Autographs Auction on Apr 09, 2026 by Swann Auction Galleries in NY - Page 2
Friedrich Nietzsche. Photograph Signed and Inscribed, to Meta von Salis ("Fräulein von Salis")Thomas Jefferson. Letter Signed, "Th:Jefferson," as Governor, with 4-line holograph postscript, toThomas A. Edison. Document Signed, “Thomas Alva Edison,” leaf from patent showing
Starts on:
New York, NY, United States
Auction Details

Autographs

The April autographs auction will present items signed by the same hands that helped shape American history, including a small archive of letters by John F. Kennedy, a portrait of Hillary Clinton by Chuck Close—signed by both; and a leaf from the Bolivian patent for the light bulb signed and filed by Thomas Edison in 1881 showing a schematic of the electronic components.

From figures around the rest of the world, we find autographs related to the breathtaking accomplishments of the laureates of the Nobel Prize in Physics; the sale includes a significant collection of autographs by these figures, including: Richard Feynman, Wolfgang Pauli, Enrico Fermi, Paul Dirac, Werner Heisenberg, Louis de Broglie, Max Planck, Wilhelm Röntgen, and others. Additionally, a letter signed by Charles Darwin in 1876, praising the recipient’s photographs of a child’s facial expressions (accompanied by the photographs); a decorative print featuring a young woman and child (after a painting by Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola) owned by Herman Melville and signed by him on verso; as well as business leaders, musicians, and artists—among them a small archive of 1960s letters by M.C. Escher to a relative.
Auction Curator:
Marco Tomaschett
Marco Tomaschett
Specialist, Autographs
Live Bidding Starts In:
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Andrew Carnegie. Photograph dated and Signed: Andrew Carnegie Photograph dated and Signed, bust portrait by Underwood & Underwood, showing him looking into camera. Signed on the mat below the image. 10x8 inches (image), 16x11 inches overall;
0032: Andrew Carnegie. Photograph dated and SignedEst. $1,000-$2,000$750
Chiang Kai-Shek. Signature, in Chinese: Chiang Kai-Shek Signature, in Chinese, on slip of paper. 4½x3 inches. Np, nd.
0034: Chiang Kai-Shek. Signature, in ChineseEst. $600-$900$450
Charles Darwin. Letter Signed, to "Dear Sir,": Showing continued interest in the expression of emotions in humans Charles Darwin Letter Signed, to "Dear Sir," thanking for photographs depicting the expressions of a child during a recitation
0038: Charles Darwin. Letter Signed, to "Dear Sir,"Est. $3,000-$4,000$2,200
Amelia Earhart. Signature: Amelia Earhart Signature, on a leaf removed from an album. On verso is a signature by John J. Pershing. 4½x5½ inches, pale blue paper; faint toning at edges. Np, nd.
0041: Amelia Earhart. SignatureEst. $800-$1,200$600
Thomas A. Edison. Brief Typed Letter Signed, to C.P. Fiske: Edison--early adopter of job applicant interview technique--replies to job candidate Thomas A. Edison Brief Typed Letter Signed, to C.P. Fiske, acknowledging his reply to an advertisement and
0044: Thomas A. Edison. Brief Typed Letter Signed, to C.P. FiskeEst. $1,000-$2,000$750(1 bid)
Henry Ford. Signature: Henry Ford Signature, on a leaf removed form an album. 4½x5½ inches; faint toning at edges. Np, nd.
0047: Henry Ford. SignatureEst. $600-$900$450(1 bid)