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Circa-1990 sketch hand-drawn and signed by astronaut Neil Armstrong, depicting important elements of the Apollo 11 moon landing, estimated at $90,000-$110,000

Neil Armstrong sketch cleared for liftoff at University Archives, Sept. 28

Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Sheila Gibson Stoodley
Circa-1990 sketch hand-drawn and signed by astronaut Neil Armstrong, depicting important elements of the Apollo XI moon landing, estimated at $90,000-$110,000
Circa-1990 sketch hand-drawn and signed by astronaut Neil Armstrong, depicting important elements of the Apollo 11 moon landing, estimated at $90,000-$110,000

WILTON, Conn. – A pen sketch hand-drawn and signed by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, a manuscript fragment in George Washington’s hand from the first draft of his first Inaugural Address in 1789, and the Black-Scholes-Merton formula handwritten and signed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert C. Merton are just a few of the expected superstar lots in University Archives’ online-only auction slated for Wednesday, September 28, beginning at 10:30 am Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

The circa-1990 pen sketch drawn and signed by Neil Armstrong depicts important elements of the Apollo 11 moon landing, including the trajectories of the command and lunar modules, plus the dark side of the moon represented by hatch marks. The drawing has been authenticated by Steve Zarelli Space Authentication. It is estimated at $90,000-$110,000.

Manuscript fragment with more than 60 words written in George Washington’s hand, from the first draft of his first Inaugural Address in 1789, estimated at $60,000-$70,000
Manuscript fragment with more than 60 words written in George Washington’s hand, from the first draft of his first Inaugural Address in 1789, estimated at $60,000-$70,000

The double-sided manuscript fragment comprising more than 60 words in George Washington’s hand, from the draft of his First Inaugural Address, was authenticated by 19th century Washington biographer Jared Sparks. The exquisite content relates to the Constitution. The fragment has an estimate of $60,000-$70,000.

Black-Scholes-Merton formula handwritten and signed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert C. Merton, penned on stationery from Stockholm’s Grand Hotel in Sweden during Nobel awards week, estimated at $45,000-$55,000
Black-Scholes-Merton formula handwritten and signed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert C. Merton, penned on stationery from Stockholm’s Grand Hotel in Sweden during Nobel awards week, estimated at $45,000-$55,000

Robert C. Merton (American, b. 1944-) was the co-developer of the Black-Scholes-Merton formula, which revolutionized modern financial trading and earned him the shared 1997 Nobel Prize in economics. He penned the formula and signed his name on stationery from Stockholm’s Grand Hotel while in Sweden to accept his Nobel Prize. The document carries an estimate of $45,000-$55,000.

Isaac Newton’s 300-plus-word autograph manuscript draft of a religious treatise, estimated at $28,000-$35,000

Isaac Newton’s 300-plus-word autograph manuscript draft of a religious treatise, estimated at $28,000-$35,000

Isaac Newton’s 300-plus-word autograph manuscript draft of a religious treatise, believed to have been created around 1698, questions the concept of the Holy Trinity and reprises a 4th-century debate concerning whether God, Christ and the Holy Ghost were separate substances. Newton asks if “God or any part of him was born of the Virgin…” This piece has an estimate of $28,000-$35,000.

Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson’s signed 1790 letter to Samuel Huntington, Governor of Connecticut, regarding the suspension of part of the 1789 Revenue Act, estimated at $15,000-$20,000
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson’s signed 1790 letter to Samuel Huntington, Governor of Connecticut, regarding the suspension of part of the 1789 Revenue Act, estimated at $15,000-$20,000

Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson signed an April 19, 1790 letter addressed to Samuel Huntington, the Governor of Connecticut, announcing the suspension of a controversial clause of Alexander Hamilton’s 1789 Revenue Act, which threatened the autonomy (and the profits) of Virginia merchants by imposing duties on Potomac River-bound vessels. Its estimate is $15,000-$20,000.

Handwritten lyrics to ‘America the Beautiful’ signed by its author, Katharine Lee Bates, estimated at $15,000-$17,000
Handwritten lyrics to ‘America the Beautiful,’ including all four stanzas and signed by author Katharine Lee Bates, estimated at $15,000-$17,000

The handwritten lyrics to the song America the Beautiful, undated but boldly signed by the song’s author, Katharine Lee Bates, and comprising all four stanzas on one 8 ½ by 5 ½in sheet of paper, is estimated at $15,000-$17,000. Bates wrote the first draft of America the Beautiful in 1893 while teaching English in Colorado.

Archive of documents dating to 1786-1851, covering the earliest days of the U.S. Navy, estimated at $10,000-$12,000
Archive of documents dating to 1786-1851, covering the earliest days of the U.S. Navy, estimated at $10,000-$12,000

An extensive archive of more than 40 documents ranging from 1786-1851, documenting the earliest days of the U.S. Navy and including the signatures of Matthew C. Perry, William Bainbridge, David Porter and other naval commanders and various Navy Department officials, is a ready-made collection of naval notables and carries an estimate of $10,000-$12,000.

General Orders issued from the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department from Jan.-Nov. 1865, including military orders related to Lincoln’s assassination, estimated at $10,000-$12,000
General Orders issued from the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department from Jan.-Nov. 1865, including military orders related to Lincoln’s assassination, estimated at $10,000-$12,000

A bound volume of General Orders issued from the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department from Jan.-Nov. 1865, including printed military orders related to the demobilization of the Union Army, the situation of freedmen and other military matters, such as General Orders No. 66 issued April 16, 1865 announcing Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, is estimated at $10,000-$12,000.

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, visit www.universityarchives.com.

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