Items Signed by Einstein, Dillinger, Lincoln, Monroe are in University Archives’ Dec. 11 Auction
It isn’t often that John Dillinger, Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth and Abraham Lincoln all meet at the same place at the same time, but that’s exactly what will happen on Wednesday, December 11th, when items signed by all four luminaries will come up for bid in University Archives’ Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books auction, at 10am Eastern time.
A rare autograph letter signed by America’s Public Enemy Number One John Dillinger, a signed photograph of Albert Einstein, a check signed by Marilyn Monroe during the filming of the movie Some like It Hot, a Star baseball signed on the sweet spot by Babe Ruth in 1927, and an Abraham Lincoln signed Civil War draft call are just a few of the sale’s expected headliners.
All 519 lots in the catalog are up for viewing and bidding now on the newly redesigned University Archives website – www.UniversityArchives.com – as well as LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.
“Our last auction of 2024 is perhaps our most impressive sale to date,” University Archives president and owner John Reznikoff said of Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books – Just in Time For The Holidays. He added, “The auction will be a great shopping opportunity. Need holiday gift ideas? Give your friends and loved ones unique historical gifts this holiday season.”
From U.S. Presidents, Early America, and World Leaders, to Art, Music and Literature, from Aviation/Space, Sports and Science, to Militaria, Civil Rights, and Entertainment, University Archives’ December 11th sale has most categories covered. “If we receive prompt payment, we will make every effort to ship items before Christmas and Hanukkah,” Mr. Reznikoff said.
Lot 218 is the two-page autograph letter signed by the outlaw John Dillinger, written from the Allen County Jail in Lima, Ohio on October 1, 1933, just a few days after he was arrested for armed robbery. The letter was addressed to his girlfriend, Mary Longnaker, urging her not to wait for him to get out of prison. Dillinger was busted out of his prison cell a few days later but was shot dead within the year. (est. $18,000-$25,000).
Lot 508 is the Star baseball by Spaulding signed on the sweet spot by Babe Ruth on June 5, 1927, the day he got two hits and a home run in a game against the Detroit Tigers. Ruth dedicated the ball to vaudeville actress Maud Ryan, a fellow entertainer. Ruth supplemented his income in 1927 by starring as a vaudeville performer and silent film star. (est. $10,000-$12,000).
Lot 466 is a photograph of Albert Einstein wearing his beloved scruffy leather jacket, probably taken by Lotte Jacobi, and signed by him as “A. Einstein, 1947.” The portrait is quite modern in its sensibility, with Einstein staring boldly at the viewer. Einstein presented the signed photo to Derek J. de Solla Price, the noted British physicist and historian of science. (est. $6,000-$8,000).
Lot 298 is a check (#37) signed by Marilyn Monroe dated Oct. 10, 1958, around the time of production of the classic film Some Like It Hot, co-starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The check, showing Monroe’s large, bold signature, was drawn from the Colonial Trust Company, for $108.55, and made out to Dave Bernstein, “Caterer” (est. $3,000-$4,000).
Many of the marquee items in the sale come from an exceptionally large and robust array of U.S. Presidential memorabilia. Military commissions, circulars, ship’s passports, land grants, documents, autograph letters, and typed letters from Washington to Biden – many of them signed as President – will be offered. There are over a dozen Lincoln lots in the sale. Some are signed.
Lot 84 is a draft call signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, requesting the first part of a conscription quota, a levy of 2,406 troops from the 18th District of Pennsylvania. The draft call was one of the first signed by Lincoln and came just a week after the New York Draft Riots. The Union badly needed more soldiers following the Battle of Gettysburg. (est. $15,000-$20,000).
Lot 146 is a two-page letter signed by President George Washington on October 3, 1789. The circular, addressed to Governor of Connecticut Samuel Huntington, itemized key pieces of legislation enacted by the 1st session of the 1st U.S. Congress that year, to include the Judiciary Act, money for the federal budget, and the federal use of state militias. (est. $40,000-$60,000).
Lot 61 is a circular signed by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803, addressed to an unidentified state governor. It announced the passage of the 12th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, in response to the Election Crisis of 1801, in which Jefferson and Aaron Burr both received the same number of ballots for President, causing a temporary deadlock. (est. $18,000-$24,000).
Lot 71 is a 12-page typed chapter from a young John F. Kennedy’s Harvard University senior thesis, with copious manuscript revisions. The heavily edited chapter, entitled “Influence of the Desire for Economy and General Disarmament Conference on British Armaments”, was later published as part of Kennedy’s best-selling book, Why England Slept. (est. $35,000-$50,000).
Lot 52 is a rare ship’s passport signed by the shortest-serving U.S. President, William Henry Harrison, during his month-long presidency. Signed by Harrison in advance as a blank, it was used by customs officials nearly a month after Harrison’s death from pneumonia on April 30, 1841, for a New Bedford whaling ship called Agate. It should finish at $90,000-$100,000.
Lot 387 is a three-page autograph letter in Spanish drafted by Fidel Castro on May 27, 1960 and addressed to Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Castro thanks Khrushchev for supporting “the revolution” and for securing the Cuba-Soviet Alliance signed three weeks earlier. The letter draft underscores how Cuba identified ideologically with the Soviet Union. (est. $20,000-$30,000).
Lot 432 is an 11-page autograph manuscript signed by the writer-philosopher Ayn Rand, being the draft of an upcoming editorial. The handwritten manuscript contains copious corrections and edits in Rand’s hand, and states: “The United States, at present, is a country without political ideology, without any intellectual movement, without direction or goal.” (est. $12,000-$15,000).
Lot 274 is a four-page autograph letter signed by “Mad Anthony” Wayne, dated July 19, 1780 and addressed to Commander-in-Chief George Washington. In the letter, Wayne outlines his military strategy for clearing out a nest of British and Loyalist supporters in New Jersey, which includes seizing a block house and confiscating much-needed livestock. (est. $9,000-$10,000).
Lot 207 is a seven-page autograph letter signed by aviator Charles A. Lindbergh dated March 11, 1937 and addressed to William E. Dodd, U.S. Ambassador to Nazi Germany. In it, Lindbergh expresses concerns about the state of European affairs but notes the difficulty of harnessing peace movements. Lindbergh had a pro-Nazi stance during World War II. (est.$7,500-$9,000).
Lot 423 is a four-page handwritten autograph letter signed by Charles Dickens, dated May 1, 1855 and addressed to Reverend Whitwell Elwin. In it, Dickens refers to an annual fundraising dinner for the Literary Fund, at which major public and literary figures exhort guests to make generous donations, which is where much of the Fund’s money came from. (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Here is a link to the catalog on the University Archives website: https://www.universityarchives.com/auction-catalog/rare-autographs-manuscripts-books-just-in-time-fo_AY2IGEUZOW
University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. Anyone who has a single item or a collection that may be a fit for a future University Archives auction may call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111, or email him at john@universityarchives.com.
For more information about University Archives and the online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books – Just in Time for The Holidays auction slated for Wednesday, December 11th, starting at 10am Eastern time, please visit www.universityarchives.com. Updates are posted frequently.
About University Archives:
University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies. University Archives’ offices are located at 88 Danbury Road (Suite #2A) in Wilton, Conn. For more information about University Archives please visit www.universityarchives.com.
