WILTON, Conn. – Three hand-written documents by President Ronald Reagan, a lock of President Abraham Lincoln’s hair taken by his embalmer post-mortem, and signed models of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the crews of those missions were all top performers at University Archives January 10. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.
Reagan’s White House secretary Helene von Damm (b. 1938-) continues to empty her collection of hand-written and -annotated Reagan artifacts and send them to auction. Reagan’s “Win One for the Gipper” speech from 1981 hammered for an astounding $50,000 ($64,000 with buyer’s premium) against estimates of $15,000-$24,000. His “Welcome Home” speech delivered to returned State Department employees held hostage in Iran brought $20,000 ($25,600 with buyer’s premium), nearly doubling the high estimate. And a draft of letters to Frank Sinatra and financier Felix G. Rohatyn also nearly doubled its top estimate, hammering for $11,000 ($14,080 with buyer’s premium).
This lock of President Abraham Lincoln’s hair, collected after his death by his embalmer Harry Pratt Cattell, along with Lincoln’s clipped signature, were placed in a red velvet case specially designed for the artifacts. Included is an 1869 letter from Cattell establishing the authenticity of the hair. Estimated at $10,000-$15,000, the lot hammered for $25,000 ($32,000 with buyer’s premium).
Two scale models of the atomic bombs dropped on Imperial Japan to end the fighting in the Pacific Theater during World War II both sold well above estimate. Each model was autographed by the crew of each aircraft. Fat Man, the bomb dropped by the Army Air Force B-29 Superfortress Bockscar on Nagasaki, sold for $5,000 ($6,400 with buyer’s premium). Little Boy was the name for the bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the USAAF’s B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. Its signed scale model doubled its high estimate, hammering for $3,000 ($3,840 with buyer’s premium).
RMS Titanic artifacts are exceedingly rare due to the difficulty of reaching the final resting place of the ruined vessel. This scale model of the ill-fated ocean liner is accompanied by a lump of coal retrieved from the site of the wreck, along with three signatures of the youngest Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean (1912-2009). Just nine weeks old, Dean was lowered into Lifeboat 10 and sailed into history. The complete lot brought $2,200 ($2,816 with buyer’s premium) against a modest estimate of just $500-$600.
