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Sale 9
Lot 598
Lincoln, Abraham. 1809-65, 16th president of the U.S. (1861-65). Born in a log cabin in the backwoods, Lincoln was almost entirely self-educated. In 1834 he was elected to the state legislature, and in 1836 he became a lawyer. He served one term (1847-49) in Congress as a Whig; in 1855 he sought to become a senator but failed. In 1856 he joined the new Republican Party. He ran again (1858) for the Senate against Stephen A. Douglas, and in a spirited campaign he and Douglas engaged in seven debates. Although he lost the election, he had by now made a name for himself, and in 1860 he was nominated by the Republicans for president. He ran against a divided Democratic party and was elected with a minority of the popular vote. To the South, Lincoln's election was a signal for secession. By Inauguration Day seven states had seceded, and four more seceded after he issued a summons to the militia. It is generally agreed that Lincoln handled the vast problems of the Civil War with skill and vigor. In 1863 he moved to free the slaves by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, but preserving the Union remained his main war aim. His thoughts on the war were beautifully expressed in the Gettysburg Address (1863). In 1864 Lincoln ran for re-election against George B. McClellan and won, partly because of the favorable turn of military affairs after his appointment of Gen. U.S. Grant as commander-in-chief. Lincoln saw the end of the war but did not live to implement his plan for Reconstruction. On Apr. 14, 1865, while attending a play at Ford's Theater, in Washington, D.C., he was shot by the actor John Wilkes Booth. He died the next morning.
Autograph Letter Signed ("A. Lincoln"). Two pages with integral address leaf, recto and verso, small quarto, Springfield, Illinois, June 27, 1853. In black ink. To Honorable T.J. Turner of Freeport, Illinois. Two horizontal and two vertical folds, glue stains along upper edge of first leaf, splits along a few folds notably at address leaf where tears have been repaired, postal stamps on address leaf which has been inscribed by a previous owner, toning. Overall, in very good condition.
In this correspondence, Lincoln discusses the case of his client, a farmer from Ogle County named Adam Adams, regarding the purchase of a parcel of land. He writes in full: "Dear Sir: Your letter of the 20th reached me, day-before yesterday. I had, the day before, written to Adams to be on hand with his witnesses -- but, at the request of Judge Logan, who is Kemper's attorney, I put in a Post-script, saying to Adams, if he was agreed, the cause should be continued over the summer term. On subsequent reflection, I rather wish Adams may not agree. I have the case fresh in my mind, and therefore wish to keep it going till it is finished. I have already drafted a Bill of Exceptions, and my plan is to put the common law suit through the forms of a second trial, up to a verdict (which must be against us, under Judge D's view of the law) except, & save all the points, and then, before judgment, file our Bill and get an injunction. I shall began [sic] preparing a Bill this afternoon, which I wish to file during the evening term; and I believe I will do this, even should the ejectment suit be continued -- and in order to this, Mr. Adams must come down to swear to the Bill. In no event can we be ready for proof in the chancery suit at this time, so that we will need no other witness than the one that was here last summer. I wrote Mr. Adams about a Register's certificate & if he can find one or two missing tax receipts, let him bring them. I should be glad to see you & shake you by the hand; but as there is no contested jury question, I scarecely [sic] think you need be at the trouble & expense of coming. All the law questions which can arise at this term, the Judge has already decided. Very truly yours. A. Lincoln"
This letter and subsequent correspondence has been included in Basler's Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 25,000.
Superior Stamp & Coin.
Lot 399 from the Paul Richards Estate Auction held February 2, 1944. This piece realized $22,000.
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Lot 548
Adams, John. 2nd President of the United States, 1797-1801.
Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams"). As President. One page, quarto, Philadelphia, January 23, 1800. To George Minot. Professionally restored and reinforced. Lot includes rare rebound copy of Judge Minot's Eulogy on the Death of Washington referred to in the letter. Overall, the lot is in fine condition.
This is truly a wonderful lot, touching as it does on two presidents and how a nation mourned its greatest hero.
Adams' letter (from Philadelphia!) to George Minot thanks him for a printed copy of the address he gave to the city of Boston on the death of George Washington. "I pray you to accept of my Thanks for a Copy of your Eulogy on General Washington which I duly received and have read with great Pleasure.The gravity and sobriety of this Composition so well adapted to the solemnity of the subject and occasion, demands the highest praise of judicious Readers no less than the purity of Language and chastity of the Sentiments. The remarkable Mortality, at this Epocha among Men who have long been conspicuous in public View is a Solemn Lesson to those of us, who have long traveled in their Company. I am Sir with great Esteem your most obedient and obliged Servant John Adams."
The death of Washington plunged the whole nation into mourning. Memorial services were held all over the country, with speeches, prayers and processions honoring the former President. Minot's Eulogy is a moving speech and vividly illustrates the hold Washington had over the hearts and minds of Americans. Although not so well known as Light Horse Harry Lee's ("…First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his Countrymen…"), this Eulogy is worthy of such company: "…Where Liberty was, there would be his country: Happy for us, the Genius of Liberty, responsive to his affections, resolved that where Washington was, there also should be her abode…To trace this protector of our liberties through his unrivaled career, from his gloomy retreat through the Jersies to his several victories and his splendid triumph at York-Town, would be to narrate the varying history of our revolution. To him, public labour was amusement, suffering in the cause of freedom was a luxury, and every hour as it flew carried an offering to his country…When he declined your future suffrages, he left you a legacy. What! like Ceasar's to the Romans, money for your sports? Like Attalus's, a kingdom for your tyranny? No; he left you not such baubles, nor such purposes. He left you the records of wisdom for your government; a mirror for the faithful representation to your own view, of yourselves, your weaknesses, your advantages, your dangers:…a pillar to the unity of your republic…When so much worth steps off the stage of life, the weakness of our nature is the only apology for our tears. Such an exit is not death, it is the triumph of the just…as you regard the memory of your ascended Chief, attend to the injunctions of his will. Remember that it was not for you along he laboured. It was for your posterity also; it was for the human race…They lament that their beloved Washington sleeps in death; their only consolation is that his faithful Brother, the vigilant Adams, survives."
Interestingly, George Minot had occasion to correspond with Washington. Minot's history of Shay's Rebellion (published in 1788) and his Continuation of the History of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from the Year 1748 (1798) were both sent to the President with letters from Minot. Washington's replies, held in the Library of Congress, indicate satisfaction with both books and with Minot's "…proofs of talents and patriotism…"
Estimated Value $25,000 - 35,000.
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Lot 1637
Spain, 1851, 2r red. . Scott 8. An attractive example of one of the great classic rarities of Spain. Edifil 8 €2,750,000 (4,372,500). Without gum. Clear to large margins all around, fresh. Almost Very Fine. Signed Bloch.
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,500.
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Lot 1687
Spanish Colonies, 1854-1974. Collection balance in mounts in one large Scott album, mainly mint complete sets (a few used or mixed mint and used in the earliest issues). Includes Aguera complete ($150), Andorra missing only one stamp (#31A) for completion (approximately $950), Cape Juby complete ($950), Cuba missing only a handful (approximately $1,900), Elobey, Annobon & Corrisco complete (approximately $1,000), Fernando Poo very nearly complete (approximately $2,600), Ifni complete from 1943 (approximately $200), Philippines 1854-1898 missing only about 6 stamps (approximately $4,600), Puerto Rico missinly only a few (approximately $1,600), Rio de Oro missing only a few (about $800), Rio Muni complete, Spanish Guinea about 10 stamps short of completion (about $1,800), Spanish Morocco apparently complete for the period including Tetuan overprints (about $3,000) and Spanish Sahara apparently missing only 1 set (#36-50) to be complete for the period (about $350). Only a smattering of small faults noted, most are sound collectible examples. A great lot for the Spanish or European dealer or the serious collector - the degree of completion is most unusual.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 7,500.
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Lot 1686
Spain, 1850-1979. An extensive collection balance neatly mounted in two Scott albums, over 75% complete. Numerous mint and used classics including catalog values to about $1700, over 90% complete mint from 1920 including better definitive sets, commemoratives, semi-postals, airmail, souvenir sheets, back-of-the-book, even Civil War Local issues. Thousands of stamps here, nearly all in complete sets, and rich in items retailing from $50-$300. Only a small number of classics with any noticeable faults, the immense majority of stamps are sound (about 25% of the catalog value with small faults), generally o.g. or mint n.h., and generally with decent centering as well, majority f.-v.f. A valuable lot, well worth careful inspection.
Estimated Value $3,000 - 4,000.
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Lot 770
Pulp Magazine Collection. An outstanding collection of 178 pulp magazines. Titles include: Daredevil Aces, Ace High Detective, Romantic Detective, South Sea Stories, Golden Fleece Historical Adventure, Saucy Detective and many more! Dates range from 1935-1940. Each of the magazines is in a protective sleeve. Conditions range from poor to very good, with the majority in good condition.
Pulp magazines steadily gained popularity in the first half of the 20th century, providing sex, adventure, science fiction, mystery and, most of all, escape from daily worries. "I Was a Strip-Tease Girl", "One Vote for the Corpse", "Death Paints the Sky", "Angel Without Wings", "Homicide Honeymoon" and "The Sea Drinks Blood" are just a few of the hundreds of stories featured in the magazines offered here. The delightfully lurid cover art was another selling point and provided scintillating glimpses of the seamy underbelly of a deviant society. Happily, this sampling lives up to the aforementioned tawdry promises. Notable in this collection are the only two published issues of Real Mystery Magazine..
Estimated Value $1,000-UP.
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Lot 594
Kennedy, John F (1917-1963) 35th President of the United States, 1961-1963. Born into a tight-knit, highly competitive family, Kennedy planned to pursue an academic or journalistic career until his older brother Joe was killed in World War II. Accepting family expectations that he would step into Joe's shoes, Kennedy changed course and entered politics and was elected to the House of Representatives at the age of 29 (still recuperating from war wounds). With a rising political profile, Kennedy continued to serve Massachusetts in the House and Senate while building a national reputation. The charisma and personal charm Kennedy exuded, particularly in a series of televised debates, helped him to a narrow victory over Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential Election. An immensely popular president at home and abroad, Kennedy dedicated his administration to civil rights and other legislative reforms. While campaining in Dallas in November 1963, Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald and the nation plunged into mourning. Kennedy's mystique has grown to almost mythic proportions in the forty years since he was killed, bringing the world's attention to his family and legacy even to the present day.
Typed Letter Signed ("John Kennedy"). As President. One page, quarto, Washington, April 28, 1962. On pale green White House stationery, with a very strong signature. To Norman Thomas. Framed and matted with a portrait to an overall size of 30 x 17". In very fine condition.
Norman Thomas, social reformer and ardent pacifist, wrote to President Kennedy in the spring of 1962, presumably distressed over the United States' resumption of atmospheric nuclear testing. The testing, a response to increased Soviet nuclear capability, put the brakes on negotiations for a nuclear test ban treaty. President Kennedy's measured response shows respect for Thomas' views and a firm grasp of the issues before him: "I have your thoughtful letter about the testing program. We have had a careful look at the neutral proposals in Geneva, and I am sorry to say that we do not see much immediate hope in them. I agree that they deserve careful study, but we do not see how we can join in a further moratorium while such study proceeds. We have had a very painful experience of the meaning of an unpoliced moratorium, in terms of Soviet ability to pick and choose a time for testing. So we are now going ahead with this series of tests, but I want you to know that I have already directed a careful re-examination of the whole question to see whether we may not find ourselves in a position to make new efforts for progress after this series and the probable Soviet series that will come with it are concluded. I am grateful for your comments about the steel problem and the disarmament plan, and I know that if you have criticisms of the latter, the responsible officers of the Disarmament Agency will be much interested in knowing of them." Progress towards a test ban treaty accelerated when the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962 vividly illustrated the reality of nuclear confrontations. The United States, the U.S.S.R and Great Britain spent a mere 10 days in July and August of 1963 pounding out the details of the Nuclear Test Ban treaty, which was eventually ratified by over 100 countries. Kennedy signed on behalf of the United States in October 1963, saying, "Today the fear is a little less and the hope a little greater."
Estimated Value $9,500 - 13,500.
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Lot 595
Kennedy, John F. Signed Photo ("John Kennedy"). Black and white, 9 x 7", Washington D.C., May 5, 1961. Inscribed in black ink, "For James Roosevelt -- labor made this important advance possible -- with esteem and regards, John F. Kennedy." Mounted in clear lucite frame with "The President -- The White House" signing pen and typed letter from the President's Special Assistant. Framed to 20 x 9½". The letter shows toning and there are some small creases and toning in the photograph. Overall, condition is very good to fine.
Pictured signing the Minimum Wage Bill (as indicated in the accompanying letter), Kennedy sits at his desk surrounded by Senator Pat McNamara, Congressmen Adam Clayton Powell, John McCormack, Alvin E. O'Konski, James Roosevelt, George Meany and Secretary Arthur Goldberg. The accompanying letter reads: "I am very happy to be able to send you herewith one of the pens used by the President this morning when he approved H.R. 3935, the Minimum Wage Bill. With best wishes and kind regards, I am Sincerely, Lawrence F. O'Brien Special Assistant to the President." The 1961 bill increased the minimum for previously covered workers to $1.15 an hour effective September 1961 and to $1.25 an hour in September 1963. Coverage was extended in the retail industry from 250,000 workers to 2.2 million. Kennedy and the Democrats fought hard to raise the minimum wage and James Roosevelt, in a key position in the Congress, played a major part -- this is not only a memento from one of our great Presidents, it is also a nice link between the two great political families of the 20th century.
Estimated Value $7,000 - 7,500.
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Lot 1254
Bracelet, Art Deco Period, Diamond, 18K White Gold. Approximately 10 cts. of fine white diamonds set in open geometric motif. Magnificent workmanship and in superb condition. A stunning period piece.
Estimated Value $8,000 - 10,000.
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Lot 396
Oakley, Annie (1860-1926) American sharpshooter. Proficient with firearms from an early age, when Annie was 15 she beat vaudeville marksman Frank Butler in a shooting match. Oakley and Butler married and performed in vaudeville together until 1885, when they joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. One of the Show's star attractions, Annie toured the world with Buffalo Bill for 16 years, performing before most of the crowned heads of Europe. Known for her extraordinary talents, Oakley was also a great humanitarian and worked to improve the lives of women and children.
Autograph Letter Signed ("Missie"). Three pages on two quarto sheets, one with uneven edges, Cambridge, Maryland, October 8, n.y. On Mayview Manor stationery and the back of a Mayview Manor brochure, the Mayview address has been crossed out and replaced with "Cambridge, Md / Oct 8th." To niece Fern Swarthout. Mailing folds. First page shows some foxing and a ½" tear at top. Second page shows wrinkling and minor creasing at top and left side. In very good condition.
Annie Oakley and Frank Butler owned a home in Cambridge, Maryland from 1912-1917, in one of their futile attempts to retire and settle down. Annie's dislike for the responsibilities of housekeeping and homeownership and the call of the road kept the couple on the move for a good portion of their time in Cambridge, often traveling with Annie's niece Fran Campbell Swarthout (our addressee). This very warm, personal letter (informal spellings and all) finds Frank and Annie in the midst of moving in turmoil: "…Franks been to blind & up set to tare open boxs for matresses & all would have to go in smaller box if I took them out. The beds are all black & scratched up. Don't think you would care for them. They are high at head & foot & not so great for small rooms…Our stuff is all folling to pieces here. I suggested that we divide among the Family when we left our house there. But Frank wanted to keep it so we did and we have paid sent enough for storage to by new. And ours is all spoiled…I can't go through the crated stuff to pick out…So I am just sending the entire lot out to Bonnie. She can break it open and set out to get air……I only hope my linens are not ruined." "Bonnie" is another of Annie's nieces -- Bonnie Ann Blakely, who lived just miles from Annie's Ohio childhood home.
Other matters do come to mind for Annie: "…I must get up to Dr. Baer in Balto. I am swelled all over. But I must keep up til my book is finished. Don't send the dress til I know where you can catch me…" and of particular interest to the Oakley fans, she does mention shooting, "…then in the Spring we want to go to Dayton & look around near the shooting ground where all the good American handicaps will be shot here after." A wonderfully candid letter that provides a window into the personal and professional life of one of America's icons. A fabulous collector's piece given that Oakley signs her letter as "Missie", a nickname reserved for close friends and family members.
Estimated Value $6,000-UP.
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