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Sale 52
Manuscript, Collectibles and Aerospace Auction
| Lot |
Photo |
Description |
Realized |
Lot 102 |
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Truman, Harry S. Mr. Citizen. Mr. Citizen, presentation copy, inscribed and signed on the half title page: "To Honorable & Mrs J. Howard McGrath from Harry S. Truman with kindest regards & best wishes from a long time friend. Independence, August 18, 1960." New York: Bernard Geis Associates, 1960, 4to, 315pp. Half leather. Orginal case shows wear; housed in a black cloth and marbled paper custom-made case with black leather label. McGrath (1903-1966) served as Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. senator. Truman appointed him U.S. Attorney General in 1949 and he served until 1952, when Truman asked him to resign because he would not cooperate with a corruption scandal in his department. In spite of this, the two men obviously remained friendly.
Estimated Value $500 - 750.
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| Realized
$604 |
Lot 103 |
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Truman, Harry S. Check signed, 2¾ x 6¼", Kansas City, Mo., April 16, 1925. Drawn on City Bank of Kansas City, and paid to Prudential Insurance Co. for $13.60. Lightly toned; perforations do not affect Truman's signature. This early check was signed between Truman's post as judge for the Eastern District of Jackson and his election (in 1926) as presiding judge of the county. Truman sold memberships for the Kansas City Automobile Club during part of this time.
Estimated Value $300 - 500.
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| Unsold |
Lot 104 |
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Truman, Harry S. Typed letter signed as President, on The White House / Washington letterhead, 8 x 6½", Aug. 22, 1945. To Mr. Edmund Plohn, Manager of the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. Very good; light overall toning; damp staining to right edge of matte does not touch letter. Matted with an image of Truman and framed to an overall size of 17½ x 22 in.
Estimated Value $250 - 300.
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| Unsold |
Lot 105 |
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Truman, Harry S. Photograph inscribed and signed, "Kindest regards to Samuel T. Schwartz / Harry S Truman," on the 14x10" mount (photo is 12½x9½"), n.p., n.d. Photo by Underwood & Underwood. A seated three-quarter portrait of the dapper "Give'em Hell Harry."
Estimated Value $250 - 350.
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| Unsold |
Lot 106 |
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Tyler, John. Autograph letter signed as President, 1 page, 10 x 8", Charles City County, May 28, 1843. To Mr. Welford, stating "…I have no recollection of having received the intelligence in regard to Mr. Yates to which you allude. If I did receive any such information, I certainly communicated it to Mr. Wise, and may have done so without at this time remembering it. A letter to Mr. Wise would doubtless be responded to promptly…." Fine; a few contemporary ink specks. Tyler autograph letters signed as President are scarce. Accompanied by an engraving of Tyler. Henry Wise worked to secure Tyler's election as Vice President in 1840. Tyler appointed Wise as United States minister to Brazil in 1844, where he served until 1847.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
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| Realized
$920 |
Lot 107 |
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Tyler, John (1790-1862) 10th President of the United States (1841-1845). Autograph letter signed ("J. Tyler") as President, 1 page, with integral address leaf, 10 x 8", n.p., "Tuesday morning" [a May 25, 1841 date is on the docket]. Addressed to Secretary of the Navy Badger, regarding the restoration of Lloyd Bryan to the service. In part: "…from the verbal representation which is made to me Mr. Bryan would seem to have been badly treated. The record will best speak for itself." Various notes are on the docket, some in pencil, regarding getting the records, and some in pen, including "Testimonial withdrawn by Mr. Bryan" and "Mr. Bryan denied to be restored to the service." Accompanied by an engraving of Tyler. Fine condition.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500.
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| Unsold |
Lot 108 |
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Tyler, John. Folded letter cover free franked ("J. Tyler"), 3 x 5" folded, Jan. 28, 1852. Addressed in Tyler's hand to "Thomas Page Esqr. Auditor Frankfort Kentucky," with the return address, "Charles City Court House Va." Remnants of wax seal on verso. Fine.
Estimated Value $400 - 600.
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| Unsold |
Lot 109 |
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Van Buren, Martin (1782-1862) 8th President of the United States (1837-1841). Autograph letter signed ("M V Buren"), 1 page, 10 x 7¾", n.p., Dec. 10, 182? [last number is partially trimmed]. To an unidentified correspondent: In part: "I wish you would pay the amount of the Secretary of the Navys taxes on his house…& send me the receit for them. My health is improving but poor Col. Trimble it is understood is dying….when any thing of consequence occurs I will as far as I can - consistent with my bad habits in that particular - write you often…." Very good; reinforced at left edge; trimmed at right margin, affecting a letter on each line. Accompanied by an engraving of van Buren.
Estimated Value $900 - 1,100.
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| Unsold |
Lot 110 |
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Van Buren, Martin. Partly-printed document signed ("M Van Buren:) as President, 9¾ x 8", Washington, March 31, 1840. ":I hereby authorize the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to an Exequatur for Charles Tydeman Lowndes as Consul of the Dukedom of Oldenburg for the port of Charleston in the State of South Carolina…." Excellent condition.
Oldenburg is a historical state in present-day Germany. It has been a county, a country, a duchy and a grand duchy, which it became in 1829 and was when President van Buren signed this document. Oldenburg joined the German Empire in 1871, then in 1918 it became a free state within the Weimar Republic. After World War II, Oldenburg was merged into the newly-formed German state of Lower Saxony.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
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| Realized
$368 |
Lot 111 |
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George Washington Decorates Mt. Vernon's Dining Room (1732-1799) 1st President of the United States (1789-1797); Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army. Autograph letter signed ("G:o Washington"), 1 page plus integral, free franked address leaf, 9 x 7 1/6", Mount Vernon, Aug. 18, 1786. To Col. Clement Biddle (1740-1814) who, at the time of this letter, worked at his family's import-export business in Philadelphia. During the Revolution, he served as Deputy Quartermaster General and as Washington's Commissary General at Valley Forge.
Washington writes: "This letter serves to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the 13th inst. and to inform you that I have, this day, sent a small box to Alexandria to go either by the Packet. or some other conveyance to Philadelphia to your address. It contains two window curtains which I pray you to get new dyed of the same colour (green) and return them to me as soon as may be. I am obliged by your care of my letters; and thank you for the attention paid to the other requests of my former letter. The price of Mr. Howells leather is not cheaper than it is sold for in Alexandria; and the freight would make it come higher. I am Dr. Sir yr. most obed.t Hbl Ser. G:o Washington."
The curtains were undoubtedly for Mount Vernon's first floor dining room, whose plaster ornamentation and green color were selected by Washington himself. The largest room in Mount Vernon, it was within the walls of that room that Washington was informed that he had been elected the first President of the United States and in that same room that his body would lie in state following his death.
The letter is beautifully penned and signed, with normal age toning. The address leaf is free franked "Free G:o Washington" at lower left of address panel and the address is written in Washington's hand: "Col.o Clemt Biddle / Philadelpa" Toning and soiling to address leaf. Seal tear at upper margin affects nothing; remnants of red wax seal on docket. Contemporary figures at top and bottom, possibly Biddle figuring the cost of dyeing the curtains! A most historic letter.
Estimated Value $40,000 - 50,000.
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| Unsold |
Lot 112 |
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Washington, George. Choice full envelope franked "Free Go: Washington," 3¼ x 5¾" unopened, 7½ x 9½" opened, c. 1786, addressed entirely in Washington's hand to "Col. Clem Biddle Philadelphia." Boldly penned and signed. Minor waterstaining. Ideal for display. Of historical note, Biddle (1740-1814), known as "The Quaker General" led "Quaker Blues" against the British and fought under Nathaniel Greene during the Revolutionary War.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 10,000.
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| Realized
$9,775 |
Lot 113 |
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Wilson, Woodrow (1856-1924) 28th President of the United States (1913-1921). Superb content typed letter signed, on his personal letterhead, 1p, 9½ x 7 in., Washington, 25 April 1921. To Hamilton Holt (1872-1951), editor and publisher of the liberal weekly The Independent and a founder of the NAACP, responding to a letter from Holt in which he stated that in light of French General Ferdinand Foch having been de facto supreme commander of Allied forces during World War I, Congress should consider offering him, upon his visit to the U.S., a pension or other gift, as it had done with Lafayette 150 years earlier.
Wilson responds angrily: "…I was entirely disillusioned about him while I was in France. He proved himself in the Peace negotiations the most difficult obstacle to a peaceful settlement…. he is the leader of the militaristic and imperialistic elements in France which are bent upon reversing the Alsace-Lorraine business in the Ruhr District. For the moment they are the worst enemies of the peace of the world. Personally I could not receive Marshall Foch…." Very good; light toning and wear. Wilson's bold but tremulous signature is a result of the stroke he suffered in 1919. Accompanied by a carbon copy of Holt's reply to Wilson's letter and a 1931 autograph letter signed by Holt, giving Wilson's letter to a Mrs. Johnson and explaining the circumstances surrounding it.
When Foch visited the U.S., Wilson did indeed decline a visit, citing his poor health. During the negotiation of the Treaty of Versailles, the French, largely represented by Clemeançeau and Foch, took a hard stance. They demanded the return of the Alsace-Lorraine region to France, the complete demilitarization of the Ruhr, and enormous war reparations, among other concessions. Wilson strongly objected and the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the treaty with which Wilson was forced to return, effectively hamstringing the nascent League of Nations envisioned by Wilson. As for Foch, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, he said: "This is not peace. It is an armistice for 20 years." And, of course, it was.
Estimated Value $4,000 - 6,000.
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| Realized
$4,888 |
Lot 114 |
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Wilson, Woodrow. Typed letter signed as President, on The White House letterhead, 1 page with integral blank leaf, 8¾ x 7", Washington, October 13, 1914. To Mr. George S. Johns in Saint Louis, Missouri. In part: "…the editorial which you enclose is very pleasing to me and I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate the effective support which you are giving the Administration." Light toning, else fine. Accompanied by an engraving of Wilson.
Estimated Value $600 - 800.
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| Unsold |
Lot 115 |
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Wilson, Woodrow. Typed letter signed as President on The White House / Washington letterhead, 1p, 9 x 7", Mar. 6, 1919. To (Episcopal) Bishop James Henry Darlington in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, thanking him for a letter. "It has gratified and stimulated me very much and my heart and mind have been quickened by it…." Fine; the signature is somewhat light but quite legible. Matted with an image of Wilson and framed to an overall size of 17¼ x 23 in. Bishop Darlington served on several war-related committees; he received the Legion of Honor from France and Greece, and Serbia also awarded him decorations for his work.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
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| Unsold |
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