if requested, well in advance of the Auction. Bidders who are not members of RRAuction.com should pre-register before the close of the Auction to allow adequate time to contact references. Privileges will be granted at the sole discretion of RR Auction. Additionally, Bidders who have not previously established credit or who wish to bid in excess of their established credit history may be required to provide a cash deposit prior to RR Auction’s acceptance of a bid. Check writing privileges and immediate delivery of merchandise may also be determined by pre-approval of credit based on a combination of criteria: RRAuction.com history, related industry references, bank verification, a credit bureau report and/or a personal guarantee for a corporate or partnership entity in advance of the Auction venue.
2.2 Bidder providing any false or misleading information provided in connection with the registration shall be a material breach of the Conditions of Sale and in addition to any other remedies at law shall excuse RR Auction from performance under these Conditions of Sale, including the right to any refund.
2.2 Bidding privileges may be revoked without notice, for any reason, at the sole discretion of RR Auction .
Section 3
Buyer’s Premium
3.1 The Bidder acknowledges and agrees that a 25% buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price on all individual lots sold in timed and live Auctions. . For payment other than by cash, delivery will not be made unless and until full payment has been received by RR Auction, i.e., check or wired funds have fully cleared. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, signed by RR Auction, payment in full is due within thirteen (13) calendar days of the Auction or within twelve (12) calendar days of the invoice date, whichever is earlier. Bidder’s failure to pay any payment in full when due required shall constitute a material breach, and in addition to other damages available under contract or law, at RR Auction’s election, RR Auction may cancel the sale and require full premium still be due along with interest at 1.5% per month from the date of breach, or at the maximum legally allowable rate.
Section 4
Bidding
4.1 Each Bidder’s determination of its bid should be based upon its own examination of the item(s) and independent investigation, rather than the any reliance as to what is represented in the Catalog, online or elsewhere. Bidder affirms that it regards any statements made by RR Auction concerning the item as solely opinion and that Bidder is making its own inspection and independent evaluation of the goods, and is not relying upon any description or statements by RR Auction (including as to quality, authenticity, provenance, ownership, liens existing, on goods legality, or value) in making its determination to bid on or purchase an item. In any purchase or sale, the value of the item(s) is determined by the price. THE BIDDER HEREBY ASSUMES ALL RISKS CONCERNING ANY AND ALL PURCHASES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.
4.2 RR AUCTION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ERRORS IN BIDDING. A Bidder should make certain to bid on the correct lot and that the bid is the maximum (plus the Buyer’s Premium) that the Bidder is willing and able to pay. Since other Bidders (by mail, facsimile, online, and in person) will be present, and since a re-offering could damage the momentum of the sale, once the hammer has fallen and RR Auction has announced the winning Bidder, such Bidder is unconditionally bound to pay for the lot,
even if the Bidder has made a mistake.
4.3 All prospective Bidders who examine lots in person prior to the sale shall personally assume all responsibility for any damage they cause in so doing. RR Auction shall have sole discretion in determining the value of the damage caused, which shall be promptly paid by the prospective Bidder.
4.4 Title to any lot remains with Consignor, any secured party of the Consignor, or assignee of Consignor, as the case may be, until the lot is paid for in full by Bidder and Bidder has fully satisfied any outstanding financial obligations to RR Auction (including as it concerns aby other lots). RR Auction reserves the right to require payment in full before delivering any lot to the successful Bidder.
4.5 It is the Bidder’s responsibility and obligation to have the lots fully insured while in their possession. Bidder assumes any and all risk of loss upon the earlier of shipment to Bidder or in Bidder’s possession.
4.6 Bidder grants to RR Auction or its assigns the right to offset any sums due, or found to be due by RR Auction, and to make such offset from any past, subsequent or future consignment, or items acquired by Bidder in possession or control of RR Auction or from any sums due to Bidder by RR Auction. Bidder further grants RR Auction a lien consisting of a senior security interest (or purchase money security interest to the extent applicable) in such sums or items to the fullest extent applicable, authorizes RR Auction to file documents concerning the interest, and Bidder agrees to execute any further documents as may be reasonably necessary to grant RR Auction such security interest. Bidder agrees that RR Auction and its assigns shall be a secured party with respect to items bought by Bidder and in the possession of RR Auction, to the extent of the maximum indebtedness, plus all accrued fees and expenses, until the indebtedness is paid.
4.7 By bidding in this sale, Bidder personally and unconditionally guarantees payment. The authorized representative of any corporate Bidder who is present at the sale shall provide RR Auction or its agent, prior to the commencement of the bidding (or at the time of registration), with a statement signed by a principal, director or officer that they he or she personally and unconditionally guarantees any payment due RR Auction.
4.8 RR Auction may at its sole and absolute discretion, make loans or advances to Consignors and/or prospective Bidders.
Section 5
Bidding Options
5.1 Non-Internet bids (including but not limited to in-person, facsimile, phone and mail bids) are treated similarly to floor bids in that they must be on-increment. Any in-person, facsimile, phone, or mail bids that do not conform to a full increment will be rounded up or down to the nearest full increment and this revised amount will be considered Bidder’s high bid.
5.2 When identical bids are submitted, preference is given to the first received. To ensure the greatest accuracy, written bids should be entered on the standard printed bid sheet and be received at RR Auction’s place of business at least twenty-four (24) hours before the Auction start. RR Auction is not responsible for executing mail bids or facsimile bids received on or after the day the first lot is sold, nor Internet bids submitted after the published closing time; nor is RR Auction responsible for proper execution of bids submitted by telephone, mail, facsimile, e-mail, Internet, or in person once the Auction begins.
5.3 In all Auctions, bids on an item must raise the current high bid by at least 10%, or as specified on a per-Auction basis. Bids will be accepted in whole dollar amounts only. No “buy” or “unlimited” bids will be accepted. In a live sale, bids on an item can change at the discretion of RR Auction.
5.4 RR Auction reserves the right to accept or decline any bid. Bids must be for an entire lot and each lot constitutes a separate sale. All bids are per lot unless otherwise announced. Live auction lots will be sold in their numbered sequence unless RR Auction directs otherwise. It is unlawful and illegal for Bidders to collude, pool, or agree with another Bidder to pay less than the fair value for lot(s). For live auctions, RR Auction will have final discretion in the event that any dispute should arise between Bidders. RR Auction will determine the successful Bidder, cancel the sale,
or re-offer and resell the lot or lots in dispute. RR Auction will have final discretion to resolve any disputes arising after the sale and in online auctions. If any dispute arises, RR Auction’s sale record is conclusive.
Section 6 Payment
6.1 Subject to fulfillment of all of the Conditions of Sale set forth herein, upon the sooner of (1) the passing of title to the offered lot pursuant to these Conditions of Sale, or (2) possession of the offered lot by the Bidder, Bidder thereupon (a) assumes full risk and responsibility (including without limitation, liability for or damage to frames or glass covering prints, paintings, photos, or other works), and (b) will immediately pay the full purchase price or such part as RR Auction may require. In addition to other remedies available to RR Auction by law, RR Auction reserves the right to impose from the date of sale a late charge of 1.5% per month of the total purchase price if payment is not made in accordance with the conditions set forth herein. All property must be removed from RR Auction’s premises by the Bidder at his/her expense not later than sixty (60) business days following its sale and, if it is not so removed, RR Auction may send the purchased property to a public warehouse for the account, at the risk and expense of the Bidder.
6.2 Payment is due upon closing of the Auction session, or upon presentment of an invoice. RR Auction reserves the right to void an invoice if payment in full is not received within thirteen (13) calendar days of the Auction or within twelve (12) calendar days of the invoice date. In cases of nonpayment, RR Auction’s election to void a sale does not relieve the Bidder 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.
6.3 All sales for total invoices greater than $1,000 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.
6.4 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.
6.5 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.
6.7 If RR Auction refers any unpaid invoice to an attorney for collection, the Bidder agrees to pay and shall be liable for RR Auction’s attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by RR Auction in addition to the invoice amount and interest the greater of 1.5% per month or at the maximum legally allowable rate from date of invoice to collection. 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.
6.8 RR Auction shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the Bidder (as well as to the extent it is a consignor any other monies owed or due to 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 Bid-
der’s property in their possession.
6.9 All checks, cashiers checks, bank checks, or money orders are payable to R&R Auction Company of Massachusetts, LLC. RR Auction clients with an invoice totaling $1,000 or under will have the option to pay by VISA, Mastercard, Discover or Paypal. All Paypal payments must be sent to FinanceDepartment@rrauction.com. Authorize.net, a third-party service provider contracted by RR Auction for processing on-line payments, charges a nonrefundable service fee of 3%, which will be added to your final invoice should you pay by credit/debit card.
Section 7 Sales Tax
RR Auction is a remote seller and we are now required to collect Sales/ Use Tax from our bidders. The states that we have nexus in we will be required to collect and remit sales tax on your behalf. Each state has different requirements to meet nexus. When RR Auction has achieved a certain monetary and/or invoice threshold in each state we will apply sales tax to your total invoice. The states that are affected are: ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA,RHODE ISLAND, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN
If we have not achieved nexus in a particular state it is still your responsibility to pay sales tax on your purchases.
The sales tax rate is determined by the State, Country, and City where purchases are shipped to. If you decide to pick up your purchases at our New Hampshire location you will not be required to pay sales tax. The State of New Hampshire does not have a general sales and use tax. All purchases picked up at our Massachusetts location will be taxed at the current rate of 6.25%.
If you have a resale number please email Sue@RRAuction.com or fax to (603) 732-4288 a copy of your state resale certificate and you will be exempt from paying sales tax.
Section 8
Delivery; Shipping; and Handling Charges
Bidder is liable for shipping and handling and providing accurate information as to shipping or delivery locations and arranging for such. 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.
All duties, customs, and any other import charges are the responsibility of the bidder.
Section 9
Title
Title shall not pass to the successful Bidder until all invoices of Bidder (including those pertaining to the item(s) at issue) and amounts owed to RR Auction 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.
Section 10
Rights Reserved
RR Auction reserves the right, at any time before, during or after an auction has ended to: withdraw any lot before or at the time of the Auction, cancel any bid, 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, cancellation, or postponement under any circumstances. RR Auction reserves the right to refuse to accept bids from anyone at any time.
Section 11
Conducting the Auction
11.1 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.
11.2 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 Auctions 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.
11.3 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. RR Auction may execute bids consecutively or otherwise up to one bid increment below the reserve.
11.4 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.
11.5 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).
11.6 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.
11.7 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.
11.8 Maximum Bids In 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.
11.9 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.
11.10
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.
11.11 Bidding in 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.
11.12 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.
During live internet or live auction, 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 or bids (successively or otherwise) 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. All auctions for lots are with reserve unless specifically stated otherwise.
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.
11.13 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.
11.14 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.
Section 12
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 material breach or 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, sales-related 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 Bidder’s property in RR Auction’s possession or to which title has not yet passed to 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.
Section 13 Warranties
13.1 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, trademark, or other intellectual property (including exhibition or reproduction rights) related to the item, or whether the property is subject to any limitations or other rights. RR Auction does not make any representation or warranty as to title.
13.2 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.
13.3 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.
13.4 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 “AC”), to the exclusion of any other warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to those pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code. The AC inures only to the original Bidder (as shown in RR Auction’s records). Bidder may not transfer, assign, or otherwise convey the AC and such purported transfer, assignment, or conveyance shall be null and void.
Section 14 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.
Section 15 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 Bidder and by an authorized officer of RR Auction 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.
Section 16
Bidder’s Remedies
16.1 Except as stated expressly herein, Bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy related to or pertaining to items it bids upon, views, or purchases from RR Auction, and any claims by Bidder related to authenticity, ownership, condition, title or value, shall be against Consignor only.
16.2 This section sets forth the sole and exclusive remedies of Bidder as against RR Auction (inclusive of its affiliates, officers, managers, employees or agents), or in any way arising out of, related to, or in connection with these Conditions of Sale, , and is expressly in lieu of any other rights or remedies which might be available to Bidder by law. Time is of the essence with respect to these procedures.
16.3 Title to Items
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, satisfactory to 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 may 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 (if any made), RR Auction may disclose the identity of the Consignor to Bidder and may assign to Bidder all or some of RR Auction’s rights against the Consignor with respect to such lot or property. Upon such disclosure and/or assignment, all responsibility and liability of RR Auction, if any, with respect to said lot or item shall automatically terminate related to or arising from these Conditions of Sale or such transaction operating as a complete waiver and general release by Bidder as to RR Auction and its agents, contractors, and affiliates, as to any and all claims concerning or related to the item, if any . RR Auction shall be entitled to retain the premiums and other amounts paid to RR Auction by 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.
16.4 Authenticity Challenge Process
(1) If Bidder wishes to dispute or challenge the Authenticity of the lot or item (including asserting that it is incorrect), Bidder must adhere to the following procedure: Within 30 days of the Auction Date, Bidder must present written evidence to RR Auction, that the lot is not authentic as determined by a known expert in the field (and one recognized by RR Auction within its discretion) and send the physical item or lot at issue to RR Auction along with all evidence relied upon by Bidder for contesting the Authenticity. (“Authenticity Challenge Process”) “Authenticity” shall mean a gross discrepancy in the between the description, genuiness, or attribution of the item as represented by RR Auction in the Catalog or at the auction, and the item. If RR Auction concurs that the lot is not Authentic as was represented (it is sole discretion), Bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy
as against RR Auction (inclusive of its affiliates, agents, employees, and contractors) shall be a refund of the purchase price of the subject item paid by Bidder, with no other costs, liabilities or amounts recoverable by Bidder. If RR Auction does not agree with the assertion by Bidder, then the Parties shall follow the dispute resolution procedures of these Conditions of Sale. Strict adherence to the Authenticity Challenge Process is a condition of standing for Bidder to initiate suit or claim.
(2) So long as Bidder has complied with the Authenticity Challenge Process, any claim, suit or action, by Bidder concerning an AC or Certification of Authenticity, or related to the authenticity of the item must, without any exception, be brought within one (1) year of Auction Date and is subject to the other limitations and conditions stated in the Conditions of Sale.
16.5 Other Issues. Any dispute or claim by Bidder against RR Auction (or its affiliates, directors, employees, officers, agents, or contractors)) other than Authenticity, concerning any item or lot bid upon, or purchased, including value, title, condition, bidding process, or description must be asserted (if at all) in the following manner:
(1) If the description of any lot in the Catalog is materially or grossly incorrect (e.g., gross cataloging error), or there is any other gross material issue pertaining to the item or lot, the item or lot may be returned 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 with explanation in writing.. If there is any discrepancy between the description in the Catalog and a certificate of auction, then the description in the certificate of auction (“Lot Challenge Process”). 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 within the period of time stated herein or not materially or grossly in deviation from the description. Such a refund is subject to RR Auction’s sole discretionary review, and any request for refund must be made concurrently with returning the physical item or lot to RR Auction. Any item not returned within said frame will constitute acceptance of the item and a waiver and release of any and all claims by Bidder pertaining to the item other than with respect to authenticity; and
(2) Provided that the Bidder has engaged in the Lot Challenge Process, any claim concerning such must be brought no later than one (1) year of the Auction Date for the item or lot at issue and is subject to the other limitations and conditions stated in the Conditions of Sale.
NO RETURN OR REFUND OF ANY AUCTION LOT WILL BE CONSIDERED OR PROVIDED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THESE CONDITIONS OF SALE AND BIDDERS OR AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SUCH SHALL BE A COMPLETE DEFENSE TO ANY CLAIMS BY BIDDER RELATED TO THE CONDITIONS OF SALE, ANY AUCTION OR BID.
16.6 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. For any and all claims by Bidder arising out of or related to this Agreement, Bidder’s viewing, bid, or purchase of items, or any agreement between the Parties, or otherwise, Bidder agrees that to the fullest extent such can be limited under the law, Bidder shall have no right to recover and hereby waives any and all rights to recover from against RR Auction or its affiliates, directors, employees, officers, agents, or contractors, consequential or indirect damages, lost profits damages, punitive, exemplary, statutory (or multiplier damages), physical or emotional distress damages, general or special damages of any kind (beyond amounts actually paid by Bidder for item(s) at issue), and in the event of recovery of any damages whatsoever, such shall be limited by the amounts actually paid by Bidder to RR Auction for the item(s) at issue in such claim, or if no money was paid to RR Auction by Bidder for items at issue, or there items are at issue, the amount of $150.00.
Section 17
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.
Section 18
Headings
Headings are for convenience only and shall not be used to interpret the substantive sections to which they refer.
Section 19 Entire Agreement
Except to the extent Bidder is also a consignor (in which case the terms of the consignment agreement shall also govern), these Conditions of Sale constitute the entire agreement between the Parties together with the terms and conditions contained in the auction 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 or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, the remaining parts of the agreement and remainder of the sections or terms and provisions of the section and all sections shall continue in full force and effect without being impaired or invalidated in any way.
Section 20 Governing Law and Enforcement
20.1 The Parties agree that all 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.
20.2 The Parties agree that these Conditions of Sale, any other related agreement(s), along with all claims between the Parties, including those arising out of or related to such are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard for its conflict of laws principles. The Parties agree that any dispute between the Parties, including but not limited to those 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 Boston, Massachusetts, unless the Consumer Arbitration Rules apply, in which case, such rules and venue will govern. 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 also recover all of its related fees and costs, whether before or after the formal institution of the Arbitration, including but not limited to its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, if RR Auction prevails, such recovery, in addition to all remedies available at agreement or law, shall include the Buyer’s Premium as defined in these Conditions of Sale. Federal arbitration law, including the Federal Arbitration Act apply to this agreement to arbitrate and its related provisions. The arbitration and all related proceedings shall be held strictly confidential and all documents and discovery shall be held confidential and not used, published or disclosed publically or to anyone outside the Parties or expert consultants or counsel who shall agree to hold such confidential.
20.3 The Parties consent to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as exclusive jurisdiction and venue for all claims between the Parties except as provided specifically herein and may seek confirmation of the decision in the Arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act in any Court
of competent jurisdiction, including the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. To the extent such is necessary under the law, RR Auction may enforce the Arbitration award against Bidder and any related Party in any court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as RR Auction consenting to jurisdiction or venue in any location outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
THE PARTIES MAY NOT BRING CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER AS A CLASS OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLAIMED CLASS, OR IN A REPRESENTATIVE ACTION UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED. UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED, THE CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OF THE OTHER CANNOT BE CONSOLIDATED OR JOINED WITH MORE THAN ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON OR ENTITIES’ CLAIMS. NO INJUNCTIVE OR DECLATORY RELIEF SOUGHT BY BIDDER IF ANY, CAN AFFECT OR BE ORDERED TO AFFECT ANY OTHER BIDDERS OR PERSONS.
20.4 Except as provided specifically in these Conditions of Sale in Bidder’s Remedies against RR Auction (along with its affiliates, directors, agents, officers, employees, and contractors) for any dispute, claim, cause of action related to or arising out of these Conditions of Sale or any other related agreement(s), brought by Bidder must be brought within the earlier of the Auction Date as it pertains to the item(s) at issue or no later than one (1) year of the acts, omissions or circumstances occurred giving rise to the alleged claim, without exception. This provision is intended as a full, complete and absolute bar to and release of any claims by Bidder initiated after one (1) year of such acts, omissions or circumstances. The Parties agree further that these waiver provisions are intended to be binding in the event of any dispute, specifically including but not limited to third party claims and cross-actions brought by Bidder. These provisions are consideration for the execution of these Conditions of Sale.
20.5 To the fullest extent under applicable law and except as specifically stated herein Bidder hereby holds harmless, releases and discharges RR Auction and its agents, officer’s directors, affiliates, successors, and assigns from any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, promises, agreements, damages, causes of action, suits, demands, losses, debts, and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected existing prior to these Conditions of Sale. Bidder agrees to the Conditions of Sale and upon each instance that Bidder participates in any auction, bids, or otherwise agrees to such terms and reaffirms this release as of the date of so participating or agreeing unless Bidder otherwise provides clear written notice to RR Auction prior to so bidding.
20.6 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.
20.7
Liquidated Damages for Specific Breaches
In the event that Bidder provides false information in connection with registering for bidding, fails to correct or update information or breaches the Conditions of Sale by failing to pay the purchase price when due after becoming the winning bidder, as liquidated damages associated with such breaches, R&R may obtain from Bidder the greater of (1) 150% the reserve of the item (if any); (2) the amount bidder bid; or (3), the full amount that bidder would have otherwise paid. Bidder will also be liable for an additional 20% of such amount to account for additional administrative costs, shipping, additional advertising, and other damages and liabilities fees that are difficult to calculate on an item-by-item basis.
20.8 Indemnity. Bidder agrees to defend, indemnify, hold harmless RR Auction (along with its officers, directors, agents, contractors, and affiliates) from and against any and all claims, costs, fees, damages, and liabilities arising out of or related to these Conditions of Sale, view of items, or lots, bidding, or participation in any auction by RR Auction, and/or or in any way connected to any item you viewed, bid upon or purchased through RR Auction.
Section 21: State-by-State Law Issues
This Auction is being conducted in and the sale shall take place in the State of Massachusetts. Notwithstanding, the foregoing, should these
terms and conditions violate the law of any State should that state’s law be found to govern, or any provision herein determined to be invalid, the clause itself and the remainder of the Agreement shall be valid to the fullest extent allowed. Also, to the extent other states law apply to any transaction arising out of the Agreement (without admitting such), RR Auction states:
For Residents of California:
SALE OF AUTOGRAPHED COLLECTIBLES: AS REQUIRED BY LAW, A DEALER WHO SELLS TO A CONSUMER ANY COLLECTIBLE DESCRIBED AS BEING AUTOGRAPHED MUST PROVIDE A WRITTEN EXPRESS WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF SALE. THIS DEALER MAY BE SURETY BONDED OR OTHERWISE INSURED TO ENSURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF ANY AUTOGRAPHED COLLECTIBLE SOLD BY THIS DEALER.
A written express warranty is provided with each autographed collectible, as required by law. This dealer may be surety bonded or otherwise insured to ensure the authenticity of any autographed collectible sold by this dealer.
Section 22
Glossary of Condition terms
Information provided to prospective Bidders with respect of any lot, including any pre-sale estimate, whether written or oral, and information in any catalogue, condition or other report, commentary or valuation, is not a representation of fact but rather a statement of opinion held by RR Auction.
Use of the following terms constitutes an opinion as follows:
VERY FINE describes an item believed to be in virtually flawless condition, and is used sparingly for items of exceptionally attractive appearance.
FINE is the most common statement of condition, and applies to most items that we offer. It describes items that we believe to show expected handling wear, generally acceptable random flaws (such as light creases, small bends, etc.), and an overall appearance that is pleasing to the majority of collectors.
VERY GOOD describes an item that we believe exhibits more moderate flaws (such as toning, light staining, professional reinforcements or repairs, etc.). Most collectors would be comfortable with items in very good condition, and this would be the expected condition for many formats (early presidential documents, for example).
GOOD describes an item which we believe to have obvious visible flaws, including heavy wear, missing portions, or repairs that affect appearance; generally items in this condition are offered only if an item is otherwise believed to be exceedingly rare or important.
Bidder may call and request further details and information about RR Auction’s opinions concerning any item via phone or email which shall provided in RR Auction’s discretion.
Certificate of Auction, Certificate of Authenticity and Goods Acquired:
Bidder warrants that Bidder (and its agents, assigns, successors, and affiliates) shall not purposely deface, destroy, dismember, cut-up into parts the item or Lot purchased at auction from RR Auction and in the event such shall occur whether purposefully or accidently, Bidder (and its agents, assigns, successors, and affiliates) shall refrain from advertising, promoting, or marketing the item as having been purchased from RR Auction and shall in no event display, expressly claim, or imply that the item was certified or auctioned in such state by RR Auction. As liquidated damages for such breach, Bidder agrees to be liable to RR Auction for the greater of the amount of three (3) times the hammer price of the item along with all other fees and costs as otherwise provided in this Terms of Sale.
