US HISTORY
1767 AMERICA ENLIGHTENED BY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
2010 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The eighteenth century was the age of enlightenment. Scholars and philosophers met and sent mails to each other, ideas circulated on variety of subjects. The most able introduced some revolutionary ideas.
Benjamin Franklin was the light of America. In 1767, he was in London, where he represented various American interests.
Franklin then prepared a long political letter, a little over six pages, to one of his friends. Regretting the ineffectiveness of Parliament in the treatment of colonial affairs, he expressed unequivocally that the American revolution is inevitable and even desirable, and that America has everything to become a great country.
This letter never reached its destination. Franklin was suspected, and his astute allegiance to the King was not enough to prevent the precious document to be forfeited. Two years later, he prepared a copy, which reached its goal and arrives now on October 14 on sale at Heritage Auction Galleries in Beverly Hills.
The lot, shared on the release of the auction house, is estimated $ 300K.
The eighteenth century was the age of enlightenment. Scholars and philosophers met and sent mails to each other, ideas circulated on variety of subjects. The most able introduced some revolutionary ideas.
Benjamin Franklin was the light of America. In 1767, he was in London, where he represented various American interests.
Franklin then prepared a long political letter, a little over six pages, to one of his friends. Regretting the ineffectiveness of Parliament in the treatment of colonial affairs, he expressed unequivocally that the American revolution is inevitable and even desirable, and that America has everything to become a great country.
This letter never reached its destination. Franklin was suspected, and his astute allegiance to the King was not enough to prevent the precious document to be forfeited. Two years later, he prepared a copy, which reached its goal and arrives now on October 14 on sale at Heritage Auction Galleries in Beverly Hills.
The lot, shared on the release of the auction house, is estimated $ 300K.
1772-1776 NEWSPAPERS TELL THE AMERICAN HISTORY
2011 SOLD 345 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
During the Revolutionary War, Americans were aware of living crucial political events. Already, they inquired about in the newspapers.
These old papers were very fragile, and have been forgotten. Writing live over the news, they are yet the best possible source for the understanding of history.
In 1765, George III issued the Stamp Act in order to rein in the American press. At this point, a Boston shopkeeper decided to keep and annotate the newspapers of Massachusetts. He will continue this passionate work up to the declaration of independence in 1776.
Bound in four volumes, these 3280 pages from eight different titles could stay in very fair condition. The first three volumes are kept by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
The fourth volume covers the period 1772-1776, and contains an index of 70 manuscript pages. It is estimated $150K, for sale on August 25 by James D. Julia in Fairfield ME. Such a grouping is probably unique.
Many details are photographed in the linked file, "Provided courtesy of James D. Julia, Inc., Fairfield, Maine."
POST SALE DISCUSSION
This is a very pleasant conclusion: bought $ 300K before fees, 345K including premium, by the Massachusetts Historical Society, the fourth volume is joining the first three and the entire collection is now reconstituted.
During the Revolutionary War, Americans were aware of living crucial political events. Already, they inquired about in the newspapers.
These old papers were very fragile, and have been forgotten. Writing live over the news, they are yet the best possible source for the understanding of history.
In 1765, George III issued the Stamp Act in order to rein in the American press. At this point, a Boston shopkeeper decided to keep and annotate the newspapers of Massachusetts. He will continue this passionate work up to the declaration of independence in 1776.
Bound in four volumes, these 3280 pages from eight different titles could stay in very fair condition. The first three volumes are kept by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
The fourth volume covers the period 1772-1776, and contains an index of 70 manuscript pages. It is estimated $150K, for sale on August 25 by James D. Julia in Fairfield ME. Such a grouping is probably unique.
Many details are photographed in the linked file, "Provided courtesy of James D. Julia, Inc., Fairfield, Maine."
POST SALE DISCUSSION
This is a very pleasant conclusion: bought $ 300K before fees, 345K including premium, by the Massachusetts Historical Society, the fourth volume is joining the first three and the entire collection is now reconstituted.
1773 THE BOSTON TEA
2013 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
On January 26 in New York, Sotheby's sells a mahogany tea table from the end of the colonial period, estimated $ 500K. Made after 1755 in Boston and still in very good condition, it is a fine example of Queen Anne style, improved with arabesques and candle slides. Here is the link to the catalog.
It has long belonged to the Bradlee family. In the tradition of this family, the history of the table dates back to SarahBradlee, who married John Fulton in 1762 and settled in Medford, close to Boston. The young woman was to becomein 1773 the Boston Tea pasionaria.
The British colonial power needed money, and increased the levies of taxes. Sarah Fulton was active in a resistance group, the Daughters of Liberty.
In 1773, the crisis becomes severe. The Government adds tea to the list of taxed products but reimburses the taxes to the East India Company, thus creating an unfair competition against the American merchants. Patriots prevent the landing of goods.
Three boats are waiting in the harbor of Boston. On December 16, Sarah and her friends makeup as Mohawk warriorsa gang of patriots who board the ships and throw the tea to the sea. This colorful and nonviolent act known as theBoston Tea Party was one of key events of the American resistance.
On January 26 in New York, Sotheby's sells a mahogany tea table from the end of the colonial period, estimated $ 500K. Made after 1755 in Boston and still in very good condition, it is a fine example of Queen Anne style, improved with arabesques and candle slides. Here is the link to the catalog.
It has long belonged to the Bradlee family. In the tradition of this family, the history of the table dates back to SarahBradlee, who married John Fulton in 1762 and settled in Medford, close to Boston. The young woman was to becomein 1773 the Boston Tea pasionaria.
The British colonial power needed money, and increased the levies of taxes. Sarah Fulton was active in a resistance group, the Daughters of Liberty.
In 1773, the crisis becomes severe. The Government adds tea to the list of taxed products but reimburses the taxes to the East India Company, thus creating an unfair competition against the American merchants. Patriots prevent the landing of goods.
Three boats are waiting in the harbor of Boston. On December 16, Sarah and her friends makeup as Mohawk warriorsa gang of patriots who board the ships and throw the tea to the sea. This colorful and nonviolent act known as theBoston Tea Party was one of key events of the American resistance.
1773-1789 THE 56 SIGNERS OF THE US INDEPENDENCE
2012 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, issued by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, is a political act of great courage. The document is signed by 56 patriots, all of them being eager to build the new regimewhich still has to be released from the colonial power.
Artefacts and autographs from these pioneers, many of whom became famous, constitute a theme for a collection.
Thomas Proctor behaved like a numismatist. He endeavoured to own the best signed autograph letter from each ofthese heroes. Pleased with his collection, he assembled them in 1905, well protected in a loose-leaf binder.
Slightly improved by its later owners, this collection is characterized by the political interest of these documentswritten between 1773 and 1789 and by the exceptional condition of preservation of these old papers. The rarest pieceis signed by Button Gwinnett, the most ephemeral of these pioneers, who died in a duel ten months and a half afterthe Declaration.
The collection is expected at $ 1M, for sale by RR Auction in Nashua NH on December 15.
The Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, issued by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, is a political act of great courage. The document is signed by 56 patriots, all of them being eager to build the new regimewhich still has to be released from the colonial power.
Artefacts and autographs from these pioneers, many of whom became famous, constitute a theme for a collection.
Thomas Proctor behaved like a numismatist. He endeavoured to own the best signed autograph letter from each ofthese heroes. Pleased with his collection, he assembled them in 1905, well protected in a loose-leaf binder.
Slightly improved by its later owners, this collection is characterized by the political interest of these documentswritten between 1773 and 1789 and by the exceptional condition of preservation of these old papers. The rarest pieceis signed by Button Gwinnett, the most ephemeral of these pioneers, who died in a duel ten months and a half afterthe Declaration.
The collection is expected at $ 1M, for sale by RR Auction in Nashua NH on December 15.
1775 Last Chance before the Revolution
2014 SOLD 910 K$ including premium
The first Continental Congress was a failure when King George III refused to hear the demands of the American colonies. After its dissolution on October 26, 1774, the war began in Massachusetts.
The second Congress met in Philadelphia from May 10, 1775. The Americans were now convinced that it was useless to try diplomacy with the British government. The Congress entrusted two of its delegates, Livingston and Lee, with the action of preparing a petition advocating reconciliation, more subversive because it was to be distributed directly to inhabitants in Great Britain.
The petition was printed in Philadelphia. It probably had little direct political impact but it occured in that period of political overheating which will culminate in January 1776 by the anti-royalist pamphlet of Thomas Paine.
The draft manuscript of the petition was discovered in Morris-Jumel Mansion, a house in Manhattan that had served as headquarters during the Revolution and now operates as a museum. An employee who was sorting papers for digitizing immediately understood its importance.
This document written on both sides of 6 leaves 31x24 cm is an autograph manuscript by Robert R. Livingston, confirming his leading role in the implementation of this action. Dated July 1775, it is largely remorsed. It is easily readable but with significant damage at the location of folds.
This historic document whose price is difficult to predict will be sold on January 26 by Keno Auctions in New York. Here is the link to the catalog.
The actual role of Livingston in this operation remained confidential but his patrons had appreciated the efficiency of his work. Member of the Committee of Five charged in 1776 to prepare the Declaration of Independence, he was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and had a brilliant legal career.
POST SALE COMMENT
This outstanding document of American history was sold for $ 730K before fees.
The second Congress met in Philadelphia from May 10, 1775. The Americans were now convinced that it was useless to try diplomacy with the British government. The Congress entrusted two of its delegates, Livingston and Lee, with the action of preparing a petition advocating reconciliation, more subversive because it was to be distributed directly to inhabitants in Great Britain.
The petition was printed in Philadelphia. It probably had little direct political impact but it occured in that period of political overheating which will culminate in January 1776 by the anti-royalist pamphlet of Thomas Paine.
The draft manuscript of the petition was discovered in Morris-Jumel Mansion, a house in Manhattan that had served as headquarters during the Revolution and now operates as a museum. An employee who was sorting papers for digitizing immediately understood its importance.
This document written on both sides of 6 leaves 31x24 cm is an autograph manuscript by Robert R. Livingston, confirming his leading role in the implementation of this action. Dated July 1775, it is largely remorsed. It is easily readable but with significant damage at the location of folds.
This historic document whose price is difficult to predict will be sold on January 26 by Keno Auctions in New York. Here is the link to the catalog.
The actual role of Livingston in this operation remained confidential but his patrons had appreciated the efficiency of his work. Member of the Committee of Five charged in 1776 to prepare the Declaration of Independence, he was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and had a brilliant legal career.
POST SALE COMMENT
This outstanding document of American history was sold for $ 730K before fees.
1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord by Doolittle
2022 SOLD for $ 750K by Christie's
Fought on April 19, 1775 in the province of Massachusetts Bay, the battles of Lexington and Concord were the first engagements in the American Revolutionary War. In his Concord hymn, Ralph Waldo Emerson will celebrate the first shot fired by the Patriots at the North Bridge as the "shot heard round the world".
A few days later the Loyalist militia of Connecticut arrived in the vicinity of the battlefields. Two young men took a leave to make a survey. Ralph Earl, aged 24, draught four views while Amos Doolittle, 21, collected first hand information from the local colonials.
Doolittle was a silversmith in New Haven CT, also trained in copperplate printing. He edited in December 1775 the four Earl views, including troops in action, with detailed captions below the image. The titles are : The Battle of Lexington (Plate I), A View of the Town of Concord (Plate II), The Engagement at the North Bridge (Plate III), A View of the South Part of Lexington (Plate IV).
The 30 x 45 cm prints were hand tinted. Less than ten full sets are in existence.
A copy from the prints II and IV were sold together for $ 750K by Christie's on January 21, 2022, lot 338. Both have been repaired and backed with tissues.
A few days later the Loyalist militia of Connecticut arrived in the vicinity of the battlefields. Two young men took a leave to make a survey. Ralph Earl, aged 24, draught four views while Amos Doolittle, 21, collected first hand information from the local colonials.
Doolittle was a silversmith in New Haven CT, also trained in copperplate printing. He edited in December 1775 the four Earl views, including troops in action, with detailed captions below the image. The titles are : The Battle of Lexington (Plate I), A View of the Town of Concord (Plate II), The Engagement at the North Bridge (Plate III), A View of the South Part of Lexington (Plate IV).
The 30 x 45 cm prints were hand tinted. Less than ten full sets are in existence.
A copy from the prints II and IV were sold together for $ 750K by Christie's on January 21, 2022, lot 338. Both have been repaired and backed with tissues.
1775 THE FLAG OF THE MINUTEMEN
2014 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Since the mid-seventeenth century, urban militias play an important role for maintaining order in the American colonies, especially Massachusetts. The young men trained for immediate response in case of problem are known as the minutemen.
The colonial power standardizes the military color of the militias, first with the cross of St George and, from 1707, with the Union Jack.
In 1775 the young Americans no longer accept the colonial humiliation. War is going on. Around the time of the Lexington alarm in April, the Essex County militia withdrew the British symbols from its flag for sewing a patriotic pattern referring to the desire for union of the thirteen colonies.
Thirteen buff stripes 5 x 15 cm then appear on the fabric of bright red silk, 149 x 160 cm. Seven of them are on the front side, in the canton (upper left corner) of a slightly lighter red, the other six are on the reverse. Curiously it was not considered to have the thirteen stripes on only one side.
This piece is named the Forster Flag from the officer who kept it after catching or brandishing it at Lexington. It is in very good condition for a textile of that age. An article published in 2002 by The Flag Research Center stated that it had even kept its cord and tassels.
The Forster Flag is for sale on April 9 by Doyle in New York. It is the only one privately held among the early flags of the Revolutionary War before the stars and stripes. Its price is difficult to predict. One side is illustrated in the postshared by Paul Fraser.
Since the mid-seventeenth century, urban militias play an important role for maintaining order in the American colonies, especially Massachusetts. The young men trained for immediate response in case of problem are known as the minutemen.
The colonial power standardizes the military color of the militias, first with the cross of St George and, from 1707, with the Union Jack.
In 1775 the young Americans no longer accept the colonial humiliation. War is going on. Around the time of the Lexington alarm in April, the Essex County militia withdrew the British symbols from its flag for sewing a patriotic pattern referring to the desire for union of the thirteen colonies.
Thirteen buff stripes 5 x 15 cm then appear on the fabric of bright red silk, 149 x 160 cm. Seven of them are on the front side, in the canton (upper left corner) of a slightly lighter red, the other six are on the reverse. Curiously it was not considered to have the thirteen stripes on only one side.
This piece is named the Forster Flag from the officer who kept it after catching or brandishing it at Lexington. It is in very good condition for a textile of that age. An article published in 2002 by The Flag Research Center stated that it had even kept its cord and tassels.
The Forster Flag is for sale on April 9 by Doyle in New York. It is the only one privately held among the early flags of the Revolutionary War before the stars and stripes. Its price is difficult to predict. One side is illustrated in the postshared by Paul Fraser.
1776 Exeter Broadside
2021 SOLD for $ 990K by Christie's
The disclosure of the text of the Declaration of Independence in the thirteen founding states is essential for the success of the American Revolution. It uses two media : newspapers, from July 9, 1776, and broadsides. The printing of the latter did not need to be dated.
After the original broadside prepared by Dunlap and distributed on Hancock's orders, fourteen local editions of broadsides are known, including five without printer identification. The comparison with newspaper impressions allows an attribution. Beyond the number of the columns of the text, experts look for typographic variations.
A 50 x 40 cm one column broadside in very fine condition printed in Salem by E. Russell was sold for $ 1.2M including premium by Sotheby's on January 17, 2018.
An anonymous four column broadside printed in the sort of the ephemeral American Gazette published in Salem was sold for $ 570K including premium by Sotheby's on June 17, 2010.
An anonymous 50 x 38 cm two column broadside printed in the sort of the New Hampshire Gazette and of the Exeter Morning Chronicle was sold by Christie's on January 22, 2021 for $ 990K including premium from a lower estimate of $ 600K, lot 315. It had long belonged to the family of a New Hampshire judge who was probably its official recipient. Three edges and three corners are broken and two large burns affect the text on the vertical fold.
After the original broadside prepared by Dunlap and distributed on Hancock's orders, fourteen local editions of broadsides are known, including five without printer identification. The comparison with newspaper impressions allows an attribution. Beyond the number of the columns of the text, experts look for typographic variations.
A 50 x 40 cm one column broadside in very fine condition printed in Salem by E. Russell was sold for $ 1.2M including premium by Sotheby's on January 17, 2018.
An anonymous four column broadside printed in the sort of the ephemeral American Gazette published in Salem was sold for $ 570K including premium by Sotheby's on June 17, 2010.
An anonymous 50 x 38 cm two column broadside printed in the sort of the New Hampshire Gazette and of the Exeter Morning Chronicle was sold by Christie's on January 22, 2021 for $ 990K including premium from a lower estimate of $ 600K, lot 315. It had long belonged to the family of a New Hampshire judge who was probably its official recipient. Three edges and three corners are broken and two large burns affect the text on the vertical fold.
#AuctionUpdate A Contemporary Broadside Edition of the Declaration of Independence realized $990,000 and was the top lot of today's In Praise of America: Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Prints and Broadsides sale in New York. https://t.co/s7qxyKUgXx pic.twitter.com/JZMY5AUF0r
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) January 22, 2021
1776 A Urgency in Philadelphia
2013 SOLD 630 K$ including premium
There is urgency in early July 1776 in Philadelphia. On July 4, the Congress dared declaring the independence of the United States of America! They must spread the news as fast as possible throughout the country in order to excite the enthusiasm of everybody.
The first issue of the text of the Declaration is a poster printed in about 200 copies in the night of July 4 and released the next day for the delegates to forward it within the thirteen new states. 26 surviving copies of the Dunlap broadsides are known. One of them was sold for $ 8.1 million in June 2000 with the participation of Sotheby's.
However the newspapers, already very popular with Americans, were the best suited to disseminate such information. On July 6, the Pennsylvania Evening Post is the first newspaper to publish the whole text, similar to the Dunlap version but in two columns.
This document is also very rare. On December 14, 2012, Sotheby's sold $ 720K including premium a bound volume of the entire year 1776 of the Pennsylvania Evening Post including the precious issue #228.
An isolated copy of the #228 in four pages 25 x 20 cm is estimated $ 500K, for sale by Robert A. Siegel in New York tomorrow June 25. This document remains in very good condition. Its first page is illustrated in the post by Paul Fraser.
It was much more urgent to communicate the information than to think about history. There was to wait until July 19 for a manuscript on parchment to be signed by all the members of Congress.
The first issue of the text of the Declaration is a poster printed in about 200 copies in the night of July 4 and released the next day for the delegates to forward it within the thirteen new states. 26 surviving copies of the Dunlap broadsides are known. One of them was sold for $ 8.1 million in June 2000 with the participation of Sotheby's.
However the newspapers, already very popular with Americans, were the best suited to disseminate such information. On July 6, the Pennsylvania Evening Post is the first newspaper to publish the whole text, similar to the Dunlap version but in two columns.
This document is also very rare. On December 14, 2012, Sotheby's sold $ 720K including premium a bound volume of the entire year 1776 of the Pennsylvania Evening Post including the precious issue #228.
An isolated copy of the #228 in four pages 25 x 20 cm is estimated $ 500K, for sale by Robert A. Siegel in New York tomorrow June 25. This document remains in very good condition. Its first page is illustrated in the post by Paul Fraser.
It was much more urgent to communicate the information than to think about history. There was to wait until July 19 for a manuscript on parchment to be signed by all the members of Congress.
1776 Paths to Freedom
2010 SOLD 570 K$ including premium
The major policy statements remain empty if they are not copied and propagated.
For the English, the concept of political freedom goes back to the Magna Carta granted by King John in 1215 under pressure from his barons. The British parliament enacted it as a law in 1297 under Edward II. A copy made in 1297 was sold $ 21.3 million including premium by Sotheby's in December 2007.
For Americans, the founding document of freedom is the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, enacted by the Congress under the presidency of John Hancock. One of the copies made the same evening in Philadelphia was sold $ 8.1 million including premium by Sotheby's in June 2000.
The first copies quickly reached the other former colonies. Sotheby's sells on June 17 in New York a print 43 x 36 cm with the text in four columns on one side only, like a poster ("broadside print"). This document has been published in Salem, Massachusetts, circa July 16, 1776, date and place identified by similarity with a publication in a local newspaper.
It is illustrated in the press release shared by AuctionPublicity. It is estimated $ 600K, lot 1..
For the English, the concept of political freedom goes back to the Magna Carta granted by King John in 1215 under pressure from his barons. The British parliament enacted it as a law in 1297 under Edward II. A copy made in 1297 was sold $ 21.3 million including premium by Sotheby's in December 2007.
For Americans, the founding document of freedom is the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, enacted by the Congress under the presidency of John Hancock. One of the copies made the same evening in Philadelphia was sold $ 8.1 million including premium by Sotheby's in June 2000.
The first copies quickly reached the other former colonies. Sotheby's sells on June 17 in New York a print 43 x 36 cm with the text in four columns on one side only, like a poster ("broadside print"). This document has been published in Salem, Massachusetts, circa July 16, 1776, date and place identified by similarity with a publication in a local newspaper.
It is illustrated in the press release shared by AuctionPublicity. It is estimated $ 600K, lot 1..
1776-1779 A FLAG FROM THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
2012 SOLD 420 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
The thirteen colonies in North America wish to reject the British rule. They organize the Continental Army to free them at the cost of a war. The commander in chief is George Washington.
Washington actions the most ardent patriots, and Peter Muhlenberg becomes the fighting parson. This pastor creates in 1776 the Eighth Virginia Regiment and becomes its colonel. The regiment soon joined the main army, fought at Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth and remained active until 1779.
The flag of the 8th Regiment had remained in the Muhlenberg family. It is estimated $ 400K, for sale by Freeman's in Philadelphia on November 14.
This is a piece of silk with a fringed side, 105 x 114 cm. The designation of the regiment is on a painted ribbon-like stripe in the central cartouche. The textile is well preserved but the colors and inscriptions have faded.
This extremely rare piece is probably the last flag of the American Revolution in private hands.
POST SALE COMMENT
Good price for this very rare piece, unfortunately faded: $ 350K before fees, 420K including premium.
The thirteen colonies in North America wish to reject the British rule. They organize the Continental Army to free them at the cost of a war. The commander in chief is George Washington.
Washington actions the most ardent patriots, and Peter Muhlenberg becomes the fighting parson. This pastor creates in 1776 the Eighth Virginia Regiment and becomes its colonel. The regiment soon joined the main army, fought at Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth and remained active until 1779.
The flag of the 8th Regiment had remained in the Muhlenberg family. It is estimated $ 400K, for sale by Freeman's in Philadelphia on November 14.
This is a piece of silk with a fringed side, 105 x 114 cm. The designation of the regiment is on a painted ribbon-like stripe in the central cartouche. The textile is well preserved but the colors and inscriptions have faded.
This extremely rare piece is probably the last flag of the American Revolution in private hands.
POST SALE COMMENT
Good price for this very rare piece, unfortunately faded: $ 350K before fees, 420K including premium.
1777 British Survey in America
2012 SOLD 780 K$ including premium
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
In 1776, the British military cartography is the best in the world. The outbreak of the war with the rebels in North America requires a mastery of the land of this distant country by the expeditionary force, and generates a very specific type of map identified as the Campaign Headquarters Map.
They are very detailed manuscript maps made to be used by the staff. Officers of the guides are drawing the regions which they have personally surveyed. The document is a general map of the region in which are inserted several more detailed plans relating to battles, encampments or cities.
These maps record the memory of military movements by the British forces, their enemies and their allies on land and sea, with codes of colors and symbols that allow a rapid interpretation of this highly complex information.
On December 7 in New York, Christie's sells a Campaign Headquarters Map particularly interesting because it describes the campaign of New York in the early months of the war, from August to December 1776, including the seizure of the city by the British. The inserted plans are devoted to the Battle of White Plains and to Brunswick NewJersey encampment.
This document on paper mounted on linen, 152 x 113 cm, was drawn in 1777 by Captain Charles Blaskowitz. It is estimated $ 700K. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
This interesting map was sold $ 780K including premium. This is its fair price. One year ago, I discussed a similar work made slightly later by another cartographer which had remained unsold from an estimate of $ 1M.
In 1776, the British military cartography is the best in the world. The outbreak of the war with the rebels in North America requires a mastery of the land of this distant country by the expeditionary force, and generates a very specific type of map identified as the Campaign Headquarters Map.
They are very detailed manuscript maps made to be used by the staff. Officers of the guides are drawing the regions which they have personally surveyed. The document is a general map of the region in which are inserted several more detailed plans relating to battles, encampments or cities.
These maps record the memory of military movements by the British forces, their enemies and their allies on land and sea, with codes of colors and symbols that allow a rapid interpretation of this highly complex information.
On December 7 in New York, Christie's sells a Campaign Headquarters Map particularly interesting because it describes the campaign of New York in the early months of the war, from August to December 1776, including the seizure of the city by the British. The inserted plans are devoted to the Battle of White Plains and to Brunswick NewJersey encampment.
This document on paper mounted on linen, 152 x 113 cm, was drawn in 1777 by Captain Charles Blaskowitz. It is estimated $ 700K. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
This interesting map was sold $ 780K including premium. This is its fair price. One year ago, I discussed a similar work made slightly later by another cartographer which had remained unsold from an estimate of $ 1M.
1777 The Praise of December 18
2020 SOLD for $ 475K including premium
In 1620 the pioneers of the Mayflower were Pilgrims who saw the action of God in their daily lives. The abundance of a harvest, a victory against a native tribe, the end of an epidemic were celebrated with thanksgiving.
After the Declaration of Independence, the British tried not without success to restore their power. The capital Philadelphia is under siege and the Continental Congress is transferred to York PA. The surrender of the British army at Saratoga on October 17, 1777 is a decisive turn in the situation.
The Congress organizes the thanks to God, by a proclamation entrusted to Samuel Adams. The Act of Congress of November 1 defines Thursday, December 18, 1777 as a National Day of Thanksgiving and Praise.
Decisions to be applied by the people are forwarded in that period through broadsides. A broadside announcing Thanksgiving was most likely issued in York but no copy is known. Broadsides printed in Lancaster PA and in the states of New Hampshire and Connecticut are extremely rare.
On November 27, Massachusetts adopted the recommendation of the Continental Congress. The broadside printed in Boston adds under the typed signature of the President of Congress the resolution of the Massachusetts-Bay Council Chamber calling upon ministers and people to observe Thanksgiving on the required date.
A copy 42 x 33 cm of this very scarce Boston broadside is estimated $ 500K for sale online by Christie's on October 16, lot 36.
After the Declaration of Independence, the British tried not without success to restore their power. The capital Philadelphia is under siege and the Continental Congress is transferred to York PA. The surrender of the British army at Saratoga on October 17, 1777 is a decisive turn in the situation.
The Congress organizes the thanks to God, by a proclamation entrusted to Samuel Adams. The Act of Congress of November 1 defines Thursday, December 18, 1777 as a National Day of Thanksgiving and Praise.
Decisions to be applied by the people are forwarded in that period through broadsides. A broadside announcing Thanksgiving was most likely issued in York but no copy is known. Broadsides printed in Lancaster PA and in the states of New Hampshire and Connecticut are extremely rare.
On November 27, Massachusetts adopted the recommendation of the Continental Congress. The broadside printed in Boston adds under the typed signature of the President of Congress the resolution of the Massachusetts-Bay Council Chamber calling upon ministers and people to observe Thanksgiving on the required date.
A copy 42 x 33 cm of this very scarce Boston broadside is estimated $ 500K for sale online by Christie's on October 16, lot 36.
Just in time for autumn, we're offering the broadside announcing the first National Thanksgiving--learn more here ➡️ https://t.co/F2I3GfU5QB pic.twitter.com/1w5ivORvgY
— Christie's Books (@ChristiesBKS) September 30, 2020
1784 The Treaty of Paris
2019 SOLD for $ 850K including premium
The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783 by the British and American plenipotentiaries subject to ratification by the two parties before six months. It puts an end to the American Revolutionary War.
The ratification by the US Congress takes time because of absenteeism of delegates under the threat of rioting soldiers in Philadelphia. It is signed in Annapolis on January 14, 1784.
The proclamation of the ratification by the US Congress is printed as a broadside 55 x 43 cm with the full text of the Paris agreement. The Congress entrusted this task to John Dunlap, famous for printing the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. The document is distributed to the diplomats who remained in Paris, to each of the States and to the Secretaries of Treasury and War.
Despite that delay, the Americans are the first to ratify the Paris treaty. The British are suspicious. One of their diplomats, the merchant Richard Oswald, a supporter of free trade, has been formally disavowed for the conditions considered as too favorable to the Americans. Having in hands a copy of the broadside without the US seal and without the autograph signature of Congress President Thomas Mifflin, the British plenipotentiary David Hartley fears a trick and complains to Benjamin Franklin.
The Pitt government appreciates that the new world order will be favorable to British trade. The British ratification is accepted on April 9, 1784. The two delegations exchange their ratifications in Paris on May 12, now with the US seal.
Copies of the broadside are rare. Two examples are known with the Mifflin signature and the embossed seal, the other copies being only signed by the Secretary of Congress. These two documents, preserved for archives from the January 1784 circulation, were certainly completed after May 12. One of them is actually kept at the National Archives. The other is estimated $ 800K for sale by Sotheby's in New York on January 24, lot 2086.
The ratification by the US Congress takes time because of absenteeism of delegates under the threat of rioting soldiers in Philadelphia. It is signed in Annapolis on January 14, 1784.
The proclamation of the ratification by the US Congress is printed as a broadside 55 x 43 cm with the full text of the Paris agreement. The Congress entrusted this task to John Dunlap, famous for printing the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. The document is distributed to the diplomats who remained in Paris, to each of the States and to the Secretaries of Treasury and War.
Despite that delay, the Americans are the first to ratify the Paris treaty. The British are suspicious. One of their diplomats, the merchant Richard Oswald, a supporter of free trade, has been formally disavowed for the conditions considered as too favorable to the Americans. Having in hands a copy of the broadside without the US seal and without the autograph signature of Congress President Thomas Mifflin, the British plenipotentiary David Hartley fears a trick and complains to Benjamin Franklin.
The Pitt government appreciates that the new world order will be favorable to British trade. The British ratification is accepted on April 9, 1784. The two delegations exchange their ratifications in Paris on May 12, now with the US seal.
Copies of the broadside are rare. Two examples are known with the Mifflin signature and the embossed seal, the other copies being only signed by the Secretary of Congress. These two documents, preserved for archives from the January 1784 circulation, were certainly completed after May 12. One of them is actually kept at the National Archives. The other is estimated $ 800K for sale by Sotheby's in New York on January 24, lot 2086.
1784 Three Founding Fathers
2020 unsold
The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, recognized the independence of the United States. The American delegation was headed by John Adams, assisted in practice by Benjamin Franklin and John Jay and nominally by Thomas Jefferson and Henry Laurens who were not in France at the time. Franklin was US Minister to France since 1779.
Jefferson joined Adams and Franklin in Paris in August 1784. Thus the three main authors of the text of the Declaration of Independence of 1776 were once again grouped together. The mission of this plenipotentiary team was to negotiate treaties of amity and commerce with almost all the states in Europe and around the Mediterranean sea.
On July 21 online, Sotheby's sells a letter prepared in Passy near Paris on September 22, 1784, lot 166 estimated $ 900K. This 32 x 20 cm two-page bifolium written by a clerk bears the autograph signatures of Adams, Franklin and Jefferson.
The purpose of the letter was to begin negotiations with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with a standard text approved by Congress. The originally chosen recipient was crossed out and the letter was sent to a chargé d'affaires.
The document is important by the combination of three prestigious signatures but not by its historical impact. The chargé d'affaires made a typically diplomatic response in January 1785 : the Kingdom of Naples would welcome a friendship with the United States but does not wish to formalize it on paper.
Jefferson joined Adams and Franklin in Paris in August 1784. Thus the three main authors of the text of the Declaration of Independence of 1776 were once again grouped together. The mission of this plenipotentiary team was to negotiate treaties of amity and commerce with almost all the states in Europe and around the Mediterranean sea.
On July 21 online, Sotheby's sells a letter prepared in Passy near Paris on September 22, 1784, lot 166 estimated $ 900K. This 32 x 20 cm two-page bifolium written by a clerk bears the autograph signatures of Adams, Franklin and Jefferson.
The purpose of the letter was to begin negotiations with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with a standard text approved by Congress. The originally chosen recipient was crossed out and the letter was sent to a chargé d'affaires.
The document is important by the combination of three prestigious signatures but not by its historical impact. The chargé d'affaires made a typically diplomatic response in January 1785 : the Kingdom of Naples would welcome a friendship with the United States but does not wish to formalize it on paper.
1787 The Federalists in New York
2015 SOLD for $ 1.45M including premium
The Constitution of the United States of America is prepared in Philadelphia in 1787 by a committee composed of delegates from twelve of the thirteen member states and chaired by the future President George Washington. On September 28, the process of ratification by the states is released.
The difficulty comes from New York where a strong majority of delegates is hostile to the new project. The anti-Federalist publicists begin publishing pamphlets.
Alexander Hamilton counter-attacks with great energy. With his political friends John Jay and James Madison, he publishes in the New York newspapers under the collective pseudonym Publius no less than 77 essays, starting in October 1787. Hamilton's goal is to provide to the federalist orators the best arguments to persuade their opponents that a weak or divided state will always be ineffective against foreign threats.
John Jay quickly suspends his contribution for health reasons, but his essays numbered 2 to 5 in the series are highly effective. The autograph manuscript of the essay number 4 of November 7, 1787 is estimated $ 600K for sale by Christie's in New York on December 8, lot 242.
This pamphlet boldly refers to the enemy as an example of political strength by the cohesion between its elements, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The manuscript includes republican thoughts that were not maintained in the published text, probably because the author wisely realized that they could open unnecessary controversies.
The collection extended to 85 texts and titled The Federalist is published in two volumes 18 x 11 cm just in time for the New York State Convention held in Albany. The rallying of this extremely important state to the Constitution on 26 July 1788, saving forever the federal state, is undeniably due to Hamilton's skill as publicist and negotiator.
A copy of this highly rare book is estimated $ 300K in the same sale as above, lot 243.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Varney and Co for Fox Business.
RESULTS including premium :
draft of essay by John Jay : $ 1.45M
book : $ 320K
The difficulty comes from New York where a strong majority of delegates is hostile to the new project. The anti-Federalist publicists begin publishing pamphlets.
Alexander Hamilton counter-attacks with great energy. With his political friends John Jay and James Madison, he publishes in the New York newspapers under the collective pseudonym Publius no less than 77 essays, starting in October 1787. Hamilton's goal is to provide to the federalist orators the best arguments to persuade their opponents that a weak or divided state will always be ineffective against foreign threats.
John Jay quickly suspends his contribution for health reasons, but his essays numbered 2 to 5 in the series are highly effective. The autograph manuscript of the essay number 4 of November 7, 1787 is estimated $ 600K for sale by Christie's in New York on December 8, lot 242.
This pamphlet boldly refers to the enemy as an example of political strength by the cohesion between its elements, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The manuscript includes republican thoughts that were not maintained in the published text, probably because the author wisely realized that they could open unnecessary controversies.
The collection extended to 85 texts and titled The Federalist is published in two volumes 18 x 11 cm just in time for the New York State Convention held in Albany. The rallying of this extremely important state to the Constitution on 26 July 1788, saving forever the federal state, is undeniably due to Hamilton's skill as publicist and negotiator.
A copy of this highly rare book is estimated $ 300K in the same sale as above, lot 243.
I invite you to watch the video shared by Varney and Co for Fox Business.
RESULTS including premium :
draft of essay by John Jay : $ 1.45M
book : $ 320K
The only surviving manuscript of the #Federalist papers in private hands fetches $1,445,000! https://t.co/kxCtbz2wTY pic.twitter.com/Z6jglb8gYf
— Christie's Books (@ChristiesBKS) December 8, 20151789 FEDERAL PRAYERS
2013 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
In the pious colonial America, it was common after a good harvest to dedicate a day to prayers of thanks. After the independence, the government promoted such a religious communion. Decided by the Congress, the first national Thanksgiving day is observed on November 28, 1782 .
Seven years later, the Congress invited the President to repeat this initiative. With enthusiasm, Washington prepared the proclamation on October 3, 1789. The first federal Thanksgiving day is set for the 26 November. Freed from the British tutelage, the United States may now consider developing a national liturgy.
Two manuscripts of this document are known. One of them is preserved in the Library of Congress. The other copy is estimated $ 8 million, to be sold by Christie's in New York on November 14. It is signed by Washington.
Other federal Thanksgiving days were observed at irregular intervals until the holiday became annual in 1863.
2014 INFORMATION
This lot is available for private sale from Seth Kaller in co-operation with Keno. Here is the link to the release by Keno Auctions.
I invite you to play the video shared by LiveAuctioneers before the 2014 private sale :
In the pious colonial America, it was common after a good harvest to dedicate a day to prayers of thanks. After the independence, the government promoted such a religious communion. Decided by the Congress, the first national Thanksgiving day is observed on November 28, 1782 .
Seven years later, the Congress invited the President to repeat this initiative. With enthusiasm, Washington prepared the proclamation on October 3, 1789. The first federal Thanksgiving day is set for the 26 November. Freed from the British tutelage, the United States may now consider developing a national liturgy.
Two manuscripts of this document are known. One of them is preserved in the Library of Congress. The other copy is estimated $ 8 million, to be sold by Christie's in New York on November 14. It is signed by Washington.
Other federal Thanksgiving days were observed at irregular intervals until the holiday became annual in 1863.
2014 INFORMATION
This lot is available for private sale from Seth Kaller in co-operation with Keno. Here is the link to the release by Keno Auctions.
I invite you to play the video shared by LiveAuctioneers before the 2014 private sale :
1792 Bill of Rights
2002 SOLD for $ 500K by Christie's
The Bill of Rights amending the US Constitution was ratified by the states on December 15, 1791. This new amendment process had been drafted by Madison to get rid of the imperfections and abuses of the text. Ten amendments had been accepted.
Thomas Jefferson was at that time the first Secretary of State of the USA. He ordered the amendments to be printed along with the ratification reports of the states. The original issue was printed in 1792 in 135 copies by the Printers of Congress, Childs and Swaine. In March 1792 a delivery was made to the state governors including two copies of that document plus the Post Office act, a fisheries act and a circular letter by Jefferson.
That original issue is made of 11 printed pages and a blank page in bifolium format. An example 34 x 21 cm considered as the only surviving complete copy, still with its blue paper protective wrappers, was sold for $ 500K by Christie's on December 19, 2002, lot 225.
An incomplete set of uncut laid paper leaves with pages 9 to 11 and the final blank page has just surfaced. It is the only known example from the six surviving copies that has an autograph signature by Jefferson. Its wide margins in an overall 41 x 25 cm format demonstrates that it was a special print. It passed at Sotheby's on July 21, 2022, lot 1006.
Thomas Jefferson was at that time the first Secretary of State of the USA. He ordered the amendments to be printed along with the ratification reports of the states. The original issue was printed in 1792 in 135 copies by the Printers of Congress, Childs and Swaine. In March 1792 a delivery was made to the state governors including two copies of that document plus the Post Office act, a fisheries act and a circular letter by Jefferson.
That original issue is made of 11 printed pages and a blank page in bifolium format. An example 34 x 21 cm considered as the only surviving complete copy, still with its blue paper protective wrappers, was sold for $ 500K by Christie's on December 19, 2002, lot 225.
An incomplete set of uncut laid paper leaves with pages 9 to 11 and the final blank page has just surfaced. It is the only known example from the six surviving copies that has an autograph signature by Jefferson. Its wide margins in an overall 41 x 25 cm format demonstrates that it was a special print. It passed at Sotheby's on July 21, 2022, lot 1006.
1814 The Flag waves over Baltimore
2020 SOLD for $ 325K including premium
The Anglo-American war has been going on since 1812. At the dawn of September 13, 1814, the British Navy begins a massive bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, occupied by 1000 American soldiers.
Francis Scott Key is an American lawyer. He went to the enemy camp with a white flag to negotiate the release of a prisoner. The British detained him during the attack for reasons of military security. He witnessed the shelling throughout the night. At the dawn of September 14, Key is amazed : the US flag still waves on McHenry. The Americans had won the battle.
Key is an occasional poet. He already sang the flag in 1805 to celebrate Decatur's victories in the Tripoli war, with the stirring tune of an English drinking song, Anacreon in Heaven. To celebrate the glorious new episode, he composes on the same tune a song titled Defence of Fort M'Henry.
The Baltimore Patriot and Evening Advertiser resumes on September 20 its publication interrupted ten days earlier because of the war. This 50 x 31 cm double-sided sheet with five columns per page provides news about the bombing as well as the usual announcements concerning the runaway slaves. Key's poem appears with an introduction on the left column of the back.
Three copies of this issue have survived. One of them, which was a duplicate in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, will be sold by Christie's online on June 18, lot 103 estimated $ 300K. Please watch the video featured by the auction house.
Defence of Fort M'Henry is a very good example of a patriotic poem capable by its text and tune of enticing the crowds. With the less circumstantial title The Star Spangled Banner, it became in 1931 the US national anthem.
Francis Scott Key is an American lawyer. He went to the enemy camp with a white flag to negotiate the release of a prisoner. The British detained him during the attack for reasons of military security. He witnessed the shelling throughout the night. At the dawn of September 14, Key is amazed : the US flag still waves on McHenry. The Americans had won the battle.
Key is an occasional poet. He already sang the flag in 1805 to celebrate Decatur's victories in the Tripoli war, with the stirring tune of an English drinking song, Anacreon in Heaven. To celebrate the glorious new episode, he composes on the same tune a song titled Defence of Fort M'Henry.
The Baltimore Patriot and Evening Advertiser resumes on September 20 its publication interrupted ten days earlier because of the war. This 50 x 31 cm double-sided sheet with five columns per page provides news about the bombing as well as the usual announcements concerning the runaway slaves. Key's poem appears with an introduction on the left column of the back.
Three copies of this issue have survived. One of them, which was a duplicate in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, will be sold by Christie's online on June 18, lot 103 estimated $ 300K. Please watch the video featured by the auction house.
Defence of Fort M'Henry is a very good example of a patriotic poem capable by its text and tune of enticing the crowds. With the less circumstantial title The Star Spangled Banner, it became in 1931 the US national anthem.
1st dated printing of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key, September 20, 1814, printed in the Baltimore Patriot & Evening Advertiser, sold for $325,000 (est $300,000/500,000) at @ChristiesInc https://t.co/6pn1tgziIA #antiques #antique #baltimore #America #anthem pic.twitter.com/Xg0Crfb6SB
— Maine Antique Digest (@AntiqueDigest) September 21, 2020
This article by @atlasobscura dives deep into the full context of our printing of the Star Spangled Banner--which first appeared in a newspaper alongside multiple ads for the sale of enslaved people https://t.co/63CQSTkVSH
— Christie's Books (@ChristiesBKS) June 8, 2020
1816-1817 THE COLORS OF THE CONSTITUTION
2012 SOLD 110 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Being now more than two centuries old, the USS Constitution was one of six frigates whose construction wasauthorized by the Naval Act of 1794. It is of course named after the constitution of the United States, applied since 1789.
The boats wear out quickly. The USS Constitution was several times threatened to be broken, and saved by the public enthusiasm. The collector who assembled a set of flags and banners of this frigate had chosen one of the most enduring symbols of freedom in the United States.
This collection is for sale in thirteen lots by Freeman's in Philadelphia on April 30.
The oldest flag, 185 x 330 cm, has eight stripes and thirteen stars (lot 13). Let us not be tempted to date it by counting the stars: the identification with the number of united states dates from 1818, and this remarkable relic, in poor condition, had been made around 1800. The estimate is not predictable: the price is set by the passion of buyers.
The earliest precisely datable flag has 19 stars. This model was authorized for only one year, from December 1816 to December 1817. It measures 320 x 430 cm and is estimated $ 100K (lot 9).
POST SALE COMMENT
The oldest piece, whose estimate had not been published, has not been sold. The 19 star ensign was sold $ 90K before fees, 110K including premium.
The highest price for this collection, $ 130K before fees, 158K including premium, was recorded twice:on a pennant of 1837 and an ensign of 1851.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Freeman's.
Being now more than two centuries old, the USS Constitution was one of six frigates whose construction wasauthorized by the Naval Act of 1794. It is of course named after the constitution of the United States, applied since 1789.
The boats wear out quickly. The USS Constitution was several times threatened to be broken, and saved by the public enthusiasm. The collector who assembled a set of flags and banners of this frigate had chosen one of the most enduring symbols of freedom in the United States.
This collection is for sale in thirteen lots by Freeman's in Philadelphia on April 30.
The oldest flag, 185 x 330 cm, has eight stripes and thirteen stars (lot 13). Let us not be tempted to date it by counting the stars: the identification with the number of united states dates from 1818, and this remarkable relic, in poor condition, had been made around 1800. The estimate is not predictable: the price is set by the passion of buyers.
The earliest precisely datable flag has 19 stars. This model was authorized for only one year, from December 1816 to December 1817. It measures 320 x 430 cm and is estimated $ 100K (lot 9).
POST SALE COMMENT
The oldest piece, whose estimate had not been published, has not been sold. The 19 star ensign was sold $ 90K before fees, 110K including premium.
The highest price for this collection, $ 130K before fees, 158K including premium, was recorded twice:on a pennant of 1837 and an ensign of 1851.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Freeman's.
1858-1860 A BEARDLESS LINCOLN
2008 SOLD 180 K$
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Two presidents dominate the market for historical US memorabilia: Washington and Lincoln. When we talk about photo, one of them remains, Abraham Lincoln, whose political career is entirely contemporary of the beginning of the popularization of photography.
1858 is a benchmark year. In France, Napoleon III celebrates his 50 years with a score of photographs. In the USA, the Homeric debates of Abraham Lincoln and his rival Stephen Douglas on the theme of slavery are the delight of photographers throughout their journey. It is not yet the time of photojournalism, but the portrait we are talking about below shows that the future president already treats his image. Two years later, during the election campaign for the presidency, he will sign some copies of these photos.
It is therefore no doubt that Lincoln signed in or around 1860 this beautiful oval 13x18 cm photo, lot 610 in the sale organized by Profiles in History in Hollywood, or more exactly Calabasas Hills, on 31 July and 1 August.
He has no beard in this picture, which makes even more impressive his figure with hollow cheeks which it seems today that it results from a metabolism that does not fix fats. The whole attitude of this portrait is firm and proactive, and we are told that Lincoln particularly liked this photo of himself.
The estimate is 150 K $. I believe in it. However, this historical image is much singled in the middle of this sale traditionally devoted to memories of Hollywood.
POST SALE COMMENT
This is a well-deserved price for a photo that is truly exceptional: $ 180 K, presumably before fees.
Two presidents dominate the market for historical US memorabilia: Washington and Lincoln. When we talk about photo, one of them remains, Abraham Lincoln, whose political career is entirely contemporary of the beginning of the popularization of photography.
1858 is a benchmark year. In France, Napoleon III celebrates his 50 years with a score of photographs. In the USA, the Homeric debates of Abraham Lincoln and his rival Stephen Douglas on the theme of slavery are the delight of photographers throughout their journey. It is not yet the time of photojournalism, but the portrait we are talking about below shows that the future president already treats his image. Two years later, during the election campaign for the presidency, he will sign some copies of these photos.
It is therefore no doubt that Lincoln signed in or around 1860 this beautiful oval 13x18 cm photo, lot 610 in the sale organized by Profiles in History in Hollywood, or more exactly Calabasas Hills, on 31 July and 1 August.
He has no beard in this picture, which makes even more impressive his figure with hollow cheeks which it seems today that it results from a metabolism that does not fix fats. The whole attitude of this portrait is firm and proactive, and we are told that Lincoln particularly liked this photo of himself.
The estimate is 150 K $. I believe in it. However, this historical image is much singled in the middle of this sale traditionally devoted to memories of Hollywood.
POST SALE COMMENT
This is a well-deserved price for a photo that is truly exceptional: $ 180 K, presumably before fees.
1863 THE IMAGE OF LINCOLN
2010 SOLD 103 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
Photography has quickly gained popularity when it was publicly disclosed in Paris in 1839. On the other side of the Atlantic, Abraham Lincoln was certainly one of the first politicians to understand the communication power of this new technology, which helped to shape his image of a right and wise person. His long face, characterized by an asymmetry related to an accident that happened in his youth, has certainly contributed to show him as an extraordinary man.
I have already discussed in this column a beautiful oval portrait 13 x 18 cm, from a negative made in 1858, sold $ 180 K by Profiles In History on 1 August 2008.
Collectors of photographs like the larger sizes. However, we must not neglect the role of smaller images, cartes-de-visite and stereoscopic views, on the disclosure of the world knowledge in the mid-nineteenth century.
In 1863, a carte-de-visite, 102 x 62 mm, showed the President standing, the hand resting on a low column in Brady's gallery. Walking through the battlefields of the Civil War, Mathew Brady became a legendary photographer, a pioneer of photojournalism.
On Broadway NYC, in Anthony's shop, customers found everything related to photography, for the practice and for image collection. Published by this outstanding firm, a copy of our carte-de-visite, signed A.Lincoln, is estimated 8 K$ by Freeman's, for sale in Philadelphia on January 14.
POST SALE COMMENT
Excellent result, especially when considering the small size of the photo: 85 K $ before fees, 103 K $ including premium. The portraits of Lincoln are probably the only subject that could qualify for that price range in the carte-de-visite category.
Photography has quickly gained popularity when it was publicly disclosed in Paris in 1839. On the other side of the Atlantic, Abraham Lincoln was certainly one of the first politicians to understand the communication power of this new technology, which helped to shape his image of a right and wise person. His long face, characterized by an asymmetry related to an accident that happened in his youth, has certainly contributed to show him as an extraordinary man.
I have already discussed in this column a beautiful oval portrait 13 x 18 cm, from a negative made in 1858, sold $ 180 K by Profiles In History on 1 August 2008.
Collectors of photographs like the larger sizes. However, we must not neglect the role of smaller images, cartes-de-visite and stereoscopic views, on the disclosure of the world knowledge in the mid-nineteenth century.
In 1863, a carte-de-visite, 102 x 62 mm, showed the President standing, the hand resting on a low column in Brady's gallery. Walking through the battlefields of the Civil War, Mathew Brady became a legendary photographer, a pioneer of photojournalism.
On Broadway NYC, in Anthony's shop, customers found everything related to photography, for the practice and for image collection. Published by this outstanding firm, a copy of our carte-de-visite, signed A.Lincoln, is estimated 8 K$ by Freeman's, for sale in Philadelphia on January 14.
POST SALE COMMENT
Excellent result, especially when considering the small size of the photo: 85 K $ before fees, 103 K $ including premium. The portraits of Lincoln are probably the only subject that could qualify for that price range in the carte-de-visite category.
1864 THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT
2011 SOLD 225 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM
2022 SOLD for $ 260K by Heritage
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
President Lincoln was a great political strategist.
He understood that his Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, was not sufficient to ensurehis total victory against slavery. He dared to try a move that no one had successfully managed since 1804: to amend the Constitution of the United States of America. It will be the thirteenth amendment.
He had to demonstrate that MPs supported his approach. In 1864, he circulated a petition (handwritten by a clerk) among his supporters in the House of Representatives. The many signatures obtained are divided into three tight columns under the patronage of Schuyler Colfax, then Speaker of the House, who later became vice president of the United States.
This document had a mobilizing effect, but it was smudged after handling by so many hurried men and it was not deemed worthy of being presented as such in the Congress. Fortunately, it was not destroyed.
Estimated $ 200K, it is for sale on November 13 by Skinner in Boston, and is shown on the pre sale release.
POST SALE COMMENT
It was just a working document and it could have been difficult to sell. The result, $ 190K before fees, 225K including premium, is very good, although it did not reach the lower estimate.
2022
Heritage, Dallas, February 12, lot 43114. SOLD for $ 260K
President Lincoln was a great political strategist.
He understood that his Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, was not sufficient to ensurehis total victory against slavery. He dared to try a move that no one had successfully managed since 1804: to amend the Constitution of the United States of America. It will be the thirteenth amendment.
He had to demonstrate that MPs supported his approach. In 1864, he circulated a petition (handwritten by a clerk) among his supporters in the House of Representatives. The many signatures obtained are divided into three tight columns under the patronage of Schuyler Colfax, then Speaker of the House, who later became vice president of the United States.
This document had a mobilizing effect, but it was smudged after handling by so many hurried men and it was not deemed worthy of being presented as such in the Congress. Fortunately, it was not destroyed.
Estimated $ 200K, it is for sale on November 13 by Skinner in Boston, and is shown on the pre sale release.
POST SALE COMMENT
It was just a working document and it could have been difficult to sell. The result, $ 190K before fees, 225K including premium, is very good, although it did not reach the lower estimate.
2022
Heritage, Dallas, February 12, lot 43114. SOLD for $ 260K
On Lincoln's Birthday, Epic Event At Heritage Auctions To Span President's Life And Times.
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) February 4, 2022
Sale Offers Autographed Carte de Visite And Iconic Portrait Bust.
Via @fineantiquenews https://t.co/OET2heOwiB#historical pic.twitter.com/JQ9aCNONNR
1864 The Colored Flag
2019 SOLD for $ 197k including premium
President Lincoln simultaneously organizes the army of the Union and the emancipation. In 1862 an act of Congress authorizes the incorporation of former slaves into the army. Three years later at the end of the Civil War, the Union Army has 175 African-American regiments that constitute the United States Colored Troops (USCT).
11 of these USCT regiments were created in Pennsylvania. The new recruits in that state are gathered for three weeks in a training camp. This operation ends with a ceremony with raised flags on September 15, 1864.
The realization of these USCT Pennsylvanian banners had been entrusted to an African-American artist from Philadelphia, David Bustill Bowser. They are of course all different, to identify each regiment during the meetings.
Each flag includes the number of the regiment and a motto that exalts the patriotism of these new Americans, such as : Rather Die Freemen than Live to be Slaves, or : Let Soldiers in War be Citizens in Peace.
Most of these flags have been destroyed or have disappeared. Only one is located. Established for the 127th USCT Regiment, it carries the motto We Will Proove Ourselves Men, highly significant of the vital need of the African-American community to gain a national recognition. It is illustrated with a colored soldier accompanied by a white feminine allegory of America.
This flag measures 1.80 x 1.40 m plus 5 cm of fringes in the height. It has been restored and is now de-accessed by the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Civil War Museum. It is estimated beyond $ 150K for sale by Morphy in Denver PA on June 13, lot 2161. Please read the interview of the CEO of the auction house published by Auction Central News.
11 of these USCT regiments were created in Pennsylvania. The new recruits in that state are gathered for three weeks in a training camp. This operation ends with a ceremony with raised flags on September 15, 1864.
The realization of these USCT Pennsylvanian banners had been entrusted to an African-American artist from Philadelphia, David Bustill Bowser. They are of course all different, to identify each regiment during the meetings.
Each flag includes the number of the regiment and a motto that exalts the patriotism of these new Americans, such as : Rather Die Freemen than Live to be Slaves, or : Let Soldiers in War be Citizens in Peace.
Most of these flags have been destroyed or have disappeared. Only one is located. Established for the 127th USCT Regiment, it carries the motto We Will Proove Ourselves Men, highly significant of the vital need of the African-American community to gain a national recognition. It is illustrated with a colored soldier accompanied by a white feminine allegory of America.
This flag measures 1.80 x 1.40 m plus 5 cm of fringes in the height. It has been restored and is now de-accessed by the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Civil War Museum. It is estimated beyond $ 150K for sale by Morphy in Denver PA on June 13, lot 2161. Please read the interview of the CEO of the auction house published by Auction Central News.
An 1864 hand-painted flag carried into battle by the 127th Regiment, one of 11 African-American regiments from Pennsylvania during the Civil War, sold at @MorphyAuctions for $196,800 (includes buyer’s premium) on June 13 #antiques #antique #CivilWar https://t.co/jbx0ctmkK2 pic.twitter.com/A8pthMs2hz
— Maine Antique Digest (@AntiqueDigest) June 13, 2019
1864 THE BLUE JACKET OF GETTYSBURG
2009 SOLD 40.2 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
This cloth is shown on so many images that deal with the US Federal Army of the nineteenth century: illustrations, photographs, movies, comics. It is interesting to consider now a true copy of the blue shell jacket, whose provenance is well documented.
It is a short jacket, suited to enable the soldier with the best freedom of movement. On sale at Cowan's on November 4 in Cincinnati, it is joined by a letter written by the sergeant to his mother when he sent her the cloth in 1864.
He had worn it in five major battles of the Civil War, and considered it as the symbol of his luck to have survived. It kept a scratch on the left sleeve from the Battle of Gettysburg (1863), and is still adorned with the sergeant's chevrons (but the buttons have disappeared).
The authentic memories of historic events are highly sought after at auction. This one is estimated 40 K$. Here are the pictures of the lot and its description in the catalog, kindly shared by the auction house.
POST SALE COMMENT
The price remained below the estimate, but I consider it is a good result: 40,2 K $ including premium.
This cloth is shown on so many images that deal with the US Federal Army of the nineteenth century: illustrations, photographs, movies, comics. It is interesting to consider now a true copy of the blue shell jacket, whose provenance is well documented.
It is a short jacket, suited to enable the soldier with the best freedom of movement. On sale at Cowan's on November 4 in Cincinnati, it is joined by a letter written by the sergeant to his mother when he sent her the cloth in 1864.
He had worn it in five major battles of the Civil War, and considered it as the symbol of his luck to have survived. It kept a scratch on the left sleeve from the Battle of Gettysburg (1863), and is still adorned with the sergeant's chevrons (but the buttons have disappeared).
The authentic memories of historic events are highly sought after at auction. This one is estimated 40 K$. Here are the pictures of the lot and its description in the catalog, kindly shared by the auction house.
POST SALE COMMENT
The price remained below the estimate, but I consider it is a good result: 40,2 K $ including premium.
1865 THE OPERA GLASSES OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN
2002 SOLD 424 K$ INCLUDING PREMIUM BY CHRISTIE'S
2012 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
On June 17, 2011, the opera glasses of Lincoln had not been sold by Sotheby's. They are now proposed by Nate D.Sanders, an auction house that operates in Los Angeles. This online sale is ending on April 30.
This lot is illustrated in the news shared by Bloomberg. Nate D. Sanders confirmed to Bloomberg the estimate that had been announced last year by Sotheby's. I republish without modification my previous discussion.
On April 14, 1865, the actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln who attended a theatrical performancein Washington. Booth had managed to enter the lodge, where he shot Lincoln in the back of the head. He jumped onthe stage, shouted 'Sic semper tyrannis' to emphasize that his gesture was political, and succeeded to flee.
In the understandable chaos that followed, the opera glasses of the President were retrieved by one of his stretcherbearers, who kept them. A century later, the great-grand-son of this captain became aware of the sentimentalimportance of this silent witness to one of the bloodiest episodes in the history of the Presidents.
On March 27, 2002, this piece became one of the top lots for sale by Christie's from the fabulous Forbes collection of American historical documents. It sold for $ 424K including premium.
The Lincoln glasses come back on the market with an estimate of $ 500K.
On June 17, 2011, the opera glasses of Lincoln had not been sold by Sotheby's. They are now proposed by Nate D.Sanders, an auction house that operates in Los Angeles. This online sale is ending on April 30.
This lot is illustrated in the news shared by Bloomberg. Nate D. Sanders confirmed to Bloomberg the estimate that had been announced last year by Sotheby's. I republish without modification my previous discussion.
On April 14, 1865, the actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln who attended a theatrical performancein Washington. Booth had managed to enter the lodge, where he shot Lincoln in the back of the head. He jumped onthe stage, shouted 'Sic semper tyrannis' to emphasize that his gesture was political, and succeeded to flee.
In the understandable chaos that followed, the opera glasses of the President were retrieved by one of his stretcherbearers, who kept them. A century later, the great-grand-son of this captain became aware of the sentimentalimportance of this silent witness to one of the bloodiest episodes in the history of the Presidents.
On March 27, 2002, this piece became one of the top lots for sale by Christie's from the fabulous Forbes collection of American historical documents. It sold for $ 424K including premium.
The Lincoln glasses come back on the market with an estimate of $ 500K.
From 2011: The appetite for #Lincolniana never fades. #Lincoln #AbrahamLincolnhttps://t.co/BhbDb2sUTg pic.twitter.com/Gr7ozELTsB
— SGSwritereditor (@SGSwritereditor) February 19, 2018
1865 REWARD broadside for lincoln's murderers
2014 UNSOLD
PRE SALE DISCUSSION
In February 2009, a historically important US reward broadsidewent unsold at a Californian auction house. The poster that comes now for sale by another auctioneer is certainly the same as there is no difference in the photos of this piece considered as the best of the four surviving copies.
It is estimated $ 125K in the sale managed by Profiles in History in Calabasas CA on December 16, lot 143 in the catalogue shared by the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers.
Here is how I introduced this item in 2009 :
On the evening of 14 April 1865, Abraham Lincoln is in a theater in Washington. John Wilkes Booth enters his box and discharges a pistol in his head. The President died on the next morning. Booth's intention was to "avenge the South", which had just lost the Civil War.
The assassin and his accomplices are at large, but their names are known. Posters offering rewards for their arrest were issued. The award is initially set at $ 30,000 and then 40,000.
On April 20, the War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton is upset. A new poster is published, in thick and powerful letters, a no fancy typography. The reward, in huge figures, amounts to $ 100,000, i.e. 50,000 for Booth and 25,000 for each of his two companions.
To recognize Booth, look for a man 5 feet 7 inches, slender, high forehead, black hair, black eyes, with a heavy mustache. I do not know if this description was helpful, but indeed Booth was shot a few days later.
The original copy of this poster that is coming for sale is laid upon heavy cardstock and in excellent condition,
It is amazing to note that the estimate, $ 100K (lower estimate before the 2009 auction), is at the same price as the reward offered nearly a century and a half ago by the War Department.
It is illustrated in the pre sale tweet by Profiles in History :
In February 2009, a historically important US reward broadsidewent unsold at a Californian auction house. The poster that comes now for sale by another auctioneer is certainly the same as there is no difference in the photos of this piece considered as the best of the four surviving copies.
It is estimated $ 125K in the sale managed by Profiles in History in Calabasas CA on December 16, lot 143 in the catalogue shared by the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers.
Here is how I introduced this item in 2009 :
On the evening of 14 April 1865, Abraham Lincoln is in a theater in Washington. John Wilkes Booth enters his box and discharges a pistol in his head. The President died on the next morning. Booth's intention was to "avenge the South", which had just lost the Civil War.
The assassin and his accomplices are at large, but their names are known. Posters offering rewards for their arrest were issued. The award is initially set at $ 30,000 and then 40,000.
On April 20, the War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton is upset. A new poster is published, in thick and powerful letters, a no fancy typography. The reward, in huge figures, amounts to $ 100,000, i.e. 50,000 for Booth and 25,000 for each of his two companions.
To recognize Booth, look for a man 5 feet 7 inches, slender, high forehead, black hair, black eyes, with a heavy mustache. I do not know if this description was helpful, but indeed Booth was shot a few days later.
The original copy of this poster that is coming for sale is laid upon heavy cardstock and in excellent condition,
It is amazing to note that the estimate, $ 100K (lower estimate before the 2009 auction), is at the same price as the reward offered nearly a century and a half ago by the War Department.
It is illustrated in the pre sale tweet by Profiles in History :
Historical sale begins 11a PT! Featuring official REWARD Poster #AbrahamLincoln assassin >> http://t.co/6GyfEbT9NV pic.twitter.com/vTB5Q6aaRZ
— Profiles In History (@pihauctions) December 16, 20141876 The Guidon of the Seventh Cavalry
2010 SOLD 2.2 M$ including premium
A modern Plutarch might draw parallels between Leonidas and George Custer.
The facts are famous. On June 25, 1876, during the War of the Black Hills of Montana, Custer tries to attack a large Indian encampment, but the counter-attack of Crazy Horse led to the massacre of the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment.
The battle is regarded as heroic by both parties, which provide it with two different names: Little Big Horn or Greasy Grass Creek.
Three days after the massacre, Federal troops come to bury the dead. The Sioux and Cheyennes had taken everything that could serve as a trophy. The soldiers managed to collect a single silk guidon, swallowtail cut, with the pattern of the stars and stripes flags.
For a nostalgic of the history of the United States, this relic can be worth $ 2 million. It will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York on December 10. The photo shared by MuseumPublicity shows the condition of this unique historical piece.
POST SALE COMMENT
$ 2.2 million including premium for that piece of silk in poor condition indicating a heroic episode of the Indian wars.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Sotheby's.
The facts are famous. On June 25, 1876, during the War of the Black Hills of Montana, Custer tries to attack a large Indian encampment, but the counter-attack of Crazy Horse led to the massacre of the soldiers of the 7th Cavalry Regiment.
The battle is regarded as heroic by both parties, which provide it with two different names: Little Big Horn or Greasy Grass Creek.
Three days after the massacre, Federal troops come to bury the dead. The Sioux and Cheyennes had taken everything that could serve as a trophy. The soldiers managed to collect a single silk guidon, swallowtail cut, with the pattern of the stars and stripes flags.
For a nostalgic of the history of the United States, this relic can be worth $ 2 million. It will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York on December 10. The photo shared by MuseumPublicity shows the condition of this unique historical piece.
POST SALE COMMENT
$ 2.2 million including premium for that piece of silk in poor condition indicating a heroic episode of the Indian wars.
I invite you to play the video shared on YouTube by Sotheby's.
1901 the steel bond
2018 sold for € 25k before fees
Andrew Carnegie had a skill for making highly profitable everything he did. Taking advantage of the development of the railway, he accumulated a colossal fortune in the steel industry. He never changed his statement that it is shameful to die rich.
Carnegie dedicated his last years to philanthropy. When he died in 1919, he only had $ 35 million left, which he bequeathed to charities. He had spent $ 350 million on works for peace and science including the creation of 3,000 public libraries.
Carnegie retires in 1901. He sells his enterprises to John Pierpont Morgan who creates a trust, the United States Steel Corporation. The total price of this sale is $ 480M, of which Carnegie personally receives $ 225M paid in gold bonds at 5% for 50 years. The US Steel is capitalized for a total of $ 1.4 billion.
On January 20 in Würzburg, HWPH sells in one lot three Gold Bonds supplied to Carnegie and his works, lot 563 with a € 25K starting bid. Here is its link on the Invaluable bidding platform.
The main piece of this lot is a $ 100,000 gold bond inscribed to Carnegie's personal ownership in 1901. Five revenue stamps are pasted on the front side. Then comes a $ 20,000 gold bond issued in 1903, with no revenue stamp.
The most recent piece is a $ 100,000 gold bond issued in 1912 for the benefit of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library of Carnegie, Pa and immediately cancelled. On the same day Andrew Carnegie also cancelled the 1901 bond described above and signed it on the back to donate it to the archives of the same library. The borough of Carnegie had been incorporated in his name in 1894 in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.
Carnegie dedicated his last years to philanthropy. When he died in 1919, he only had $ 35 million left, which he bequeathed to charities. He had spent $ 350 million on works for peace and science including the creation of 3,000 public libraries.
Carnegie retires in 1901. He sells his enterprises to John Pierpont Morgan who creates a trust, the United States Steel Corporation. The total price of this sale is $ 480M, of which Carnegie personally receives $ 225M paid in gold bonds at 5% for 50 years. The US Steel is capitalized for a total of $ 1.4 billion.
On January 20 in Würzburg, HWPH sells in one lot three Gold Bonds supplied to Carnegie and his works, lot 563 with a € 25K starting bid. Here is its link on the Invaluable bidding platform.
The main piece of this lot is a $ 100,000 gold bond inscribed to Carnegie's personal ownership in 1901. Five revenue stamps are pasted on the front side. Then comes a $ 20,000 gold bond issued in 1903, with no revenue stamp.
The most recent piece is a $ 100,000 gold bond issued in 1912 for the benefit of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library of Carnegie, Pa and immediately cancelled. On the same day Andrew Carnegie also cancelled the 1901 bond described above and signed it on the back to donate it to the archives of the same library. The borough of Carnegie had been incorporated in his name in 1894 in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.
1939 Alcoholics Anonymous
2018 SOLD for $ 2.4M by Profiles in History
Alcoholism was a social problem of the utmost importance. In the United States the Prohibition had tried to take the root harm by banning the production but the side effects went worse when adulterated liquor was provided by the underworld. It is repealed in 1933.
In 1934 a heavy drinker considered as incurable by the doctors tries to recover. He understands that alcoholism is a mental and physical illness but not a sin. After failing in a spiritual approach, he conceives that only a former alcoholic can help a patient disavowed by his family and friends.
He stops drinking but that is not enough. During a professional visit that goes very badly at Akron OH, he feels that he will relapse and looks in the city for another incurable for a mutual help. He finds a surgeon whom he heals and persuades. Bill W and Dr. Bob consciously launched a chain of healing from that disabling illness, without a doctor, without a psychoanalyst, without a priest, simply by ordinary people helping other ordinary people.
They reached at the first attempt a balanced practice, based on the instinctive desire of drinkers to group together for avoiding their natural surroundings, on the protection against relapsing simply brought by the pride of helping another victim, on the anonymity and the absence of a guru which allow the patient to keep his freedom of thought.
They have founded a fraternity without registration and without obligation, without fees and without sponsoring, operating through regular local meetings where it is forbidden to debate anything else than the healing from alcohol. They are the Alcoholics Anonymous.
The method is pragmatic and the early successes are blatant. That deserves a book in which the two founders actively participate. This is another achievement. The first typed draft is sent to a large number of sympathizers invited to comment from their personal experience.
The modifications are written on a reference copy that is considered suitable for publication early in 1939. This 161-page document is a unique example of a collective text serving a great cause. It was sold for $ 1.58M by Sotheby's on June 18, 2004 and for $ 2.4M by Profiles in History on May 5, 2018, single lot of the sale here linked on iCollector bidding platform.
The book titled Alcoholics Anonymous is also known by its nickname The Big Book. Its basic principles are applied in all countries of the world.
In 1934 a heavy drinker considered as incurable by the doctors tries to recover. He understands that alcoholism is a mental and physical illness but not a sin. After failing in a spiritual approach, he conceives that only a former alcoholic can help a patient disavowed by his family and friends.
He stops drinking but that is not enough. During a professional visit that goes very badly at Akron OH, he feels that he will relapse and looks in the city for another incurable for a mutual help. He finds a surgeon whom he heals and persuades. Bill W and Dr. Bob consciously launched a chain of healing from that disabling illness, without a doctor, without a psychoanalyst, without a priest, simply by ordinary people helping other ordinary people.
They reached at the first attempt a balanced practice, based on the instinctive desire of drinkers to group together for avoiding their natural surroundings, on the protection against relapsing simply brought by the pride of helping another victim, on the anonymity and the absence of a guru which allow the patient to keep his freedom of thought.
They have founded a fraternity without registration and without obligation, without fees and without sponsoring, operating through regular local meetings where it is forbidden to debate anything else than the healing from alcohol. They are the Alcoholics Anonymous.
The method is pragmatic and the early successes are blatant. That deserves a book in which the two founders actively participate. This is another achievement. The first typed draft is sent to a large number of sympathizers invited to comment from their personal experience.
The modifications are written on a reference copy that is considered suitable for publication early in 1939. This 161-page document is a unique example of a collective text serving a great cause. It was sold for $ 1.58M by Sotheby's on June 18, 2004 and for $ 2.4M by Profiles in History on May 5, 2018, single lot of the sale here linked on iCollector bidding platform.
The book titled Alcoholics Anonymous is also known by its nickname The Big Book. Its basic principles are applied in all countries of the world.
