A signed carte de visite photograph of Abraham Lincoln PSA/DNA graded MINT 9, a document from 1783 signed by George Washington in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and a mortgage deed from 1957 co-signed by Marilyn Monroe and her then-husband Arthur Miller are a few of the expected top lots in University Archives’ next online-only auction planned for Wednesday, July 16th, beginning at 10am Eastern time.
All 461 lots in the Rare Autographs, Lincoln & Space Items auction are up for viewing and bidding now on the University Archives website – www.UniversityArchives.com – as well as Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Phone and absentee bids accepted.
“The July 16th auction will include offerings from collecting categories such as U.S. Presidents, Military -- especially Revolutionary War and Civil War -- Aviation/Space, Art, Science, and Sports,” said John Reznikoff, the president and owner of University Archives. “The savvy bidder can take advantage of the opportunity to bid on never-before-seen or extremely scarce pieces.”
Over 30 lots in the auction relate to Abraham Lincoln: his family, his legal career, his presidency, his assassination and its aftermath, and his political and historical legacy. Collectors will find autographed material, ephemera, and pictorial representations of Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, Robert Todd Lincoln, Willie Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, Boston Corbett, and David Hunter, head of the Lincoln conspirator military tribunal. Lincolniana fans should mark their calendars.
Lot 62 is the sepia-colored carte de visite of Lincoln, boldly signed by him as “A. Lincoln” along the bottom edge and PSA/DNA slabbed and graded MINT 9. The portrait photo was originally taken by Alexander Gardner on August 9, 1863, just one month after the Battle of Gettysburg. The Lincoln signed CDV was one of six that Lincoln sent to an Illinois woman running an 1864 fundraiser for the Union Army. Estimate: $100,000-$150,000.
Lot 127 is the partly printed and partly manuscript document dated September 1, 1783, boldly signed by George Washington in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. This Revolutionary War discharge certificate was issued to one John Slocum of Rhode Island, a member of the Corps of Invalids, which operated from 1777-1783. The unit was comprised of wounded, sickly, or aged veterans who performed limited duties. Estimate: $18,000-$24,000.
Lot 308 is the mortgage deed dated December 20, 1957 co-signed by Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe and her then-husband, the playwright Arthur Miller, for the farmhouse they owned at 232 Tophet Road in Roxbury, Connecticut. The unlikely couple lived in Roxbury, as well as on Long Island and in New York City, during their 5-year-long marriage. Estimate: $5,000-$6,000.
Lot 325 is an autograph letter signed, docketed, or endorsed by five Confederate Army officers, including Robert E. Lee. The letter originally served as the transmittal cover for a relic from the Battle of Gettysburg: the regimental flag of the 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers, which, on July 1, 1863, was captured by Lieutenant Frank M. Harney of the 14th North Carolina Infantry. The mortally wounded Harney requested that the flag be forwarded to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, which it was. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.
Lot 344 is an urgent telegram form engrossed and signed by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, dated July 8, 1864, and addressed to General Robert E. Lee at Petersburg, Va., a vital railroad hub just 20 miles south of the Confederate capital at Richmond. In it, Davis gives Lee unlimited military authority in conducting the Petersburg campaign. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000.
Lot 53 is a 6-vol. set of books authored by Irish historian Edward Alfred D’Alton and titled, History of Ireland: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day (1912). Each volume is signed by John F. Kennedy as “John F. Kennedy,” and each signed volume is accompanied by its own JSA LOA. President Kennedy was very proud of his double Irish lineage. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.
Lot 440 is an unused 50-stamp block of commemorative stamps, with black titles omitted, celebrating the centenary of professional baseball in 1969, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from Professional Stamp Experts. Series U.S. #1381, “Professional Baseball / 1869-1969” in several colors, celebrates 100 years of the national pastime. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.
Lot 42 is a one-page autograph letter signed three times by President Thomas Jefferson, once as “Th: Jefferson” and twice initialed as “Th: J.” Jefferson wrote this October 18, 1805 letter to General John Mason, commander of the District of Columbia militia, regarding the planning and construction of a connective causeway likely built by enslaved labor. Estimate: $12,000-$20,000.
Lot 1 is a two-page autograph letter signed by John Adams, dated November 11, 1788 and introducing his wife, Abigail Adams, to John Jay’s wife, Sarah Livingstone Jay. Rather remarkably, the important diplomats’ wives had not met in Europe while Adams and Jay were negotiating the Revolutionary War-ending 1783 Treaty of Paris. Adams also refers to his close friendship with Jay in the letter. Estimate: $10,000-$20,000.
Lot 404 is a French-language postcard signed twice by Mahatma Gandhi, once in English and once in Hindi, dated June 24, 1947, just seven months before Gandhi’s assassination. The signed postcard is PSA/DNA slabbed and graded MINT 9 and comes with provenance in the form of an autograph letter in French signed by Gandhi’s secretary, Amrit Kaur. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000.
Lot 141 is a one-page autograph letter in French signed by Pablo Picasso dated August 1, 1953. In the letter to his close friend and financial adviser Max Pellequer, Picasso writes that he is not a professional ceramicist, but rather a secondary one. Picasso studied under Suzanne and Georges Ramié at the Madoura Pottery studio in Vallauris, France after 1947. Estimate: $6,000-$8,000.
Lot 237 is a partly printed and partly manuscript document signed by Union General David Hunter in Port Royal, South Carolina on August 22, 1862, his last day as Commander of the Department of the South. The document proclaims that a former enslaved person named Jupiter Jamison is proclaimed “forever free” along with other family members. Estimate: $4,000-$5,000.
Here is a link to the catalog on the University Archives website: https://www.universityarchives.com/auction-catalog/rare-autographs-books-lincoln-space-items_6IE08QL0YO?algoliaParam=upcoming_lots_lotNumber_asc_prod%255BhitsPerPage%255D%3D180
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 [email protected].
For more information about University Archives and the Rare Autographs, Books, Lincoln & Space Items auction slated for Wednesday, July 16th, at 10am EDT, visit www.universityarchives.com.
About University Archives:
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 is located at 88 Danbury Road (Suite #2A) in Wilton, Conn. For more information about University Archives please visit www.universityarchives.com.
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