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Wed 15 May

BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (Jules) - Les Bas-bleus. Paris, Victor Palmé; Bruxelles, G. Lebrocquy, 1878. In-12, midnight-blue, Jansenist morocco, gilt title on spine, interior lace, gilt edges on witnesses, cover and spine in slipcase (Ed. Klein). First edition of this violent critique of women of letters, referred to in the 19th century as bas-bleus. Striking autograph letter from Barbey d'Aurevilly, in the form of a quatrain, on the title page: À Saint-Maur Here! Take... No! Don't take all those bas- -bleus, without buttocks, who make a literary cuckold of this century. And make fun, my dear Saint-Maur, of these drôlesses, believing themselves to be geniuses and having no cu. J. B. d'A. It was Flavie de Glatigny, his relative, who introduced the poet Hector de Saint-Maur (1808-1879) to Barbey: the two men became fast friends and kept up an extensive correspondence. Barbey, who painted a portrait of his friend in Les Poètes (1893, pp. 288-305), described him as the truest of poets as he was the truest of men. The dispatch is not recorded by Bonnefon, Les Dédicaces à la main de M. J. Barbey d'Aurevilly. Barbey's quatrain is quoted in Les oeuvres romanesques (La Pléiade edition, II, 1964, p. 1599). It has been transcribed and corrected by a foreign hand on a leaflet mounted at the head of the volume. Attached to the copy is an autograph letter signed by Barbey d'Aurevilly to M. Léopold Frinzine, bibliothèque des Deux-Mondes, Paris (one page in-12, envelope preserved); Barbey recommends to his correspondent: M. Victor Lalotte, un de mes amis. He is the one who bought my Bas-Bleus, part of the five volumes sold to Amyot. He knows all about my business. Unite your two wisdoms and draw the consequences of my folly. In 1885, the publisher Frinzine resumed the interrupted publication of Les oeuvres et les Hommes. From the libraries of Jules Le Roy, J. S. Marchand (1936, no. 70), and comte de Hanot d'Octeville (Maurice d'Hartoy).

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Wed 15 May

BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (Jules) - Le Chevalier des Touches. Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, 1879. In-12, lemon chagrin, gilt fillets framing the boards, large fleur-de-lis at the corners, in the center of the first midnight-blue morocco mosaic shield charged with three fleurs-de-lis and surmounted by a crown, ornate spine, midnight-blue title-piece, the caissons decorated with small fleurs-de-lis and a gilt mosaic umbilicus, interior lace, gilt edges and painted with black lines (Gayler-Hirou). A precious copy bound for Barbey d'Aurevilly by Gayler-Hirou, his favorite bookbinder, with the royal coat of arms evoking his hero's commitment, and decorated edges (here, two-tone). We know that the writer had copies of his books bound as he wished, as gifts for his friends and family, as he himself pointed out in a letter to Madame de Bouglon dated February 15, 1882: Je lui répondrai quand j'envoierai mon Prêtre marié (relié à ma fantaisie) à sa femme. We're working on it at the bookbinder's [...] I'm not sending you the Prêtre marié, because you already have one (Correspondance générale, IX, 1882/8, p. 16). The copy bears this autograph letter signed by Barbey, in green, violet and red inks, with a Sagittarius arrow and dusted with gold: à Mademoiselle Mathilde Biéli, son respectueux Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly. The copy was included in the exhibition organized for the centenary of the writer's death at the Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris in 1989 (cf. cat. Barbey d'Aurevilly, n°115; error in the name and surname of the addressee). There are 3 handwritten corrections in the text, probably in Barbey's hand (pp. 25, 53 and 208). Bookplate bearing the initials J and M undetermined. Upper hinge fragile.

Estim. 3 000 - 5 000 EUR

Wed 15 May

BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (Jules) - A History Without a Name. Fifth edition. Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, 1882. In-12, red morocco, triple filet gras et maigre, smooth spine decorated with gilt motifs, triple filet inside, gilt head, untrimmed, cover and spine (L. Genet). First edition, with a new title bearing a fictitious mention of a fifth edition. This is the only one of Barbey's novels not set in either Normandy or Paris. Une Histoire sans nom is based on memories of the writer's trip to Bourg-Argental, in the Cévennes. It was in a way his "madeleine-Proust", for it was apparently here, while he was writing his Vieille maîtresse at the inn, that all his childhood memories came back to him, and these are included in the second "Norman" part of the novel (cf. cat. Barbey d'Aurevilly, 1989, n°124). Spiritual autograph letter from the author, in red ink and accompanied by two crossed sagittarius arrows highlighted in silver, on the back cover: to Madame Louise Laure, He who, for the first time, would have regretted not having been Petrarch. Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly. Judging by the tone of this beautiful letter, Barbey seems as enchanted as Petrarch was with his muse Laure de Noves. The mailing is noted by Bonnefon, Les Dédicaces à la main de M. J. Barbey d'Aurevilly, p. 82. There are 2 handwritten corrections in Barbey's hand (pp. 66 and 208). From the libraries of Roger-Pierre Monmélien, one of Barbey d'Aurevilly's great posthumous admirers, and Gaston Maury. Two quires slightly foxed.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 500 EUR

Wed 15 May

BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (Jules) - Une Vieille maîtresse. Paris, Alexandre Cadot, 1853. 3 volumes in-8, red half-maroquin with corners, smooth spine decorated with a mosaic foliate stem passing beneath the midnight-blue morocco title-piece, gilt-edged head, untrimmed, cover (Bretault). Original 1851 edition, with relay titles and covers dated 1853. Copy without errata, enriched with a portrait of the author engraved by H. Toussaint after Émile Lévy, in double state, and the suite of 10 etchings by Félix Buhot, printed on chine, for the 1873 Lemerre edition. At the head of Volume I is a beautiful autograph letter signed by Barbey to Octave Uzanne (2 pages in-12, dated Whit Tuesday 1878, envelope with red wax seal preserved); the writer confirms the cancellation of a dinner: I don't think it was expressly agreed that day, between us, but as I am the most anxious being on Earth (an Englishwoman called me Lord Anxious), I am writing to you to put an end to my anxiety. It would be impossible for me to spend tomorrow together. Some Normans are arriving from Normandy, attracted by the onlookers at the exhibition. I belong to them. Tomorrow, they'll be gone. You'll still be here to belong to me. Yours sincerely Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly. In 1927, the bibliophile and prolific journalist Octave Uzanne (1852-1931) published a biography of the author of Les Diaboliques, whom he had met in 1877. From the library of Colonel Daniel Sickles (IV, 1990, n°1009). Brittle jaws, one split over 6 cm in volume I.

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 EUR

Wed 15 May

GUÉRIN (Maurice de) - Reliquiae. Published by G. S. Trebutien. Avec une étude biographique et littéraire par M. Sainte-Beuve. Paris, Didier, 1861. 2 volumes, small square in-12, long-grained green morocco, thin twisted gilt fillet, Bibliothèque de Laurent Evrard supra-libris in the center of a gilt medallion, spines decorated with gilt fillets, edge-to-edge lining in the same morocco, inner frame decorated with a set of seven gilt fillets, brown moire endpapers, gilt edges (Chambolle-Duru). First edition, published by Trebutien, who along with Barbey was co-executor of Maurice de Guérin's will. Autograph letter from Trebutien to the artist William Haussoulier: Hommage de l'éditeur à Monsieur William Haussoulier. William Haussoulier (1815-1892) was a friend of Eugénie de Guérin, who introduced him to the author of Les Diaboliques: The ideal artist, of whom Eugénie speaks, is Mr. William Haussoulier [...], a painter, an Ingriste, with whom I was very close, at a certain period, and who had such a lively admiration for Guérin that this admiration was the decisive cause of our friendship. [...] As a painter [...], he made color bark, squeak and howl. Certainly, if he had seen him only once, Haussoulier would have given us some fine portrait of Guérin in the black manner, and what a boon to put at the head of his works! In the somewhat bygone days of his great affair with me, William did a very neat charcoal portrait of me, which is now probably in the Diable's bric-a-brac (Barbey d'Aurevilly, letter to Trebutien, April 2, 1855, in Correspondance générale, IV, p. 195). The portrait of Barbey in the Musée de Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte, reproduced at the head of the 1989 Paris exhibition catalog, is attributed to him. Copy on Hollande paper, bound in doubled morocco by Chambolle-Duru for Laurent Evrard, pseudonym of the Countess de La Baume-Pluvinel (1858-1911), novelist and woman of letters. It was included in the exhibition organized for the centenary of the writer's death at the Bibliothèque historique de la ville de Paris in 1989 (cf. cat. Barbey d'Aurevilly, no. 64). Some browning, halo pp. 160-163 in volume I and angular wetness to 3 leaves in volume II. Upper hinge of Volume I a little rubbed.

Estim. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

Wed 15 May

COLETTE - Set of 4 autograph letters signed, mostly addressed to the writer Jean-Joseph Renaud (1873-1953). - L.A.S. [to Saurel?] S.l.n.d. [February 6, 1941, according to a note]. 2 pp. in-4. Blue paper. Letterhead "9, rue de Beaujolais". "[...] dear sorcerer, I must be quite embarrassed to write to you [...] my coal from last year is melting like sugar. If I don't have any heat, I can't work anymore, because, like Father Richepin, I can only work if I'm hot, if my arthritic hip and I are hot [...]". She looks for places to buy coal "even the blackest kind. I know perfectly well that this is an indecent question. But you have signed: sorcerer of all kinds [...]". - L.A.S. S.l.n.d. [postmarked October 16, 1948]. 1 p. in-8 oblong. Blue paper. Retained envelope. "From the bosom of a slow storm of work I assure you that I signed nothing before 1904. And for good reason, M. Willy seeing a thousand inconveniences [...]". - L.A.S. S.l.n.d. [postmarked April 6, 1951]. 1 p. in-4. Blue paper. Retained envelope with engraved "Académie Goncourt". "Cher ami, j'aime bien que nos souvenirs se donnent la main. The comrade's name was probably Georges; the teacher was Pierre, the most intelligent. I still can't walk [...]". -L.A.S. S.l.n.d. [postmarked April 16, 1946]. 1 p. 1/3 in-4. Blue paper. Retained envelope. "[...] I believe Le Matou first appeared in Le Matin. It must have retired in La Paix chez les bêtes, - or I'm mistaken... Thank you for evoking this memory of Kipling [...]"

Estim. 500 - 600 EUR

Wed 15 May

LELY Gilbert. 9 L.A.S. to Pascal Pia. 1958-1970. 10 pages, various formats, approx. Beautiful correspondence about the Marquis de Sade and poetry, and a corrected proof of an erotic poem. - January 6, 1958: on the subject of a few errors in his Vie du Marquis de Sade: "Don't minimize the interest of your fine article, which really touched me; moreover, your remarks about Zoloé are very judicious, and I shall take them into account in a new edition"... - May 30 1961: he begins work on the text of La Nouvelle Justine and Juliette, and would like to borrow Pia's 1797 editions... - February 12, 1966: he is about to publish a collection of poems with Pauvert, and has reworked the poem L'inceste l'été into a new version, L'Épouse infidèle, which he sends to Pia "in order to know your feelings, and whether, through my corrections, I will be able to defy censorship". - September 23, 1966: "I regret that your incredible modesty has so far prevented you from putting together the best of your literary columns. [...] What a solid and precious collection such a book would be! ". - October 13, 1968, thanking Pia for an erudite piece of information on Sade: "What clarity, what exactitude in the notions you indicate: that is the language of literary science, and how far we are from the approximation by which our contemptible contemporaries," such as R. Escarpit, M. Clavel or Étiemble, are known. Clavel or Étiemble; he also evokes Aragon "with his hideous companion, the Thénardier of literature [...] I am not about to forget your politico-literary execution of the unworthy Éluard, who will have disappeared, without understanding what we have known for 40 years (with only a little heart and common sense), that Bolshevism is lies, horror and murder"... E - Enclosed: a proof of the poem "L'inceste l'été" with numerous autograph corrections and additions; and other printed excerpts. Expert : Ségolène Beauchamp

Estim. 300 - 400 EUR

Wed 15 May

[ZOLA (Emile)]. Set of 15 autographed letters and bills addressed to Emile Zola, from literary figures and journalists. 1873 - 1900. - Joseph Barthélémy, March 18, 1886 (1 p. and a half) on L'Assommoir at the theater. - Georges Brisson (2 letters), admirer from Nantes: April 19 (2 pp.) and September 7, 1876 (3 pp.). "I would thus have the immense happiness of seeing at least once in my life the man I have studied and admired since I was of age (...)". - Camille Doucet (2 letters), poet and playwright, académicien, director of the administration des théâtres: February 20, 1892 (2 pp.) and April 1, 1894, on Academy business. - André Fourchy, notary: April 3, 1900 (1 p.). Formalities for Jules de Goncourt's estate. He asks Zola to "sign as a witness an act of notoriety stating that Mr. Jules de Goncourt had only one brother and only one heir". - Gustave Geoffroy, journalist and art critic, one of the ten founding members of the Académie Goncourt (1874), (1) p. - André Gill, caricaturist: August 12, 1873 (1 p. and a half). Expresses his admiration for the theatrical version of Thérèse Raquin. Small tears restored with adhesive. - Georges de Labruyère (2 letters), editor of Le Cri du peuple: February 4, 1887 (1 p.) and February 14, 1887 (1 p). Mention is made of Ventre de Paris being brought to the theater. - Erik Lie, Norwegian writer: November 14, 1889 (2 pp.). He wants to translate La Bête humaine into Norwegian. "I have the opportunity to follow contemporary French literature at the same time as I study ancient literature". - Pierre Loti, n.d. (1 p. and 3 l.). Thanks for the "beautiful book beautiful book" which he has just received and for which he will thank him in person very soon. - Suzanne Manet, widow of the painter: October 11, 1886 (2 pp.). She invites him to receive Jean Thorel, "a young writer and one of your most ardent admirers, in whom I take an interest". - Catulle Mendès (2 letters): May 29, 1888 (1 p.) and June 20, 1888 (2 pp.). Director of La Vie Populaire, he mentions the forthcoming publication of Le Rêve: "La Vie Populaire, if you wish, will reproduce all your new novels". Expert: Ségolène Beauchamp

Estim. 800 - 1 000 EUR

Wed 15 May

RÉVOLUTION. Suite au nouveau recueil, ou choix de pièces et décrits divers, sur la Révolution qui a été tentée en France par les Édits du 8 mai 1788. Sl, sn, January 1789. 2 parts in one vol. in-8, bradel modern marbled paper boards, green title page, gilt head. "It is in the second part that the deliberations of the Tiers-État of the different towns of the Kingdom are mainly found." Bound at the end: "Chacun fait ses preuves", (8) pp. ("The Dauphinois people were the first to prove themselves worthy of the name François. No province has made greater strides towards complete reconstitution"). Enclosed: - ARREST du Conseil d'Etat du Roy, portant Reglement pour les Manufactures de Draps. Grenoble, André Faure, 1732. In-12, blond calf, double gilt fillet, ornate ribbed spine, black title page, red edges, gilt int. roulette (Bernier). - PUBLIC FINANCES]. Compte-rendu par la Commission-Intermédiaire des Etats de Dauphiné. Grenoble, J. M. Cuchet, 1790. Large in-8, 55 pp. with a large folding table, 7 pp. 52 pp. 6 pp. 4 pp. 4 pp. half marbled calf, smooth spine decorated, blue title (Rel. pastiche moderne). - SERVAN Joseph-Michel-Antoine)]. Avis salutaire au Tiers-État ; sur ce qu'il fut, ce qu'il est, et ce qu'il peut être. By an Allobroge jurisconsult. Sl, sn, 1789. In-8, 63 pp. in speckled brown calf, smooth spine, red title page, gilt inner border, conv. cons. in slipcase (modern binding). - LAGIER (A.). La Révolution dans les Terres-Froides ou les cantons de Virieu et de Châbons de 1787 à nos jours. Bourgoin, autographie et lithographie Moulin, 1889. In-8, red half-maroquin with corners, smooth spine, cover and spine cons. (D. Saporito). - Procès-verbaux du comité de surveillance révolutionnaire de Vienne la Patriote ( 31 mars 1794 au 21 mars 1795) published by an old bibliophile from Dauphiné. Grenoble, F. Allier, 1888. Edition of 200 copies. In-8, burgundy half-maroquin, smooth spine, gilt head, untrimmed, covers and spine cons. (Modern binding). - CHAMPOLLION-FIGEAC (A.) Chroniques dauphinoises et documents inédits relatifs au Dauphiné pendant la révolution. Vienne, E.-J. Savigné, 1884 [-1887-1880-1881]. 4 volumes in-8, red half-chagrin, spine ribbed (Ep. binding). Includes: First historical period. L'Ancien Régime et la Révolution, 1750-1794. - The States of Dauphiné and the Revolution, 1788-1794. - The scholars of the Isère department and the Grenoble Society of Sciences, Letters and Arts, 1794-1810. - Second historical period, 1794-1810. From the A. Jouffray library. Jouffray, with bookplate. - La Révolution de 1848 dans le département de l'Isère. Grenoble, F. Allier, 1949. In-8, burgundy half-maroquin, smooth ornate spine, gilt head, untrimmed, covers and spine included (modern binding). Numerous fold-out maps. Set of 9 books. Expert : Ségolène Beauchamp

Estim. 400 - 500 EUR

Wed 15 May

RICHARD (Pierre). Le Poète Zénon-Fière et ses poèmes posthumes à Saint François d'Assise. Valence-sur-Rhône, Galerie drômoise, 1926. In-12, burgundy half-maroquin with corners, ribbed spine, gilt head, covers and spine cons. (J. E. Baudrillart). First edition, printed in an edition of 506 copies. One of 50 on hollande, no. 1, printed especially "for Madame H. Gaume, née Zénon-Fière", with a. s. dispatch from the author. Enriched with the original act of profession of Brother Jean de Parme, Émile-Casimir Zénon-Fière (1898), a poem a s. from Louis Le Cardonnel "à mon cher Louis Fière", a letter from J. Colomb (1933), and a long poem a. s. dated 1882 from Zénon-Fière. Enclosed: - LE CARDONNEL (Louis). Carmina Sacra. Paris, Mercure de France, 1912. In-12, burgundy half-maroquin with corners, ribbed spine, gilt head, covers and spine (modern binding). First edition, printed in an edition of 49 copies. One of the 9 first copies on japon impérial. - LE CARDONNEL (Louis). Du Rhône à l'Arno. Paris, La connaissance, 1920. In-folio, marbled fawn calf, ribbed spine, brown title page, gilt int. border. With 2 signed autograph ff. by Le Cardonnel pasted at the beginning of the volume (poems). Ex-libris Dayral. - RICHARD (Noël). Louis Le Cardonnel. Paris, Marcel Didier ; Toulouse, Privat, 1946. In-12, burgundy half-maroquin with corners, ribbed spine, gilt head, cover and spine cons. (J.-E. Baudrillart). Annotation a. s. by the author on the title page. With, mounted on tab, a signed autograph sonnet by Louis Le Cardonnel (creased), entitled "Mélancolie". This copy also contains a number of photos and documents, including an original pencil caricature by L. Ageron. Expert : Ségolène Beauchamp

Estim. 300 - 400 EUR

Wed 15 May

BAUDELAIRE (Charles) Les fleurs du mal. Paris, Poulet-Malassis et De Broise, 1857. In-16, [2] f. (half-title, title in red and black), 248 p., [2] f. (table), 19th c. half-Russian-style fawn leather with corners, 5-ribbed spine, gilt author, title and date, ornate bindings, double gilt fillet on covers, gilt coat of arms on upper cover (upper cover almost detached, lower jaw split, corners worn, gaps in cover at head of spine; some very moderate foxing and soiling). Rare and sought-after first edition. It is identified in particular by the error in the running titles on pages 31 and 108 ("Les Feurs du Mal"), and the pagination error on page 45 (marked 44). On the other hand, the error on page 12 has been corrected. It contains the six condemned plays that will not appear in the following edition: Les bijoux; Le Lethé; A celle qui est trop gaie; Lesbos; Femmes damnées: à la pâle clarté...; Les métamorphoses du vampire. This copy is distinguished by its provenance, coming from the library of Charles de Mandres (1805-1875), coal industrialist in Ronchamp, General Councillor of Haute-Saône (ex- libris). His collection was sold in 1887, and the catalog written by Lorédan Larchey. The bibliophile C. de Mandres was in the habit of "stuffing" his copies with original items, particularly letters, and this one is no exception. It is enriched by an autograph letter signed by Charles Baudelaire (loose, one page in-8, approx. 21 x 15.5 cm., 1 horizontal fold marked), Monday November 18, 18[5?]0, addressed to "Mon cher ami". He apologizes to his correspondent for the bad attitude of a "despicable wine merchant" for whom he feels responsible; he asks him to do his best to "hasten the publication of [his] article", and adds: "Forgive my unlucky friendship"... He then asks the addressee if the erratum published in the Moniteur concerns him, and if so, indicates: "I'm going to tremble for your existence again [...] I've just written to Rémi to absolutely forbid him to come and see me, to write to me, and to go and see you". It also contains a rare full-length albumen print of Baudelaire, taken by Carjat in 1861. Mounted on page [4], it shows some foxing and measures 88 x 53 mm. This copy has wide margins (h = 190 mm. excluding binding), and a number of pages are uncut (p.37, 93, 109, 113, 117, 133, 141, 149, 161, 165, 181, 205, 209, 233, 237). (Carteret I, 118-122)

Estim. 10 000 - 12 000 EUR

Wed 15 May

George Washington Autograph Document Signed - a 1769 handwritten Mount Vernon financial ledger listing security on “Lands and Negroes” - ADS, signed “Go: Washington,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, 6 x 7.5, September 19, 1769. A handwritten financial ledger document headed "Capt'n Posey," transactions made between 1765 and 1769, including "Security on his Lands and Negroes for £750," "A subsequent & further security on ye above Negroes for £70," and "a Bill of Sale for Sundry stock, goods & chattels as a...security to me against a joint bond of his & mine to Colo. Mason for £200." On the right side, a £3 cash payment is recorded, below which Washington writes: "Note, besides ye above Capt'n Posey may have some trifling demands against me that I know nothing of at present & which may be showed when properly ascertained." Washington signs at the conclusion with errors excepted, "E. Excepted pr Go: Washington, Copy of an Acc't given to Mr. Grayson, Sept'r 19th 1769." Professionally restored to near fine condition, with toning, light foxing and staining, and professional repairs to two areas of paper loss (which affect none of the handwriting). Captain John Posey was George Washington’s next-door neighbor at Mount Vernon, and the two formed a friendship. However, Posey was a heavy drinker and a failure in business, constantly falling behind in his debts and frequently turning to Washington for loans. Some of their several transactions—which often included slaves as collateral—are recorded here. In one instance in 1767, Posey made a bond with Col. Mason with George Washington as security, much to Washington’s reluctance—in exchange for Washington’s participation, Posey executed a bill of sale which covered 25 slaves, 40 head of cattle, 20 horses, 40 sheep, 80 hogs, and lots of household goods including silver of various descriptions. Washington acquired his slave Hercules Posey as part of these transactions, who went on to become one of eight enslaved Africans brought by President Washington to Philadelphia to serve in the executive mansion during his presidency. Capt. John Posey was never financially solvent enough to make good on his obligations to Washington, and his account with the future president was settled by the forced sale of property in October 1769—just weeks after Washington penned the present document. Hercules Posey, after serving as a cook during Washington's term in office, would escape to New York City in February 1797, where he remained a fugitive slave until January 1, 1801, when he was manumitted under the terms of Washington's will. This significant autograph document provides a fascinating inside look at Washington's business dealings and his participation in the heinous institution of slavery. Additionally, the document refers to two other great historic Virginians: Colonel George Mason and Washington’s attorney William Grayson. Mason (1725-1792) of Fairfax County, Virginia, is best known for his authorship of Virginia's 'Declaration of Rights' of June 12, 1776, which was soon drawn upon by Thomas Jefferson for the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence, was widely copied by the other colonies, and became the basis of the 'Bill of Rights.' Grayson (1736-1790), attorney to George Washington, became an aide-de-camp to Gen. Washington during the Revolutionary War. Grayson would later serve as a member of the 'Constitutional Convention' in the Virginia delegation alongside the likes of George Mason, Patrick Henry, and James Monroe. He was also selected by Colonel George Mason and other fellow Virginians to be the first United States Senator in the state of Virginia’s history.

Estim. 35 000 - 45 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Andrew Jackson Autograph Letter Signed to the Postmaster General, Amos Kendall - ALS, one page, 8 x 10, April 14, 1840. Addressed from the Hermitage, a handwritten letter to Amos Kendall, the United States Postmaster General, in full: “Permit me to introduce to your acquaintance and kind attention my friend Col. Sam’l H. Laughlin, who will hand you this. The Col. is on his way to the Baltimore convention as one of the delegates from Tennessee. You will find the Col. a gentleman of good intelligence and in whom confidence can be well reposed & as such I present him to you. I wrote you a few days ago, which I hope you have received safely — with the kind regards of myself and household to you & yours I remain very respectfully your friend.” In very good condition, with a torn-out section of the letter affecting about a dozen words of text. Samuel Hervey Laughlin (1796-1850) represented the first district in the Tennessee State Senate from 1838-1844, overseeing the establishment of Nashville as state capitol in 1843 and pushing for the establishment of several new Tennessee counties. He was also one of the ‘Immortal Thirteen’ who, fearing the election of a Whig, refused to meet with the Tennessee House to elect a representative to the U.S. Senate, leaving Tennessee unrepresented in the Senate from 1841-1843. As a delegate to the 1840 Democratic convention, Laughlin unsuccessfully supported Polk for the vice presidency. Laughlin also attended the 1844 convention at which Polk was nominated for president. Amos Kendall (1789-1869) was an ardent supporter of Andrew Jackson, who appointed him as United States Postmaster General, serving under both Presidents Jackson and Martin Van Buren. He was one of the most influential members of Jackson's ‘Kitchen Cabinet,’ an unofficial group of Jackson's top appointees and advisors who set administration policy, and upon his return to private life, Kendall wrote one of the first biographies of Jackson, which was published in 1843.

Estim. 1 000 - 2 000 USD

Wed 15 May

William Henry Harrison Autograph Document Signed - ADS, signed “Wm. H. Harrison A.d.C.,” one page, 4.75 x 2.5, March 12, 1795. Request for one quart of whiskey for Native American Chief Mashipinashiwish, signed by William Henry Harrison while serving as aide-de-camp at Fort Greenville. In very good to fine condition, with an old tape stain to the left edge. In 1792 President George Washington ordered Revolutionary War hero General 'Mad Anthony' Wayne to lead an army against a Native American alliance fighting to keep settlers out of their traditional lands in Ohio, part of the Northwest Territory. U.S. soldiers had been struggling against persistent Indian warriors. Harrison, from Virginia, who had enlisted in the army in 1791 at Philadelphia, served under Wayne in Fort Washington at present-day Cincinnati in southwestern Ohio. Harrison rose through the ranks quickly and became Wayne’s aide-de-camp in 1793. On August 20, 1794, General Wayne’s 3,000-man army defeated an alliance of 1,500 warriors, which included British support, in the Battle of Fallen Timbers at present-day Maumee, Ohio, northeast of Cincinnati. The victory was the last major battle of the Northwest Indian Wars. Wayne commended Harrison for his role in the battle, saying, 'I must add the name of my faithful and gallant Aide-de-camp...Lieutenant Harrison, who...rendered the most essential service by communicating my orders in every direction...conduct and bravery exciting the troops to press for victory.' The Treaty of Greenville was signed on August 3, 1795, less than two weeks after Harrison submitted this document. The treaty was signed at Fort Greenville, which, at 55 acres, was one of the largest of the many wooden forts that troops built in Ohio to protect settlers and soldiers. Harrison was a signatory to the treaty, which brought peace and increased settlement to the area for more than a decade. Native American Chief Mashipinashiwish (Bad Bird) (ca. 1735-1805) led three allied Michigan tribes and represented the Three Fires at the peace negotiations. He was one of more than 100 people who signed the treaty, including Native American leaders, U.S. military officers, interpreters, and witnesses. The Three Fires were the related tribes of the Potawatomi, Chippewas, Ottawas.

Estim. 1 000 - 1 500 USD

Wed 15 May

Theodore Roosevelt Signed 'The Rough Riders' Book as President - "Don’t flinch, don’t foul, hit the line hard!" - Signed book: The Rough Riders. Later printing. NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1900. Hardcover, 5.25 x 7.75, 298 pages. Signed boldly on the first free end page in fountain pen as president, “Theodore Roosevelt, March 30th 1903,” who adds a terrific sports-themed quote above: “In life, or on the football field, your motto should be — don’t flinch, don’t foul, hit the line hard!” The adjacent inside front cover bears an affixed transmittal letter from Roosevelt’s White House secretary, dated March 30, 1903, which forwards “herewith the copy of ‘The Rough Riders’ which you forwarded, in which the President has placed an inscription.” Autographic condition: fine, with some light soiling to the signed page. Book condition: VG-/None, with spine darkened, loose hinges, rubbing to boards, and bumped corners. An exceptional signed book containing Roosevelt’s unique perspective as head of the Rough Riders, a special period that he deemed as his greatest achievement; after two terms as President, he still preferred to be called 'Colonel Roosevelt,' and he considered the charge on San Juan Hill as 'the great day of my life.' Moreover, the added quote by Roosevelt remains one of his most enduring. Although his nearsightedness kept him off the Harvard varsity squad, Roosevelt was a vocal exponent of football’s contribution to the ‘strenuous life,’ both on and off the field. As New York City police commissioner, he helped revive the annual Harvard-Yale football series after it had been canceled for two years following a violent 1894 clash. His belief that the football field was a proving ground for the battlefield was validated by the performance of his fellow Rough Riders, some of whom were former football standouts. St. Nicholas was a popular American juvenile periodical that was issued monthly from November 1873 through March 1940. The May 1900 issue opens with an essay by Theodore Roosevelt entitled, ‘What We Can Expect of the American Boy,’ which begins, ‘Of course, what we have a right to expect of the American boy is that he shall turn out to be a good American man. Now the chances are strong that he won't be much of a man unless he is a good deal of a boy.’ To make such a boy, Roosevelt summed it up with three traits: a strong body, a strong mind, and courage. The article concluded with what is now one of his most famous and inspirational quotes: ‘In short, in life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard: don't foul and don't shirk, but hit the line hard.’

Estim. 4 000 - 6 000 USD

Wed 15 May

John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address Book (Privately Printed) Signed as President - Presented to the Chief of White House Police - Signed book: Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy. Washington, DC: privately-printed, 1961. Hardcover with slipcase, 7 x 10, eight pages. Boldly signed and inscribed on the first free end page in fountain pen, "For Major Stover, Best wishes, John Kennedy, Christmas 1961." Autographic condition: very fine. Book condition: VG/None in a VG slipcase, with some scattered marks to the case. This is one of an unspecified limitation (generally believed to be about 100) of specially bound copies of President Kennedy's inaugural address given to his closest friends and staffers as Christmas gifts. In the address, Kennedy went over the major themes of his campaign and famously urged the American people, 'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.' A defining speech of the 20th century, historians regard it as the most significant inaugural since that of Lincoln, given from the same portico a hundred years earlier. A truly remarkable presentation copy of a most important speech. Major Ralph C. Stover joined the Secret Service's uniformed White House Police Force in 1940, and for the next 27 years oversaw the protection of five American presidents. Serving as the Force's chief beginning in 1958, he was especially close with the Kennedys, earning the affectionate nickname 'Smokey' from JFK for his shared last name with the popular comic strip character Smokey Stover. The book is accompanied by a photo of Stover with President Kennedy.

Estim. 8 000 - 12 000 USD

Wed 15 May

George Washington Autograph Letter Signed from Mount Vernon on Debt Collection - ALS signed “G. W—n,” one page, 7 x 8.75, May 8, 1786. Boldly penned handwritten letter from Mount Vernon to his lawyer Thomas Smith, regarding the collection of a debt. In full: "Val'e Crawford died indebted to me—say One hundred pounds Virg'a Curr'y—more or less. Previously thereto, he wrote me the letter dated Jacobs Creek, May 6th 1774 and accompanied it with the Bill of Sale herewith transmitted dated May 8th 1774. Quære, Is this Bill now valid? Will it secure my debt?—This is all I want.—And can it be recovered without hazarding a defeat which may add cost without benefit? If these points should be determined in the affirmative, I would wish you to prosecute my claim so far as to secure my debt, but not otherwise." Attractively mounted and framed within a shadowbox alongside an antique hand-painted miniature portrait of Washington to an overall size of 18 x 14.75. In fine condition, with a short split to the lower horizontal fold. In his diary entry for May 8, 1786, George Washington wrote: 'In the Evening a Captn. Whaley from Yohiogany came in on some business respecting the Affairs of the deceased Val. Crawford and Hugh Stephenson; to whom I gave, under cover to Thos. Smith Esqr. (my Lawyer in that Country) a Bill of Sale and the letter wch. inclosed it which the said Vale. Crawford had sent me, in the Mo[nth] of May 1774 as Security for what he owed me, and to indemnify me for my engagements in his behalf—to see if they were valid, & would cover the debt he owed me, as they never had been recorded.' Thomas Smith was unable pursue this matter, so Washington secured Charles Simms’s services to look into the debt. According to the account with Valentine Crawford recorded in Washington's ledgers, Crawford owed only £35.10 as of March 1775, which Washington's clerk credits to Valentine Crawford 'By settlement' at an unspecified date. An interesting, neatly penned letter pertaining to Washington's diverse business dealings.

Estim. 10 000 - 15 000 USD

Wed 15 May

George Bush (3) Typed Letters Signed and (1) Signed Bookplate - Four items signed in ink or felt tip by George Bush, including an off-white 4 x 6 bookplate (signed "All the best, George Bush") and three TLSs, ranging in size from 6.25 x 4.25 to 8.5 x 11, dated between 1969 and 1988. The first typed letter, April 15, 1969, on his personal Congressional letterhead, in part: “I’m just back from the Mexican Interparliamentary Meeting in Mexico (a huge success) and a week politicking in Texas. There seems to be no letup at the pace either at home or here.” The second letter, November 16, 1984, on a Vice President stationery card, in part: “I’m afraid I don’t remember any details about ‘Free Enterprise’...Thanks for your supportive words about the election.” The last letter, November 9, 1988, signed as president-elect one day after the 1988 United States presidential election, in part: “From the snows of New Hampshire to the Convention in New Orleans to our victory on November 8th, I have been helped and inspired by the untiring efforts of people like you.” In overall fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope for the VP letter, which bears Bush’s stamped franking signature, two photos of George and Barbara Bush (both bearing autopen signatures), and a packet from the Committee for the American Bicentennial Presidential Inaugural, which contains an invitation, a certificate, and a photo, with the latter two bearing preprinted signatures.

Estim. 300 - 500 USD

Wed 15 May

Eleanor Roosevelt Autograph Letter Signed - World War II-dated ALS, one page, 6 x 7, personal letterhead, May 15 (no year, circa 1943). Handwritten letter to Samuel Lash, in full: “The war department told me that Joe is safely arrived in New Caledonia, based in Noumea but his duties take him here & there & so far I can’t find out just what he is doing. He was well on arrival which must have been about ten days ago.” Roosevelt adds a San Francisco military post office address to the lower left corner. In very good to fine condition, with light toning and creasing, and some discoloration along the top and bottom from old mounting remnants on the back. The recipient of the letter, Mr. Samuel Lash, was the father of Mrs. Roosevelt's very close friend, Joseph P. Lash, whom she had met on a train in 1939. In the offered letter, Roosevelt advises Mr. Lash that his son, who had joined the U.S. Army Air Force as a sergeant in the spring of 1943, was now stationed in the city of Noumea, on the Pacific island of New Caledonia. Lash would then be transferred to Guadalcanal and serve as a weatherman. During Mrs. Roosevelt's American Red Cross Tour of the Pacific in August-September 1943, she requested a stopover at Guadalcanal, to meet the troops, visit the wounded, and see her dear friend, Joseph. Her wish was granted by a somewhat reluctant Admiral Halsey, who was dealing with repeated Japanese air raids on the island. Roosevelt toured Guadalcanal in mid-September. Lash served as her personal driver and confidant. Joseph Lash remained close to Eleanor Roosevelt until her passing in late 1962. In 1971, Lash won a Pulitzer prize for his biography of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt.

Estim. 200 - 400 USD

Wed 15 May

Oliver Cromwell Autograph Letter Signed on the Marriage of His Son, Richard Cromwell - ALS signed “O. Cromwell,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, unfolded to 15.75 x 12, April 3, 1648. Large, lengthy handwritten letter to Colonel Richard Norton, aiming to expedite the negotiations for the marriage of his son, Richard Cromwell, to Dorothy Maijor, the daughter of Richard Maijor, a member of the Hampshire gentry. In part: "I could not in my last give you a perfect account of what passed between me and Mr. M[aijor] because we were to have a conclusion of our speed that morning after I wrote my letter to you. Which we had, and having had a full interview of one another's minds, we parted with this, that both would consider with our relations, and according to satisfactions given there, acquaint each other with our minds... The things insisted upon were these (as I take it). Mr. Maijor desired 400l. per annum of inheritance, lying in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, to be presently settled, and to be for maintenance, wherein I desired to be advised by my wife. I offered the Land in Hampshire for present maintenance which I dare say with copses and ordinary fells will be communibus annis, 500l. per annum, besides 500l. per annum, in tenants hands holding but for one life, and about 300l. per annum, some for two lives, some for three lives...For what else was demanded of me I am willing (so far as I remember any demand was) to give satisfaction. Only, I having been informed by Mr. Robinson that Mr. Maijor did, upon a former match, offer to settle the Manor wherein he lived, and to give 2,000l. in money, I did insist upon that, and do desire it may not be with difficulty. The money I shall need for my two little wenches, and thereby I shall free my Son from being charged with them. Mr. Maijor parts with nothing in present but that money, saving this board which I should not be unwilling to give them to enjoy the comfort of their society, which it's reason be smart for, if he will rob me altogether of them. Truly the land to be settled both what the Parliament gives me, and my own, is very little less than 3,000l. per annum, all things considered, if I be rightly informed. And a Lawyer of Lincoln's Inn having searched all the Marquis of Worcester's writings, which were taken at Ragland and sent for by the Parliament, and this gentleman appointed by the Committee to search the said writings, assures me, there is no scruple concerning the title, And it so fell out that this Gentleman who searched was my own Lawyer, a very godly able man, and my dear friend, which I reckon no small mercy, He is also possessed of the writings for me. I thought fit to give you this account, desiring you to make such use of it as God shall direct you, and I doubt not but you will do the part of a friend between two friends. I account myself one, and I have heard you say Mr. Maijor was entirely so to you." He adds a postscript: "I desire you to carry this business with all privacy, I beseech you to do so as you love me. Let me entreat you not to lose a day herein, that I may know Mr. Maijor's mind, for I think I may be at leisure for a week to attend this business, to give and take satisfaction, from which perhaps I may be shut up afterwards by employment. I know thou art an idle fellow, but prithee neglect me not now delay may be very inconvenient to me, I much rely upon you. Let me hear from you in two or 3 days. I confess the principal consideration as to me is the absolute settlement of the Manor where he lives, which he would not do but conditionally in case they have a son, and but 3,000l. in case they have no son. But as to this, I hope farther reason may work him to more." Nicely corner-mounted and matted to an overall size of 16.75 x 20.25. Professionally backed and in fine condition. This letter is significant for its date—April 3, 1648, as the Second English Civil War was brewing—and for its fascinating details regarding lands, inheritances and potential offspring. According to Cromwell's biographer Samuel Church in 'Oliver Cromwell, a History,' the choice of companion for his son revealed Cromwell's character: 'Had Oliver at this time cherished the bold schemes for dominion which his enemies impute to him, he would never have sought this obscure alliance with the daughter of a country gentleman.' The marriage was concluded in 1649, and Richard Cromwell would succeed his father as second Lord Protector a decade later.

Estim. 30 000 - 40 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Queen Victoria Autograph Letter Signed - Mentioning Her Personal Attendant, John Brown - ALS signed “VR,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, black-bordered Balmoral letterhead, November 1, 1873. Handwritten letter to “Leila,” the Countess of Erroll Eliza Hay, who held the office of Lady of the Bedchamber to HM Queen Victoria. The letter, penned in her difficult-to-decipher hand, reads, in part: “Here is the photograph for...Forbes.—I so stupidly forget telling you that I mean to go to the Glassalt Shiel for 2 or 3 days on Tuesday & wish you to go with me. You need not fear the house being cold for it is very cozy and snug...I feel so happy & relieved tonight & sure that a blessing will rest on this Christian act. Let me thank you for your gt kindness in all this, dear Leila. It has been a gt. support & comfort to me, as I stand—excepting for my good, & faithful [John] Brown, who honorable tho' he be, is the truest, kindest friend I have—& whose heart & head w'd do honour to the highest. I am almost alone in this...time. And I shall look back to it gratefully & it will be a bond between you & me. You are an example to all for your conduct in your own home." The queen adds a brief line at the end: "Please let me hear early tomorrow." In fine condition. John Brown was Queen Victoria's close personal attendant for many years, and the exact nature of their relationship has been the subject of much speculation over the years: the queen's daughters joked that he was 'Mama's lover,' and Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, wrote in his diary that Brown and Victoria slept in adjoining rooms 'contrary to etiquette and even decency.' Queen Victoria's journals and letters were expurgated following her death to remove anything that might upset the royal family, leading to even greater curiosity surrounding her relationship with Brown. Revealing her warm affection for Brown as her "truest, kindest friend," this is a particularly insightful Victoria letter.

Estim. 800 - 1 000 USD

Wed 15 May

David Hilbert Autograph Letter Signed, with Typed Letter Signed by Max von Laue - Influential German mathematician (1862-1943) who developed a broad range of fundamental mathematical ideas in calculus, algebra, geometry, and proof theory. ALS in German, signed “Ihr Hilbert,” one page, 8.25 x 11.5, April 27, 1937. Handwritten letter to a "Colleague," the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Max von Laue, in part (translated): "I would have liked to review Vahlen's work again in order to report to you in detail; however, I have already given away all my separate copies and at the moment I have not been able to obtain any from local colleagues either. I do not currently recall any significant works by Vahlen, but I do not intend by this remark to create an unfavorable opinion of Vahlen." Includes von Laue's typed transmittal letter (signed "M. v. Laue") to his friend, the textile manufacturer and autograph collector Reinhold Maute in Hechingen, in part (translated): "The letter stems from David Hilbert, the acknowledged greatest mathematician of the last 100 years, who only did not receive a Nobel Prize because there is none for mathematics." In fine condition, with two file holes to the bottom edge. Hilbert is regarded as one of the most significant mathematicians of modern times. Many of his works in the field of mathematics and mathematical physics established independent research areas. With his proposals, he laid the foundation for the still significant formalistic view of the foundations of mathematics and initiated a critical analysis of the definitions of mathematical concepts and mathematical proof. These analyses led to Gödel's incompleteness theorem, which, among other things, shows that Hilbert's program, the complete axiomatization of mathematics that he aimed for, cannot be completely fulfilled. Hilbert's programmatic address at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Paris in 1900, in which he presented a list of 23 mathematical problems, significantly influenced mathematical research of the 20th century.

Estim. 8 000 - 10 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Alexander von Humboldt Autograph Letter Signed with Geological Sketches - German naturalist and explorer (1769-1859) who wrote Kosmos, a massive five-volume study which attempted to unify the various branches of man’s knowledge. ALS in French, signed “Humboldt,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.75 x 4.75, no date [likely circa 1822-23]. Letter to mineralogist Louis-Benjamin Fleuriau de Bellevue, sending his friend Fourier’s book, in part (translated): “In which the problem of heat movement is completely solved. Ridges and edges are special cases only...You will also see in paragraph 52 that the author believes as I do that the heat cannot be compared to any fluid, water in oil...I am asking you to please let me visit you on Wednesday at 11 a.m.” Includes multiple detailed geological sketches and diagrams: first set is four pages on two adjoining sheets, 8 x 12.75, featuring descriptions of earth formations (clay, chalky, and lignite); a large diagram related to the superposition of rocks, with descriptions of each one’s appearance and type; sketches of landscapes; and numerous small sketches of various earth and rock textures, including granite, syenite, gypsum, and limestone; and another sketch of a superposition diagram on an off-white 7 x 9.5 sheet. In overall fine condition. Accompanied by a large print entitled ‘A Proportional and Tabular View of the Superior, Supermedial, and Medial Rocks,’ as well as an export certificate from the French Ministry of Culture. After his wide travels in Latin America at the turn of the century, Humboldt began work on what would become a 21-year project, describing the lands he explored on his journey for the first time from a modern scientific point of view. He found the intellectual and social stimuli he craved in the vibrant cultural center of Paris, where he mingled with some of science’s greatest minds, including Joseph Fourier. With this letter to noted mineralogist and geologist Louis-Benjamin Fleuriau, Humboldt is most likely passing on Fourier’s Théorie Analytique de la Chaleur (The Analytic Theory of Heat), published in 1822, which reasoned that the flow of heat between two adjacent molecules is proportional to the extremely small difference of their temperatures; the book made major contributions to mathematics and physics, including the law of heat conduction, now known as Fourier's law. Beyond the excellent association to this major scientific figure, Humboldt’s detailed geological sketches hold extraordinary value. Known for his extensive theories on magnetism, volcanicity, seismology, and tectonics, his work on rock formations is incredibly important—and incredibly beautiful, in these hand-sketched pieces.

Estim. 8 000 - 10 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Robert Falcon Scott Autograph Letter Signed - British naval officer and explorer (1868-1912) best known for the two expeditions he led to the Antarctic, the Discovery Expedition and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition. ALS signed “Rob. F. Scott, first & torpedo lieutenant,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, H.M.S. Majestic letterhead, January 18, 1900. Handwritten letter of recommendation, in part: "W. Bates has served as torpedo instructor of this ship for two years and I have great pleasure in testifying to his exceptional abilities. He possesses a very practical knowledge of electricity and has been responsible in this ship for the maintenance in good order of the lighting bells, telephones and many other electrical instruments and has performed his duties entirely to my satisfaction. I have no hesitation in strongly recommending him for a similar position on shore and feel confident he would prove of great value to his employers." In very good to fine condition, with scattered light foxing and soiling. Scott had been appointed as torpedo lieutenant to HMS Majestic in the summer of 1897. In June 1899, while serving on the Majestic, Clements Markham told him of a proposed British Antarctic expedition. Scott applied to command the expedition, and in June 1900 was appointed to lead the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904, and elevated to the rank of commander. His company of Royal Navy and Merchant Navy seamen, along with a strong scientific team, set sail in 1901 aboard the purpose-built expedition ship Discovery.

Estim. 4 000 - 6 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Daniel Boone Autograph Document Signed for Land Bond — "Boone" Written Four Times! - Rare ADS, one page, 7 x 10.5, May 1, 1786. Lengthy handwritten financial document by Daniel Boone, incorporating his name three times within the text, and signing at the conclusion. In part: "Know all men by these presents that I, Daniel Boone of the County of Fayette and state of Virginia am held and firmly bound unto James Hone of North Carolina...in the just and full sum of one hundred and fifty pounds good and Lawfull money of Virginia...The Condition of the above obligation is such that if the above bound Daniel Boone his heirs, ex'trs, adm'tr or assigns shall well and truly make or cause to be made unto James Hone...a good and Lawfull Deed of Conveyance to 300 acres of good second rate land when demanded out of a survey of 4000 acres made for said Boone between the North fork of Licking and flemings Crick within 12 or 14 Miles of Limestone." Signed at the conclusion by Daniel Boone, who draws a seal beside his name, and countersigned by two witnesses. Nicely mounted and double-matted with an engraved portrait to an overall size of 20.5 x 16.5. In fine condition, with professionally restored paper loss along the top edge, impinging on the first line of text (including his first name). Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA. As a pioneer and frontiersman, Daniel Boone was influential in extending the nation beyond the peaks of the Allegheny Mountains. With the company of his brother Squire, he explored the Kentucky wilderness from 1767 to 1769, and eventually settled his family in the territory in 1773. Two years later he extended the Wilderness Road over the Cumberland Gap through the Allegheny Mountains and erected three settlements, one of which was named ‘Boonesborough.’ In the wake of the Revolutionary War, Boone resettled in what is now Maysville, Kentucky—near Limestone Creek—and was elected to the Virginia state assembly in 1787. His military pursuits over, Boone became a local celebrity and for a period earned a profitable living as a tavern keeper, a surveyor, a horse trader, and a land speculator. The legalities of the latter soon caught up with Boone’s sense of honor and weak investment strategies, and in 1788 he moved upriver to Point Pleasant, Virginia, operating at a trading post and then occasionally as a surveyor's assistant. An interesting land document dating to the most prosperous period of Boone’s life.

Estim. 20 000 - 30 000 USD

Wed 15 May

John C. Calhoun Autograph Letter Signed - Prominent American politician (1782-1850) who served as vice president under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. He later wielded great power and influence in the Senate as a champion of Southern causes, including slavery. ALS signed “J. C. Calhoun,” one page both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, August 6, 1824. Addressed from the War Department, a handwritten letter to the president of the Branch Bank, “U. States, & Agent, etc. Chillicothe, Ohio,” in part: “Herewith you will receive a statement of the alterations which have taken place in the rolls of your agency since the 4th of March 1824. You will pay all Pensioners as heretofore directed from the aggregate amount due the Pensioners of your agency for the half year ending on the 4th of September 1824, the sum of eight hundred and ninety one dollars and twenty cents being the amount of two years pay due seven Pensioners who have failed to apply for their stipends for the last two years, will be deducted, leaving a balance of forty thousand nine hundred and forty dollars and seventy one cents, which will be ordered to your credit from the Treasury Department. In the months of June and December in each year, you will report all deaths and removals which may take place within your agency...Particular attention should be paid to the instructions issued in March 1819, requiring reports to be made to the Secretary of War of all Invalid cases in which any reduction may have taken place in the rate of allowance in consequence of the Surgeon’s certificate.” In fine condition.

Estim. 200 - 400 USD

Wed 15 May

Civil Rights: Carlotta LaNier Autograph Manuscript Signed on Little Rock Central High School - Youngest of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. LaNier (born 1942) was the first black female to graduate from Central High School. In 1999, LaNier and the rest of the Little Rock Nine were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President Bill Clinton. Autograph manuscript signed by Carlotta LaNier, signed “Carlotta Walls LaNier,” one page, 8.5 x 11, no date. Penned in black ink, the handwritten remembrance contains her thoughts of what it was like to be amongst the first black students to integrate the all-white High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, including having her home bombed. The manuscript, in full, “At 14 years old, I am the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who, in 1957, were the first black students ever to attend classes at the previously all white Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The integration came as a result of the United States Supreme Court case: Brown vs. Board of Education, rendered three years earlier. I hadn't intended anything heroic when I signed up to attend. My 9th grade homeroom teacher at my all-black Junior High School passed around a sheet of paper in 1957 and asked the class if we'd be interested in attending Central High the following fall. I signed up without hesitation. My father lost jobs and had to travel across the country, sometimes for weeks to find work. After the news cameras left the school, we experienced routine harassment and even violence. Despite the constant torment from the white students I never cried or retaliated. I was one of two of the original students to return to Central High School after the closing of all three Little Rock High Schools by Governor Orval Faubus in 1958-59 to avoid integration. Almost four months before graduation, on Feb. 9, 1960, my home was bombed. Two sticks of dynamite were placed at my home. The explosion removed brick, destroyed three windows and could be heard from two miles away. My father was away, but I, my mother, and my sisters were home. Nobody was harmed in the bombing, but it was the first bombing directed at one of us students. I got up that very next morning after my home was bombed and I went back to school because If I had not gone, they would have felt like they had won. I graduated and I am the only female of the Little Rock Nine to participate in graduation exercises at Little Rock Central High School, and I'm very proud of that diploma because I finished what I started." In very fine condition. Accompanied by a photo of LaNier at the time of the composition and by a photo of the Little Rock Nine walking the stairs of Little Rock Central High School.

Estim. 400 - 600 USD

Wed 15 May

Florence Nightingale Autograph Letter Signed on Map of India - ALS, three pages, 7 x 4.25, July 25, 1878. Handwritten letter sending corrections to an "Irrigation Map of India," in part: "I send you a Proof of the 'Irrigation Map of India,' with the copy you were so good to correct. Would you be very good as to revise it & return me both copies here as soon as possible? There appear to be some corrections needful: It is a beautiful map." She adds a handwritten postscript, initialed "F. N.," in full: "I am about to take advantage of your great kindness and ask you to correct something else." On the third page, she writes out several corrections to spelling errors ("Hathmatti instead of Hammatti," "Gokak" instead of "Gokah") and asks for additions to the "Table of Reference." Beautifully cloth-matted and framed with a portrait and biographical caption to an overall size of 25 x 27. In fine condition. Nightingale published a paper in 1874 entitled 'Life or Death in India,' which offered observations and suggestions regarding health outcomes in India during the British colonial era. In her paper, Nightingale discussed the high mortality rates among British soldiers and attributed them to poor sanitation, inadequate nutrition, and lack of proper medical care. On the subject of irrigation, she wrote: 'Irrigation is essential in many parts of India, but irrigation with stagnant water is almost as injurious to crops as to health. Irrigation should be accompanied by improving the natural drainages of the country, so as to keep the water moving, however slowly.'

Estim. 400 - 600 USD

Wed 15 May

Marquis de Lafayette Autograph Letter Signed on the July Revolution (1830) - ALS in French, signed “Lafayette,” one page both sides, 7.25 x 9, June 12, 1830. Lengthy handwritten letter to Auguste Petit, written by Lafayette from his country estate, La Grange, some weeks before the 1830 French Revolution, expressing his concerns about "the decisive crisis in which the counter-revolution is inevitably throwing us." In part (translated): "I thank you very much for your good letter, my dear Auguste, and for the strange mandate you have sent me. I hope the newspapers will prove it wrong. The farewell of the bishop to his flock is very remarkable, as they naively reveal the party's line: 'no representative government.' It appears that the presidents will read to each college a letter by the King without royal countersignature in order to influence the elections, which is another incongruity that will have no real effect, I hope. But it seems very likely that only great courage from elections, chamber, and the nation can overthrow the counter-revolutionary spirit of Pillnitz and Coblentz [reference to the monarchist counter-revolution in 1791/1792]. I am very touched by the care with which my dear principals try not to lose the majority of people who kindly give me their votes, and I would tell them, in general, that it is very important that as many people as possible can run for election in the chamber, in order to discourage the faction whose daring progress would gladly refer to the regime from 1788. You will find attached a note written by my son on the business done between your step-father, us and Mr. de la Chapelle, who went from Lagrange to Melun. Our horses are ready as agreed, so that our reciprocal ballot papers will travel rapidly." Lafayette hopes to see his correspondent around the 21st at La Grange, and gives a description of his farming activities, praising the quality of the wool from his sheep. Then he ends with this prophetical postscript: "I do not know at what point of his reelection process my colleague is. I hope he will succeed, as he is an excellent and solid deputy. All patriotical interests bring back painful thoughts about the loss we have suffered, you of a father and me of a friend very dear to my heart. He would be so worried about the decisive crisis in which the counter-revolution is inevitably throwing us." Addressed on the integral leaf in Lafayette's hand. In fine condition, with a strip of toning to the lower right edge, and seal-related paper loss to the integral address leaf. After the nomination of the ultra-royalist Jules de Polignac as prime minister in 1829, King Charles X triggered a major political crisis with many tensions between the King and the Chamber. The King decided the dissolution of the Chamber, in the hope that the new vote would bring a monarchist Chamber. The new Chamber was even more republican, and pushed the King into governing by decrees. That would trigger the 1830 Revolution in which Lafayette would have a preeminent role.

Estim. 1 500 - 2 500 USD

Wed 15 May

Jefferson Davis Framed Display with Letter Signed and Fort Monroe Hair Strands and Hat Fabric - Impressive display of items honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis, which contains an 1854 LS signed “Jeffer Davis,” a swatch of fabric removed from Davis’s hat, and several strands of Davis’s hair (approximately 10), the latter two items obtained following his capture and imprisonment at Fort Monroe in 1865. The letter, one page, 6.5 x 7.5, June 3, 1854, addressed from the War Department and sent to Professor Jewett at the Smithsonian Institute, serves as an introduction for James N. Henry, “a gentleman of distinction connected with the University of Mississippi [who] desires to see you on business connected with that institution.” The swatch, gray with off-white cross patterns, measures 1.75″ x .25″ and is affixed to a small presentation sheet, 3.5 x 2, with a handwritten caption by Lt. Edward R. Parry that reads: “Piece of the lining of the Rebel Jeff: Davis hat taken soon after his capture and arrival at Fortress Monroe and presented by [Parry].” The hair strands, each approximately 1″ in length, are housed in a small plastic pouch and accompanied by a facsimile of the original provenance letter from actor Thomas Placide, which reads: “Montreal, Saturday, September 21st, 1867. Mrs. Howell gave me this lock of hair today, in the presence of President Jefferson Davis. It was cut from his head during his confinement in Fortress Monroe. Mrs. Howell is the mother in law of President Davis. Mrs. Jefferson Davis was also present at the time.” Also included is a four-page ALS from Adjutant General Edward D. Townsend, December 19, 1889, with content related to Davis’s capture. The handwritten letter, in part: “A full account of the capture of Jefferson Davis, together with the official reports by Genl. J. M. Wilson and Colo. Pritchard, Mich. Vols. was published in the New York Herald, soon after the capture. Colo. Pritchard’s command of the Michigan Cavalry was the one that actually made the capture, although other bodies belonging to Wilson’s Cavalry Corps joined in the pursuit. Davis’ camp was surrounded at night, and...his capture inevitable, he cast off the disguise and stood in the rebel uniform of an officer.” All of the items are matted with engraved plates and a small portrait and framed together to an overall size of 33 x 32; the Townsend letter is in a hinged frame that opens to reveal the interior pages. In overall fine condition, with bowing to the right side of the matting.

Estim. 1 000 - 2 000 USD

Wed 15 May

William T. Sherman Autograph Letter Signed, Referring to "the taking of Atlanta" - ALS signed "W. T. Sherman, Lt. Genl.," one lightly lined page, 7.75 x 9.5, Headquarters, Military Division of the Missouri letterhead, December 28, 1868. Sherman writes to J. A. C[ampbell; this portion of the recipient's name in pencil]. In part: "I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter...notifying me that at your meeting in Chicago on the 15th inst. the Society had extended to me and my staff the rights of membership. I accept the same with pleasure, and will notify all officers who comprised my staff. Say at the taking of Atlanta—that they are also embraced in the list of honorary members of the Society of the Army of the Ohio." In fine condition. The Army of Ohio was among the forces under Sherman's command when he and that division's commander, Major General John M. Schofield, launched the Atlanta Campaign. Despite a final effort by Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood to secure the city in late August, he was repulsed and abandoned Atlanta. On September 1st, Sherman marched in, and later that day, sent his famous communique to President Abraham Lincoln: 'So Atlanta is ours and fairly won!' His capture of the city proved to be one of Sherman's greatest exploits. Pivotal politically as well as militarily, it also helped ensure Lincoln's reelection two months later against Democratic Party candidate and former Union commander George B. McClellan, whose party platform included acknowledgment of the Confederacy's independence. Here, four years after the fight, Sherman gratefully accepts membership by his military brethren. A most handsome example of a Sherman letter, boasting a coveted direct reference to the military triumph that forever cemented his reputation.

Estim. 1 500 - 2 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Horatio Nelson Autograph Letter Signed - Three Days After the Battle of Copenhagen - Exceptional ALS signed “Nelson & Bronte,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 7.25 x 8.75, April 5, 1801. Letter to Sir Thomas Warburton, in full: "I had truly the pleasure & satisfaction of having your son on board this day at dinner. He is without a compliment a very fine Lad and he minds as not no more than his Father. The Messengers for peace came off this day. Sir Hyde [Parker] sent for me and whether these people paid me too much attention as for what cause I cannot say but it did not appear very agreeable, and from my heart I hope never to be sent for again but it has invariably been my misfortune to be slighted when no longer thought to be useful. My heart is broke[n] I can assure you and God knows I am fag‘d to death. I hope I may have provisional leave to quit my place whenever my state of health or other causes may make me think it necessary. On all occasions I have endeavour’d to do my best in the station in which I am placed, but my heart is tender and cannot bear what I feel undeserved rubs, but enough of my misfortunes. Capt. Bligh deserves a better ship than the glutton. No man in the world could acquit himself better in every respect. Poor [Retschik] wants to be removed from the Defiance and I am trying to get him into the Monarch & for Capt. Birchall to take the Jamaica as I am told Capt. Rose wishes to get into the Defiance. Under my present feelings I send you a copy of a letter I wrote some time past. I wrote another the same evening offering my services such as they were to command the attack and gave in the place with scarcely a shade of difference on the 25th but time and patience the world will do me justice. Let who will try to pull me down. In confidence you may shew the enclosed to Lord St. V[incen]t and then burn it." In a postscript, Nelson has added: "Do not think me particularly pipped. If you was here you would go mad and the description will make you half so." Professionally inlaid into a slightly larger sheet. In fine condition. Three days earlier, Nelson and his British fleet fought a large contingent of the Dano-Norwegian Navy in the pivotal Battle of Copenhagen on April 2, 1801. The British aim was to force Denmark from the Second League of Armed Neutrality, a coalition of the north European naval powers designed to protect shipping against the Royal Navy's wartime policy of unlimited search of neutral shipping for French contraband. On the strength of Britain’s superior gunnery, Nelson’s fleet overwhelmed the Danes and negotiations were reopened the following day in Copenhagen. News of Paul I of Russia’s assassination hastened the discussions and the final peace agreement was signed on October 23rd. As a reward for the victory, Nelson was created Viscount Nelson of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, on May 19, 1801.

Estim. 4 000 - 6 000 USD

Wed 15 May

John C. Breckinridge Autograph Letter Signed While in Exile - Kentucky politician (1821-1875) who served as a U.S. Representative and Senator before becoming the 14th Vice President of the United States under James Buchanan (to date the youngest vice president in U.S. history). During the Civil War he was a Confederate General and Confederate Secretary of State. ALS, three pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, February 12, 1866. Handwritten letter to noted newspaper editor and family friend, Washington McLean, while living in exile in Toronto Canada West. In full: “I send you a line by my son Clifton to preserve us in your memory, and to say that we are hibernating pretty well in these Semi-Arctic regions. I am greatly obliged to you for several things, among the rest the little derringers are beauties. I continue to remain perfectly quiet, even to the extent of having no correspondence upon any political topic, yet this does not prevent me from observing with great interest the proceedings in the United States, and I shall always be obliged to receive any paper from you containing what might be supposed to be of special interest to me. Mrs. B. and the rest of my family join me in kind regards to you and yours. I hope Mrs. McLean preserves that equanimity of temper and sweetness of expression so habitual to her (on all subjects save one!) and that prosperity and happiness may long be in store for you both. Your friends at the 'gunns' are well except Mrs. Helen who has been quite delicate since her return from Ky. I think Clifton is a fine youth, yet a little good advice occasionally will encourage him. Please give it." In fine condition. After the Confederate Government fell in May of 1865 Breckinridge fled the country, eventually arriving in Toronto, Canada, in September 1865. There he was reunited with his wife and some family members. They stayed less than a year in Toronto before moving to Europe. He returned briefly to Canada in 1868 before returning to the United States in early 1869 following a general pardon for all Confederates issued by President Andrew Johnson on Christmas Day 1868.

Estim. 400 - 600 USD

Wed 15 May

Charles Lindbergh Signed Limited Edition Book - 'WE' - Signed book: ‘WE.’ Special author's autograph edition, limited issue, numbered 941/1000. NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1927. Hardcover with scarce glassine dust jacket, 6.75 x 10.25, 308 pages. Signed on the colophon in fountain pen, "Charles A. Lindbergh." The book includes its original publisher’s note, 8-page booklet, and half of its blue presentation box. Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG+/G, with losses to the glissine jacket. Accompanied by a ticket stub for Lindbergh’s famed reception in New York’s City Hall Plaza on June 13, 1927, the same day he was honored with a ticker tape parade, and a flown ‘WE’ commemorative cover from Peoria Post No. 2 American Legion, with two stamped horseshoe cachets reading “Lindbergh Again Flies the Airmail,” postmarked in Peoria, Illinois, on February 21, 1928. After barnstorming and piloting in the Army Reserve, Charles Lindbergh started flying mail between St. Louis and Chicago in 1925. The job provided sound experience flying in all conditions. Following his 1927 solo transatlantic flight, Lindbergh used his newfound fame to advance aviation however he could — from organizing transcontinental airline service to making promotional air mail flights over his old route. Lindbergh flew a series of special airmail flights over his old route on February 20 and February 21, 1928, to raise awareness of the airmail service. Lindbergh and two other pilots flew between St. Louis and Chicago, with each piece of mail they carried receiving this special 'horseshoe' stamp. The demand for these covers was so high that three planes were needed to carry it all, but the Post Office Department assured everyone that Lindbergh at least took each plane for a trip around the airfield, so each piece of mail got flown by him.

Estim. 600 - 800 USD

Wed 15 May

Edgar Degas (2) Autograph Letters (One Signed) to His Art Dealer on Paintings and Drawings - Two handwritten letters by Edgar Degas, one with the signature excised, both to London art dealer Charles Deschamps: ALS in French, signed "E. Degas," one page both sides, 4.25 x 7, no date. Handwritten letter to "Mon cher Deschamps," in part (translated): "At last. At last, it's almost done. We will see by tomorrow if we must sign. If I have not redesigned the faces ten times before. God damn. And what a cruel commitment! I am consumed by a desire to create something new. Our exhibition is coming soon [Impressionist Exhibition from 1876] and I cannot be free to work on what I want. You understand me, don't you. My brother is in Naples instead of me. I was not able to leave Paris, please do not forget to prepare the money so that my family can leave me alone [Following Degas' father bankrupt, leaving many debts to the family]. Can you send me for the 27th or 28th of this month the silhouette of the 'dancer' and the large drawing, please? And when are you coming back?" Handwritten letter in French, with the signature clipped off (affecting some of the text), 4.25 x 7, no date. Handwritten letter to "Mon cher Deschamps," in part: "Relax, I am working for you, and a lot. If I have not sent you one of the paintings yet, it's because my temper makes me work on both of them at the same time. You will get both together and probably something more. But I would like you to come here every week. I need to be in [cut words]. I have made another variation of the painting, that of the two where there is a cut seat in the foreground, in the size of the painting of the big washerwomen, It's the best one. I've even almost finished the prototype from this one. So you have three on the same pattern. I am only looking to perfect the execution by making it more simple, that is to say as much as possible in the style of a drawing. There will be some for the few buyers you are talking about." In overall fine condition, with the signature removed (and no longer present) from one of the letters. In the 1870s, Degas was in debt and decided to work for the English market, being compelled to accept commissioned works. He did not feel free to work on what he really wanted to, as he wrote in these letters. Both themes evoked in these letters are typical from Degas' art: dancers and washerwomen.

Estim. 2 000 - 4 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Walt Disney Signed Sketch of Mickey Mouse - Incredibly rare and highly desirable vintage original fountain pen sketch of Mickey Mouse accomplished by Walt Disney on a pink 7.25 x 4.75 album page, prominently signed by the animation icon, "Walt Disney, Oxford, Eng., June 16, 35—." The album leaf is additionally signed by British Liberal Party leader Archibald Sinclair (1890-1970); British peer and Rudyard Kipling biographer Frederick Smith, 2nd Earl of Birkenhead (1907-1975); British peer who died in a plane crash enroute to visit William Randolph Hearst Terence Cunningham Plunket, 6th Baron Plunket (1899-1938); and on the verso, influential English conductor Thomas Beecham (1879-1961); Polish pianist Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982); British actress Violet Vanbrugh (1867-1942); American harmonica player Larry Adler (1914 -2001); Australian baritone Peter Dawson (1882-1961); English conductor Adrian Boult (1889-1983); and English stage actress Lilian Braithwaite (1873-1948). In very good to fine condition, with light edge staining from old masking tape on the reverse. During the summer of 1935—seven years after the creation of Mickey Mouse—Walt and Roy Disney, accompanied by their wives, took a six-week grand tour through Europe. On June 12, they arrived in Plymouth, England aboard the French liner Normandie. A short film entitled 'Mickey Mouse Presents: Walt Disney: A Visit to Britain,' shows footage of Disney on the ship’s deck looking out at the sea and then cuts to an animated sequence of Mickey Mouse traversing choppy waves on a raft. Mickey Mouse was already enormously popular throughout Europe, and the Disneys were hounded by autograph collectors and reporters throughout their vacation. A fantastic, early piece of Disney history that demonstrates the enduring worldwide appeal of Mickey Mouse.

Estim. 10 000 - 20 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Samuel L. Clemens 26-Page Autograph Letter Signed to His Wife on Christmas Day - ALS signed “Sam'l,” thirteen pages both sides, 5.5 x 8.25, December 25, 1893. Incredibly long handwritten letter to his wife Livy, written on Christmas Day from The Players, a social club in New York City, upon Clemens' return from Chicago. He had traveled there with his friend and benefactor, Standard Oil industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers, to negotiate a new contract with James W. Paige, the inventor of a typesetting machine in which Clemens had invested heavily—a failed venture that would practically bankrupt the great author. Clemens divides the letter into sections—"Letter No. 1" through "Letter No. 4"—to make up for the "3 letterless days" during his trip. In them, he provides a detailed, creative narration—with extensive, Twainian dialogue—of his business meetings in Chicago, as well as sending Christmas wishes, family news, and particulars of his travels. In part: "Merry Xmas, my darling, & all my darlings! I arrived from Chicago close upon midnight last night, & wrote & sent my Xmas cablegram before undressing: 'Merry Xmas! Promising progress made in Chicago'...I was vaguely hoping, all this past week that my Xmas cablegram would be definite, & make you all jump with jubilation; but the thought always intruded itself, 'You are not going out there to negociate with a man, but with a louse. This makes results uncertain.' I was asleep as Christmas struck upon the clocks at midnight, & didn't wake again till two hours ago...I have had my coffee & bread, & shan't get out of bed till it is time to dress for Mrs. Laffan's Xmas dinner this evening—where I shall meet Bram Stoker & must make sure about that photo with Irving's autograph...In order to remember, & not forget—well, I will go there with my dress coat wrong side out; it will cause remark & then I shall remember... I tell you it was interesting! The Chicago campaign, I mean. On the way out Mr. Rogers would plan-out the campaign while I walked the floor & smoked and assented. Then he would close it up with a snap & drop it & we would totally change the subject & take up the scenery, etc. Then a couple of hours before entering Chicago, he said: 'Now we will review, & see if we exactly understand what we will do & will not do—that is to say, we will clarify our minds, & make them up finally. Because in important negociations a body has got to change his mind: & how can he do that if he hasn't got it made up, & doesn't know what it is.' A good idea, & sound. Result—two or three details were selected & labeled (as one might say), 'These are not to be yielded or modified, under any stress of argument, barter, or persuasion.' There were a lot of other requirements—all perfectly fair ones, but not absolute requisites. 'These we will reluctantly abandon & trade off, one by one, concession by concession, in the interest of & for the preservation of those others—those essentials.' That was clear & nice & easy to remember. One could dally with minor matters in safety—one would always know where to draw the line." Clemens goes on to narrate, at great length, the specifics of a late-night meeting involving himself, Charley Davis and Mr. Dewey (a banker), as well as Paige's attorney, Mr. Walker, "the ablest lawyer in the West, a fine & upright gentleman; thoroughly despised his client, but would protect him sternly." Discussing the In part: "Had Clemens better go? This was discussed. Stone & Dewey finally said yes, but with this proviso: that Walker must not reveal to Paige at next morning's conference (where Paige himself would be present) that Clemens was here in Chicago meddling. Stone & Dewey said Walker had a fine library, was a man of wide literary affections, & a visit from me could hardly fail to have a good effect...As to next morning's conference, Clemens would not be there, of course. So we drove to Walker's—a sumptuously equipped dwelling...Mr. Rogers began in a low voice & very deferentially, & gradually unfolded & laid bare our list of requirements. Toward the last it was visibly difficult for Mr. Walker to hold still. When at last it was his turn he said in his measured & passionless way, but with impatience visibly oozing our of the seams of his clothes—'I may as well be frank with you, gentlemen: Mr. Paige will never concede one of these things. Here is a proposed company of $5,000,000. Mr. Paige consented to be reduced to a fifth interest. That seems to me to be concession enough. I cannot & must not advise him to consent to these restrictions'...Mr. Rogers gradually broke down Mr. Walker's objections, one after the other till there was nothing left but his idea that in fairness Paige was not getting enough...Then Mr. Walker turned toward me & said: 'Mr. Clemens, I've read every line you ever wrote, & I want more. I make you this offer: I will advise & urge Paige to concede every requirement that has been asked here to-night, provided you'll write another book.' That was his badinageous way of conv

Estim. 30 000 - 40 000 USD

Wed 15 May

Harry Potter Cast-Signed Book with Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint - Signed book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Later printing. London: Bloomsbury, 2003. Hardcover, 5.5 x 8, 766 pages. Signed on the title page in ink by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, and Jamie Waylett, and opposite the title page by director Alfonso Guaron, all of whom signed during the filming of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 2003. In fine condition, with a small ownership inscription to the front pastedown. Accompanied by a detailed letter of provenance by the original recipient, in part: "The book is signed by the Director of the 'Prisoner of Azkaban' film 'Alfonso Cuaron' as well as 'Daniel Radcliffe' (Harry Potter), 'Emma Watson' (Hermione Granger) & 'Rupert Grint' (Ron Weasley), it is also signed by a few other cast members I managed to meet when I visited (and patiently waited by the fence) the film set of the Prisoner of Azkaban in the Summer of 2003. Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Jamie Waylett (Vincent Crabbe). I used to live in Virginia Water which has been filming location for many of the Harry Potter Films, the Prisoner of Azkaban was filming there in the Spring/Summer of 2003, I spent numerous days watching the filming and collecting the autographs...The autograph of Daniel Radcliffe was the hardest to get, at the time we were not allowed to approach him directly, and had to wait outside his caravan on the set while his parents took our books to him for signing. All the other cast members were approachable on the edge of the forest where they were filming (As the fencing was just red tape between trees). Was a fun few days collecting the autographs!"

Estim. 200 - 400 USD

Wed 15 May

Barbra Streisand: Sound Engineer's Tour Archive with Signed Thank-You Note - Archive of material from Barbra Streisand's tours and live events between 1993 and 2001, originating from the collection of Bruce Jackson (1949-2011), Streisand’s concert sound engineer from 1993 to 2007. Includes: - a typed note signed "Barbra," inside a personal stationery card, November 6, 2001, in full: "Just a note to thank you for all your help with the Emmys"; along with a secretarially-signed holiday card. - two unused 'crew' tour hats from Barbra: The Concert (1994). - Bruce Jackson's lanyard from Barbra: The Concert, with laminated "All Access" pass; as well as "Rehearsal" and "Personnel" laminated badges for the show. - three unused cloth backstage "Working Personnel" passes from Barbra: The Concert, plus a color photograph of the crew from the tour. - four unused concert tickets, including a show at the MGM Grand on December 31, 1993, a show at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on June 4, 1994, and the 'Millennium Concert' at MGM Grand on December 31, 1999, and January 1, 2000. - three limited edition sterling silver commemorative items from Barbra: The Concert, including a large keychain (197/200), a smaller keychain (846/5000), and a pendant (661/5000). In overall fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Recordmecca's Jeff Gold, certifying that he obtained the collection from Bruce Jackson's widow. Bruce Jackson was approached by Barbra Streisand's producer in 1993 to mix her first concert tour in decades. Jackson's innovative approach included carpeting large venues like Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden for acoustic enhancement, along with implementing expensive drapes to dampen sound reflections. Streisand's preference for vintage stage monitors led Jackson to create custom solutions, such as a 'stage wedge' which used soft dome drivers for midrange and high frequencies. The stage monitors, line array and extravagant acoustic treatments were a hit with Streisand, who proclaimed Jackson as 'the best sound engineer in the world.' Jackson received an Emmy Award for sound design and mixing on Streisand's TV special Barbra: The Concert.

Estim. 200 - 400 USD
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