Tag Archives: rare autographs

Rare Rev War Powder Horn and Items Signed by JFK, Hugh Hefner, Wyatt Earp will be in University Archives Nov. 10 Auction

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Wilton, CT, USA, October 27, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- A rare and historic Revolutionary War powder horn, an extensive archive of material pertaining to Playboy magazine’s Hugh Hefner, a document signed by John F. Kennedy as President and a legal summons signed by the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp will all be part of University Archives’ online auction on Wednesday, November 10th, at 10:30 am Eastern time.

The Rare Autographs, Photographs & Books auction features exceptional historical material from multiple collecting categories. “Over thirty lots of the sale illustrate the fascinating and violent history of the Old West, with many pieces from the personal collection of celebrated Western photographer Jim Tackett,” said John Reznikoff, the president of University Archives.

The catalog, with all 391 lots, is up for viewing and bidding now, on the University Archives website (www.UniversityArchives.com) as well as LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. It’s the eighth auction that will be conducted from University Archives’ modern new 6,000-square-foot facility in Wilton, Conn.

The list of major categories is extensive, to include Early American (John Hancock, Aaron Burr, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee and others); Presidents and First Ladies (John Adams to Biden, Mary Todd Lincoln to Michelle Obama, others); Old West (Emmett Dalton, Jesse and Frank James, Hanging Judge Roy Bean, others); Art (Picasso, Frank Lloyd Wright, Dr. Seuss, Oskar Fischinger) and Music (The Beatles, Kurt Cobain, George and Ira Gershwin and others).

Other categories include Entertainment, (Stan Laurel, Lenny Bruce, Hefner and others); Sports (Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Tiger Woods and others); Literature (Walt Whitman, Eugene O’Neill, E.E. Cummings and others); Civil Rights (Martin Luther King, Jr., Lucy Stone, Frederick Douglass and others); and Space / Aviation / Exploration (the Mercury and Gemini space programs, Charles Lindbergh, the Soviet cosmonauts, Fridtjof Nansen and others).

The powder horn belonging to 18-year-old minuteman Oliver Buttrick and used at the Battle of Concord on April 19, 1775 is a remarkable relic of the Revolutionary War and carries a modest pre-sale estimate of $90,000-$100,000. The Battle of Concord was the first battle of the Revolutionary War, and witnessed the “shot heard ‘round the world” that both announced and legitimized the American Revolution. It would be hard to think of a better relic symbolizing American freedom than this item. The horn has an ownership label on vellum at its base and is accompanied by over 50 pages of provenance that is available by request as a .pdf.

The large archive of original letters, cartoons, photographs and memorabilia relating to Hugh Hefner’s 75-year relationship with high school classmate and close friend Jane “Janie” Borson Sellers is expected to realize $50,000-$60,000. Included are over 150 letters by Hefner, half of which are illustrated with pen and ink cartoon drawings by him.

The one-page document signed by President John F. Kennedy on January 21, 1961, and countersigned by Secretary of State Dean Rusk, appointing “Robert S. McNamara of Michigan…Secretary of Defense”, should reach $30,000-$35,000. At the time McNamara was the youngest person ever appointed Secretary of State. He served from 1961-1968 and was largely responsible for intensifying American involvement in the Vietnam War.

The many lots documenting the lawlessness and disorderliness of the Wild West include the summons personally endorsed by a young Wyatt Earp, then just 21 years old and on his first job in law enforcement, as constable of Lamar, Missouri. In May 1870, Earp clearly wrote over twenty words on the back of a legal summons and signed it “WS Earp constable” (estimate: $30,000-$35,000).

A one-page autograph letter signed by Thomas Jefferson, in superb condition, touting America’s superiority over Europe, written to American diplomat William Lee, contains stellar content and is expected to change hands for $25,000-$30,000. Also on offer is a rare and beautiful white Chinese Export porcelain dessert bowl from Jefferson’s White House service, circa 1790s, with 13 gold stars encircling the elegant “J” monogram at the center (estimate: $10,000-$12,000).

A Civil War-dated autograph album compiled by a correspondent of Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase contains 180 signatures of Lincoln administration officials and members of the 37th U.S. Congress, including President Abraham Lincoln himself and six current and future Lincoln cabinet members (Seward, Chase, Welles, Stanton, Smith and Fessenden). It is estimated to fetch $20,000-$24,000.

An important compilation of original documents written and/or signed by members of the Hartford Convention of 1814-1815, compiled by Washington real estate developer and manuscript collector Marshall B. Coyne, including documents from all 26 delegates from five states and the Convention secretary, should earn $18,000-$20,000.

A rare letter handwritten by then-President Zachary Taylor to Secretary of the Interior Thomas Ewing, introducing Henry Waller of Louisiana, dated Nov. 27, 1849, has an estimate of $12,000-$14,000. Also, a one-page, partially printed document boldly signed by John Hancock, dated Jan. 1, 1776, appointing a Captain to the 7th Regimen of Foot (the “do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes” Regiment of Battle of Bunker Hill celebrity) should rise to $8,000-$10,000.

An autograph letter written on White House letterhead, signed “Franklin D. Roosevelt” as President, addressed to Frank Deering of Saco, Maine, a fellow Naval history collector, dated Feb. 19, 1934, is estimated to go for $10,000-$12,000. Also, an autograph letter signed by Charles Darwin written to his land agent John Higgins in 1859, just a few weeks prior to publication of his On the Origin of Species, should hit $3,000-$4,000.

A large bust portrait photograph of the renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, boldly signed and inscribed on the mat, “To Max Moffett at Taliesin Aug 24/50 Frank Lloyd Wright”, is expected to finish at $5,000-$6,000; while a large, glossy black and white photograph of all four Beatles, signed, inscribed, dated and numbered by French photographer Jean-Marie Périer (b. 1940), framed, should garner $3,000-$4,000.

For more information about University Archives and the online-only Rare Autographs, Photographs & Books auction scheduled for Wednesday, November 10th, visit www.universityarchives.com.

About University Archives:
University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111, or email him at john@universityarchives.com. University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies. University Archives’ new offices are located at 88 Danbury Rd. (Suite 2A) in Wilton, Conn. For more information, please visit www.universityarchives.com.

Items Signed by Einstein, Washington, Lou Gehrig, Many Others will be in University Archives’ June 30th Online Auction

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Wilton, CT, USA, June 16, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- A typed letter written and signed by Albert Einstein to President Herbert Hoover in 1929, a one-page letter penned and signed by future President George Washington in 1783, and a charming photograph of baseball legend Lou Gehrig posing with a young boy, signed, with Babe Ruth in the background, are just a few of the rare autographs, manuscripts, books and photos in University Archives’ online-only auction slated for Wednesday, June 30th.

The auction, packed with 331 highly collectible lots, has a start time of 10:30 am Eastern time. The catalog is up for viewing and bidding now, on the revamped University Archives website (www.UniversityArchives.com), as well as the platforms LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. It’s just the fourth auction that will be conducted from University Archives’ new 6,000-square-foot facility in Wilton, Conn.

“Increasing air travel costs and rental car prices prohibit much traveling this summer, so hop on your laptop and check out our June catalog,” said John Reznikoff, the president and founder of University Archives. “You’ll be able to find rare and valuable pieces relating to a diverse cast of historical figures, from Ludwig von Beethoven, Martin Luther King, Jr., and George Taylor to Clara Barton, Bob Dylan and Emperor Hirohito – a treasure trove in many collecting categories.”

Reznikoff pointed out that regulars to University Archives auctions will note that this sale is organized a little differently. “This month, we’ve opted to organize auction lots first by category and then alphabetically,” he said. “This way, you can easily navigate within the section of the auction that most interests you, like superb presidential autographs from Washington to Biden.”

Other categories include science (Einstein, Darwin, Feynman, Hawking, Turing, etc.), sports (Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Moe Berg, etc.), literature (Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Kerouac, Salinger, etc.), world leaders (Catherine II, Emperor Hirohito, Kim Il Sung, Alexander III, etc.), art (Frank Lloyd Wright, Alberto Giacometti, Warhol, etc.), space/aviation (Orville Wright, von Zeppelin, Soviet cosmonauts, Enola Gay, etc.), early American (Rev War, George Taylor, Samuel Adams, etc.), and music (Beethoven, Liszt, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, etc.) and more.

The gorgeously presented autograph letter signed by George Washington and dated May 15, 1783 was addressed to Miss Sidney Lee, the sister of recently deceased Continental Army General Charles Henry Lee. Washington and Lee had bad blood, but despite this, Washington proved himself a courteous and attentive correspondent, helping Miss Lee obtain a copy of Lee’s will so that she could inherit his estate. The letter carries a pre-sale estimate of $18,000-$20,000.

Albert Einstein’s one-page autograph letter was written in German to President Herbert Hoover after receiving Hoover’s congratulatory 50th birthday message in 1929 (est. $50,000-$55,000). Einstein humbly wrote, “I know I am just one of the many who are so happy to use their energy in the service of the understanding of the Sciences…I alone am but a grain-of-dust in the development of the human spirit.” Just one other letter from Einstein to a US President is known.

The circa 1933 photo of Lou Gehrig, shown squatting down to pose with a young boy identified on verso as William Grice Bogg, black and white, taken at an unknown location, is signed by the Yankee great and has an estimate of $3,000-$4,000. Babe Ruth can be seen throwing a ball in the background. Babe Ruth, in fact, also posed with the boy a couple of years later, in a similar pose, around 1935, squatting down. That photo, signed by Ruth, is also up for bid (est. $5,000-$6,000).

Alan Turing, the British mathematician who cracked the Nazi “Enigma” machine during World War II, signed a copy of The Theory of Groups of Finite Order, which he gifted to his Cambridge University mentor (est. $20,000-$24,000). A General Biochemistry textbook signed by Richard Feynman is profusely annotated with over 215 words in his hand in the form of abbreviations, hypothetical questions, flow charts, chemical formulae, and margin notes (est. $6,000-$7,000).

A photograph of Stephen Hawking signed by him as “S.W. Hawking” is accompanied by a letter of provenance explaining that, though Hawking agreed to sign it, he didn’t understand why his signature was considered valuable (est. $20,000-$24,000). Items signed by North Korean leader Kim Il Sung are exceedingly rare, even rarer than Mao Tse Tung. A copy of Kim Il Sung’s 1969 book, Let Us Promote the World Revolution, etc., signed by him, should realize $8,000-$10,000.

A very rare Civil War-dated naval appointment, boldly signed by President Abraham Lincoln and promoting one “William T. Plant” to the rank of Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Navy, dated April 11, 1862 and countersigned by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, is expected to knock down for $6,000-$7,000. Also, a rare check signed by then-junior Senator from Illinois Barack Obama, drawn from the “Friends of Barack Obama” bank account in 1997, should fetch $8,000-$10,000.

A one-page typed letter signed by Theodore Roosevelt and dated Nov. 14, 1914, written to Oscar King Davis, Press Secretary of the Progressive Party, in which Roosevelt expresses disgust with that year’s election results, should bring $8,000-$9,000. Also, a document dual-signed by John F. Kennedy (as President) and Robert F. Kennedy (as the US Attorney General), appointing George C. Young as a United States District Judge in Florida, has a pre-sale estimate of $7,000-$8,000.

A one-page letter handwritten on both sides and signed by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin), penned from Andover, Massachusetts on Oct. 27, 1852 and containing rare and superb content on slavery, has an estimate of $6,000-$7,000; while the Oberlin College Commencement Exercises Program dated June 14, 1965, signed twice in red ink by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., where he delivered the school’s Commencement Address, is expected to garner $5,000-$6,000.

The huge architectural plans for Frank Lloyd Wright’s last Usonian house in Wausau, Wisconsin (circa 1957), a drawing/rendering of the Duey Wright House, signed by Wright, 44 ½ inches by 29 ½ inches, should ring up $6,000-$7,000. Also, a copy of the 1981 soft-cover book Warhol, boldly signed seven times by Andy Warhol himself, plus a drawing by the artist, is estimated to bring $5,000-$6,000. It was an exhibition catalog published in conjunction with a show in 1981.

For more information about University Archives and the online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Artwork & Comic Art slated for Wednesday, June 30th please visit www.universityarchives.com.

About University Archives:
University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111, or email him at john@universityarchives.com. University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies. University Archives’ new offices are located at 88 Danbury Rd. (Suite 2A) in Wilton, Conn. For more information about University Archives, please visit www.universityarchives.com.

Rare Scientific Manuscript Penned by Sir Isaac Newton Brings $118,750 in University Archives’ May 26th Online Auction

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Wilton, CT, USA /DailyVoice/ — A manuscript penned by Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), with mathematical notes and calculations relating to Book III of his iconic scientific work Principia, changed hands for $118,750 in University Archives’ online-only auction of rare autographs, manuscripts, artwork and comic art held on May 26th. It was the top-selling item of the 409 lots in the sale.

“We’re still experiencing strong prices and keen new interests in many areas,” said University Archives president and owner John Reznikoff. “We’ve sold over three million dollars of items at auction so far this year, and we are not even at the halfway mark. This is another banner year.”

The rare and important two-page (front and back) manuscript, written by Newton circa 1715-1725, was believed to relate to Newton’s De Mundi Systemate (or Book III of the Principia). It was a set of mathematical notes containing several types of calculations and data points. One side was just calculations; the other side had a short note by Newton along with a calculation.

The text of the note reads, in part, “And that of Aldebaran and of Spica and that of Arcturus counting these longitudes not from the middes of the signes but from the Vernal Equinox/ And so of the rest of the fixed stars.” Newton was referencing the longitudinal position of Aldebaran and other stars, plus data points relating to his revolutionary study of comets.

Isaac Newton is widely recognized as one of the greatest mathematicians and most influential scientists of all time and was a key figure in the scientific revolution. In Principia, he formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation that formed the dominant scientific viewpoint (until it was superseded by Einstein’s theory of relativity). Einstein was also featured in the auction.

Items pertaining to Newton are exceedingly rare and highly sought after by collectors. The last time a Newton Principia-related autograph manuscript came on the market was October 1999 and, before that, 1991 and 1979. Newton was a notorious hoarder of paper and of his own manuscripts; the preservation of this manuscript note was unusual even for him.

Following are additional highlights from the auction, which was a success by any yardstick. Nearly all lots (396 of 409) found new owners, for a 97 percent sell-through and a total gross of $678,043. The 4,654 people who registered to bid on Invaluable.com and Auctionzop.com placed 1,224 bids, while the 4,239 people who registered to bid on LiveAuctioneers.com placed 596 bids. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium.

The items relating to Albert Einstein included a three-page scientific manuscript pertaining to his Unified Field Theory from the 1940s (“I want to try to show that a truly natural choice for field equations exists”) ($68,750); and a black and white photo signed by Einstein, taken in 1955 by photographer Yousuf Karsh, who said the image reveals the “brief moment when all there is in a man’s mind and soul and spirit are reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude” ($34,375).

A Victorian autograph album compiled by Pennsylvania Congressman William M. Davis that contained 226 signatures of Lincoln administration officials as well as members of the 37th U.S. Congress, including President Abraham Lincoln himself and seven of his eight cabinet members (Hamlin, Seward, Chase, Bates, Welles, Cameron and Smith), and the autographs of about 217 statesmen, including Lincoln’s eventual successor, Andrew Johnson, hammered for $37,500.

A typed letter signed by Vladimir Lenin as Chairman of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Defense Council during the Russian Civil War was addressed to a future victim of Stalinist Purges, the People’s Commissariat Artemic B. Khalatov. The letter, dated Dec. 19, 1919, was in Russian and typed in the Cyrillic alphabet. Lenin wished Khalatov a speedy recovery and a swift return to work. Ironically, Lenin’s successor, Josef Stalin, later ordered Khalatov’s execution ($25,000).

A one-page, partly printed ship’s paper dated Nov. 25, 1794 boldly signed by George Washington as president, issued to “James Humphrey master or commander of the Sloop called Hiram”, printed in three languages, brought $15,000. Also, a rare autograph letter signed by Woodrow Wilson as president on White House stationery, dated May 19, 1913, addressed to author and editor James Grant Wilson regarding the dedication of a U.S.S. Maine monument, fetched $13,750.

An Act of Congress signed in type by George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President on May 8, 1794, permanently establishing the U.S. Postal Service and making robbing the mails a crime punishable by death, rose to $12,500. Also, a one-page autograph letter signed by the prominent British Methodist preacher John Wesley (1703-1791), written at Derby, England on July 12, 1788 with content regarding a children’s school, knocked down for $5,938.

A two-page letter typed and signed by author J.D. Salinger (as “Jerry”), dated May 5, 1972, in which he offers his thoughts on a dating interest of a friend and aspiring writer, Eileen Paddison, including the original “Air Mail” envelope, reached $8,125. Also, Beat writer Jack Kerouac’s personal advance copy of The Twelfth Anniversary Playboy Reader (1965), gifted to Kerouac (as a contributor) by Hugh Hefner and accompanied by a typed letter signed by Hefner, hit $8,125.

An 8 inch by 10 inch photograph signed by Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, showing Parks getting fingerprinted after her arrest in 1955 for not relinquishing her seat to a white person, signed in felt-tip pen on her sleeve, finished at $5,000; while three items related to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including a letter in which King questions the wisdom of the “Black Power” slogan, sold for $4,375.

An actual piece of fabric from the Wright Flyer, the first airplane that made its debut flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on Dec. 17, 1903, famously giving wings to mankind, 1 ¼ inch square in a CAG case, flew away for $6,875. Also, a map of Israel hand-drawn and signed by former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, drawn during the time of the 1993 Oslo Accords and providing detail to both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, 5 ½ inches by 9 inches, hit $4,688.

Future online auctions for University Archives will feature presidential items (from Washington to Trump), literary giants (Kerouac, Shelley, Proust and others); space and aviation (U.S., the Soviet Union, etc.) and other categories. Visit www.UniversityArchives.com for more details.

For more information about University Archives please visit www.universityarchives.com.