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Pennsylvania Deputy Governor Urges General Assembly to Resist French Expansion in North America in Early Stages of the French and Indian War
[BENJAMIN FRANKLIN],
Pennsylvania Gazette, October 24, 1754. Newspaper. Philadelphia: Benjamin Franklin and David Hall. 6 pp., 9¼ x 14½ in.
This issue of Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette reports the speech of Deputy Governor Morris of Pennsylvania to the General Assembly, urging them to prevent the French and their Native American allies from gaining control of the colony’s western border. The General Assembly responded that they were eager to assist but lacked any “Instructions from the Crown how to conduct ourselves on this important Occasion” and requested a recess until called together again.
Item #22426.07, $1,500
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In Benjamin Franklin’s Paper, Colonel George Washington Reports as Positively as Possible on the Surrender of Fort Necessity, Which Sparked the French and Indian War
[GEORGE WASHINGTON],
Pennsylvania Gazette, August 1, 1754. Newspaper. Philadelphia: Benjamin Franklin and David Hall. 4 pp., lacking the advertising half-sheet, 9¼ x 14½ in.
Item #22426.03, $4,500
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Hoover Tells a Key Aide that Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Occupies FBI in New York
J. EDGAR HOOVER,
Typed Letter Signed with Initials, to John J. Edwards, March 17, 1932. 1 p., 8½ x 11 in. ,
3/17/1932.
Excerpts
““I think what you have to say about Reinecke is certainly true and I doubt whether his conceit and egotism can ever be curbed. Certainly he is a liability in a large office. I shall await the report of Clegg… but have no doubt but that it will be necessary for me to make a change.”
“I shall look forward with considerable interest to your report upon the Pittsburgh office and as soon as you have finished that I am planning to have you move on. I realize that the New York office may be in somewhat of a hectic situation at the present time, in view of the Lindbergh case which is taking the time of so many Agents of that office, but you may be able to get a slant on how things are running there.”
Item #22439.05, $750
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“MEN OF COLOR To Arms! To Arms!” (SOLD)
Frederick Douglass,
Broadside. “Men of Color / To Arms! To Arms!” Philadelphia: U.S. Steam-Power Book and Job Printing Establishment, Ledger Buildings, Third and Chestnut Streets, [ca. mid-June to mid-July, 1863.] Signed in type by Frederick Douglass and 54 others, including many prominent African American citizens. 1 p., 44 x 87 in.; framed to 48 x 94 in.
A monumental Frederick Douglass Civil War recruiting broadside.
This most dramatic and important recruiting poster signals a seismic shift in policy. African American men had joined Union forces in limited numbers from the start of the Civil War, but it took Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, to officially allow, encourage, and remove barriers to their enlistment.
Item #22552, SOLD — please inquire about other items
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The Declaration of Independence – Printed in 1776 London - Where the Press Feared to Call a Tyrant a Tyrant
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,
Pamphlet. Gentleman’s Magazine. London, England, August 1776. Octavo. Lacking a plate. Disbound; minimal wear, some pages loose but intact, some foxing or toning, otherwise fine.
“A ____, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a T____, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people”
For years, American protests were directed at the actions of Parliament, and royal ministers. That changed with the Declaration of Independence, a substantial part of which is framed as a bill of particular offenses against American freedoms personally committed by the King.
The British press could use the words “King,” “Prince,” and “Tyrant,” but many British publishers felt it prudent to avoid printing those words together. Other British printings were even more self-censored, while this printed all the juicy parts.
Item #24195.15, SOLD — please inquire about other items
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Mercury Astronaut Gordon Cooper’s Signed “Bioscience Data Plan” for Conducting Vital Biomedical Research on the Impact of Space Flight on the Human Body
GORDON COOPER JR.,
Typed Document Signed, “NASA PROJECT MERCURY WORKING PAPER NO. 164 / PROJECT MERCURY / BIOSCIENCE DATA PLAN,” December 1, 1960, inscribed “My personal copy / Gordon Cooper.” 7 leaves + covers, 8 x 10 ½ in. Three-hole punched on left side; some toning; very good.
Medical researchers wanted to gather “aeromedical” data and test effects on the Project Mercury astronaut’s body of “significant and unusual stresses of manned capsule flight.” The stresses they were looking into included weightlessness, acceleration tolerance, radiation, noise vibration, thermal stresses, and hypobaric and environmental control system effects. At the time, some scientists believed that weightlessness could lead to circulatory failure, disorientation, gastrointestinal and urinary disturbances, and lack of muscular coordination. The key conclusion of Project Mercury’s biomedical program was that human beings could function in the space environment for incrementally increasing flight durations of more than one day.
Item #24308.01, $750
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New York Times Carriers’ Address Reviews the Year 1863 in Bad Verse, Including Freeing of Russia’s Serfs, and the Battle of Gettysburg
[CIVIL WAR],
Broadside, “Carriers’ Address / New York Times / To Our Patrons.” New York: Dodge and Grattan, [ca. January 1] 1864. 1 p., 15½ x 21½ in. Intricate borders and patriotic imagery.
“For in this struggle vast The liberties of man shall rise or fall, And unborn generations to us call… The laborer on England’s soil, The peasants that in Austria toil, The serfs, that over Russia’s plains Are dropping now their long worn chains…”
On or around New Year’s Day, some newspapers printed “carriers' addresses” with an appeal for a holiday gift or donation from subscribers. Newspaper carriers were often the printer’s apprentices, sometimes younger than teenagers.
Item #25040, $1,350
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Bartholdi Signed Note, on His Calling Card, Fundraising for the Statue of Liberty
STATUE OF LIBERTY,
Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. Autograph Note Signed, on his calling card, c. 1878. With Marquis de Rochambeau, Autograph Note Signed, on his calling card, and a calling card for Count Sérurier, during fundraising effort to present Liberty Enlightening the World to the United States. 3 items. 3¾ x 2¼ in.
Item #24842, $1,800
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Gerald Ford Defends His Early Commitment to Civil Rights
GERALD R. FORD,
Typed Letter Signed, to Arthur F. Bukowski, January 28, 1950, Washington, D.C. 2 pp., 8 x 10½ in. On Ford’s Congressional letterhead.
This fascinating letter by freshman Congressman and future president Gerald R. Ford to a Catholic college president in Michigan defends his early record on civil rights legislation.
“Personally, I have lived by and believe in the fundamental principle of equality of opportunity regardless of race, color or creed. I am in favor of such a policy for all citizens and will cooperate to accomplish that objective by the most practical and effective methods.”
Item #26024, $1,200
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Star Chart Flown on Historic Apollo 11 Mission, Inscribed and Signed by Buzz Aldrin
[NASA/Manned Spacecraft Center]. BUZZ ALDRIN,
Printed Document Signed and Inscribed. “Carried to the moon on Apollo XI / Buzz Aldrin.” Apollo 11 Flight Plan, Part No. SKB32100080-201, S/N 1001, page 102D. July 1, 1969. 1 p., 10½ x 8 in.
A rare celestial navigation aid actually flown on Apollo 11, this chart helped the astronauts insure their safe return to Earth. Aldrin’s signed authentication letter notes:
“This sheet illustrates the expected view through our scanning telescope while we performed an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) alignment just after our TransEarth Injection (TEI) burn which brought us back from the Moon. That spacecraft burn had to work. If it did not, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and myself would remain in lunar orbit, never to return to earth....”
Item #25877, $65,000
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Bartholdi Plans for Statue of Liberty Right Arm and Torch Exhibit at 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
FREDERIC-AUGUSTE BARTHOLDI,
Autograph Letter Signed, in French, recipient unknown, June 8, 1876, Philadelphia. On “International Expositions, Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, Superior Commission of International Expositions, General Station, Hotel de Cluny, Rue du Sommerard, Paris” letterhead. 2 pp., 5⅛ x 8⅛ in.
Complete Translation
Dear Mademoiselle,
It will give me great pleasure to see my work figured in the respected publication of Mr. Harper. I am thinking of returning to New York on Monday and I will have the pleasure of bringing you, in person, the block and the notes that you asked for.
Would you be so kind to thank Mr. Harper for <2> his appreciation of my work and yourself accept the expression of my most devoted feelings of friendship.
Bartholdi
Philadelphia 8 June 1876
Item #24887, $2,500
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Winston Churchill by Marc Mellon
[WINSTON CHURCHILL],
Bronze sculpture signed, inscribed © Marc Mellon 1998, stamped “4/9”. 17" high x 14" wide x 11.5" deep, plus green marble base 4" high x 8.5" wide x 6.5" deep.
Item #26002.04, $55,000
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Alex Haley Signs Check to the Cornell University Black Alumni Association
ALEX HALEY,
Signed Check, June 9, 1989. Drawn on the First Tennessee Bank in Knoxville. To “Cornell Univ. Black Alumni Assn.”. With “donation” in the memo field.
Item #20432.04, $500
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Alex Haley Signed Check
ALEX HALEY,
Signed Check, September 20, 1988. Drawn on the First Tennessee Bank in Knoxville. To “Patricia Alexander”. With “Love!” in the memo field and on the back is her endorsement and a note that says “Thanks!”.
Item #20432.02, $350
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Albert Einstein by Marc Mellon
[ALBERT EINSTEIN],
Bronze sculpture, signed © Marc Mellon 2002. 23 in. high x 14 in. wide x 14 in. deep; base 4 in. high x 12 x 12. Number 5 of an edition limited to 9.
Item #26003.05, $76,000
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“George Washington” - Keith Carter Photograph
[GEORGE WASHINGTON]. KEITH CARTER,
Photograph. Child holds his copy of Gilbert Stuart’s famous “Athenaeum” portrait of George Washington. 1990. Number 6 of 50, 15 x 15 in.
Item #25394, $4,800
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Harry Hines Woodring Political Archives and Related Material
HARRY WOODRING,
Archive. Featuring a Harris & Ewing photo of Roosevelt at his desk signed and inscribed,“to Helen Woodring (wife) from her friend Franklin D. Roosevelt”. With over 30 official and other photos of Woodring and/or his wife, many being proof copies from Harris & Ewing, five acetate recordings of Woodring including the “Cabinet Series” of the “United States Government Reports” radio series with paperwork, a 1940 letter from General George Marshall, assorted certificates, calling cards, government letterheads, Woodridge family ration books in a leather case, leather jewelry/vanity case with Mrs. Woolridge’s initials and December 25, 1939 date, etc. First half 20th century.
Item #25690.01, $2,000
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The Statue of Liberty
[HARPER’S WEEKLY],
Newspaper. Harper’s Weekly, November 27, 1875. 16 pp., complete, disbound.
Item #H-11-27-1875, $295
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Original 1789 First Inaugural Button: “Memorable Era / March the Fourth 1789”
[GEORGE WASHINGTON],
1789 "Memorable Era" Inaugural Button. 34 mm brass with original shank. Word "Era" weakly struck, as is typical. GW-1789-4, Albert WI-1a.
Item #25446, $11,000
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Original 1789 First Inaugural Button: “Memorable Era / March the Fourth 1789”
[GEORGE WASHINGTON],
1789 Inaugural button. Brass, original shank (slightly bent over), 34 mm.
Item #25794, SOLD — please inquire about other items
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