University Archives held its latest sale, Rare Autographs, Books & Space Memorabilia, on June 4, 2025. The online-only auction attracted over 8,000 approved bidders who presented almost 3,000 bids for 524 lots of outstanding historical material. In-house absentee bids, phone bids, and bids from multiple internet bidding platforms were executed over the course of the 7-hour-long sale. We speculate that our large Space category (108 lots) and finely curated Literature category (41 lots) increased international interest, especially from Europe. While Americans dominated bidding, collectors from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Italy, Hong Kong, Slovakia, and Austria, among other nations, also participated. The June sale was yet another million-dollar sale, and our third in 2025. We achieved $1,168,141 in total proceeds.
Sale highlights came from the following categories: U.S. Presidents, Space, Science, Art, and Entertainment.
U.S. Presidents
Lot 17 was an elegant blue and white moon flask teapot with a striking openwork center, 10” tall, once presented to President Gerald R. Ford from Chinese dignitaries, probably during Ford’s December 1975 state visit. The exchange of gifts like this went a long way to thawing Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China. From the Collection of President Gerald R. Ford via his son Jack Ford. The teapot sold for almost 2.5 times its high estimate, or $2,750 including the buyer’s premium.
Lot 17, Chinese Teapot Gifted to President Gerald R. Ford
Lot 33 was a free franked cover penned by Thomas Jefferson as President, postmarked from Washington, D.C. on June 12, [1807]. The letter once contained therein, dated June 11, 1807, was written to a Danville, Kentucky man named John Norvell who had asked President Jefferson to recommend reading materials to expand his own “sound political knowledge.” President Jefferson advised Norvell to seek out certain books and essays but by no means to rely on the contemporary press. The cover signed “free Th: Jefferson Pr. US” sold for over its high estimate, or for $7,500 including the tip.
Lot 46 was a Civil War-dated diplomatic appointment signed by President Abraham Lincoln with a full signature and co-signed by Secretary of State William H. Seward. The document appointed an Ohio state politician named James Monroe to the position of U.S. Consul at Rio de Janeiro, a role he would fulfill until the Johnson administration. The Lincoln signed appointment sold for $11,250 including the buyer’s premium.
Space
Lot 190 was a large fragment of Kapton Mylar foil from the Command Module Columbia recovered after the Apollo 11 space mission, ca. 1969. At 6.25” x 8” and of an unusual forked shape, the foil makes for dramatic display. It comes with provenance from NASA employee Bill Whipkey in 1970, and with a Certificate of Authenticity from space expert Sandy Clarkson of The Right Stuff Space, Inc. The space-flown relic sold for nearly 4 times its high estimate, or $9,375 including the buyer’s premium. That’s $187 per square inch!
Lot 202 was a NASA red number color photograph showing Commander Neil Armstrong on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The very rare photograph – the only view taken of Armstrong on the lunar surface – sold for $13,750 including the buyer’s premium, or 11 times its high estimate!
Lot 202, NASA Red Number Photograph of Neil Armstrong
Science
Lot 487 was a Thomas A. Edison, Inc. manufactured self-winding stock ticker, Model 32-A, n.d. but probably dating ca. 1915-1929, engraved on the base as “M’F’D By / T.A. Edison Inc. / 9370.” The brass workings and cast-iron cylindrical base of the device measure approximately 7.5” in diameter and 11” high. Although this was one technology that Edison did not invent, his automation of the existing device enabled synchronization of stock prices across the booming American stock exchange. The machine sold for 150% over its high estimate, exchanging hands for $8,320 including the buyer’s premium.
Lot 494 was a limited-edition copy of Albert Einstein: Philosopher Scientist (Evanston: The Library of Living Philosophers, Inc., 1949) signed and dated by its subject as “Albert Einstein 49” on the limitation page. The well-known historian of science Abraham Pais considered this volume – which included a 100pp chapter by Einstein as well as 25 essays on Einstein by fellow scientists – as the “closest Einstein ever came to writing an autobiography.” Einstein joked that these reflections reminded him of a funeral oration. The Einstein signed book sold for its high estimate, achieving $10,000 including the tip.
Art
Lot 121 was a Walt Disney signed presentation dye transfer print of Mickey Mouse produced for Mickey’s 25th birthday in 1953. The dye transfer print consists of three vibrantly colored layers (yellow, magenta, and cyan) applied sequentially to one emulsion layer for an eye-popping almost three-dimensional effect. The Disney signed print sold for almost twice its high estimate, or $9,375 including the buyer’s premium.
Lot 121, Walt Disney Signed Mickey Mouse Dye Transfer Print
Lot 128 was an autograph letter in French signed by Pablo Picasso, dated July 20, 1961, and addressed to Max Pellequer, Picasso’s close friend and financial advisor. The rare letter in Picasso’s hand was PSA/DNA slabbed and graded GEM MT 10 and exceeded the high estimate, garnering $6,875 including the buyer’s premium.
Lot 137 was a pair of items relating to the Statue of Liberty. These included a 4” x 1” copper segment from the Statue of Liberty, engraved (translated) as: “Copper fragment from the colossal Statue of Liberty executed by A. Bartholdi, 1875-1883, remembrance from a visit to the worksite.” This represents probably one of the only authentic Statue of Liberty relics ever offered in the United States, and the first of its kind for University Archives. The copper piece was artfully displayed next to a lovely postcard of the Statue of Liberty signed and inscribed by its creator, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. The Statue of Liberty display sold for $10,625 including the buyer’s premium, which was over its high estimate.
Lot 140 was a copy of The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975) boldly signed on the half-title page by Warhol, who also added a hand-drawn sketch of a Campbell’s Onion Soup can. The Warhol signed book with original drawing sold for well over 3 times its high estimate, or $5,120 including the tip.
Entertainment
Lot 340 was a fetching beaded glass necklace, 24” in length, once personally owned and worn by Marilyn Monroe, from the October 1999 Christie’s sale auctioning off the Hollywood actress’s personal property. The beads have faceted surfaces which reflect light and color, and the necklace comes with the original auction tag. The Monroe owned necklace sold for over 150% of its high estimate, or $20,480 including the buyer’s premium.
Lot 340, Marilyn Monroe Personally Owned & Worn Necklace
These are just a few of the superb auction items from our June sale.
Our next sale is tentatively scheduled for July 16, 2025. We hope you can join us!
