15 minute read
Presidents and First Ladies
CONTENTS
Presidents and First Ladies...................................................................................................................3 Notables ..............................................................................................................................................15 Military ................................................................................................................................................ 91 Aviation .............................................................................................................................................. 98 Space ............................................................................................................................................... 100 Art, Architecture, and Design........................................................................................................... 103 Comic Art and Animation ...................................................................................................................105 Literature ...........................................................................................................................................121 Music .................................................................................................................................................130 Classic Entertainment .......................................................................................................................155 Sports ................................................................................................................................................165 Conditions of Sale .............................................................................................................................168
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presidents and first ladies
Amidst the Revolution, Jefferson refers a rank dispute to “Col. Wood to have settled by a board of officers”
1. Thomas Jefferson Autograph Endorsement Signed. Revolutionary War–dated autograph endorsement signed, “In Council, Aug. 12, 1780. Referred to Col. Wood to have settled by a board of officers. Th: Jefferson,” handwritten on the reverse of an ALS written by Hugh McGavock from the Albemarle Barracks, August 5, 1780, regarding several other officers contending with him for rank, “that new officers…appointed that never had a commission before should take command of all others of the same rank.” Professionally inlaid to a slightly larger sheet and in very good to fine condition, with an area of repaired seal-related paper loss.
McGavock served as a recruiter and prison guard at the Albemarle barracks during the Revolution, and later enlisted in the Virginia State Line under Colonel Joseph Crockett. Owing to nepotism and disorderly paperwork, there were multiple instances in his military career where he encountered difficulties in obtaining the ranks and positions to which he was entitled. His own firsthand account of his wartime service can be found in the bounty-land records in the Library of Virginia. Starting Bid $500
A ‘lost’ Jefferson letter to a Philadelphia merchant, regarding an order for fine olive oil and marble slabs for renovations at Monticello
2. Thomas Jefferson Autograph Letter Signed. ALS
signed “Th: Jefferson,” one page, 7.25 x 8.75, November 12, 1795. Handwritten letter to Joseph Mussi, a merchant in Philadelphia, penned from Monticello. In part: “I had not for some time had the pleasure of writing to you, and particularly had not intended you should know that another effort of yours to supply me with oil had miscarried, because you had been sufficiently inquieted in your repeated endeavors to forward me that article. I am however obliged to you for still sending on a box, on Mr. Pollard’s information, and as you say it is the best Florence oil, if you forward another, it will not be an over-supply for without the formality of a draught, which I cannot inclose for want of knowledge of the sum.—I intended ere this to have troubled you with a commission for some marble slabs, but I have been so much slower than I expected in beginning the alterations of my house, that the demand for them could be postponed a while. Should peace in the meantime become general, they will come the safer. If you should hear how the tobaccos I furnished you are approved at the market you sent them to, I shall be obliged to you for the information. By this time I imagine you are beginning to shiver with the winter of Philadelphia.” Addressed on the integral leaf in Jefferson’s hand. In fine condition, with a professional repair to seal-related paper loss on the integral address leaf. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from noted bookseller Warren R. Howell, dated June 28, 1958.
Although four pieces of correspondence between Jefferson and Mussi are recorded in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, published by Princeton University Press, this letter was not found at the time of publication; it is recorded only in a footnote, based on Jefferson’s ‘Summary Journal of Letters’ sent and received (“TJ and Mussi exchanged 15 additional letters between 2 Feb. 1795 and 10 May 1800, none of which has been found”). This letter has resided in the same collector’s family since its sale in 1958, leading to its unpublished status. Starting Bid $1000
3. James Monroe Document Signed as President.
Partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 11 x 8.25, November 27, 1820. President Monroe grants “David Allen, late a Private in Voses Company of the fifth Regiment of Infantry, a certain Tract of Land, containing One Hundred and Sixty acres… in the Territory of Arkansas.” Boldly signed at the conclusion by President Monroe, and countersigned by Commissioner of the General Land Office Josiah Meigs. The white paper seal affixed to the lower left corner is partially intact, with the left edge trimmed. In very good to fine condition, with significantly trimmed edges (affecting part of Meigs’s signature), light soiling, and three binder dings to the top edge. Starting Bid $200
4. James Monroe Document Signed as
President. Partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 13.25 x 8.75, September 16, 1819. President Monroe grants a parcel of land at Cincinnati to Ebenezer Howe of Hamilton County. Neatly signed at the conclusion by President Monroe and lightly countersigned by Commissioner of the General Land Office Josiah Meigs. In very good to fine condition, with light soiling and edge toning, and the seal missing from the lower left. Starting Bid $200
6. John Quincy Adams Document Signed as
President. Partly-printed vellum DS as president, signed “J. Q. Adams,” one page, 15.5 x 9.5, April 15, 1825. President Adams grants Benjamin Angel of Wabash County, Indiana, a tract of land “in the District of Terre Haute & State of Indiana containing eighty acres.” Signed at the conclusion by President John Quincy Adams and countersigned by Commissioner of the General Land Office George Graham. The white paper seal affixed to the lower left remains intact. In fine condition, with a light, but legible, signature. Starting Bid $200
7. Andrew Jackson Document Signed as President.
Partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 15.75 x 10, January 7, 1831. President Jackson grants Joseph Henderson of Montgomery County, Indiana, a parcel of land “at Crawfordsville, Indiana, containing Eighty acres.” Prominently signed at the conclusion in ink by President Andrew Jackson and countersigned by Commissioner of the General Land Office Elijah Hayward. The white paper seal affixed to the lower left remains intact. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
9. James K. Polk Document Signed as President.
Partly-printed vellum DS as president, one page, 13.5 x 17.25, August 11, 1846. President Polk appoints Charles S. Lovell as “Captain, in the Sixth Regiment of Infantry, in the service of the United States.” Neatly signed at the conclusion by President James K. Polk and countersigned by Secretary of War William L. Marcy. The white paper seal affixed to the upper left remains intact. In fine condition, with central vertical and horizontal folds. Following this commission, Charles S. Lovell was sent to fight in the Mexican–American War, participating in the Battle of Churubusco, the Battle of Molino del Rey, the Battle of Chapultepec, and finally the Battle for Mexico City. He remained in the new territories until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he returned east and saw action at the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Fredericksburg. Starting Bid $200 10. Zachary Taylor Document Signed. Manuscript DS,
signed “Z. Taylor, Col. Comd’g,” one page, 7.75 x 12.5, April 1834. Military document, headed “Requisition for stone for Hospital at Fort Crawford, April 1834—Eight Hundred Pounds,” endorsed below by Taylor, ordering the assistant quartermaster to comply with the request. Matted and framed with a first day cover (bearing Taylor’s facsimile signature) to an overall size of 12.75 x 22. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
President Lincoln— along with fellow abolitionists and the ‘father of battlefield medicine’—endorses the promotion of a cavalry lieutenant in 1862
11. Abraham Lincoln Autograph Endorsement Signed
as President. Civil War–dated autograph endorsement as president, signed “A. Lincoln,” penned on the reverse of a letter written to him by members of the 38th Congress, one page, 7.75 x 9.75, May 7, 1862. The letter, recommending Simeon J. Davenport “for the Position of Second Lieutenant of the U.S. Cavalry,” is endorsed by Senators Zachariah Chandler and Jacob M. Howard, and Congressmen Bradley F. Granger, Francis W. Kellogg, Rowland E. Trowbridge, and Isaac N. Arnold; it boasts further handwritten endorsements by Colonel Benjamin Lloyd Beall and Assistant Surgeon Jonathan Letterman. On the reverse, President Lincoln writes: “Let this appointment be made if there be any vacancy not already committed to any other.” In fine condition, with professional fold reinforcements.
In addition to the obvious desirability of Lincoln’s clear, legible endorsement as president, the other important signers of this document add to its significance: Chandler was a supporter of the Underground Railroad, a vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery, and later Secretary of the Interior under Grant; Arnold introduced the first resolution in Congress proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery, and later wrote a biography of Lincoln; and Letterman is credited as the originator of modern methods of battlefield medical management. Starting Bid $1000
Scarce twice-signed Brady carte-de-visite of Lt. Gen. U. S. Grant, signed at his City Point headquarters in 1864
Image larger than actual size.
13. U. S. Grant Twice-Signed Photograph. Remarkable Civil War–
dated 2.25 x 4 carte-de-visite photo of Lt. Gen. Grant in uniform by Brady’s National Photographic Portrait Gallery, signed on the mount in ink, “U. S. Grant, Lt. Gen. U.S.A.,” and also signed on the reverse, “City Point, Va., Sept. 27th/64, U. S. Grant, Lt. Gen. U.S.A.” In very good to fine condition, with light scuffing, soiling, and an area of surface loss on the back.
In March 1864, President Lincoln elevated Grant to the rank of lieutenant general, and named him general-in-chief of the Armies of the United States. At the time of signing, Grant was at his headquarters in City Point, Virginia, engaged in the lengthy Siege of Petersburg. Within days, he would soon launch important offensives at New Market Heights and Peebles Farm. A distinctive portrait of the Civil War hero captured by the foremost photographer of the period, ideally signed and dated by the subject. Starting Bid $500
15. Franklin D. Roosevelt Signed Photograph. Choice
vintage matte-finish 9.25 x 13.25 photo of Roosevelt by Harris & Ewing, signed and inscribed in the lower border in fountain pen, “For Dorothy & Fred Storm, from their old friend Franklin D. Roosevelt.” In very fine condition. A handsome oversized portrait of Roosevelt, boldly inscribed to his old friends. Starting Bid $200
Legion of Merit awarded to a Red Army colonel for contributing “to the shattering of German defenses in the vicinity of Schwerin”
16. Harry S. Truman Document Signed as President. DS as
president, one page, 8 x 10.5, no date. President Truman awards the Legion of Merit to Lieutenant Colonel Michael Ulanovich Chernishev of the Red Army for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as Commander of Artillery, 38th Infantry Guards Division, from 29 April to 9 May 1945...His accomplishments contributed in great measure to the shattering of German defenses in the vicinity of Schwerin.” In fine condition. Accompanied by the Legion of Merit certificate, dated April 9, 1946, bearing autopen signatures of the secretary of war and the adjutant general. Starting Bid $200
17. Jacqueline Kennedy Signed
Photograph. Wonderful matte-finish 10 x 8 photo of the Kennedys posing on the South Portico balcony with the Washington Monument looming in the background, signed in the lower border in blue ballpoint by Jacqueline Kennedy. The JFK signature is in a secretarial hand. In fine condition, with a few small creases touching JFK’s face. Starting Bid $200
Jackie honors the memory of “Senator Robert Kennedy” by organizing welfare work in the South
page, 6.25 x 9.25, John F. Kennedy Coat of Arms letterhead, July 25, 1968. Letter to artist and needlepoint designer Leslie Tillett, in part: “Some people who used to be with Senator Robert Kennedy were talking about helping the poor Negro workers in the South—using their skills (for making quilts, etc.) so that they could market their wares and make some money. Perhaps some time this fall we could talk about this, with you, as I am certain you would be a greater help than anyone.” Jackie adds the salutation in her own hand. In fine condition, with some light creasing. Starting Bid $200
19. Caroline Kennedy Wedding Collection with Typed Letter Signed from Jacqueline Kennedy. Collection of letters
and material related to the wedding of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg at the Church of Our Lady of Victory in Centerville, Massachusetts, on July 19, 1986. The collection is highlighted by two letters—a TLS from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, signed “Jackie,” and an ALS from her daughter, signed “Caroline”—both addressed to artist and needlepoint designer Leslie Tillett, who designed the array of tablecloths that were used at the reception held at Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy’s house in Hyannisport. In overall fine condition. A more detailed description of this collection can be found online. Starting Bid $200
21. Lyndon B. Johnson Bill Signing Pen.
Felt tip pen used by President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign “H.R. 15131, An Act to amend the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958 to increase salaries...And H.R. 16409, An Act to amend the District of Columbia Teachers’ Salary Act of 1955 to provide salary increases for teachers and school officers in the District of Columbia public schools.” The official ‘bill signer’ Eversharp pen measures 5.25˝ long and features a navy-blue plastic barrel bearing a gold facsimile signature with presidential seal and a silver-tone cap section. Accompanied by the original presentation box imprinted with a presidential seal and facsimile signature of President Johnson, as well as a typed caption affirming that the pen was one of the “pens used by the President on May 27, 1968.” In fine condition, with moderately heavy foxing to the original box. A desirable bill-signing pen used by President Johnson to serve the public in the nation’s capital. Starting Bid $200
used by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the signing ceremony for “S. 3497, An Act to assist in the provision of housing for low and moderate income families, and to extend and amend laws relating to housing and urban development.” The official ‘bill signer’ Eversharp pen measures 5.25˝ long and features a navy-blue plastic barrel bearing a gold facsimile signature with presidential seal and a silver-tone cap section. Accompanied by the original typed caption affirming that the pen was one of the “pens used by the President on August 1, 1968, in the signing ceremony of S. 3497,” as well as a TLS by Sherwin J. Markman, assistant to President Johnson, presenting the pen to C. Howard Hill: “The president thought you might like to have the enclosed pen of the type he used in signing S. 3497, the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1964.” Nicely mounted, matted, and framed together to an overall size of 11 x 16.5. In very good to fine condition, with staining to the transmittal letter. Starting Bid $200
24. Bill Clinton Signed Souvenir Typescript. Souvenir
typescript of President Bill Clinton’s remarks at the “Alfalfa Club Dinner,” held at the Capitol Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.c., on January 25, 1997, four pages, 8.5 x 11, signed and inscribed on the first page in black ink, “To Joel Shapiro, with thanks, Bill Clinton.” In fine condition, with staple holes to the upper left corner. Starting Bid $200
Rare ‘Friends of Barack Obama’ check donating to the campaign committee of a fellow Illinois senator
25. Barack Obama Signed Check. Friends of Barack Obama check, 8.25 x 3, filled out in type and signed by Obama, payable to Friends of Dick Durbin for $500, September 27, 2002. In very fine condition.
Friends of Barack Obama was his official campaign committee; at the time he signed this check, Obama was preparing for his third straight election to the Illinois Senate, which he won for the newly configured 13th district unopposed on November 5, 2002. Extremely rare in this format, this is only the second Barack Obama check we have offered. Starting Bid $500
“If they have angels in Heaven— they are all nurses”—a warm inscription from Biden to his son’s nurse
26. Joe Biden Signed Book. Signed book: Promise Me,
Dad. First edition. NY: Flatiron Books, 2017. Hardcover with dust jacket, 5.75 x 8.5, 258 pages. Signed and inscribed on the halftitle page in black felt tip to his son’s nurse, “To Roz & Howard—I know what you did for my son—I learned after the fact. You are both the definition of generosity. Roz—if they have angels in Heaven—they are all nurses. Thank you both and keep the faith. Joe Biden, 12-19-17.” In very fine condition, with a discount sticker to the front of the jacket. A significant association copy of Biden’s heart-rending tale of hope, hardship, and purpose found in his son’s cancer diagnosis. Starting Bid $200
