John Reznikoff In The News

University Archives held its last sale of the summer, Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Books & Photographs, on Wednesday. Hundreds of live bidders, both veteran and new, joined us during the 6-hour-long auction. There was significant overage in the sale, which not only testifies to the quality of the items consigned to us, but also to the vigorous competition stimulated among bidders. U.S. Presidents, Science, and Art performed exceptionally well, marking a continuation of popular collecting trends this year. Some highlights from our July 28, 2026 sale included:

U.S. Presidents

Lot 1 was a John Adams signed postal cover front featuring a dark and bold signature, which crossed the auction block for more than two times its high estimate, or $8,500 including the buyer’s premium. The item had added philatelic interest: several manuscript notes indicating that it had been carried by both unofficial and official means, first in the form of a messenger, one “J. Anthony,” and second, by a post office. Even presidents were compelled to send their mail in creative ways during the stampless period!

Lot 47 was a John F. Kennedy autograph manuscript, which the president-elect composed on an airplane traveling from Palm Beach, Florida to New York City, ca. January 4, 1961. JFK’s pencil-written notes from this draft were integrated into his inauguration speech of just a few weeks later, the immortal “Ask not” address. The speech notes sold for 30% over the high estimate, or for $10,000 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 47, JFK Handwritten Speech Notes

Lot 64 was an Abraham Lincoln signed presidential appointment dated March 6, 1863, promoting former Utica, New York Mayor Thomas R. Walker to Collector of Internal Revenue for the 21st Collection District of New York. In July 1862, Congress had authorized the creation of a temporary federal tax collecting agency to finance the ongoing Civil War; by war’s end, over 20% of Union Army revenue had been raised by taxing approximately 10% of Union households. This important document exchanged hands for over the high estimate, or for $16,250 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 100 was from Jimmy Carter’s personal collection, being a photograph of Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, signed by all five of them, ca. November 4, 1991, upon the occasion of the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. The Five Presidents signed only a limited number of these highly collectible photos, and ours came from the Estate of Jimmy Carter. The signed presidential photo surpassed the high estimate, selling for $8,125 including the tip.

Lot 114 was a Spanish-American War Field Order, No. 24, giving Theodore Roosevelt command of the 2nd Brigade of Cavalry, 5th Army Corps. Roosevelt boldly signed the document at Camp Hamilton, Cuba on August 1, 1898, just one month after he led the “Rough Riders” up Kettle Hill during the attack on San Juan Heights, and just one week before U.S. troops would be evacuated from the island to avoid yellow fever and malaria epidemics. The Roosevelt signed military document sold for nearly three times its high estimate, or for $31,250 including the buyer’s premium.

Science

Lot 400 was an Albert Einstein manuscript in German, ca. 1940s, continuing his formulation of the United Field Theory. Translated in part: “I want to try to show that a truly natural choice for field equations exists…” PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic. The scientific manuscript page met its impressive low estimate, selling for $22,500 including the tip.

Of the six additional Einstein lots in the July sale, Lot 401 was an autograph letter in German signed by Einstein, ca. July 1920. In it, Einstein continued an ongoing “debate of letters” exchanged with Swiss physicist Édouard Guillaume. While Einstein advocated for his Theory of Relativity, Guillaume lobbied for a modified version of the Theory of Relativity which supported the concept of universal time. Personal relations between the two scientists remained amicable despite the spirited debate. The letter sold for $16,250 including the buyer’s premium, which topped the low estimate.

Lot 414 was a Nikola Tesla typed letter signed, dated March 16, 1901, and addressed to fellow electrical engineer Robert Ten Eyck Lozier, who had also worked for Thomas Edison. In this letter, Tesla writes excitedly about his hopes for soon establishing wireless telegraphic communication with Europe, just two weeks after securing a $150,000 investment from J. Pierpont Morgan for Tesla’s future wireless transmission station at Wardenclyffe, Long Island. By year’s end, Tesla had lost the wireless race to Italian competitor Guglielmo Marconi. The letter garnered intense interest, selling for $22,500 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 414, Nikola Tesla TLS

Art

Lot 292 was a colorful Walt Disney signed Sante Fe & Disneyland Railroad and monorail pass issued to NYC transit authority director Sidney H. Bingham in ca. 1959, granting him free access to the railway for five years as an “honorary Vice-President,” PSA/DNA slabbed and graded Mint 9. The Sante Fe & Disneyland Railroad was inaugurated at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1955, while the high-tech, German-designed monorail opened in 1959 in conjunction with the rededication of Tomorrowland. The Disney autograph sold for well over the low estimate, or for $25,000 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 145 was a grouping of 15 Yousuf Karsh signed prints, large and in full color, professionally mounted and over-matted in Karsh’s Ottawa, Canada studio in the 1990s, and retained in the artist’s personal collection. The majority of the artist-signed photographs were included in Karsh’s “American Legends” series, and feature notables Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston, Mickey Rooney, and others. Ex. Estate of Yousuf and Estrellita Karsh. The gorgeously graphic photo collection sold to an overseas buyer for over double the high estimate, or for $23,750 including the tip.

Lot 145, Yousuf Karsh signed prints

Lot 149 was a limited numbered first edition of Pablo Picasso and Louis Aragon, Shakespeare (Paris: Éditions Cercle d’Art, 1965), containing an original frontispiece lithograph signed by Pablo Picasso, in addition to a complete suite of 12 Picasso lithographs included in the edition. The buyer appreciated the scarce and especially desirable intact collection celebrating the life and work of William Shakespeare on his 400th birthday. It sold for 20% over its low estimate, or for $8,125 including the buyer’s premium.

These were just some of the sensational lots offered in our July sale.

Our next auction is tentatively scheduled for September 9, 2026, on our normal auction day of Wednesday.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives welcomed participants to our June auction last Wednesday. In addition to registered bidders from around the world, we had approximately 1,000 live bidders on auction day – quite a feat considering the busy graduation and vacation season! Our June sale achieved a sell-through rate of 93%, thus continuing our run of 40 consecutive sales with a sell-through rate exceeding 90% (since September 2021). U.S. Presidents, Arts & Literature, Entertainment, and Sports categories performed especially well in our June sale. Some highlights included:

U.S. Presidents

Lot 313 was a superb Ulysses S. Grant autograph letter signed, dated March 24, 1865 at City Point, Virginia, from the Collection of Larry Berra, son of baseball legend Yogi Berra. In this missive addressed to fellow Union General E.O.D. Ord, Grant discussed elements of the final offensive he was planning against Confederate lines at Richmond and Petersburg. This remarkable letter dated just 16 short days before Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House surpassed its high estimate by 20%, selling for $10,625 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 313, U.S. Grant ALS

Lot 80 was a Mary Lincoln owned and signed book from the Lincoln Family Library, ex. Louise & Barry Taper Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. Mary Lincoln boldly recorded her ownership signature as “Mary Lincoln / 1860” on a front flyleaf of Vol. IV, Washington Irving, The Life of George Washington (New York: G.P. Putnam & Co., 1855-1859). The First Lady signed book dated from 1860, when Abraham Lincoln announced his presidential bid. It sold for two-thirds above the high estimate, or $12,500 including the tip.

Lot 83 was a Civil War-dated scenery list from Shakespeare’s Richard III, owned by John Wilkes Booth, and almost certainly annotated by him twice with stage instructions, as “Front Ladder” and “1/2 Change.”  Booth performed the role of the craven Duke of Gloucester over 100 times between 1860 and 1864, and was closely identified with the role of the royal arch villain. The item formerly from the Louise & Barry Taper Collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum sold for $8,750, which was substantially over its high estimate.

Lot 104 was a fully intact stamp sheet of U.S. 22-cent carmine Grover Cleveland stamps, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and co-signed by Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr. The item’s impressive provenance partly explained its high sale results: the stamp sheet came from the personal collection of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and was offered at auction by well-known philatelic company H.R. Harmer, Inc. less than one year after Roosevelt’s death. The Roosevelt signed stamp sheet exchanged hands for 6 times its high estimate, or $3,840 including the buyer’s premium.

Art & Literature

Lot 132 was an Alexander Calder signed limited edition lithograph, “Untitled (Yellow Boomerang)” retained in the personal collection of Armenian-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, and offered as part of the Yousuf & Estrellita Karsh Estate. One of Calder’s “Seven Abstractions” series, the artist-signed lithograph sold for nearly double the high estimate, or $3,750 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 156 was a Norman Rockwell signed first edition copy of the artist’s autobiography, Norman Rockwell: My Adventures as an Illustrator (Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960). The signed book achieved $2,750, or 7 times its high estimate.

Lot 165 was a collection of 13 vintage photographs taken by intrepid street photographer Weegee (Arthur Felig), including two signed examples and two self-portraits. The assortment represented the variety of Weegee’s subjects, from his photos of crime scenes to showgirls and nudist sanitarium patients. The lot was snapped up for over 3 times its high estimate, or $1,792 including the tip.

Lot 165, Weegee Photos

Lot 377 was a Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain autograph letter signed, dated February 23, 1887 from Hartford, Connecticut. In this letter to one Mr. Edwards of The Lambs, a New York theatrical club, Clemens regretfully declines a preexisting engagement because his older sister will be visiting from California. The author declines the appointment in a very colorful way, of course, talking about a corpse and a crematory. Both Twain’s topic – death – and tone – irreverent – is reminiscent of his famous 1897 quip, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” The letter sold for exactly double the high estimate, or $13,750 including the buyer’s premium.

Marvelous Miscellany (Sports, Entertainment, Historical Interest)

Lot 280 was a Bruce Lee 3pp autograph letter signed dated ca. August 1964. In it, Lee writes to Bill Evans of Black Belt Magazine about the symbolism of the yin and yang seal of Bruce Lee’s martial arts school, the Jun Gang Fu Institute. To illustrate his point, Lee pens a black and white yin and yang sketch on the first page, explaining that it represents two complementary halves of one whole. Lee continues that the symbol represents a martial artist’s need for an “opponent to complete the other half of a whole.” The Bruce Lee letter sold for $37,500, or well over its low estimate.

Lot 280, Bruce Lee ALS

Lot 281 was a Vivien Leigh autograph letter signed with unusual movie content. In the letter dated September 15, 1940 from Beverly Hills, California, Leigh wrote her theatrical friends Guthrie McClintic and Katharine Cornell about initial work related to a film, almost certainly That Hamilton Woman (1941). Leigh and her newly-wed husband Laurence Olivier starred in the Napoleonic War-era drama as Emma Hart, Lady Hamilton and Admiral Horatio Nelson respectively. The Leigh signed letter sold for over 400% the high estimate, or $5,312.50 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 221 was a British Board of Trade discharge book belonging to Titanic crewmember Mabel Elvina Martin, who escaped the doomed vessel via Lifeboat #6. Martin’s official papers documented the salient details of her first and only sea voyage: under “Description of voyage,” the Southampton official wrote “Vessel lost”; under “Date and place of discharge,” he penned the Titanic’s last-known coordinates in the North Atlantic Ocean. This extraordinary artifact related to one of the worst marine disasters in history sold for over 3 times its high estimate, or $31,250 including the buyer’s premium.

These were just a few of the outstanding lots in our June sale.

Our next auction is tentatively scheduled for July 29, 2026.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives held its May auction this week. Over 1,000 people from 60+ countries were live online and “in the room” during the sale, collectively executing over 3,000 bids. These online bidders joined absentee and phone bidders – up to four at a time for some lots – which further stimulated competition. The auction generated nearly $1.2 million in sales. We shattered a company record to finally reach our highest-ever sell-through rate of 99%; that’s only 6 passes out of 473 items that passed the auction block! Items from the Civil Rights, Music, Early America, Civil War, and Art collecting categories inspired especially strong interest.

Some of our auction highlights included:

Civil Rights

Lot 212 was a Frederick Douglass letter signed, dated March 13, 1893, addressed to Frederick Perry Noble, Secretary of the African Congress. Noble was laying the groundwork for the African Congress, which would convene in August 1893 as part of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. This week-long symposium exploring African history, language, geography, and sociology eventually attracted 100 black and white speakers and essay entrants from 20 countries, including Douglass himself. The letter – in which Douglass bluntly dismisses any nostalgia about slavery – fetched well over its high estimate, or $68,750 including the buyer’s premium. Of note, the same Douglass letter signed sold at one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious auction houses for only a fraction of the price that we attained for our consignor.

Lot 212, Frederick Douglass LS

Sports

Lot 468 was Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ron Perranoski’s personally owned and worn 1965 Dodgers World Series Championship ring. The Balfour 14K gold ring inlaid with a blue stone was consigned to us by Ron’s longtime girlfriend and Attorney-in-Fact. Perranoski was one of the Dodgers’ most talented pitchers in the bullpen, helping to secure the team’s win against the Minnesota Twins. This spectacular item of baseball memorabilia met its high estimate, selling for $50,000 including the tip.

Music

Lot 244 was a vintage black and white photograph of The Beatles taken by Dezo Hoffman, signed by all four bandmates during their first trip to the United States in February 1964. The signed photo was acquired by editor of Cashbox Magazine Marty Ostrow around the same time The Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, effectively launching Beatlemania. This very desirable example of a “first visit” autograph is accompanied by an attestation provided by musicologist Frank Caiazzo. The Beatles relic sold for $20,000 including the buyer’s premium, exceeding its high estimate.

Lot 244, Beatles SP

Lot 260 was an intriguing contemporary manuscript: Prince’s handwritten lyrics to “You’re All I Want,” a song he recorded in 1982 but never released during his lifetime. The 187 words inscribed in Prince’s beautiful cursive include two examples of alternative spellings of the song title as “U’re All I Want.” The musical manuscript exchanged hands sold for $11,250 including the buyer’s premium.

Literature

Lot 409 was a first edition, later printing of Ian Fleming, Moonraker (New York: A Signet Book Published by The New American Library, copyrighted 1955), boldly signed and inscribed by its author, Ian Fleming, on the full title page. Fleming’s dedicatory inscription “To Elly” is believed to have been addressed to Eileen Miller, the wife of a New American Library editor with whom Fleming worked. The vintage signed book continuing the James Bond series sold for almost double the high estimate, or $8,750 including the tip.

Early America

Lot 233 was a Revolutionary War-dated manuscript receipt dated July 4, 1776 from Southboro, Massachusetts, the very same day that the Declaration of Independence was issued about 270 miles to the south in Philadelphia. Joseph Trumbull, Commissary-General of the Continental Army, accepted casks of flour and peas to feed Patriot troops. The receipt sold for nearly three times its high estimate, or for $13,750 including the buyer’s premium. Clearly, collectors are preparing for the semi quincentennial coming up in just two months’ time!

Lot 233, July 4, 1776 Military Receipt

Entertainment

Lot 196 was an 18pp legal contract between Howard Hughes and Howard Hawks, signed and initialed by Hughes three times, and signed and initialed by Hawks twice. The document, dated ca. July 12, 1932, outlined a 2-year working contract just after the pair released their gangster thriller Scarface several months earlier. This spectacular piece of Hollywoodiana sold for $12,500 including the buyer’s premium, or 300% over its high estimate.

Science

Lot 448 was a collection of photo negatives and prints retained in the personal collection of legendary portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh. The nine prints and six negatives taken by Karsh’s apprentice Herman Leonard shows Karsh and Albert Einstein during the famous February 1948 photo session at Princeton, New Jersey. The lot sold for $3,500 including the tip. That’s five times its high estimate!

Larry Berra Collection

Lot 303 was a James Garfield CDV signed with his rank as Major General, from the Collection of Larry Berra, son of baseball legend Yogi Berra. The C.D. Fredericks carte de visite shows Garfield in uniform, and was signed during a very brief period when Garfield held the rank of Major General. It sold for $9,000 including the buyer’s premium, or nearly three times its high estimate. All 72 lots from the Larry Berra Collection in our May auction sold, achieving a fantastic 100% sell-through rate. The top six-grossing items from the Collection were all Civil War general signed CDVs. Joining the Garfield were signed CDVs by U.S. Grant, William T. Sherman, John M. Schofield, John Gibbon, and George H. Thomas, all of which either met or far-exceeded their high estimates.

Art

Lot 127 was a magazine print of Norman Rockwell’s iconic Tough Call, or, Game Called Because of Rain, initially published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1949. The black and white print is signed by the artist Rockwell, as well as the three professional baseball umpires who modeled in the original: Lou Jorda, Beans Reardon, and Larry Goetz. The possibly unique multi-autographed item achieved almost double its high estimate, or $8,125 including the buyer’s premium.

These are just a few of the rare and high-quality historical items that were offered in our May auction.

Our next sale is scheduled for June 17, 2026.

We hope to see you there!

University Archives welcomed both newcomers and returning bidders to our March auction yesterday. Over the course of seven exciting hours, 440 lots crossed the auction block, including 45+ lots relating to Space and 25 lots relating to Comics and comic book illustration. 50+ lots showcased Photography from the 19th to the 20th centuries, ranging from monumental bleed mounted celebrity photographs from the Yousuf & Estrellita Karsh Estate, to a plethora of photo albums, cartes de visite, negatives, slides, and contact sheets. U.S. Presidents, Early America, Science, Space, Music, Art, and Literature performed strongly, and continue to draw.

Some highlights of our March sale included:

U.S. Presidents

Lot 40 was a Thomas Jefferson autograph letter signed mentioning the University of Virginia and also referring to the ex-president’s Enlightenment beliefs in human excellence. Jefferson thanked his correspondent, Major John Michael O’Connor, on May 16, 1824 from Monticello, for having given him a textbook on military theory. He promised to donate it to the university library, for the edification of future students and citizens of the Republic. The Jefferson letter exchanged hands for almost twice the high estimate, or $87,500 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 143 was a George Washington free frank signature on a transmittal cover also bearing his personal red wax seal: the Washington coat of arms encircled within a wreath border. Written from Elizabeth, New Jersey, ca. 1778-1780, the cover was addressed to William Alexander, Lord Stirling, one of Washington’s most trusted generals in the Continental Army, and whom Washington had appointed as interim leader during the second Middlebrook encampment. The Washington free franked cover was PSA/DNA certified and encapsulated, selling for 30% over the high estimate, or $16,250 including the tip.

Lot 143, George Washington FF

Early America

Lot 278 was an Oliver Ellsworth signed manuscript document dated from the year of American Independence, on May 13, 1776. In his role as Pay Table Committee member overseeing Connecticut military financial matters, Ellsworth pledged to reimburse £2 6 shillings to one Captain James Clarke from the Connecticut militia, for a “Gun &c lost in Bunker Hill Battle.” Clarke, a veteran of the Battles of Bunker Hull, Harlem Heights, and White Plains, also served as Washington’s courier. The remarkable Revolutionary War record sold for well over its high estimate, or $3,750 including the buyer’s premium.

Science

Lot 429 was a Sigmund Freud signed photograph showing the psychoanalyst holding a cigar, in what is perhaps his most iconic portrait. The photographer, Max Halberstadt, was also Freud’s son-in-law. The portrait was taken in 1921, the year after Freud’s daughter (and Max’s wife) Sophie Freud Halberstadt died of the Spanish Flu. The Freud signed photograph met its estimate target, garnering $11,250 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 429, Sigmund Freud SP

Space

Lot 198 was a unique Space cover featuring an Apollo 11 badge cachet signed by all three mission crewmembers – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins – as well as by four members of the NASA Space Program brain trust: Dr. Wernher von Braun, Saturn V launch vehicle designer; Dr. Kurt Debus, first director of the Kennedy Space Center; Dr. George Mueller from the Office of Manned Space Flight; and Robert Gilruth, director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. This remarkable artifact, postmarked from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969, was pre-certified by Space authenticator Steve Zarelli, and sold for over three times the high estimate. The final price was $9,375 including the buyer’s premium.

Comics

Lot 151 was a dealer’s lot of six Golden Age DC Batman Comics, ca. 1949-1953, including issues 53, 54, 60, 67, 73, and 77, which sold for over seven times its high estimate, or $5,760 including the tip. This was one of 25 lots in our March sale featuring early comic superheroes Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and others, offered singularly and in dealer’s lots. 84% of our March comic lots met or exceeded their high estimates.

Lot 151, Six Golden Age DC Batman Comics

Music

Lot 289 was a Fats Domino signed musical autograph quotation of the rock ‘n’ roll artist’s Grammy Hall of Fame-winning 1956 cover, “Blueberry Hill,” from his album This is Fats Domino! Domino’s personally inscribed lyrics verses on a blank printed music sheet fetched more than seven times its high estimate, selling for $2,750 including the buyer’s premium.

Art

Lot 181 was a Man Ray signed original abstract painting from 1959, gifted to photographer Yousuf Karsh, who later captured Ray’s quirky artistry in an 1965 photo shoot. The artwork, accompanied by an official estate label of provenance and an Estrellita Karsh Estate Certificate of Authenticity, sold for triple the high estimate, or $11,250 including the tip. This matched the same result of a Man Ray signed original artwork of the same medium, size, and subject which sold to a different buyer for the same amount at our February 18, 2026 sale.

Literature

Lot 370 was an Ernest Hemingway owned bullfighting ticket dated August 7, 1959 from the Plaza de Toros de Málaga, in Valencia, Spain, used by the writer during “The Dangerous Summer” of 1959. Hemingway attended bullfights to conduct research after agreeing to write a series of articles about Spanish bullfighting and matador culture for Life Magazine, and the abridged version of  his extensive manuscript was published posthumously in 1984. The cancelled ticket stub from the estate of Roberto Herrera Sotolongo, Hemingway’s friend, personal secretary, and estate conservator, was purchased for seven times the high estimate, or $3,500 including the buyer’s premium.

These are just a few of the extraordinary returns from our March sale. Our next auction is tentatively scheduled for May 6, 2026. We hope you can join us!

University Archives realized nearly $1.2 million in its February 18, 2026 auction, highlighted by a record-breaking $250,000 sale of a first edition of The Book of Mormon (1830). The result surpassed the prior auction record of $240,000 for the title, firmly establishing a new benchmark for this foundational work of American religious history.

The buyer, Adam Fleischer of Fleischer’s Auctions, disclosed that he purchased the volume for his personal collection, not for resale at present.

“While we are mostly known as the top auctioneer of rare manuscripts, we have increasingly risen in the rare book space as evidenced by the sale of The Book of Mormon and other items,” said John Reznikoff, President of University Archives.

Lot 246, Book of Mormon sold for $250,000 including buyer’s premium

Beyond the headline record, the sale demonstrated strength across multiple collecting categories (all prices include buyer’s premium):

• A signed book by Albert Einstein, estimated at $8,000–$10,000, achieved $20,000.
• A signed Act of Congress by Thomas Jefferson, estimated at $10,000–$15,000, realized over $40,000.
• An Apollo 11 crew-signed photograph from the Karsh estate, estimated at $3,000–$4,000, soared to $30,000.

The auction also performed strongly in fine photography, featuring the first offerings from the estate of celebrated portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh. An iconic portrait of Winston Churchill, estimated at $1,800–$2,500, brought $8,750, reflecting continued robust demand for museum-quality vintage photography. Additional works from the Karsh estate will be offered in upcoming University Archives auctions.

University Archives is internationally recognized for its expertise in rare manuscripts, presidential material, historical relics, autographs, and increasingly, rare books, and photography. The February 18, 2026 sale further underscores the company’s expanding presence across multiple high-level collecting categories.

Our next sale is tentatively scheduled for March 25, 2026.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives rang in the New Year with a new sale this past Wednesday. Rare Autographs, Books Including Lincoln & Space Exploration showcased over 520 lots of exceptional historical items. Those who stayed with us throughout the marathonic 8-hour-long auction saw UA add another million-dollar sale to the record books. We also tied our all-time highest company record, a 98% sell-through rate, first achieved in January 2022, and then in August 2024.

U.S. Presidents and Early America performed extremely strongly in the January auction, and you can bet that these will be the collecting categories to watch during 2026, America’s bicentennial year. Literature, Business, and Military also garnered a lot of interest. Please see below for some auction highlights arranged by category:

U.S. Presidents

Lot 53 was a Thomas Jefferson signed and personally owned book, Vol. IV of Plutarch’s Morals (London: Printed for W. Taylor, 1718), from Jefferson’s library, and with provenance from U.S. Senate clerk Lewis Henry Machen. Not seen at public auction since 1829, the Jefferson owned volume was signed with a “T” on the “I” leaf on pg. 193, and also featured a 12-word holographic inscription on the first extant page. The presidential volume sold for almost three times its high estimate, exchanging hands for $112,500 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 53, Thomas Jefferson SB

Early America

Lot 296 was a 3 vol. set of Winthrop Sargent, The Life and Career of Major John André (New York: William Abbatt, 1902), a large paper edition expanded to include about 250 items, ranging from a secretarial letter written on behalf of George Washington and a partial autograph letter signed by Arthur St. Clair, to a document signed by George III as well as engravings, original artwork, broadsides, and other collectibles. The set sold for 30% over its high estimate, or $8,750 including the buyer’s premium.

Military

Lot 377 was a George E. Pickett signed carte de visite showing the Confederate General in uniform, and boldly signed with his rank as “G.E. Pickett / Maj. Gen C.S.A.” PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10, and further certified by a JSA LOA, the very scarce Pickett signed CDV sold for 25% above its high estimate. It exchanged hands for $12,500 including the tip.

Civil Rights

Lot 294 was an exceptionally rare slavery receipt dated December 6, 1859 from Macon, Georgia, confirming the purchase of a 17-year-old enslaved man named Daniel for $1,300. The receipt, which featured a romanticized vignette of an allegorical figure harvesting rice, sold for 10 times its high estimate, or $12,500 including the buyer’s premium.

Business

Lot 275 was a fascinating J.P. Morgan & Company 100pp checkbook from ca. 1908-1918, with many blank checks. With a beginning balance of $1.9 million – or roughly 70 million in 2025 money – the checkbook recorded financial transactions with banks and railroads during a dramatic decade of bank runs, economic panics, imperialistic construction projects, and World War I. It sold for more than 8 times its high estimate, or $10,880 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 275, J.P. Morgan & Company checkbook

Sports

Lot 514 was a Babe Ruth signed PSA/DNA Type II vintage press photograph by baseball photographer Charles M. Conlon, capturing one of the most famous pictures of the “Sultan of Swat” at home plate during his Yankees era. The Ruth signed photo and accompanying miniature Ruth Louisville Slugger baseball bat met its high estimate, selling for $8,750 including the tip.

Literature

Lot 429 was a F. Scott Fitzgerald handwritten postcard written at ca. 1924 at Saint-Raphaël, France, during the exact time and place that the author was writing The Great Gatsby. The friendly letter addressed to a young fellow writer named Horace A. Wade sold for $8,125 including the buyer’s premium, easily topping its high estimate.

Science

Lot 487 was an Albert Einstein typed letter signed in German dated February 10, 1936, and addressed to a Harper & Brothers publicity director regarding Max Born, his fellow physicist and lifelong friend. Harpers would publish Max Born’s The Restless Universe the same year, and perhaps Einstein was asked to provide a character reference for his friend. The letter sold for $5,312 including the buyer’s premium.

Lot 487, Albert Einstein TLS

Art

Lot 158 was an archive of autographed material exchanged between American art critic James Thrall Soby and some of the most important modern artists of the 20th C. including Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Man Ray, Ben Shahn, Marino Marini, and others, with bonus material from artist spouses Gala Dalí and Marina Marini. The assortment of 30 pieces in English, French, and Italian dating from ca. 1938-1961 sold for well over double its high estimate, or $5,312 including the tip.

These were just some of the few outstanding items offered at our January auction.

We hope you can participate in our upcoming auction planned for February 18, 2026!

University Archives is ringing in the New Year with a new sale!

Rare Autographs & Books Including Lincoln & Space Exploration will showcase over 520 lots of exceptional historical items. The auction gives prominence to two largely unreserved collections: Part II of A Superb Space Collection, a particularly fine assortment of Space autographs and memorabilia assembled by a Texas gentleman (30+ lots); as well as Part IV of A Top-Notch Collection, curated by a sophisticated California connoisseur, who purchased rare and desirable autographed items from Charles Hamilton, Joe Rubinfine, Kenneth Rendell, and other legendary dealers (30+ lots).

U.S. Presidents

Lot 53 is a Thomas Jefferson signed and personally owned book, Vol. IV of Plutarch’s Morals (London: Printed for W. Taylor, 1718), from Jefferson’s library, and with provenance from U.S. Senate clerk Lewis Henry Machen. Not seen at public auction since 1829, the Jefferson owned volume is signed with a “T” on the “I” leaf on pg. 193, and also features a 12-word holographic inscription on the first extant page. Jefferson took inspiration from the famous Greek moral philosopher when drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Abraham Lincoln

Over 20 lots in the sale are dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, including Lincoln autographed material, photographs, medals, currency, and ephemera, and with two autographed letters signed by Mary Todd Lincoln.

Lot 82 is a Mary Todd Lincoln autograph letter signed, dated May 20, 1870 in Eger, Bohemia, in which the widowed First Lady laments her financial insecurity. Lincoln had just heard about the recent U.S. Senate decision to reject her pension request, an action she characterized as “injur[ing] & defraud[ing] the widow & orphans of the great & good man, who loved & served his country so well.” Lincoln was granted a $3,000 pension two months later, in July 1870.

Lot 87 is an Abraham Lincoln autograph note signed, dated January 11, 1863 in Washington, D.C., granting permission to a Virginia woman named Mrs. Rebecca Rust to visit her husband, a Confederate prisoner of war, in Rock Island, Illinois. Rebecca Rust later recounted in her memoirs that Lincoln’s generosity in extending her the visitor’s pass changed her perspective.

Lot 87, Abraham Lincoln ANS

Lot 88 is a phenomenal 8pp autograph letter signed dated April 15, 1865 in Washington, D.C., written by a barkeeper and possible Ford’s Theatre musician named G.W. Watson. In it, Watson recounted an eyewitness account of Lincoln’s assassination as told to him by Benjamin Butler’s private secretary Wesley R. Batchelder. The remarkable letter describes the event in vivid detail, complete with two pen illustrations, one depicting the President’s theatre box, and one showing Booth’s escape route. Watson dramatically ends the letter: “God speed the hang-man.”

Lot 91 is an Abraham Lincoln oversized sepia-colored photograph after Alexander Hesler, measuring 13” x 16.” The original portrait photograph was taken on June 3, 1860 in Springfield, Illinois just a few weeks after Lincoln was nominated as Republican Party presidential candidate. The amazing detail in the large photograph makes it seem like the future president is in the room!

Space

The Space & Aviation category includes over 60 lots in the sale, ranging from autographed material, photographs, and ephemera, to artwork, space-flown relics, and deaccessioned NASA equipment.

Lot 202 is an official NASA color portrait photograph signed by all three Apollo XI crew members, ca. 1974, and pre-certified by space expert Steve Zarelli.

Lot 239 is an Endeavour STS-111-flown Hasselblad 203S space camera, with a 70mm body and NASA Class I flight hardware, complete with a view finder, power winder, IR remote, and manual winder. The Space-flown photographic equipment comes with a data module as well as a 70mm film magazine flown on Atlantis, Columbia, Discover, and Endeavour missions. Extremely scarce in private hands!

Lot 239, Endeavour STS-111-flown Hasselblad 203S space camera

Science

Lot 490 is an Isaac Newton autograph manuscript fragment comprised of nine lines (85+ words) in both Latin and English. In it, the scientist delves into a religious discussion of the relationship between God and Jesus.

Literature

Lot 434 is an Ernest Hemingway boldly signed limited first edition copy of A Farewell To Arms (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1929), signed by the author on the limitation page. The book comes from the personal collection of fellow writer Owen Wister, Jr. of The Virginian fame.

Lot 456 is an 11pp autograph manuscript signed by Ayn Rand, being a heavily edited draft of what would become her July 22, 1962 “Ayn Rand Column” published in the Los Angeles Times. The draft entitled “The Cold Civil War” includes 900+ words with additional copious emendations, and comments on the intersection of Kennedy-era politics and the economy. In part: “Such is the nature of that ‘cold civil war’ … While every social group is destroying every other, the government waits on the sidelines, merely playing favorites and growing. No matter who loses any particular battle, only totalitarian statism can win that war.”

Entertainment

Three lots in the sale relate to Marilyn Monroe, including Lot 331, a spectacular and gorgeous vintage press photograph signed by the starlet, PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic, as well as a 1950 check issued to her hair stylist, and a personally owned cordial glass, ex-Christie’s. The presentation portrait photograph was taken by Frank Powolny, ca. 1953, around the time that Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released.

Lot 331, Marilyn Monroe PSA SP

Sports

Lot 514 is a Babe Ruth signed PSA/DNA Type II vintage press photograph by baseball photographer Charles M. Conlon, capturing one of the most famous pictures of the “Sultan of Swat” at home plate during his Yankees era. The Ruth signed photo comes with a miniature Ruth Louisville Slugger baseball bat, 16.25” long.

These are just some of the memorable lots in our January 7, 2026 sale.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives is excited to announce its next sale. The 490+ lot auction will feature two notable and largely unreserved collections:

• Part I of A Superb Space Collection, a particularly fine assortment of Space autographs and memorabilia assembled by a Texas gentleman (40+ lots)
• Part III of A Top-Notch Collection, curated by a sophisticated California connoisseur, who purchased rare and desirable autographed items from Charles Hamilton, Joe Rubinfine, Kenneth Rendell, and other legendary dealers (40+ lots)

Plus our usual assortment of exceptional items from U.S. Presidents, Science, Space, Music, Civil Rights, World Leaders, Literature, and many other popular collecting categories!

U.S. Presidents

Lot 159 is a vintage Spaulding No. 1 baseball signed by President Woodrow Wilson, Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, House Speaker Champ Clark, and a handful of U.S. Congressmen, later sold at a World War I fundraising benefit auction hosted by the Red Cross, ca. 1917-1918. Woodrow Wilson was a former collegiate baseball player and started the beloved presidential tradition of throwing ceremonial pitches. From the collection of Steven Forbes and accompanied by a PSA/DNA LOA.

Lot 159, Woodrow Wilson signed baseball

Lot 152 is a Revolutionary War discharge certificate signed by George Washington, dated June 9, 1783. The certificate released a private named George Denicott in the 5th Massachusetts Regiment from all future military obligations. Denicott’s regiment was raised before the Lexington Alarm, and saw action at the Battles of Concord, Bunker Hill, Trenton, and Princeton, as well as during the New York and Saratoga Campaigns. 5th MA Regiment veterans were furloughed in mid-June 1783 and the battle unit was disbanded in November 1783.

Lot 88 is an Abraham Lincoln signed military appointment, dated March 4, 1862, promoting one Edward Ball to the rank of Second Lieutenant of the 2nd Regiment of Cavalry. Ball was a Mexican War veteran who was active on the West Coast before the Civil War brought him back East.

Lot 79 is a John and Jackie Kennedy co-signed 1963 Christmas gift – an engraving of an Andrew Jackson statue near the White House – signed and presented to family and close friends in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The print was gifted to Joan Braden, a close Kennedy Family friend who had worked on JFK’s campaigns and accompanied Jackie to the Indian subcontinent in 1962.

Lot 84 is a 3pp autograph letter signed by Lee Harvey Oswald, sent from Minsk, Soviet Union on November 20, 1961 – almost two years to the day before Kennedy’s assassination. In the letter to older brother Robert Oswald, living in Texas, Lee reported that he was trying to obtain exit visas and seeking financial aid from the U.S. Embassy to secure plane tickets. He also discussed Russian-language children’s books for Robert’s children, and a genuine pair of Russian winter boots he could get for Robert. Lee, his Russian wife, and young daughter flew back to the U.S. in Summer 1962.

Science

Lots 447 and 448 are both autograph manuscripts by Albert Einstein, representing original working drafts of what would become parts of “A Generalization of the Relativistic Theory of Gravitation” (1945). The two pages – offered separately in back-to-back lots – related to Einstein’s Unified Field Theory. Together, the pages represent a combined 440+ words and 29 equations in Einstein’s hand, and show extensive edits; parts of Einstein’s first version were not included in the published version.

Lot 448, Albert Einstein AM

Lot 455 is an autograph manuscript penned by Sir Isaac Newton, ca. 1690s-1710s, featuring over 350 words in his hand. Newton’s non-scientific writings concentrated on theological studies, and this heavily edited draft is no exception. The manuscript fragment examines the continuity between Judaism and Christianity. Interestingly, Newton posits that immutable divine law is “revealed” while ephemeral human laws are “invented.” Newton’s manuscripts with religious content are scarce in private hands.

Space

Lot 188 is a monumental Apollo XI display, including two complete sets of Apollo XI astronaut signatures, and one complete set of Apollo XI wives’ signatures in a signed photo, signed cover, and invitation. The showstopping lead item, the crew photo, has been signed by Armstrong and wife Janet; Collins and wife Patricia; and Aldrin and wife Joan Aldrin. The items date from the 1969 Giantstep Apollo XI Presidential Goodwill Tour undertaken by the crew between late September and early November 1963, specifically their visit to Mexico City.

Lot 219 is a massive meteorite (lunar feldspathic breccia) retrieved from Laâyoune, in the Western Sahara Desert, in January 2022. The meteorite measures 371 grams, and features a scattering of desirable white and red clasts.

Music

Lot 308 is Bob Dylan’s signed and handwritten lyrics to “Just Like a Woman,” a song featured on his seventh studio album, Blonde on Blonde. Accompanied by a COA from Jeff Rosen, Dylan’s tour manager, as well as a PSA COA.

Lot 324 is a John Lennon signed check, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10. The check is dated June 16, 1971 and was drawn from the account of Apple Records, Inc. We are unaware that any other Lennon 10s have ever been on the market. The item would pair nicely with Lot 314, a George Harrison signed check, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10, drawn from the account of Apple Corps Limited.

 Civil Rights

Lot 265 is a Martin Luther King, Jr. signed typed letter, dated March 6, 1961, and addressed to his literary agent, Marie Rodell. The letter discussed the attempts of Educational Communications Corporation, a California-based non-profit media company, to obtain film rights to King’s first published book: Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958).

Lot 265, Martin Luther King, Jr. TLS

These are just some of the many fascinating lots in our upcoming sale.

We hope you can join us on November 19, 2025!

University Archives will hold its next auction, Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books, on October 8, 2025. The sale will feature Part II of A Top-Notch Collection: more than 75 lots – largely unreserved – from a sophisticated California connoisseur, who collected rare and desirable autographed items from Charles Hamilton, Joe Rubinfine, Kenneth Rendell, and other legendary dealers. The auction will also include our usual assortment of exceptional items from U.S. Presidents, Early America, World Leaders, Science, Space, Literature, and Military.

U.S. Presidents

Lot 42 is a handsomely framed document signed three times by then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. The document certified three Acts approved by Congress on March 2, 1793. The first related to the maintenance and ownership of “Light-houses, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers.” The remaining two concerned Revolutionary War veterans and their families: authorizing the half-pay pension of Major Simeon Thayer, former Rogers’ Ranger, prisoner of war, and wounded Battle of Monmouth veteran; and establishing an educational fund for the teenaged son of Brigadier General Hugh Mercer, who had been killed in action at the Battle of Princeton.

Lot 128 is a 2pp letter signed by George Washington, then in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. The letter was addressed to Major Arthur St. Clair on January 15, 1781, in the immediate aftermath of the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny (January 1-10, 1781), a revolt among 2,500 troops near Morristown, New Jersey. In the letter, Washington assured St. Clair that a 1,000-man detachment would be kept in readiness in case of any further uprisings. Washington wanted a swift resolution to “the unhappy affair” since the British had already tried (and failed) to exploit military instability.

Lot 128, George Washington LS

Lot 54 is a Civil War-dated military commission dated March 5, 1864 boldly signed by President Abraham Lincoln and co-signed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. The appointment promoted William H. Pankhurst to Commissary of Subsistence of Volunteers with the rank of Captain.

Lot 135 is a printed copy of Public Resolution No. 1 of the 65th Congress dated April 6, 1917, signed by President Woodrow Wilson, Vice President Thomas Marshall, and House Speaker Champ Clarke, declaring war on Imperial Germany. Wilson had urged Congress to declare war because of unrestricted submarine German warfare against American shipping and other provocations. 75% of congressional members approved the measure.

Early America

Lot 249 is a land grant signed by Benjamin Franklin, then in his capacity as President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, granting property in Westmoreland County to one Lieutenant John Harper. The document was dated September 30, 1787, just a little over one week after the 1787 Constitutional Convention had concluded in Philadelphia.

Lot 357 is an archive of early printed material relating to America’s first diplomatic and commercial alliances with France, the Netherlands, and Sweden, ca. 1778-1783. A highlight is an official French printing of the first Franco-American treaty entitled [translated]: “Treaty of Friendship and Commerce Concluded Between the King and the United States of North America” (Paris, 1778). The timely recognition of America by European powers legitimized its claims to independence.

World Leaders

Lot 357 is a 1p document signed by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, and co-signed by her second husband, the English nobleman Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, on October 9, 1565, directing the Laird of Kilvarock to cease managing Inverness Castle. Just a few years earlier, the Catholic Mary had returned from France to assume rulership of a predominately Protestant nation. The co-signer, Darnley, would die about one year later under mysterious circumstances which many believe was murder.

Lot 358 is a 2pp autograph letter in Gujarati signed by Mohandas Gandhi as “Bapu’s Blessings.” The July 24, 1934 letter addressed to a friend includes remarkable content about Hindu-Muslim cooperation, as well as a reference to fasting, Gandhi’s preferred non-violent form of political protest.

Science & Space

Lot 421 is a 1920 issue of a German scientific journal, signed by Albert Einstein on the front cover. The issue published by the Viewig Collection contained Einstein’s article, “Über die spezielle und die allgemeine Relativitätstheorie (Gemeinverständlich)” [“On the Special and General Theory of Relativity (A Popular Account).”] The issue came out just two years before Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, retroactive to 1921.

Lot 421, Albert Einstein Signed Booklet

Lot 170 is a “Type Three” Apollo 11 insurance cover boldly signed by all three mission astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, at the Kennedy Space Center, ca. July 16, 1969.

Literature

Lot 392 is a 1p autograph letter signed by American writer Herman Melville, dated December 4, 1867, towards the end of what one biographer called the author’s “annus horribilis.” Several months before, Melville’s eldest son died suddenly, likely from suicide, and Melville’s wife of 20 years contemplated leaving him because of the author’s alcoholism and abuse.

Military

Lot 383 is a 2pp autograph letter signed by Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson addressed to a correspondent named Truheart, who, in addition to Jackson, may have attended the 1859 execution of John Brown, failed leader of the Harpers Ferry insurrection. The letter dated October 12, 1852 concerned a lecture on hypnotism. During this era, Jackson was teaching natural philosophy and artillery tactics at the Virginia Military Institute.

These are just a few of the superb offerings in our October sale.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives will hold its last auction of the summer on August 27, 2025. Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books will provide collectors with the opportunity to show off their latest acquisitions around Labor Day barbecue pits and swimming pools.

Introducing A Top-Notch Collection: several hundred largely unreserved lots from the collection of a sophisticated California connoisseur, many unseen for decades. This collector purchased rare and desirable autographed items from Charles Hamilton, Joe Rubinfine, Kenneth Rendell, and other legendary dealers. Nothing was purchased less than 40 years ago, and most were purchased 50-60 years ago, meaning the material has been off-market for an average of 50 years. Our usual assortment of amazing auction items will accompany this stunning collection; on offer will be the best of U.S. Presidents, Early America, World Leaders, Science & Technology, Aviation & Space, Music, Art, Literature and Sports.

U.S. Presidents

Lot 127 is a George Washington signed letter dated February 20, 1790, addressed to a state governor, possibly North Carolina state governor Alexander Martin. In it, President Washington transmitted an Act of Congress regarding import laws, shipping procedures, and tax collection districts in North Carolina. This is one of only two such letters known to exist in which Washington notified a state governor of a Congressional Act during the first year after ratifying the U.S. Constitution. North Carolina had only ratified the U.S. Constitution three months earlier, in November 1789, after initially rejecting it.

Lot 127, George Washington LS

Lot 54 is an autograph letter twice signed by Thomas Jefferson, dated March 24, 1805 and sent to Monticello joiner and lumber supplier James Oldham. Jefferson expressed dismay that a fire the previous week had destroyed Oldham’s supply of wood planks earmarked for Monticello doors and window sashes. The letter illustrates the extent to which Jefferson continuously remodeled his private home even while in the White House. PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic.

Lot 70 is an Abraham Lincoln signed letter on Executive Mansion stationery dated July 29, 1864 and addressed to Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. In the letter, Lincoln lobbied for the admission of Connecticut Congressman Augustus Brandegee’s nephew, Theodore T. Wood, into the U.S. Naval Academy, which had relocated from Annapolis to Newport after the outbreak of the Civil War, in 1861. Less than a week after Lincoln endorsed the naval cadet, Union forces under David Farragut finally stanched blockade-running at Mobile Bay.

Early America

Lot 233 is a Benjamin Franklin signed autograph document dated April 23, [1755]. This ledger recorded expenses in paper money, silver coins, and Spanish and Brazilian-minted gold coins which Franklin had accrued while undertaking General Edward Braddock’s commission to collect forage, horses, and wagons during the French & Indian War. Braddock’s expedition to Fort Duquesne, a French-controlled fort near present day Pittsburgh, was disastrous. At the Battle of Monongahela, Braddock’s aide-de-camp, a young George Washington, discovered numerous bullet holes in his coat and had several horses shot out from under him, and General Braddock later died of battlefield injuries.

Lot 285 is an extraordinary illustrated journal kept by an unidentified author/artist, ca. 1862-1864, who commented on Civil War-era politicians, military commanders, literary figures, activists, and entertainers. It features 50+ original vividly hand-colored drawings, some signed with a comical nom de plume. Inspired by newspaper articles and current events, the 98pp journal comments on the Emancipation Proclamation, Republican politics, fiscal policy, and other social issues, with both pro-slavery and anti-slavery messaging, suggesting that the author/artist was an equal opportunity satirist.

Lot 285, Civil War-Era Illustrated Journal

Lot 242 is a Biblical work personally owned, signed, and annotated by Salem Witch Trial judge Samuel Sewall, and consigned by the Canton Historical Society of Canton, Massachusetts. The book is a concordance, or index, of keywords cross-referenced with the biblical passages in which they appeared, and was published by Reverend Samuel Newton in London in 1650. The index contains words like Justice, Proof, Guilt, Mercy, Witch, Evil Spirit, and Devil. Sewall could have used this reference book when writing a discourse, like a court decision.

Lot 224 is a Samuel Adams signed partly printed and partly manuscript document dated October 15, 1794, conveying Adams’s gubernatorial support for poor laws in Charlestown. Personally, Adams was anti-slavery, but politically he couched his views much more conservatively.

World Leaders

Lot 315 is a manuscript document in French featuring a 22-word autograph note signed by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The document, written in Bayonne near the Spanish-French border on May 19, 1808, asked for Napoleon’s direction regarding the formation of a new battalion to accommodate Westphalian recruits during the ongoing Peninsular War. Just a few weeks later, Napoleon forced the legitimate Spanish leaders from the throne, installing his brother Joseph Bonaparte as a puppet ruler. This is just one of three notes and documents signed by Napoleon in the sale.

Lot 315, Napoleon Bonaparte ANS

Science & Technology

Lot 415 is a presentation photograph of inventor Thomas A. Edison, signed by him and dedicated to Etienne de Fodor, a Hungarian engineer at the Budapest General Electric Company, as “a pioneer of the Incandescent Electric Light.” While Edison photographs are not all that scarce, we consider that an inscription mentioning Edison’s most famous invention and modestly giving credit for it to another contributor makes it a monumental item.

Aviation & Space

Lot 170 is a massive meteorite (lunar feldspathic breccia) retrieved near Laâyoune, Morocco in the Western Sahara Desert, in January 2022. The meteorite tips the scales at an impressive 371 grams, and features a scattering of desirable white and red clasts.

Music

Lot 255 is Bob Dylan’s handwritten and signed lyrics to “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall,” a song featured in his 1963 second studio album. Dylan has inscribed all five stanzas of the song, inspired by the question-and-answer flow of traditional English folk songs, on a sheet of Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica stationery from Oslo, Norway, ca. 2013. Accompanied by a COA from Jeff Rosen, Dylan’s manager.

Art

Lot 252 is a Walt Disney signed 1st edition copy of Fantasia (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1940), published in tandem with the release of the animated film of the same name set to classical music. The illustrated volume features 16 mounted color plates and also has its original dust jacket.

These are just a few of the spectacular lots in our August sale.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives is excited to announce its July 16, 2025 sale! Rare Autographs, Books, Lincoln & Space Items will include over 450 lots from collecting categories such as U.S. Presidents, Military (especially Revolutionary War and Civil War), Aviation/Space, Art, Science, and Sports. The savvy collector can take advantage of many chances to bid on never-before-seen and extremely scarce pieces.

U.S. Presidents

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. Lincolniana collectors will find autographed material, ephemera, and pictorial representations of Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, Robert Todd Lincoln, Willie Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, Boston Corbett, and David Hunter, head of the Lincoln conspirator military tribunal.

Lot 62 is a vintage sepia-colored carte de visite of Abraham Lincoln, boldly signed by him as “A. Lincoln” along the bottom edge, and PSA/DNA slabbed and graded MINT 9. The portrait of Lincoln was originally taken by Alexander Gardner on August 9, 1863, just one month after the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. This piece was one of six autographed cartes de visite which President Lincoln sent to Mrs. Mary L. Westerman of Pekin, Illinois for a Union Army fundraising event hosted there on October 18, 1864. A pencil inscription on the back of the Lincoln signed CDV suggests that it was later sold for $200, with proceeds presumably benefiting the war effort.

Lot 62, Abraham Lincoln PSA MINT 9 Signed CDV

Everyone recalls Abigail Adams’s injunction to “Remember the ladies.” Lot 1 is a 2pp 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 two important diplomats’ wives had not met in Europe while Adams and Jay were negotiating the Revolutionary War-ending 1783 Treaty of Paris. Adams wrote wistfully about John Jay, in part: “My most respectful and affectionate Regards to Mr Jay. When and Where I shall ever have the Pleasure to see him again I know not. But I shall never cease to desire it, if we live upon this Earth these hundred years.”

Lot 127 is a 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, who belonged to the Corps of Invalids, which operated between 1777-1783. This unit was comprised of wounded, sickly, or aged veterans who performed limited duties, like guard watches. One of Slocum’s fellow invalided corpsmen was Prince Jenckes, a Black veteran amputee; the historical record suggests that, like Jenckes, Slocum was physically disabled while in service.

Lot 127, George Washington Signed Revolutionary War Discharge

Lot 42 is a 1p 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, and owner of a plantation on Analostan Island in the Potomac River (now Theodore Roosevelt Island) regarding the planning and construction of a connective causeway, likely built by enslaved labor.

Military

Lot 325 is an autograph letter signed, docketed, or endorsed by five Confederate officers – including Robert E. Lee – which originally served as the transmittal cover for a relic from the Battle of Gettysburg. The letter originally accompanied the regimental flag of the 150th Pennsylvania Volunteers, which on July 1, 1863 had been captured by Lieutenant Frank M. Harney of the 14th North Carolina Infantry. The fatally wounded Harney’s dying wish was that the captured battle flag be sent on to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The flag – along with this very letter – made its way to President Davis between mid-July and mid-August 1863, changing hands no fewer than five times. Davis treasured the flag and it was in his suitcase when he fled Richmond.

Lot 344 is a telegram form engrossed and signed by Confederate President Jefferson Davis, dated July 8, 1864, and addressed to General Robert E. Lee at Petersburg, Virginia. The city of Petersburg – a vital railroad hub just 20 miles south of the Confederate capital at Richmond – was just 3 weeks into the city’s eventual 10-month-long siege. In the urgent message, Davis conveys his concerns about the “nonarrival of arms” and worries that Confederate war plans are no longer confidential. In closing, Davis gives Lee unlimited military authority in conducting the Petersburg campaign.

Lot 344, Jefferson Davis Telegram to Robert E. Lee at Petersburg

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 serving as Commander of the Department of the South. The document proclaims that the former enslaved person named Jupiter Jamison is proclaimed “forever free” – along with his wife, children, and mother. Hunter’s dismissal from his post was in part due to his premature emancipation of enslaved people from areas that the Union Army had liberated, months prior to President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and well in advance of the effective date of January 1, 1863. Believed to be the only such copy in private hands!

Entertainment

Lot 308 is a 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, 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.

International

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 personal secretary, Amrit Kaur.

Art

Lot 141 is a 1p autograph letter in French signed by Pablo Picasso dated August 1, 1953. In this 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. In the studio space reserved for him there, Picasso later produced thousands of limited-edition and figural pitchers, vases, plates, and bowls.

Lot 141, Pablo Picasso ALS

Sports

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 yellow, red, green, and black, celebrates 100 years of the professionalization of America’s favorite pastime, beginning with the first professional baseball team: the Cincinnati Red Stockings.

These are just a few of the sensational items featured in our July sale.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives will hold its next sale on June 4, 2025. Rare Autographs, Books & Space Memorabilia includes over 520 lots of exceptional historical material drawn from multiple collecting categories. June features three strong specialty categories: Abraham Lincoln (17 lots), Space (108 lots), and Literature (41 lots). Sale highlights also include outstanding pieces from Art, Science, Early America, and Military.

U.S. Presidents (Abraham Lincoln, George Washington & Thomas Jefferson)

The June sale comprises fine autographed material by Abraham Lincoln, including signed appointments, signed autograph notes, signature clips, and relics, as well as prints, photographs, ephemera and Lincoln association items. Lot 44 is an Abraham Lincoln autograph note signed, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded an exceptionally rare GEM MT 10. Addressed to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton sometime in 1863, Lincoln’s note is boldly signed as “A. Lincoln” and conveys instructions relating to a battalion in an upcoming battle.

Lot 104 is a Revolutionary War-dated letter twice signed by George Washington, then Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, and addressed to the President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, Joseph Reed, on February 20, 1780. Washington stated Pennsylvania’s quota of required troops – at 4,855, only smaller than Massachusetts’ and Virginia’s – and warned that the Army would collapse if new troops did not arrive soon. The Army had survived a brutal winter-long encampment at Morristown, New Jersey, and morale was low.

Lot 31 is a 6-volume set of books, a copy of Cicero’s Orations in its original Latin, personally owned and signed by Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson discretely initialed “T” on the “I/J” gatherings; and “J” on the “T” gatherings.) This copy of Ciceronis Orationes (Amsterdam: Ex Typographia P & I Blaeu, 1695-1699) was prized by Jefferson, who incorporated many of Cicero’s ideas into the Declaration of Independence. Accompanied by provenance showing when the books were purchased at auction on February 27, 1829.

Lot 73 is an 8” x 10” color photo showing President Ronald Reagan delivering his emphatic “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!” speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, West Germany on June 12, 1987. Reagan’s signature and inscription is PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10. Accompanied by a large (4.5” x 4” x 2.5”) certified fragment of Berlin Wall brick, with COA.

Lot 73, Ronald Reagan SP

Literature

Our upcoming auction will feature a stupendous Literature collection. 40+ lots relate to literary notables such as Ernest Hemingway, Ayn Rand, Jack Kerouac, J.D. Salinger, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain, Margaret Mitchell, Ian Fleming, Robert Frost, Charles Dickens, Emily Brontë, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and A.A. Milne, among others. The sale will include autograph letters and notes signed, typed letters signed, signed books and quotes, signed photographs, and signed artwork and with original drawings.

Lot 460 is a 1p autograph letter signed by J.D. Salinger, addressed to his publishers, Little, Brown, and Company, on May 27, 1961, about one month before the publication of Franny and Zooey. In the letter, Salinger argues that his two short stories should be published under two separate titles instead of the proposed combined title of Franny and Zooey. Salinger, who was a notoriously difficult writer to deal with, half-apologetically writes in the letter, “I honestly don’t enjoy butting in.” Franny and Zooey was released with a combined title and spent 26 weeks on the New York Times best-selling fiction list.

Art

Lot 115 is a gorgeous limited-edition collection of 48,200 original prints and lithographs by 30 international artists including Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, Calder, Braque, Miró, Giacometti, Moore, and Toulouse-Lautrec, to name just a few. Represented are original artworks pulled directly from the artists’ plates in the 1960s and 1970s, many signed in the plate or pencil signed. This gigantic group – the estimated retail value of which exceeds $19 million – was assembled by a preeminent New York collector and presents an unparalleled opportunity for an individual or art gallery to expand their collection.

Lot 115, Detail, Marc Chagall, “Homecoming”

Science

Our June sale includes five lots of Albert Einstein material, including an autograph letter signed, typed letter signed, signed book, and signed booklet in Spanish reproducing one of Einstein’s articles published in an Argentinian periodical. Lot 492 is an archive of German-language correspondence exchanged between Albert Einstein and an unidentified physics enthusiast, ca. 1927-1930. The lead item in the group is a spectacular 1p autograph letter signed by Einstein dated March 6, 1927 containing over 100 words in his hand, and including a hand-drawn sketch of a wheel. Einstein and the correspondent discuss a though experiment in which a wheel is exposed to temperature changes and magnetic forces.

Lot 492, Albert Einstein ALS With Original Drawing

Early America

Lot 304 is a Treasury Department circular dated September 23, 1790 boldly signed by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. The circular discussed methods to secure proper documentation on imports and exports (a matter of significance then, as now) of American and foreign shipping. Hamilton searched for means to collect revenue for the federal government, which had recently absorbed all states’ debts, and for means to safeguard the American economy. Just one month earlier, Hamilton’s measure to establish the predecessor of the U.S. Guard was approved by Congress in order to crack down on illegal trade.

Lot 323 is an extremely scarce complete first edition copy of the U.S. Census of 1800. Marshals from 18 states and territories (from Maine to Georgia, Connecticut to Indiana Territory) submitted demographic information about the fledgling nation in the second-ever census. The 1800 census collected information about Americans’ age, sex, race, and emancipation status, and revealed that of over 5 million Americans, nearly 20% of them were enslaved persons.

Military

Lot 393 is a large group of 21 maps depicting the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, ca. 1944-1945, in advance of the Allies’ big push in the Pacific Theatre. Most of the material was prepared by the 64th Engineer Topographic Battalion – the primary cartographic unit in both World War II and the Korean War – for artillery and aircraft use. Included in addition to the maps are booklets of aerial photographs and what appears to be Japanese contraband.

These are just a few of the exceptional items in our June sale.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives will hold its next sale on April 23, 2025.

530+ lots of high-quality historical artifacts from multiple collecting categories will be offered, in addition to the Abraham Lincoln Collection, one of the largest and most important groupings of Lincoln collectibles to cross the auction block in some time. The Collection represents 60+ Lincoln lots, ranging in estimate from $200 – $800,000, with more than 12 items either written by or signed by Lincoln, ranging in estimate from $2,000 to $100,000.

The Abraham Lincoln Collection

The Abraham Lincoln Collection, coinciding with the 160th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination, includes Lincoln autograph letters signed, autograph legal briefs, signed checks, and signed appointments, all with outstanding political, military, legal, and personal content. The Abraham Lincoln Collection also includes material representing the slain president through the visual arts (photographs, engravings, funerary broadsides, etc.) as well as through ephemera, memorabilia, and relics.

The marquee item of the Abraham Lincoln Collection is Lot 65, an incredibly vivid and lifelike Hesler/Ayres interpositive – or silver gelatin positive transparency on glass – of Lincoln, from Lincoln scholar King Hostick through descent. Alexander Hesler’s collodion negative of Lincoln, Portrait Sitting No. 2, was originally taken in Springfield, Illinois on June 3, 1860, and provided the basis of George B. Ayres’s ca. 1895-1900 interpositive made several decades later. The interpositive was cleaned and extensively restored by the George Eastman House & International Museum of Photography & Film (Rochester, New York) in 2007. The Lincoln portrait is displayed in a custom-built presentation case which, upon opening, backlights the glass photograph so viewers can see an exquisite level of detail not found in comparable print photography.

Lot 65, Abraham Lincoln Hesler/Ayres Interpositive

Lot 69 is a 1p autograph letter signed by Lincoln on November 3, 1859, addressed to Peachy Quinn Harrison, a young area man whom Lincoln had defended just four months earlier in what was Lincoln’s one and only murder trial. Lincoln letters proffering advice – in particular homespun wisdom – are especially prized among collectors, and this ALS urges Peachy to exercise his political rights by supporting a Republican candidate named John M. Palmer. Palmer had been Lincoln’s opposing counsel in Peachy’s murder case, but that did not dissuade Lincoln from acting on his behalf. The next year, Palmer returned the favor and supported Lincoln’s 1860 presidential bid.

Lot 66 is a check signed by Lincoln on June 13, 1859 paying a small sum to law partner William H. Herndon, which is possibly unique. Lincoln checks have been a profitable investment in recent years, with checks dated 1859, the year preceding Lincoln’s presidential nomination, being especially desirable. The same day that Lincoln paid his junior law partner, he bought a $2 brandy bottle from Diller’s Drug Store.

Lot 72 is an autograph album belonging to a Rochester, New York teenage girl named Ida Bowers, whose brother was a Civil War veteran. The album contains 74 important signatures including those of Abraham Lincoln as president, Andrew Johnson as president, and ten cabinet members of both administrations, including Seward, Welles, Fessenden, Usher, Dennison, Browning, McCulloch, and Spinner. The Lincoln and Johnson signatures come with Beckett LOAs.

Science

Lot 503 is a 3pp scientific manuscript in German handwritten by Albert Einstein, relating to his Unified Field Theory from the 1940s. The manuscript contains about 446 words in German and 17 lines of scientific calculations in Einstein’s hand, stating in part (translated): “… I want to try to show that a truly natural choice for field equations exists.” Einstein’s manuscript is extremely desirable, not only because it relates to one of Einstein’s greatest legacies, but also because he published almost nothing during this period.

Lot 503, Detail of Albert Einstein Scientific Manuscript

Lot 494 is a 2pp autograph letter signed by Charles Babbage, dated December 1, 1832, discussing the location of a political meeting. In addition to being one of the leading lights of Britain’s 19th C. scientific movement, Babbage was also a twice-failed Liberal or Whig candidate for the House of Commons. The letter underscores how different history would have been had Babbage won the Finsbury seat instead of focusing on his teaching, theorizing, and inventing!

Lot 495 is a 2pp autograph letter signed by Charles Darwin, dated ca. April 14, 1863, addressed to British botanist Daniel Oliver. In this remarkable letter, Darwin speaks excitedly about Primula flowers, a species whose unusual sexual reproduction processes caught Darwin’s interest. Darwin would later write about Primula in articles and in his 1877 book Different Forms of Flowers.

International & World Leaders

Lot 418 is a 1p autograph letter in Hebrew signed by David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948, an amazing crossroads in world history, just one day after signing the Israeli Declaration of Independence, and two days before being elected to serve as the first Prime Minister of Israel. Ben-Gurion’s participation in the momentous events of the founding of a new nation-state inspired these comments to childhood friend Shlomo Lavi, (translated): “When we first arrived here in Palestine, you as Levkovich and I as Grün … we discovered malaria, swamps, and an Ottoman regime rife with corruption. But now … our heart is joyful at the sight of such great progress. The Jewish people have attained the epitome, the very essence of their existence; the State of Israel is born.”

Lot 464 is a 1p autograph letter signed in the third person by Adam Smith, dated December 21, 1786, when the Scottish economist was hard at work on the fifth volume of his influential treatise, The Wealth of Nations. Smith letters are extremely rare, explaining their recent commanding prices at auction. There are fewer than 200 Adam Smith letters extant, some known only through published sources, and many others only in institutions.

Lot 464, Adam Smith 3rd Person Autograph Letter Signed

Literature

Lot 463 is an 8pp autograph manuscript signed by Ayn Rand, ca. mid-June 1962. The manuscript was Rand’s second-ever submission to her weekly Los Angeles Times Sunday column and was published on June 24, 1962. This draft of Rand’s article entitled “War and Peace” exceeds 898 words and contains numerous contemporaneous edits, cross-outs, and rewrites. In it, Rand introduces the term “statism” to speak at length about different types of big government: socialism, communism, fascism, Nazism, and the “welfare state.” She defines what she sees as good and bad government, and, using examples from the past, mostly in Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, illustrates the sinister ways that dictatorships operate.

Entertainment

Lot 350 is Marilyn Monroe’s personally owned and heavily annotated film script of Something’s Got To Give, her last film role. Monroe was to portray Ellen Arden, a woman presumed to have died at sea, who returns to find her husband with another woman. Of the 115 mimeographed script pages, Monroe has annotated 41pp, and heavily annotated 12 of these with her thoughts regarding lines, character and motivations, and blocking. Twentieth Century-Fox scrapped the film after Monroe’s death in August 1962.

Lot 350, Marilyn Monroe Annotated Film Script

Art

Lot 179 is a 1p autograph letter in French signed by Paul Gauguin, n.d. but probably during his days as a Paris art student, as he used the street address of his art school, the Académie Colarossi, as his return address. Less conservative than state-sanctioned art schools, the Académie Colarossi accepted female students and teachers, and welcomed many famous international pupils, like Alberto Giacometti, Alphonse Mucha, and Amedeo Modigliani.

These are just a few of the exceptional items in our April sale.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives is thrilled to announce its next 545+ lot sale! Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Books & Memorabilia is a carefully curated selection of outstanding historical items representing the best of U.S. Presidents, Science, Aviation/Space, World Leaders, Civil Rights, Literature, Art, Sports, and so much more. The majority of the lots in this blockbuster sale are unreserved, providing collectors with an exceptional buying opportunity. Scroll through our beautifully illustrated catalog to bookmark your favorite lots!

U.S. Presidents

Lot 74 is a blank ship’s passport boldly signed by President Abraham Lincoln and co-signed by Secretary of State William H. Seward. Both the attractive signatures and the near fine state of the passport blank would make it a great addition to any presidential collection.

Lot 74, Abraham Lincoln Signed Ship’s Papers

Lot 54 is an autograph letter signed by ex-President Thomas Jefferson, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10. In this letter written at Monticello on October 17, 1816, Jefferson thanks Henry A.S. Dearborn for sending him an English translation of a scientific work by French agronomist Charles Philibert de Lasteyrie. Originally published in 1811, A Treatise on the Culture, Preparation, History and Analysis of Pastel, or Woad examined the various applications of the Isatis tinctoria plant, traditionally used to produce blue dye.

Lot 155 is a document signed by George Washington in Alexandria, Virginia on August 5, 1786 in his capacity as President of the Potomac Company, a concern which expanded the navigability of the Potomac River basin through the construction of canals. Washington signed this receipt for eight barrels of pork costing £32. In provenance provided with the lot, a copy of Washington’s diary reveals that later that night he met with Potomac Company directors and dined at his favorite ordinary, Wises Tavern.

21 lots of the sale [all found in the U.S. Presidents section (Lots 1-169)], are from the Skip Hensel Presidential Collection, an incredible group amassed by the late Harold “Skip” Hensel (1940 – 2024). A presidential historian and a lifelong autograph collector, Hensel was also an important member of the United Autograph Collectors Club, the first club devoted to autograph collectors; the Manuscript Society; and philatelic organizations. The Hensel collection includes White House engravings signed by presidents ranging from Chester Arthur to Bill Clinton, with two additional First Ladies’ signatures for good measure. The marquee item of the 21-lot collection is Lot 164, a White House engraving signed by six presidents: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. This is truly one of the finest collections of its kind ever assembled, and it would be impossible to duplicate. All of the 21 items in the collection are certified by a third party, with the majority being PSA/DNA slabbed and graded between NM-MT 8 and GEM MT 10. We suggest that you pre-qualify as a bidder if you intend to compete for this marvelous collection!

Skip Hensel Presidential Collection

Lot 509 is a lot of Albert Einstein photographs and ephemera, the highlight being Einstein’s “Postage Stamp” portrait after Hermann Landshoff, signed by Einstein and dated 1947, and PSA/DNA slabbed and graded NM 7. The 15-cent U.S. stamp based on Landshoff’s portrait of Einstein was issued in 1979 on the 100th anniversary of the physicist’s birthday. Rounding out the lot is a charming assortment of unpublished family photographs of Einstein and his two constant companions, stepdaughter Margot Löwenthal, and devoted private secretary Helen Dukas.

Aviation/Space

Lot 216 is a vintage French postcard signed by intrepid inventor Wilbur Wright on December 8, 1908, just three weeks before he won the Michelin Cup for breaking distance and duration flight records. The postcard, partly entitled “The Conquest of the Air,” shows the 1907 Wright Flyer next to a launching derrick at Camp d’Auvours, near Le Mans in northwestern France, where Wright completed a series of flying demonstrations in 1908 to entice investors. Wilbur Wright autographs are much rarer than Orville Wright autographs, making them very desirable.

Lot 205 is a vintage color photograph of all the Mercury 7 astronauts in silver space suits and helmets, signed on the mat by: M. Scott Carpenter; L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.; John H. Glenn, Jr.; Virgil I. Grissom; Walter M. Schirra, Jr.; Alan B. Shepard, Jr.; and Donald K. Slayton. Accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from Zarelli Space Authentication.

Lot 205, Mercury 7 Astronauts SP With Zarelli LOA

World Leaders

Lot 426 is a 1p typed letter signed by Winston Churchill in February 1957, addressed to event organizers for the English-Speaking Union, an international educational charity established in 1918. Churchill regretfully declined an invitation to attend George Washington’s Birthday Ball, sending his best wishes for its success, as well as for the ongoing close collaboration between the United States and the United Kingdom. Churchill was uniquely situated to foster good will between the two nations as he was half-American, half-British.

Art

Lot 184 is an exquisite high-quality photographic print of one of Pierre-August Renoir’s original works of art, Jeune Fille Au Chapeau Jaune [Young Girl in a Yellow Hat], boldly signed by the artist in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, ca. January 10, 1911. Renoir’s signature is certified by the mayor’s signature as well as the mayoral seal.

Lot 187 is a Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup can (with its original contents!), signed twice by Andy Warhol, ca. 1987. Warhol had popularized the ubiquitous soup brand in his artwork to criticize mass consumerism in modern art.

Lot 187, Andy Warhol Twice-Signed Campbell’s Soup Can

Sports

Lot 547 is an extraordinary collection of 34 vintage photos including many Burkes, all handsomely matted and framed, signed by some of the most famous professional baseball players of the 20th C., including James “Cool Papa” Bell; Jerome “Dizzy” Dean; Bob Lemon; Walter “Buck” Leonard; Al Lopez; Mickey Owen; Harold “Pee Wee” Reese; Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto; Enos “Country” Slaughter, and many others.

These are just some of the superb lots in our next auction.

We hope you can join us!

University Archives is ushering in the New Year with a new sale: Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Books & Memorabilia. Over 450 lots of outstanding historical materials will pass the auction block, representing the best of U.S. Presidents, Aviation/Space, Art, Music, Science, Sports, and so much more!

U.S. Presidents

Lot 51 is an autograph letter signed by Thomas Jefferson as President, dated October 14, 1801, appointing Connecticut congressman Gideon Granger as Postmaster General. Granger would serve in this role through the Madison administration, making him the longest-serving Postmaster General to date.

Lot 50 is an exquisite miniature of Thomas Jefferson strongly attributed to Robert Field, paired with an intricate hairwork jewelry locket. On one side is a superbly rendered watercolor portrait of Jefferson, and on the other a braided design of two-toned white and auburn hair.

Lot 50, Thomas Jefferson Miniature with Hair

Lot 81 is an Abraham Lincoln signed check from Springfield, Illinois dated September 28, 1857. Lincoln paid about $14 to Reuben F. Ruth, a local saddle and harness maker, from accounts he had held at the Springfield Marine & Fire Insurance Company since 1853. The same day, Lincoln also paid a furniture dealer, several newspaper publishers, and an antislavery settler.

Lot 129 is a franking signature by George Washington, PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic. The cover dated January 5, 1780 was written in Morris Town, New Jersey and addressed to Colonel Stephen Moylan of Colchester, Connecticut, the leader of “Moylan’s Horse,” or the 4th Continental Light Dragoons. Later that year, Moylan’s cavalry was involved in major Revolutionary War engagements at Springfield and Bull’s Ferry.

Art & Music

Lot 273 is Bob Dylan’s lyrics to the 1963 anthem “Blowing In the Wind” handwritten and signed by him at New York’s St. Regis Hotel in 2011. The song features prominently in the just-released Oscar buzzworthy biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet as the 21-year-old folk singer. Accompanied by a COA from Jeff Rosen, Dylan’s manager.

Lot 138 is an astounding collection of 70+ original metal (copper and steel) etching plates and woodblocks, 1887-1975, sourced by a New York art dealer. The group represents 30+ international Modern artists of the highest caliber, including: Pablo Picasso (3), Salvador Dali (5), Marc Chagall (1), Georges Braque (3), Alberto Giacometti (1), Georges Rouault (9), Marcel Duchamp (2), Jean Cocteau (2), Pierre Bonnard (2), Marie Laurencin (7), Leonard Baskin (2), Wilfredo Lam (1), André Derain (3), Raphael Soyer (6), Joseph Stella (4), and many others. Some of the plates and blocks were directly artist-signed, being examples of the artists’ original signatures. The consignor is offering custom matting and framing of select companion prints.

Lot 138, NY Art Dealer Collection of Original Plates & Blocks

Lot 358 is a ca. 1889 wrought-iron architectural artifact salvaged from Paris’s most beloved architectural landmark, the Eiffel Tower. Stairway Section #6, comprised of twelve steps, originally connected the third floor to the tower and was dismantled in 1983 when elevators were installed. The fragment is impressive in size, measuring approximately 13.5 feet x 6.5 feet, and is housed in a special cradle and trailer. Provenance information from 1983-2005 is provided.

Science

Lot 407 is an original plane geometry drawing by Albert Einstein, accompanied by three lines of explanation in his hand, and signed by him as “A.E.” This wonderful item dated ca. May 12, 1952 was Einstein’s attempt to help a 15-year-old high school student named Johanna Mankiewicz from Los Angeles, California who had contacted him regarding an especially baffling external tangent geometry problem. Einstein was frequently contacted either in person or by mail by students of all ages imploring for help with their math homework; here, Einstein coyly offers the steps to the solution but not the answer.

Lot 407, Detail of Albert Einstein Signed Original Drawing

Early America

Lot 246 is an autograph endorsement signed by Benjamin Franklin in his role as 6th President of Pennsylvania, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded NM-MT 8. In this communication dated March 2, 1787, Franklin gave directions to the Commissioners of Bankrupt, a judicial entity formed to resolve legal proceedings related to insolvency. Three months later, from May-September 1787, Franklin served as a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

Military

Lot 321 is a PSA/DNA slabbed and certified Type 1 photograph by Robert Sargent, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Photographer’s Mate, who snapped one of the most chilling photographs of World War II. Sargent’s black and white photograph, here entitled “Taxis to Hell – and back – Into the Jaws of Death,” shows members from Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Division, wading into the icy waters of Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Lot 321, Robert Argent’s D-Day Landing Type 1 Photograph

Lot 311 is a Civil War-dated archive of 300+ handwritten letters exchanged between David Masten of Company E, New York 143rd Infantry, and his wife Ella Masten. Masten was also a musician and later served in the ambulance corps; his recollections of the Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign, the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign make for riveting reading.

Business

Lot 201 is a March 13, 1962 Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company stock certificate signed by Warren Buffett, the third-richest man in the world. There are only eight known examples of similar Buffett signed stock certificates, including one in a museum!

These are just a few of the wonderful items in our next auction. Please see our fully illustrated catalog for more information. We hope you can join us!

University Archives is thrilled to present its last auction of 2024, and perhaps its most impressive sale to date: Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books – Just In Time For The Holidays!  The auction on December 11, 2024 is a great shopping opportunity.  Need holiday gift ideas?  Give your friends and loved ones unique historical gifts this holiday season!  From U.S. Presidents, Early America, and World Leaders, to Art, Music and Literature, from Aviation/Space, Sports and Science, to Militaria, Civil Rights, and Entertainment, our December sale has you covered.  If we receive prompt payment, we will make every effort to ship items before Christmas and Hanukkah.

Many of the marquee items from our December 11, 2024 sale come from an exceptionally large and robust array of U.S. Presidential memorabilia. Military commissions, circulars, ship’s passports, land grants, documents, autograph letters, and typed letters from Washington to Biden – many of them signed as President – will be offered.

U.S. Presidents

Lot 52 is an outstanding ship’s passport signed by the shortest-serving U.S. President, William Henry Harrison, sometime during his month-long presidency. Signed by President Harrison in advance as a blank, it was used by customs officials on April 30, 1841, nearly a full month after Harrison’s death from pneumonia on April 4, 1841, for a New Bedford whaling ship called Agate that foundered off the Cape Verde Islands in a severe storm two years later.

Lot 61 is a circular signed by President Thomas Jefferson dated December 13, 1803 and addressed to an unidentified state governor. It announced the passage of the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, an important measure establishing clearer guidelines for electing a President and Vice President. The amendment was in response to the Election Crisis of 1801, in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr both received the same number of ballots for President, causing a temporary deadlock.

Lot 71 is a 12pp typed chapter from a young John F. Kennedy’s Harvard University senior thesis, with copious manuscript revisions. The chapter entitled “Influence of the Desire for Economy and General Disarmament Conference on British Armaments” was later published as part of Kennedy’s best-selling book Why England Slept. In this heavily edited chapter manuscript, Kennedy argued that the pacifistic mood of the British Parliament, press, and public in 1933 enabled the continuation of Nazi militarization.

Lot 71, John F. Kennedy Hand-Corrected Manuscript

Lot 84 is a draft call signed by President Abraham Lincoln on July 24, 1863 requesting the first part of a conscription quota, a levy of 2,406 troops from the 18th District of Pennsylvania. The draft call was one of the first signed by Lincoln and came just a week after the New York Draft Riots. The Union’s need for additional soldiers was pressing following the Battle of Gettysburg three weeks earlier.

Lot 146 is a 2pp letter signed by President George Washington on October 3, 1789. The circular addressed to Governor of Connecticut Samuel Huntington itemized key pieces of legislation that had been enacted by the 1st session of the 1st U.S. Congress, recently convened from March 4 to September 29, 1789. During this extremely productive session, the U.S. Congress outlined the Judiciary Act, appropriated money for the federal budget, and authorized the federal use of state militias.

Besides U.S. Presidents, our December sale is also strong in Early America, World Leaders, Literature, Aviation/Space, Science, Sports, and Notorious.

Science

Lot 466 is a photograph of Albert Einstein wearing his beloved scruffy leather jacket, probably taken by Lotte Jacobi, and signed by him as “A. Einstein, 1947.” The portrait is shockingly modern in its sensibility, with Einstein staring boldly at the viewer. Einstein presented the signed photograph to Derek J. de Solla Price, the British physicist and historian of science.

Lot 466, Albert Einstein SP

Aviation/Space

Lot 207 is a 7pp autograph letter signed by aviator Charles A. Lindbergh dated March 11, 1937 and addressed to William E. Dodd, U.S. Ambassador to Nazi Germany. In the letter, Lindbergh expresses concerns about the state of European affairs but notes the difficulty of harnessing peace movements. During World War II, Lindbergh’s pro-Nazi stance made him a controversial figure.

Sports

Lot 508 is a rare Star baseball by Spaulding signed on the sweet spot by Yankees slugger Babe Ruth on June 5, 1927, the day he swung two hits and a home run in a game against the Detroit Tigers. Ruth dedicated the signed baseball to vaudeville actress Maud Ryan, a fellow entertainer; earlier in 1927, Ruth was supplementing his income and increasing his celebrity by starring as a vaudeville performer and silent film star. With PSA/DNA LOA.

Early America

Lot 274 is a 4pp autograph letter signed by “Mad Anthony” Wayne dated July 19, 1780 and addressed to Commander-in-Chief George Washington. In it, Wayne outlines his military strategy for clearing out a nest of British and Loyalist supporters in New Jersey, which includes seizing a block house and confiscating much-needed livestock. Washington sent Wayne the troops and cannons he requested, and two days later the Patriots were repelled at the Battle of Bull’s Ferry with three times the number of enemy casualties.

Lot 274, “Mad Anthony” Wayne ALS

World Leaders

Lot 387 is a 3pp autograph letter in Spanish drafted by Fidel Castro on May 27, 1960. In the letter addressed to Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, Castro thanked him for supporting “the revolution” and also for securing the Cuba-Soviet Alliance signed three weeks earlier, on May 8, 1960. Castro’s letter draft underscores how Cuba identified ideologically with the Soviet Union during a period of rapidly deteriorating relations with the United States.

Literature

Lot 432 is an 11pp autograph manuscript signed by Ayn Rand, being the draft of an upcoming editorial. The handwritten manuscript contains abundant corrections and edits in Rand’s hand, and reads in part: “The United States, at present, is a country without political ideology, without any intellectual movement, without direction or goal.” Rand’s manuscript was later published in the “Ayn Rand Column” under the title “Post-Mortem, 1962” in the November 18, 1962 edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Notorious

Lot 218 is a 2pp autograph letter signed by John Dillinger, written from the Allen County Jail in Lima, Ohio on October 1, 1933, just a few days after he was arrested for armed robbery. In the letter addressed to his girlfriend, Mary Longnaker (the sister of his former cellmate), Dillinger told her to live her life, in part: “Darling I won’t write you any more, I want you to forget me for ten years or more is to[o] long for any girl to wait.” Dillinger was busted out of his prison cell a few days later but was shot dead within the year.

These are just a few of the sensational items in our next auction. Please see our fully illustrated catalog for more information. We hope you can join us!

Visit our website, www.universityarchives.com, for more information, or check out our sale catalog here.

University Archives is thrilled to announce its upcoming sale, Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books, an auction of over 485 lots, on October 30, 2024. One of the marquee items is Lot 89, a highly unique and once-in-a-lifetime set of presidential signatures from George Washington to Barack Obama, all signed as President, from 1789 to 2010. This museum-quality collection comes from a Dallas, Texas gentleman and joins a great volume of exception presidential autographed material from other consignors. A timely assortment up for auction just a few weeks ahead of the 2024 United States presidential election! Outstanding items of historical interest from the Science, World Leaders, Civil Rights, Religion, Art & Music, Aviation & Space, History & Military, and Sports categories will also pass the auction block.

Lot 89, Presidential Collection

U.S. Presidential

Lot 89 is a complete set of presidential signatures from Washington to Obama, consisting of autograph letters signed, typed letters signed, and signed letters, together with a variety of signed documents, all signed as President. There are very few complete sets of Presidential autographs signed as President, mainly due to the scarcity of William Henry Harrison pieces, as he served just one month in office. Many of these sets reside in institutions and will never be offered to the public. It is likely that fewer than a dozen such sets likely exist in private hands, this one being one of the very best. In this way, a set of Presidential autographs signed as President is thus scarcer than a set of autographs from the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The original set was curated by a collector whose passion for history and preservation also inspired him to assemble an equally phenomenal Signers set. We suggest that you pre-qualify as a bidder if you intend to compete for this marvelous collection.

Lot 20 is a scarce 1p autograph letter signed by James A. Garfield as President, dated June 15, 1881, just two weeks before he was shot by Charles Guiteau. In the letter, Garfield gives directions to a hotel-owner in the “summer colony” of Long Branch, New Jersey, where First Lady Lucretia Garfield was recuperating from a bout of malaria. After the shooting, the fatally wounded Garfield spent several painful months in Washington before eventually venturing to Long Branch himself, to benefit from the sea air. He died there at Franklyn Cottage in September 1881.

Lot 121 is an autograph document signed in full by George Washington as “Mr George Washington.” The document dated ca. 1773 pertained to a 1751 land survey of 445 acres that Washington had completed over 20 years earlier for one Richard Seymour on behalf of Washington’s older half-brother Lawrence Washington. Washington’s endorsement certified that he waived all claims to the original land ownership through either his half-brother or younger full brother Charles Washington.

Lot 110 is an 8pp advance press copy of a printed speech draft signed by President Harry S. Truman, ca. October 30, 1945. In this important postwar speech, Truman laid out his administration’s position on “reconversion” – the transition from a wartime economy to a peacetime one. Japan’s surrender and war’s end meant that the U.S. economy now faced a painful process jockeyed by both Labor and Industry interests. Truman urged the American people to harness the spirit of collaboration formed during World War II to meet the day’s challenges.

Lot 58 is a military commission signed by President Abraham Lincoln promoting a Connecticut native named Orson H. Hart to the rank of Captain and Assistant Adjutant General of Volunteers in Daniel Sickles’s newly mustered “Excelsior Brigade” of primarily New York-based volunteers.

Science

The October sale features autographed letters, photographs, and sketches related to Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Carl Jung, Guglielmo Marconi, Samuel F.B. Morse, Vinton Cerf, and Robert Goddard. Lot 447 is a 3pp autograph letter in German signed by Albert Einstein in which the scientist explores both his Unified Field Theory and General Relativity. This exceptionally long scientific letter addressed to Einstein’s friend and fellow physicist Cornelius Lanczos includes a total of twelve equations in Einstein’s hand. It also features unexpectedly comedic content, as when Einstein refers to Freud, another of the greats of twentieth-century science, as an “old man” whose “‘father complex’ … can so easily take hold … [in] an alarmingly unstable situation…”

Lot 447, Albert Einstein ALS

World Leaders

Winston Churchill, Louis XIII, Josef Stalin, Mohandas Gandhi, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevara are just a few of the World Leaders represented in our upcoming sale. Lot 392 is a 1p autograph letter in Gujarati twice signed by Mohandas Gandhi in what is the earliest example of an ALS we’ve ever seen. Gandhi wrote his older brother Laxmidas from South Africa on January 22, 1889 inquiring about mutual acquaintances. Gandhi signs the letter formally at the conclusion as “Mohandas Karamchand Pranam” and also signs it as “Gandhi” when writing out part of his brother’s name.

Lot 403 is a 1p manuscript document in Russian boldly signed by Josef Stalin, then a member of the Revolutionary Committee, dated September 9, [1920], and pertaining to military preparedness during the ongoing Polish-Soviet War. Stalin discusses artillery and troop movements in the days leading up to the decisive Battle of Neman River, which the Soviets lost to the Poles after a 10-day battle, marking the onset of the end of the war. Just one year later, Stalin reaffirmed his reputation as a skillful military advisor when he orchestrated the Soviet invasion of Georgia. This was one of the first steps towards consolidating Stalin’s power until he became the era’s top Soviet official. 

Art & Music

Lot 134 is an autograph letter in French signed by Pablo Picasso, PSA/DNA graded GEM MT 10, on the reverse of a postcard depicting “Paix” [“Peace”], a reproduction of the original color lithograph that Picasso produced for a peace conference held in Stockholm, Sweden in July 1958. Picasso mentions his second wife Jacqueline as well as his children in this June 20, 1960 letter to his patron and art collector Max Pellequer.

Lot 294 is a contract signed by both John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon, dated September 11, 1975, relating to their production company, Bag Productions, which the couple had established in the late 1960s and which later produced the 1971 solo album “Imagine.” The contract outlines terms of ownership of a large quantity of signed and unsigned lithographs, album covers, and colophon pages.

History & Military

Lot 205 is a massive archive of 18 autograph letters signed by Hawaiian missionaries, ca. 1846-1849, comprising 56pp. The correspondence written by members of the 8th Company of Missionaries of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions includes vivid descriptions of a surfboard and surfing, complete with pen sketches; volcanic eruptions and coastal topography; interactions between Whites and indigenous Hawaiians; and other topics of religious and human interest. The majority of the letters were penned by Dr. Seth Lathrop Andrews, a medical missionary from Putney, Vermont headquartered in Kailua, Hawaii.

Lot 205, Hawaiian Missionaries Archive

Lot 332 is a Civil War-dated 1p autograph letter signed by Brigadier General George Custer on April 6, 1864. Custer congratulated Captain R.R. Moffatt for his new “saber shield” design for cavalry weapons, stating: “I am firm in the belief that the possession of it by our cavalry would give confidence and increases courage to those wearing it.” Of course, nothing better represents Custer than his bravado on the battlefield; he firmly believed that a fringed saber sash or innovative military equipment could bolster a warrior’s confidence.

These are just a few of the wonderful items in our next auction. Please see our fully illustrated catalog for more information. We hope you can join us!

Lot 62, Abraham Lincoln PSA GEM MT 10 CDV Signed 3 Weeks Before His Death

Estimates: $100,000 – $150,000

Sold for $125,000 including the buyer’s premium