University Archives is hosting its first sale of 2023 on February 1st. At over 450 lots, Rare Manuscripts, Books & Sports Memorabilia will offer many exceptional buying and collecting opportunities. Our February sale is especially strong in the U.S. Presidential, Early American, Science, and Sports collecting categories, with 25 lots of the sale relating to professional baseball, basketball, hockey, boxing, soccer, and even horse-racing! In addition, Aviation/Space, Entertainment, Literature, Art, and Music categories are abundantly represented. February’s assortment of historical documents, rare books, photographs, relics, ephemera, exonumia, ceramics, apparel, and sports memorabilia should start the year off with a bang!
U.S. Presidential & Early American
Presidential collectors will see a variety of historical material relating to U.S. Presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden. Thomas Paine, John Hancock, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Declaration of Independence Signers, and the Revolutionary War dominate our Early American category.
George Washington signed a document as “G: Washington,” authorizing the discharge of one Corporal Robert Pappe from a Horse Troop on December 10, 1783. In recognition of “his Attention and Fidelity” to Washington during the latter’s last few months as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Pappe was awarded his military-issued “Horse, Arms and Accoutrements.” Less than two weeks later, Washington resigned his military commission at Annapolis, Maryland.
Patriot pamphleteer Thomas Paine wrote an autograph letter signed to a Quaker friend in London on July 12, 1806, confirming reports that he had narrowly missed injury or death on Christmas night 1805, when an assailant opened fire at Paine’s home in New Rochelle, New York. The motive behind the attack was most likely linked to Paine’s very public criticism of Christianity and his philosophical views in general. Ex-Charles E. Sigety.
A 3pp autograph letter signed by John Hancock on March 11, 1777 conveyed the latest news from Philadelphia, where the Continental Congress was to convene, to his wife Dolly in Baltimore. In it, Hancock mentions but discounts rumors that, “… General Howe is bent on coming here, [with] another report … that the Mercht’s at New York are packing their goods & putting them on board ships & that the troops are going away, neither of which do I believe…”
Science
Science, technology, and industry continue to fascinate collectors in 2023. Our February sale features material either autographed or personally owned by Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Stephen Hawking, Carl Jung, and others.
Einstein signed a cryptic dedicatory inscription, “Two years after the Fall of the German Goyim. / Kindly granted / Albert Einstein / 1935” on the flyleaf of a first edition copy of his German language book Mein Weltbild, or The World As I See It. Einstein’s biblical allusion to a “fall” referred to Hitler’s rise in Nazy Germany in 1933.
A second printing hardcover copy of Martin Caidin, The Astronauts: The Story of Project Mercury, America’s Man In Space Program (1960) is boldly signed by all seven Mercury Space Program participants, Malcolm S. Carpenter, Leroy G. Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil “Gus” I. Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald “Deke” K. Slayton.
Thomas A. Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey S. Firestone, three important figures from early twentieth century history as well as close personal friends, each signed a privately printed copy of their travel journal, “In Nature’s Laboratory,” documenting a 2-week-long road trip from Orange, New Jersey to southern Canada undertaken during the summer of 1916. The journal features 44 original photographs showing the celebrity friends resting, eating, and conversing.
Sports
University Archives is excited to offer a significant subsection of sports collectibles in its February sale. Jordan, James, Jackson, Gretsky, Pelé, Ali, Gehrig, Robinson, and Griffey, Jr. are just a few of the headlining names you will see in this collection of game-worn jerseys, signed balls, programs, and photos.
A Michael Jordan home game-worn “Chicago Bulls” jersey, emblazoned with Jordan’s iconic player number “23” in scarlet, is graded A5 and comes with a MEARS Letter of Authenticity stating that the uniform shows “evident use…consistent with player and position.” The 1996-1997 season was one of the G.O.A.T.’s most outstanding seasons in terms of points, assists, steals, and rebounds.
Legendary New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig penned an undated handwritten thank-you note to one “Mr. Lichtenwalter,” expressing his gratitude for “wonderful” grapes shipped to his mother. Autographed material by Gehrig is especially coveted because of his premature death.
A Wayne Gretsky All-Star exhibition game-worn purple, white, and black sweater signed and dedicated by the Canadian “Great One” to MLB relief pitcher Duane Ward on the player number “99” verso should interest collectors. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Ward.
We hope you can join us on February 1, 2023. Please view our lavishly illustrated and keyword-searchable catalog for further details!
