Sale 329

Autographs and Historical Documents


History of the Twentieth Century
 
 
Lot Photo Description
Lot 235
Borglum, Gutzon (1867-1941), A famous American sculptor who carved memorials at Stone Mountain, Ga. and Washington D.C. He is best remembered for Mount Rushmore, S.D.

artist and sculptor of the monument at Mt. Rushmore, S.D., Inscribed Signed Photograph, 7 x 4¾ photo of Lincoln's face being carved into Mount Rushmore with scaffolding and craftsmen, "Greeting to Mrs. Winterholler, Sincerely Gutzon Borglum, 1940" Very Fine.
Estimate 500 - 750
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Lot 236
Dewey, George (1837-1917), U.S. Navay Admiral known for his victory at the Battle of Manila during the Spanish-American War; the only man ever to attain the rank of Admiral of the Navy. Typed Manuscript and Letter Signed, three and one pages respectively, 8½ x 11, Washington, D.C., January 6, 1906. The first is an article written by Dewey entitled "Why a Young Man Should Enlist in the Navy", the second is the cover letter with which Dewey submitted the article to Popular Mechanics magazine. The cover letter and the first page of the article are on Navy Department, Admiral of the Navy letterhead, mounted in a five-frame matte board, 37 x 12½ with a black & white portrait of Dewey in the center frame. Three of the pages have pieces torn out at the top and pieced back into place, the matte is creased vertically, Fine and attractive display.
Estimate 500 - 750
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Lot 237
King, Martin Luther, Jr. (1929-1968), Baptist minister, civil rights leader and political activist, winner of Nobel Prize for Peace (1964), assassinated. Signed Baseball, nice signature, "Martin L King Jr.", in black ink on the sweet spot of an Official American League ball (Joe Cronin, President). Above, in another hand, is the date "Aug. 19, 1960"; the ball appears to be game used [the Senators were at home against the Yankees on that date] and is in Very Fine condition in a lucite ball holder.
Estimate 12,000 - 15,000

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE FORM OF KING AUTOGRAPH AND A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COLLECTOR OF CELEBRITY-SIGNED BASEBALLS.

Expertization: Certificates of Authenticity from Stat Authentic (Ted Taylor & Jeff Stevens, 2006) and Herman Darvick.
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Lot 238
Sousa, John Philip (1854-1932), American composer and conductor, known particularly for military and patriotic marches; "The March King". Autograph Musical Quotation Signed one page, 4½ x 2½ 1929, showing Sousa's signature above four bars of "The Stars And Stripes Forever".

Autograph boldly penned by Sousa. Elegantly displayed in glass within ½" wide gold-toned frame. Total frame dimensions measure 15" x 12". Includes inset color picture of Sousa and an 11" x 3" piece of American flag showing fifteen stars. Very Fine condition.
Estimate 500 - 750

"Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march widely considered to be the magnum opus of Sousa. By act of Congress, it is the National March of the United States of America.

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Lot 239

R.M.S. Titanic Mail facing slip, U.S. Post Office form imprinted "Iowa/ From Sea Post, No 3 Letters" with well struck "Transatlantic Post Office 7/AP10 (19)12" postmark, plus clear "O.S. Woody" and "TITANIC" handstamps; minor edge flaws and small, insignificant water stain, Very Fine.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500

Facing slips were commonly used by postal clerks after sorting the mails in order to identify a particular packet of mail according to its city of destination and/or mode of transportation.

Oscar Scott Woody, mail clerk on the
Titanic, prepared a quantity of facing slips in advance of sorting the mails. Each bears the "Transatlantic Post Office 7" circular postmark dated on April 10, 1912, the day the Titanic sailed from Southampton, plus handstamps with the ship's name and postal clerk O.S. Woody's name to show that he had been responsible for sorting that particular bundle.

Such was postal clerk Woody's dedication to duty that, as the
Titanic was sinking on the night of 15 April 1912, he placed a quantity of these facing slips (as well as his letter of assignment) in his breast pocket, apparently anticipating that he would need them to continue sorting the mails. Remarkably, these paper items survived the damage to a considerable degree because the cork life jackets in use at the time were very buoyant and kept most of the upper body above water.
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Lot 240

R.M.S. Titanic, The Bangor Daily Commercial, full newspaper, evening edition dated April 19, 1912, 16 pages, 19 x 23½. Headline reads "Her Side Ripped As By Giant Can Opener". Full coverage of the Titanic disaster as reported by the Bangor, Maine press the day after the rescue ship Carpathia docked in New York. Typical all-over toning of front and verso, some chipping and page faults at right and bottom edges, else Fine.
Estimate 300 - 400

The Titanic sinking represents one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in history, with over 1,500 passengers out of the roughly 2,300 aboard perishing in the frigid North Alantic waters off the coast of Newfoundland. The newspaper article cites 1,589 deaths and 745 survivors, both of which numbers are somewhat overstated compared to the final statistics.

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Lot 241
  Withdrawn
Lot 242
 
AUTOGRAPHS, about 75 items, mostly political including Presidents J.Q. Adams and Ronald Reagan, several presidential widows, 19th century U.S. senators and congressmen, and minor celebrities. An interesting mix.
Estimate 750 - 1,000
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Lot 243
 
Balance of Collection, Free Frank and autograph balance with presidential and widows related items, better includes William H. Seward Free Frank, four letters to President Polk, two letters to President Taylor, couple Jimmy Carter autographs (affected by water), faulty William McKinley Free Frank as member of Congress, R.B. Hayes Free Frank as member of Congress (water damage), also includes Presidential engravings; some faults, Fine group.
Estimate 500 - 750
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