A scarce autograph letter in German and signed by Ludwig van Beethoven (as \u201cBeethoven\u201d), with musical content relating to his only opera, Fidelio (est. $80,000-$100,000).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nJohn Adams wrote an autograph letter, signed and dated March 31, 1801, regarding the influence of Virginia Democrats (est. $7,000-$8,000).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThomas \u201cStonewall\u201d Jackson wrote a one-page autograph letter signed on June 29, 1861, as commander of the 1st Brigade of the Confederate Army, after his springtime raids against the vitally important Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (est. $12,000-$15,000).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThere 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, dramatizing Einstein\u2019s discovery of E=MC2 and signed as \u201cA. Einstein\u201d (est. $40,000-$50,000).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nGeorge Washington signed an October 21, 1799 letter to a Revolutionary War veteran named Captain Abraham Shepherd, as Commander-in-Chief of Federal Armies, a role he served until his death two months later (est. $20,000-$30,000).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The 388-lot Rare Signed Manuscripts, Books & Sports Memorabilia auction starts at 11 am Eastern time and features signed items in many collecting categories. <\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 John Reznikoff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n WILTON, CT, UNITED STATES, May 16, 2023\/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — An autograph letter handwritten in German and signed by Ludwig van Beethoven<\/a>, regarding his only opera, Fidelio; an autograph letter signed by Thomas J. \u201cStonewall\u201d Jackson<\/a> following his historic raid on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1861; and an autograph letter signed by John Adams<\/a> in 1801 regarding the influence of Virginia Democrats will headline University Archives\u2019 next online-only auction scheduled for Wednesday, May 31st.<\/p>\n The auction \u2013 titled Rare Signed Manuscripts, Books & Sports Memorabilia \u2013 will start promptly at 11 am Eastern time. All 388 lots in the catalog are up for viewing and bidding now (on the University Archives website: www.UniversityArchives.com<\/a>), as well as Invaluable.com, Auctionzip.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted.<\/p>\n \u201cMajor collecting categories in our outstanding May auction include music, science and U.S. Presidential, with outstanding autographed material from Ludwig van Beethoven to George Gershwin; from Albert Einstein and Max Planck to Thomas A. Edison; and from George Washington to Joe Biden,\u201d said John Reznikoff, president and owner of University Archives. <\/p>\n Mr. Reznikoff added, \u201cExceptional items of Civil Rights, military, entertainment, literature, and sports memorabilia will also pass the auction block. Our lavishly illustrated catalog is up and ready for viewing\/bidding right now. This is truly a great collecting and buying opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n The undated autograph letter in German signed by Beethoven (as \u201cBeethoven\u201d) 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\u2019s 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 a pre-sale estimate of $80,000-$100,000.<\/p>\n Thomas \u201cStonewall\u201d Jackson wrote a one-page autograph letter signed to a neighbor on June 29, 1861, as commander of the 1st Brigade of the Confederate Army. Earlier that spring, Jackson had conducted multiple raids against the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, one of the Union Army\u2019s main supply lines, destroying tracks and bridges and confiscating locomotives (est. $12,000-$15,000).<\/p>\n 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 \u201cmoral and political opinions of Virginia\u201d in a reference to the ascendant Thomas Jefferson and other Virginia Democrats (est. $7,000-$8,000).<\/p>\n 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 \u201cA. Einstein\u201d on the front cover. In the pilot episode, \u201cThe Atom,\u201d Einstein\u2019s discovery of his famous equation E=MC2 is dramatized via dialogue between \u201cEinstein\u201d and two fictional characters. There are very few examples of Einstein\u2019s inscribing his famous formula in something other than a book, making this example particularly desirable (est. $40,000-$50,000).<\/p>\n George Washington boldly signed an October 21, 1799 letter addressed to a Revolutionary War veteran named Captain Abraham Shepherd in the former\u2019s 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 Dec. 1799 two months later (est. $20,000-$30,000).<\/p>\n Martin Luther King, Jr. signed a typed letter on \u201cSouthern Christian Leadership Conference\u201d stationery in 1966, concerning the use of the \u201cN\u201d word. To the inquiring man from Haddonfield, N.J., King wrote: \u201cThe word \u2018n–r\u2019 carries with it a meaning deeply rooted in the debilitating racist caste ordering of our society\u2019s slavery epoch and segregation era\u201d (est. $18,000-$20,000).<\/p>\n Abraham Lincoln penned an 1862 autograph note regarding a brigade surgeon\u2019s appointment in the Excelsior Brigade. The battle unit had been plagued by political in-fighting between disgraced former New York Congressman Daniel Sickles, and his nemesis, New York Governor Edwin Morgan. Lincoln\u2019s note acknowledges the strained political climate (est. $7,500-$10,000).<\/p>\n An archive of World War II-dated correspondence from Charles Sweeney, pilot of Bockscar, paints a vivid portrait of Air Force life before and after the dropping of the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sweeney flew to Hiroshima in The Great Artiste auxiliary plane and dropped \u201cFat Man\u201d from Bockscar over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 (est. $5,000-$10,000).<\/p>\n A three-page autograph letter signed by Beatrice Houdini on mourning stationery, dated Nov. 9, 1926, provides a moving account of her husband\u2019s death less than two weeks earlier, on October 31st. The letter was uncovered in Germany and quite possibly has never been published. In it, Beatrice laments, \u201cThe world has lost a Genius, but I have lost my Man\u201d (est. $5,000-$10,000).<\/p>\n James Joyce signed a limited edition first edition copy of Finnegans Wake (1939), considered one of the most difficult books in the English language. Finnegans Wake was much more ambitious in literary aims than even Joyce\u2019s subversive Ulysses (1922). The partly uncut and unopened book appears to be unread, and is in near pristine condition (est. $7,000-$8,000).<\/p>\n Sports items include signed photos, autographed baseballs, game-worn apparel, vintage posters and ephemera from the likes of Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, and Muhammad Ali. A group of six game-worn baseball helmets and jerseys from the Baltimore Orioles, circa 1990-2016, comes complete with grading and authentication from JSA and Mears (est. $900-$1,000).<\/p>\n A lengthy, five-page letter in French signed \u201cToussaint Louverture\u201d as the General in Chief of the Army of Saint-Domingue, Haiti, dated July 18, 1798 and addressed to \u201dCitoyen Vincent\u201d, Haiti\u2019s French director of fortifications, including the observation, \u201cthe blacks have received their former masters with open arms,\u201d should bring $10,000-$12,000.<\/p>\n University Archives has become world-renowned as a go-to source for rare items of this kind. It is actively seeking quality material for future auctions, presenting a rare opportunity for sellers. 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. <\/p>\n University Archives was founded in 1979, as a division of University Stamp Company, by John Reznikoff, who started collecting stamps and coins in 1968, while in the third grade. Industry-wide, Reznikoff is considered the leading authenticity expert for manuscripts and documents. He consults with law enforcement, dealers, auction houses and both major authentication companies.<\/p>\n University Archives\u2019 offices are located at 88 Danbury Rd. (Ste. 2A) in Wilton, Conn. For more information about University Archives and the online-only Rare Signed Manuscripts, Books & Sports Memorabilia auction scheduled for Wednesday, May 31st, at 11 am Eastern time, please visit www.universityarchives.com<\/a>. Updates are posted frequently.<\/p>\n # # # # John Reznikoff
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