One of a Kind Collectibles mounts historical documents sale Nov. 15

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – An original copy of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women the right to vote, an Act of the Second Congress relating to trade with Indians signed by Thomas Jefferson, and a Thomas Edison patent pertaining to the light bulb are part of David Gindy’s One of a Kind Collectibles Rare Autographs & Manuscripts Auction ending Nov. 15. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

The online-only sale features 228 lots of autographs, books, manuscripts, historical and political items, space memorabilia, sports lots, comic and animation art and rare newspapers.

Other expected top lots will include a rare President William Henry Harrison signature as president (he was only in office for 30), an Alexander Graham Bell signed image nearly 3 feet tall, an early William Penn land grant from 1681, a baseball single-signed by Babe Ruth and an Abraham Lincoln appointment for a Navy commander.

“It’s always an incredible feeling to hold and touch documents that changed history,” said David Gindy, president and owner of One of a Kind Collectibles. “One such document in the sale transformed the way we vote and is today considered one of the most important amendments of the 20th century – one giving women the right to vote—a very timely item this political season.”

The 19th Amendment copy is true and original (above). It was used to help ratify the measure, which needed a majority of the states to pass to become an official part of the U.S. Constitution. It was a cliff-hanger; 36 states were needed to ratify, and only 35 had done so before Tennessee finally voted yes right before the ratification period expired, in a special session, on Aug. 18, 1920.

The rare William Henry Harrison signature as president (written as “W. H. Harrison”), is from a vellum document, with the top part of some of the letters from the printed legend “By the President” appearing beneath his name. The sheet of paper measures 2 inches wide by three-quarters of an inch tall. The signature came from a ship’s papers, during his brief, one month as president, in 1841.

The unique signed photographic image of Alexander Graham Bell is on a mount of 32 inches by 24 inches. The photogravure shows the inventor of the telephone, looking straight at the viewer, with a piercing look. The image is signed beneath the portrait, in fountain pen, “Washington, D.C., May 18, 1921, Alexander Graham Bell.” It’s also signed by the artist who made the photo.

An important 1937 cabinet appointment, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt and naming Harry Hines Woodring (1887-1967) as Secretary of War, is signed by FDR and comes with more than 30 official and other photos of Woodring and/or his wife, Helen, including a Harris & Ewing photo of FDR at his desk, signed “to Helen Woodring, from her friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

A document drafted in 1792 by the Second Congress of the United States, “to regulate Trade and Intercourse with the Indian Tribes,” was approved by President Washington the following year. The resulting Act, featured in the auction, contains the printed names of Washington and Vice President John Adams and, most importantly, the bold, superb ink signature of Thomas Jefferson.

A six-page, printed overseas patent application from 1882, signed by inventor Thomas Alva Edison, relating to dynamos for electrical lamps for use in Australia, India and other countries, is countersigned by William Henry Meadowcroft. Included are two printed mechanical diagrams pasted at the upper left corner, with printed text and autograph annotations.

A pair of Abraham Lincoln lots is expected to do well. One is a signed document, from August 1861, appointing Fabius Stanley a Commander in the U.S. Navy. The document, with a vignette and green seal, is also signed by Navy Sec. Gideon Welles. Stanley helped out in the Civil War by protecting and holding Fort Taylor in Key West, Florida, with his steamer ship Wyandotte.

The other is a fine example of an iconic George Clark ambrotype portrait of Lincoln, from the 1860 presidential campaign and known as the “Cooper Union” pose. The famous 19th-century photographer Matthew Brady took the photo of Lincoln, who was in New York to give a speech at Cooper Union Institute. The image was used on pinbacks that boosted Lincoln’s popularity.

Babe Ruth single signed baseballs are highly coveted by collectors, and the one in this auction, signed by Ruth in the side panel, has been authenticated by James Spence Authentication and includes a letter of authenticity with a certification number. It is believed the ball may have been signed by Ruth after his retirement at a home run hitting exhibition in Michigan in 1940.

One of a Kind Collectibles Auction was founded in 1994. The firm specializes in autographs, art, documents, philatelic, coins, currency and fine collectibles. For details call 800-570-7273 or email info@oakauctions.com.