Done
New York, NY, United States
Auction Details
Autographs
It is doubtful that anyone needs to be reminded that the names of Americans have a surprising way of turning up on the pages of history. Foremost among them are the names of U.S. presidents, and the fall autographs auction includes some remarkable illustrations of this, including an extraordinary album of autographs by presidents—a continuous run of autograph letters, many outstanding in content and condition, from George Washington to Harry Truman—one of only a handful of such albums ever offered at auction (pictured left). Other important Americans in the sale include a Revolutionary War–dated letter signed by Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben concerning Cornwallis’s abandonment of his own troops; and an endorsement from Major General George Custer, signed by him during the Civil War.
The world is wide and there are heroes everywhere, like Marie Curie, whose uncommon autograph note signed to a dancer wanting help making her costume glow is available; or Florence Nightingale, who, in an attractive autograph letter, thanks an engineer for supplying equipment to a girls’ school in Sarajevo; or Rabindranath Tagore, who stole a moment to sign a photographic portrait of himself.
In addition to yet more exceptional autographs—such as a copy of Black Muslims in America signed and inscribed by Malcolm X, and the autograph notes by John Ford for his 1939 film Stagecoach—there are also notable items by writers, artists, entertainers, astronauts, scientists, musicians, and others.
Auction Curator:

Marco Tomaschett
Specialist, Autographs0193: Hugo Gernsback. Two items, each Signed, "HGernsback": Inscribed Photograph * Typed Letter. Np, 1960;Est. $600-$900Lot Passed
Sold
0194: Zane Grey. Group of 5 Autograph Letters Signed and a Typed Letter Signed, to Charles Agnew MacLean.Est. $600-$900
0195: Edward Everett Hale. Photograph dated and Signed, "Edward E Hale." Np, 25 November 1907.Est. $600-$900Lot Passed
Sold
0196: Ernest Hemingway. Typed Letter Signed, "I love you / Papa," to Marlene Dietrich ("My Dearest").Est. $4,000-$6,000
0197: Oliver Wendell Holmes. Autograph Letter Signed, "OWHolmes," to "Dear Sir," criticising the conceitEst. $600-$900Lot Passed
0199: Henry James. Autograph Letter Signed, to banker and author Edward Clodd. [London], 20 December 1872.Est. $600-$900Lot Passed
Sold
0200: D.H. Lawrence. Autograph Letter Signed, to poet Charles Wilson, on a postcard. Gsteig bei Gstaad, 28Est. $2,000-$3,000
Sold
0201: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Three items, each Signed, "Henry W. Longfellow": Autograph Quotation *Est. $1,000-$2,000
Sold
0202: Thomas Mann. Two items, each Signed: Nocturnes * Brief Autograph Letter. New York: EquinoxEst. $600-$900
0203: George Meredith. Autograph Manuscript Signed, an 8-line poem. Dorking [Surrey], 5 March 1901.Est. $300-$400Lot Passed
Sold
0204: Sarojini Naidu. Autograph Manuscript Signed, her poem, "Love If I Knew." Np, 26 March 1929.Est. $700-$1,000
Sold
0205: Marcel Proust. Autograph Letter Signed, to Paul Bacart ("My dear Paul"), in French. Np, "FridayEst. $2,000-$3,000
0207: Oliver Sacks. Group of 16 items Inscribed and Signed, "Oliver," Np, 1983-2015.Est. $1,000-$2,000Lot Passed
Sold
0208: George Sand. Autograph Manuscript Signed, draft of her one-act play Francia. Np, circa 1872.Est. $10,000-$15,000
Sold
0209: George Bernard Shaw. Typed Letter Signed, "G. Bernard Shaw," draft of an open letter to the Editor.Est. $1,000-$2,000
0210: John Steinbeck. Three items: Typescript, unsigned * Two Typed Letters Signed. Np, [1959]; New York,Est. $4,000-$6,000Lot Passed
Sold
0213: Leo Tolstoy. Document Signed, "Count Leo Tolstoy," in English. Moscow, 27 May 1892.Est. $2,000-$3,000
0214: Anthony Trollope. Autograph Letter Signed, to Reverend Walter L. Clay. Waltham Cross, 20 AugustEst. $700-$1,000Lot Passed
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![Victor Hugo. Autograph Note Signed, to an unnamed recipient. Np, nd.: Victor Hugo Autograph Note Signed, to an unnamed recipient (lacking salutation), in French: "Here is a pardonee, Ernest Lapre, who was sent to me by Louise Michel [political activist (1830-1905)?].](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/199/394464/218603636_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1761766804)
![Henry James. Autograph Letter Signed, to banker and author Edward Clodd. [London], 20 December 1872.: Henry James Autograph Letter Signed, to banker and author Edward Clodd, sending a five-shilling postal order as a contribution to a memorial for Walter Besant [not present]. 1 page, small 8vo,](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/199/394464/218603638_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1761766804)



![George Meredith. Autograph Manuscript Signed, an 8-line poem. Dorking [Surrey], 5 March 1901.: "Blest is the sword" George Meredith Autograph Manuscript Signed, an 8-line poem. 1 page, 8x7Ω inches, personal stationery; scattered remnants of mounting on verso, folds. Dorking [Surrey], 5](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/199/394464/218603645_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1761766804)






![John Steinbeck. Three items: Typescript, unsigned * Two Typed Letters Signed. Np, [1959]; New York,: Includes typescript of his "Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights" John Steinbeck Three items: Typescript, unsigned * Two Typed Letters Signed. The typescript, late drafts of 5 chapters from his](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/199/394464/218603657_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1761766804)





![H.G. Wells. Autograph Letter Signed, to publisher Horace Green ("Dear Mr. Green"). [Little Easton],: "'The Doddering Edition' . . . I don't think that would be just" H.G. Wells Autograph Letter Signed, to publisher Horace Green ("Dear Mr. Green"), bristling at a proposal to give an edition of books](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/199/394464/218603668_1_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1761766804)
