WILTON, Conn. – An autograph letter handwritten in German and signed by Ludwig van Beethoven, regarding his only opera, Fidelio; a group of six game-worn baseball helmets and jerseys from the Baltimore Orioles, dating to circa 1990-2016; and an autograph letter signed by John Adams in 1801 regarding the influence of Virginia Democrats will headline University Archives’ next online-only auction, scheduled for Wednesday, May 31. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
The undated autograph letter in German signed by Beethoven (as “Beethoven”) also features excellent musical content relating to his only opera, Fidelio, a love story about a wife disguised as a man rescuing her husband from a political prison. Beethoven’s letter was addressed to Friedrich Sebastian Mayer, the baritone singer who played Don Pizarro, the prison governor in the first two productions of Fidelio. The letter carries an estimate of $80,000-$100,000.
The circa 1990-2016 group of six game-worn pieces of gear from the Baltimore Orioles comes complete with grading and authentication from JSA and Mears. Three are helmets, which were worn, respectively, by All-Star catcher Matt Wieters, shortstop J.J. Hardy, and All-Star center fielder Adam Jones. The other three pieces are jerseys. One, a road jersey, was worn by Stan Jefferson in 1990, while the other two are postseason jerseys donned for the 2016 AL Wildcard game by Drew Stubbs and Brian Duensling. The Orioles lot has an estimate of $900-$1,000.
John Adams wrote an autograph letter, signed and dated March 31, 1801, addressed to Isaiah Thomas, Jr., the Worcester printer of the formerly Boston-based Patriot weekly Massachusetts Spy. In it, Adams wonders if Massachusetts is being overrun by the “moral and political opinions of Virginia” in a reference to the ascendant Thomas Jefferson and other Virginia Democrats. Its estimate is $7,000-$8,000.
Script from the mid-1940s NBC TV series ‘Your World Tomorrow,’ dramatizing Albert Einstein’s discovery of the famed E=MC2 formula and signed by the scientist, estimated at $40,000-$50,000
There are three lots related to Albert Einstein in the sale. One is a remarkable script from the mid-1940s NBC TV series Your World Tomorrow, signed by him as “A. Einstein” on the front cover. In the pilot episode, “The Atom,” Einstein’s discovery of his famous equation E=MC2 is dramatized via dialog between “Einstein” and two fictional characters. There are very few examples of Einstein’s inscribing his famous formula in something other than a book, making this example particularly desirable. It is estimated at $40,000-$50,000.
George Washington boldly signed an October 21, 1799 letter addressed to a Revolutionary War veteran named Captain Abraham Shepherd in the former’s capacity as Commander-in-Chief of Federal Armies under the Adams administration. Washington assumed command of the military after his second presidential term ended, up until his death in Dececember 1799, two months later. The letter has an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.
Martin Luther King, Jr. signed a typed letter on Southern Christian Leadership Conference stationery in 1966, concerning the use of the “N” word. To the inquiring man from Haddonfield, New Jersey, King wrote: “The word ‘n–r’ carries with it a meaning deeply rooted in the debilitating racist caste ordering of our society’s slavery epoch and segregation era.” The letter is estimated at $18,000-$20,000.
A three-page autograph letter signed by Beatrice Houdini on mourning stationery, dated Nov. 9, 1926, provides a moving account of her husband’s death less than two weeks earlier, on October 31. The letter was uncovered in Germany and quite possibly has never been published. In it, Beatrice laments, “The world has lost a Genius, but I have lost my Man.” The letter is estimated at $5,000-$10,000.
James Joyce signed a 1939 limited edition first edition copy of Finnegans Wake, considered one of the most difficult books in the English language. Finnegans Wake was much more ambitious in its literary aims than even Joyce’s subversive 1922 work, Ulysses. The partly uncut and unopened book appears to be unread, and is in near pristine condition. It carries an estimate of $7,000-$8,000.
University Archives is actively seeking quality material for future auctions. If you have a single item or a collection that might be of interest, call John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111 or email him at john@universityarchives.com. For more information about University Archives, please visit www.universityarchives.com.
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