United Nations Archives Auction
This sale probably includes the highest percentage of unique items ever offered in a single auction. Of over 2,800 lots, more than 2,000 are unique. We don’t normally associate the term ‘rarity’ with United Nations philately, yet within this catalogue there are enough rarities to satisfy the tastes of any connoisseur. In addition to the unique items, the vast majority of the remaining lots in the sale exist in quantities of five or less.
Ironically, the auction does not include even one single regularly issued stamp or cover, yet it offers something else never before seen in a philatelic auction. Look through this catalogue, especially the artwork submitted by artists from more than forty nations, and you’ll get a very compelling glimpse of the world of the early postwar era, with its slow but definite emergence of a global consciousness. Here is a planet devastated by war, trying to find its voice as it seeks a badly needed fresh start. The earnest, almost desperate desire for world peace comes through in the UN art as in nowhere else.





![UN Artist's Drawing by Leon Helguera: UN 1952 Human Rights set (Scott #13-4) Artist's Drawing for Proposed Design; by Leon Helguera [Mexico]. Pencil on onionskin with miniature in green gouache alongside, mounted on artboard, 250x330mm,](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161317_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Artist's Drawing by unknown artist: UN Artist's Drawing for Proposed 5c Design; by an unknown staff artist of the Enschede printers [Netherlands]. Acrylic and gouache on card, mounted on artboard, 203x140mm. Design shows Baby on Globe](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161318_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Artist's Drawing by unknown artist: UN Artist's Drawing for Proposed 5c Design; by an unknown staff artist of the Enschede printers [Netherlands]. Acrylic and gouache on card, mounted on artboard, 205x142mm. Design shows UN Emblem and](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161319_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Preliminary Sketch by Jean Van Noten: UN Composite Preliminary Sketch; by Jean Van Noten [Belgium]. Watercolor and pencil with Stamp-size photograph of design alongside, on card, mounted on display sheet, 210x279mm. Unique.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161320_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Drawing by Hubert Woyty-Wimmer: UN Artist's Drawing for Proposed 5c Design; by Hubert Woyty-Wimmer [Britain]. Pencil and gouache on thin card, with overlay mat, 195x253mm. Design shows Human Rights Flame. Stamp-size Photographic](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161321_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Artist's Drawing by Leonard Mitchell: UN Artist's Drawing for Proposed 8c Design; by Leonard Mitchell [New Zealand]. Acrylic and gouache on card, mounted on thick card, 2249x350mm. Design shows Man and Human Rights Flame. Unique.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161322_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)

![UN Original Drawing by H. Woyty-Wimmer: UN Artist's Drawing for 3c Design; by Hubert Woyty-Wimmer [Britain]. Pencil and gouache on thin card, with overlay mat, 253x248mm. Design shows Human Rights Flame and Hemispheres. Similar to the](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161324_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Original Drawing by H. Woyty-Wimmer: UN Artist's Drawing for 5c Design; by Hubert Woyty-Wimmer [Britain]. Acrylic and gouache on artboard, 183x135mm. Similar to the approved design, but with larger dates at lower right. Unique.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161325_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Photographic Model - H. Woyty-Wimmer: UN Photographic Model for 5c Design; by Hubert Woyty-Wimmer [Britain]. Small dates as in the approved design pasted over larger dates at lower right. Mounted on artboard, 245x195mm. `Original Design'](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161326_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)

![UN Preliminary Sketches- Olav Mathiesen: UN 1953 Refugees set (Scott #15-6) Preliminary Artist Sketches; by Olav Mathiesen [Denmark], whose final design was used for the issued stamps. Pen and pencil on the back of an envelope, 240x102mm.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161328_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Artist's Drawing by Olav Mathiesen: UN Artist's Drawing for Proposed Design; by Olav Mathiesen [Denmark]. Photographic Essay with acrylic and gouache added. Mounted on thick card, 260x380mm. Stamp-size photograph of design matted at](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161329_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Artist's Drawing by Olav Mathiesen: UN Another Drawing; by Olav Mathiesen [Denmark]. Acrylic paste-up under paste-up border inscriptions with clear overlay bearing UN Emblem and central inscriptions, mounted on cardboard, 230x320mm.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161330_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN Approved Drawing by Olav Mathiesen: UN Approved Design Drawing; by Olav Mathiesen [Denmark]. Acrylic paste-up similar in composition to previous lot, mounted on cardboard, 263x344mm. Identical to the issued 5c design, with `Protection](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161331_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN `Color Sample' Drawing- by Mathiesen: UN 3c Artist's `Color Sample' Drawing in Red Brown; by Olav Mathiesen [Denmark]. Acrylic mounted on cardboard, 244x283mm. Color similar to that of the issued stamp. Unique.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161332_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)
![UN `Color Sample' Drawing- by Mathiesen: UN 5c Artist's `Color Sample' Drawing in Indigo; by Olav Mathiesen [Denmark]. Acrylic mounted on cardboard, 245x299mm. Color similar to that of the issued stamp. Unique.](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/220/334/161333_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1068151446)





