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Sale 49
Lot 556
1st Printing of Israel's Declaration of Independence - Signed By 11 Original Signers. Israel's Provisional Government Official Bulletin No. 1 (14 May 1948) with the complete Declaration of Independence Signed in Hebrew on page two by eleven of the 37 original signers, 3pp, 13½ x 8¼ in., n.p., n.d. Thirty-eight copies of the Declaration of Independence were printed by Bank Leumi and placed in presentation cases; one was given to each of the 37 signers, who were members of the Provisional Council of State, and one was retained by Bank Leumi. This copy is housed in a red presentation case and is in fine condition. Very rare and a most historic document. This is only the second signed copy in private hands that we know of. The first, signed by ten of the original signers, was sold by Ira & Larry Goldberg in November 2007 and brought $109,250.
The eleven signers of this original issue of the Israeli Declaration of Independence are:
David Ben Gurion (1886-1973) - First Prime Minister
Yitzhak Ben Zvi (1884-1963) - 2nd President
Golda Meyerson (Meir) (1898-1978) - Labor Minister, future Prime Minister
Moshe Shertok (Sharett) (1894-1965) - Foreign Minister, future Prime Minister
Moshe Kolodny (Kol) (1911-89) - Zionist leader; future Minister of Tourism
Felix Pinchas Rosenblueth (Rosen) (1887-1978) - Zionist leader; future Minister of Justice
Izrak Gruenbaum (1879-1970) - Minister of the Interior
Moshe Shapira (1902-70) - Jewish Agency Executive; future cabinet minister
Harav Izrak Meir Levin (1894-1971) - Orthodox Religious Affairs Minister
Behor-Shalom Shitrit (1895-1967) - Minister of Police
Nahoum Nir - 2nd Speaker of the Knesset
At 4:00 pm on Friday, May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. His reading of Israel's Declaration of Independence was broadcast to Jews all over the country. Ben Gurion became the first Prime Minister of the new state, which was quickly recognized by the United States and the USSR.
Here is the text of the Declaration of Independence:
THE LAND OF ISRAEL was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was formed. Here they achieved independence and created a culture of national and universal significance. Here they wrote and gave the Bible to the world.
Exiled from Palestine, the Jewish people remained faithful to it in all the countries of their dispersion, never ceasing to pray and hope for their return and the restoration of their national freedom.
Impelled by this historic association, Jews strove throughout the centuries to go back to the land of their fathers and regain their statehood. In recent decades they returned in masses. They reclaimed the wilderness, revived their language, built cities and villages and established a vigorous and ever-growing community with its own economic and cultural life. They sought peace yet were ever prepared to defend themselves. They brought the blessing of progress to all inhabitants of the country.
This right was acknowledged by the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917, and re-affirmed by the Mandate of the League of Nations, which gave explicit international recognition to the historic connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and their right to reconstitute their National Home.
The Nazi Holocaust, which engulfed millions of Jews in Europe, proved anew the urgency of the re-establishment of the Jewish state, which would solve the problem of Jewish homelessness by opening the gates to all Jews and lifting the Jewish people to equality in the family of nations.
The survivors of the European catastrophe, as well as Jews from other lands, proclaiming their right to a life of dignity, freedom and labor, and undeterred by hazards, hardships and obstacles, have tried unceasingly to enter Palestine.
In the Second World War the Jewish people in Palestine made a full contribution in the struggle of the freedom-loving nations against the Nazi evil. The sacrifices of their soldiers and the efforts of their workers gained them title to rank with the peoples who founded the United Nations.
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a Resolution for the establishment of an independent Jewish state in Palestine, and called upon the inhabitants of the country to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put the plan into effect.
This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their independent State may not be revoked. It is, moreover, the self-evident right of the Jewish people to be a nation, as all other nations, in its own sovereign State.
ACCORDINGLY, WE, the members of the National Council, representing the Jewish people in Palestine and the Zionist movement of the world, met together in solemn assembly today, the day of the termination of the British mandate for Palestine, by virtue of the natural and historic right of the Jewish people and of the Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations,
HEREBY PROCLAIM the establishment of the Jewish State in Palestine, to be called ISRAEL.
WE HEREBY DECLARE that as from the termination of the Mandate at midnight, this night of the 14th and 15th May, 1948, and until the setting up of the duly elected bodies of the State in accordance with a Constitution, to be drawn up by a Constituent Assembly not later than the first day of October, 1948, the present National Council shall act as the provisional administration, shall constitute the Provisional Government of the State of Israel.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open to the immigration of Jews from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew Prophets; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be ready to cooperate with the organs and representatives of the United Nations in the implementation of the peace and play their part in the development of the State, with full and equal citizenship and due representation in its bodies and institutions provisional or permanent.
We offer peace and unity to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all.
Our call goes out to Jewish people all over the world to rally to our side in the task of immigration and development and to stand by us in the great struggle for the fulfillment of the dream of generations the redemption of Israel.
With trust in Almighty God, we set our hand to this Declaration, at this session of the Provisional State Council, in the city of Tel Aviv, on this Sabbath eve, the fifth of Iyar, 5708, the fourteenth of May, 1948.
Estimated Value $50,000 - 75,000.
Obtained directly from the family of one of the signers.
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Lot 418
Lincoln, Abraham. Original carte-de-visite photograph signed as President, 3½ x 2½ in. Back stamp of Alexander Gardner: "Gardner / Corner 7th & D Sts / Washington / D.C." The photograph was taken in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, 9 August 1863. Lincoln's secretary, John Hay, wrote in his diary on this day: "I went down with the President to have his picture taken at Gardner's. He was in very good spirits."
President Lincoln is pictured seated, legs crossed, his long coat draped to the floor; he is leaning on a book, holding his glasses in his right hand and a newspaper in the other. Fine; corners are trimmed, deeper toning to image and signature, and a few, tiny, scattered blemishes.
This is a virtually unobtainable form of Lincoln's Presidential autograph. The image is pictured in both Hamilton-Ostendorf and Mellon.
Estimated Value $70,000 - 80,000.
Charles Hamilton, Paul Richards, Bruce Gimelson, Private Collection, Bruce Gimelson, Dr. Robert Small, Bruce Gimelson.
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Lot 589
Schindler, Oskar (1908-1974) German industrialist, Nazi party member, and war profiteer who spent his entire fortune and risked his life during World War II to save over 1200 Jews by employing them at his enamelware factory (Deutsche Emaillewaren-Fabrik) in Kraków and protected them by bribing German officials. Today some 6,000 to 7,000 descendants of the Jews Schindler saved live in the U.S., Europe, and Israel. In 1949 Schindler emigrated to Argentina and bought a farm there, but he went bankrupt and in 1957, he left his wife in Argentina and moved back to Germany, where every subsequent business he tried also failed. He was saved from destitution by funds provided by some of his Schindlerjuden, the Jews he had saved, and by a small pension received from the West German government in 1968. In 1962, Oskar Schindler was declared a "righteous Gentile," an honor awarded by Israel to non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust at great personal risk. He was the only former member of the Nazi party invited to plant a tree at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem memorial. When he died in 1974, Schindler was buried, as he had requested, in Jerusalem.
Typed letter signed ("Oskar"), 3pp (recto/verso/recto), on onionskin paper, Frankfurt am Main, 2 Jan. 1964. With six words and one correction in Schindler's hand, and parts of two sentences underlined for emphasis. Accompanied by an English translation. Very good; some uneven age yellowing. Addressed to "Dear Hermann!" Alfred Hermann was a Czech Jew born 19 May 1893. He was Prisoner Number 77135 and Number 747 on Schindler's List, where he was listed as an accountant.
Schindler discusses his life after the war and the physical and verbal abuse to which he was subjected because of the assistance he had given the Jews during the war. In part:
"As you learned from German television, Channel 2, Mr. Hilfert intends to visit you in N.Y…. He wants to make a feature about you and some of our friends for television and produce material for your article in New York Herald Tribune …It seems to be of no consequence that I’m present. On 12.30.1963, at an exhibition at Frankfurt’s Paulskirche honoring the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, I had a short conversation with Mr. Hilfert. (The exhibition coincides with the trial against Auschwitz guards in the City Hall next door.)…. In your first article, and unfortunately I don't read English, it supposedly says that I was stoned on the streets of Frankfurt. This is untrue and must be based on a translation error …However, it is true that I was attacked with an iron rod in my factory by one of my workers. This happened in a suburb of Frankfurt in front of 10 witnesses, and I fell down the stairs into concrete blocks on the floor. The emphasis was not on the injuries I sustained but on the words that were spoken: You dirty Jew. They forgot to gas you. Half an hour later, I pressed charges with the Hanau police in front of witnesses, but nobody followed up on my complaint….The police did nothing, and even my lawyer…advised me to let it go. At this time, I had been receiving medical treatments…due to my cardiovascular problems, and I didn’t want to deal with this issue….I was boycotted and we experienced an unusually cold winter….This was a new enterprise, we had no reserve assets and finally we received an eviction notice.
I have to reject the notion that these events could turn me into a martyr or that they were caused by political intrigue against me….On the other hand, I cannot bear the notion that things beyond my control are being trivialized. And Mr. Hilfert was wrong when he stated that You dirty Jew. They forgot to gas you is a common saying in Frankfurt.
But I have to complain about a company I used to do business with. Witnesses were unavailable to Mr. Hilfert since they were sick or had been fired, but their attorney revealed himself as an 'old Nazi' in front of witnesses. He commented on my visit to Israel and on my support for Jews during the war by saying: 'Because of your behavior, I have an eye on you, Herr Schindler. I am an old Nazi.'….I informed my lawyer, and my co-owner, Herr von Wangenheim, about this incident. The result was that our business with them sunk to 10%.
After talking to me, Mr. Hilfert plans to find more witnesses to the assault on me and to my failed business. Today…my lawyer…informed me that he had told Mr. Hilfert, 'They didn’t beat Schindler to death. He’s still alive.' This was only a small part of their conversation, and it might have been intended to be a compliment on my physical and mental strength, but it doesn’t help.
Dear Hermann, we have known each other now for 30 years, and unfortunately we’re getting older. We’ve always had the courage to face the truth, and it didn’t matter if personal, national or racial matters were involved. We have fought hard and honestly for our Golden Years, even though success was sometimes elusive. Therefore, I ask you to give the attached copy and newspaper article [not present] to your friend, the journalist, who was kind enough to publish your piece of writing. I want this gentleman to have an objective view of what happened. I want you, your family, and all of your friends to be healthy and successful, and I remain, as always, Yours, Oskar."
Our research shows that this is the first Oskar Schindler letter ever to appear at auction.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 30,000.
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Lot 123
Apollo 12, 1969, 18kt. Gold Speedmaster Professional Wristwatch (No. 20) This limited edition wristwatch and band are inscribed on the reverse "Astronaut Richard R. (sic.) Gordon / to mark man's conquest of space with time, through time, on time / Gemini 11 - Apollo 12". The back of the watch and the Omega watchband are original and both are 18kt gold.
According to C. Bradley Jacobs as originally published in International Wristwatch, December 2002, "The 1969 Commemorative Speedmaster, Model BA, 145.022-69, was the first Speedmaster ever made of gold. Aside from the case material, the only differences between it and the NASA-issue Speedmasters are the gold dial, burgundy bezel, and the inscriptions on the back. Its heart is the same Calibre 861 as the steel model; the same as Omegas worn by NASA astronauts from 1969 until the revised Calibre 1861 became the standard movement in the Speedmaster "Moon Watch" in the mid-1990s.
Initially the Apollo XI Commemorative "was offered to each of the astronauts active at that time at a gala (in honor of Apollo 11) dinner November 25, 1969 at (the) Hotel Warwick in Houston". The first thirty watches were, according to John Diethelm of Omega Public Relations, "created in tribute to the sensational exploit of Man's first landing on the Moon". Numbers 3 through 28 were personalized and presented to (the) astronauts in NASA's space program. The lower numbers were reserved for those astronauts who had been with NASA the longest….Additionally, the astronaut's watches were inscribed with their name and rank (if any), and the names of the missions which they had flown to date.
The watches numbered 1 and 2 in the series, having been refused by their intended recipients (President Nixon and Vice-President Agnew) presently reside in the Omega museum in Switzerland….The saga of Omega's premier solid gold Speedmaster Professional does not end with the watches delivered to these noteworthy personalities (the astronauts). According to an Antiquorum auction catalog from their October 1995 sale in Geneva, "an initial series of 50 to 100 pieces were produced, followed by subsequent series until a total of 1014 pieces were reached in 1973. Coorespondence with Omega revealed that they offered a small series for sale to the public early in 1970 which, due to unexpected demand, was expanded to the entire production of 1014 watches, all made in 1969. A run of later numbers (Nos. 1001-1008) was given in 1972 to astronauts from Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17…. All others, "up to No. 1014, have been sold or distributed for very special occasions". All the watches that were sold to the public are identical to the others, but for the engraving (on the reverse). The inscription on the caseback (now steel, not gold) was changed to read: "Omega Speedmaster / Apollo XI 1969 / The First Watch Worn on the Moon / Edition Serial No."…".
The consignor's example of this rare watch is in exceptional condition, showing some wear, mainly confined to the burgundy bezel. The watch includes its original Omega presentation case (minor faults) and a business card from Joseph Susman / Premium and Industrial Sales / Gruen Watch Company with a typed note on the reverse that reads: "If anything is wrong with your watch, please return to my attention". Of interest to specialists is the fact that this is probably the only example of this watch on which a spelling error in the astronaut's name (middle initial "R" instead of "F") has been made.
A list of which astronaut received which watch is known. Some of the highlights of this list include #3 (Shepard), #17 (Armstrong), #19 (Collins), #21 (Aldrin), #27 (Slayton) and #28 (Chaffee). Only a few of these watches have been sold over the years. This is an opportunity to acquire a fine timepiece and a piece of history. A muticolor hand-signed certificate of authenticity from the consignor is included.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 35,000.
Ex. the astronaut Richard F. Gordon collection.
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Lot 420
Lincoln, Abraham. Document signed in full as President, 1p, 13½ x 17 in., Washington, 4 April 1861. Countersigned by Secretary of State William H. Seward. One month after becoming President, Abraham Lincoln appoints David W. Cheeseman of California "Treasurer of the Branch of the Mint of the United States, at San Francisco, California…during the pleasure of the President of the United States for the time being, and until the end of the next session of the Senate of the United States, and no longer." Fine; one tiny spot at lower edge, light toning, and a few crinkles in the paper below the clean, intact seal. Lincoln's signature is an especially fine and bold example. Matted with a portrait of Lincoln and framed to an overall size of 23 x 37 in. Ready for display.
David W. Cheeseman (1824-1884) was an Indiana lawyer who went to California for the 1849 Gold Rush. In 1859 he was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California, and in 1860 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from California. In 1861 President Lincoln appointed him Treasurer of the U.S. Mint at San Francisco.
The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia was overwhelmed with the task of turning into coins the gold found during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Additionally, the transportation of so much gold was time consuming and fraught with peril. In 1850 President Milliard Fillmore proposed that a branch of the U.S. Mint be established in California. Congress approved the plan in 1852 and in 1854, the San Francisco Mint opened and produced $4,084,207 in gold pieces the first year. The Mint moved to a larger building in 1874 and the Mint's production continued uninterrupted for 32 years, until the earthquake of 1906. Operations resumed shortly thereafter and continued in the same location until 1937, when the Mint moved to its present-day facility.
Estimated Value $6,000 - 8,000.
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Lot 1235
de Lempicka, Tamara. Femme Bleue à la Guitare. 39 x 24 inch limited edition estate serigraph, 175/195, matted to an overall size of 44 x 29 inches. This 1929 work, originally titled La musicienne, is a skilled composition that masterfully captures the style and architecture of the time. It was reproduced that same year on the cover of the German fashion magazine Die Dame, to which the artist contributed cover artwork on more than one occasion. Known as much for her artistic ability as her scandalous bohemian lifestyle, both Tamara de Lempicka's work and reputation have become synonymous with the Art Deco movement and the Roaring Twenties lifestyle. A Certificate of Authenticity signed by de Lempicka's daughter, Baroness Kizette de Lempicka, is included.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000.
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Lot 419
Lincoln, Abraham. Autograph letter signed as President, 1p, 7 x 5 in., Executive Mansion, Washington, 29 Sept. 1864. To "Hon. Sec. of the Navy" [Gideon Welles] about a promise Lincoln had "almost, if not quite" made to place a nephew of a friend into the Naval Academy: "About a year & half ago I almost, if not quite promised Mr. Barney Williams that his nephew James Kelly should be sent to Naval School. I shall be really obliged if you can find a place to put him in. If not now, let it be done as soon as it can be…."
According to Basler, Kelly received an at-large appointment by the President on 5 Oct. 1864. Very good; fold wear, light toning, and a few small margin repairs on verso. Excellent content.
Estimated Value $18,000 - 22,000.
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Lot 722
Boone, Daniel (1734-1820) Legendary frontiersman. Document signed twice, once for himself and once for his wife, Rebekah, who made her "X", 1p, 15 x 12½ in., Fayette Co., Virginia (present-day Kentucky), 8 Sept. 1788. Fine; scalloped top edge; light overall toning; a few tiny holes along folds have almost invisible archival repairs on the verso. Being a deed whereby Daniel Boone and his wife Rebekah sell to John Morgan approximately 370 acres along Boone's Creek for the sum of 37 pounds. Boone signs at lower right for himself and his wife, misspelling her first name. The deed bears a signed endorsement by Levi Todd on the verso, apparently the lawyer and militiaman of that name who was a grandfather of Mary Todd Lincoln. A rare Daniel Boone document.
Estimated Value $12,000 - 15,000.
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Lot 609
Church, Frederick S (1842-1924) American Artist and Illustrator. After serving in the Civil War, Church studied at the Chicago Academy of Design, and later at New York's Academy of Design and the Art Students League. His illustrations were printed in numerous American periodicals such as Harper's Weekly and Harper's Bazaar. Best known for his drawings of birds and animals of all kinds, he often endowed them with human and humorous characteristics.
An extensive, mostly signed, collection of approximately 100 pieces: drawings, sketches, watercolors, etchings, engravings, photos and letters. In all, over 50 original delightful drawings and sketches (many annotated) of humans, cupids, mermaids, intermingled with an array of animals, done in a variety of medium: pen & ink, charcoal, pencil, pencil & watercolor, ranging in size from 4 x 5 in. to 12 x 19 in., dating from 1878 to 1917. ALSO included, 4 autograph letters signed (one with photo), 1 autograph note signed, 31 signed engravings, a CDV of young Church in Civil War uniform, a set of silhouette postage stamps, the title page of "Uncle Remus" (pub. 1887) illustrated by Frederick S. Church, as well as numerous mounted newspaper clippings and magazine articles detailing Church's life and works. Original Frederick S. Church watercolors and drawings such as in this collection have been bringing between $350 to $4,000 each.
A wonderful collection; should be seen in person to be appreciated. For a detailed descriptive list, please inquire.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 15,000.
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Lot 45
GT-4, 1965, Ed White II's NASA Exceptional Service Medal. This NASA medal is mounted in its unique blue/gold box with the name "Edward H. White II" inscribed on the box. The medal is inscribed on its reverse: "Edward H. White II / June 11, 1965". This medal was awarded to White only 3 days after the splashdown.
The medal box includes a printed enclosure that reads: "We regret that the lapel pin, and the ribbon rosette (which is being hand-fabricated in France) were not available in time for this ceremony. They will be sent you in the future". We have not encountered this label before. It shows how unprepared NASA was to honor Ed White's "Walk in Space". The missing rosette and lapel pin were subsequently supplied as the rosette alone is included with this medal. The lapel pin, worn extensively by White on official occasions, has been misplaced in the fog of history.
To have the opportunity to acquire a NASA medal, inscribed to and issued to the astronaut who performed one of the iconic milestones in America's space history (the others would include Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A color photocopy of a NASA photo of McDivitt and White wearing their NASA Exceptional Service medals and standing alongside President Johnson after he awarded them their medals, is included.
This lot is a truly unique piece of space history. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of this medal will be given to the White Family Foundation at the University of Michigan.
Estimated Value $7,500 - 10,000.
Ex. the Ed White Family collection.
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Lot 1226
1984 Summer Olympics Promotional Posters. 34 x 22 in. Pair of 2 posters by Jeffries, official printer of the 1984 Olympic Games. Spelled out in an array of bright and pastel hues, the posters decree "Bienvenue" at the top and display "LA 84" and "Play A Part In History" below. The XXIII Olympiad was hosted in Los Angeles from July 28-Aug. 12, 1984. Both feature minor handling wear, else near mint condition.
Estimated Value $300 - 400.
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Lot 195
Apollo Soyuz, 1993, NASA Distinguished Service & Outstanding Leadership Medals. Presented to the recipient in 1993, this award is NASA's second highest award. It is presented to a person who, by distinguished ability or courage, has personally made a contribution representing substantial progress to aeronautical or space exploration in the interests of the United States. The medal is engraved on the reverse "Donald K. Slayton 1993". It is mounted in its original blue/gold box (4x7x1"). Included with the medal are a miniature, half-size dress medal, a lapel emblem, a service ribbon and a ribbon rosette as issued. ALSO two NASA "Outstanding Leadership" medals, one with a metal lapel pin and the other with both the metal lapel pin and a cloth rosette. Both are in their original NASA boxes. Neither is inscribed (issued this way?). An important lot.
Estimated Value $7,500 - 8,500.
Ex. the Donald "Deke" Slayton Estate collection.
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Lot 1221
Sandy Koufax Hand-Signed Jersey (1935 -) Left-handed pitcher who played his entire career (1955-66) for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. His 165-87 record included a career ERA of 2.76, 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games, and 40 career shutouts. He was the National League MVP in 1963, the Cy Young award winner in 1963, 65 and '66, and World Series MVP in 1963 and 1965. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, the same year the Dodgers retired his No. 32.
Koufax' "Dodgers 32" jersey is handsigned in black ink. The jersey's label has "Nostalgia Co. Made In U.S.A. Mitchell & Ness, Philadelphia, PA" and is size L. The matte is blue with a red border. Framed to 22¼ x 40 in. Accompanied by a COA from PSA/DNA.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 7,500.
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