REMARKABLE RARITIES
Live Auction in Boston Massachusetts
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June 23, 2022
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www.RRAuction.com
Live Auction Information WHERE Royal Sonesta Boston, 40 Edwin H Land Blvd, Cambridge, MA 02142 WHEN 7 PM ET Thurday, June 23, 2023
Bidding Instructions ONLINE PRE-LIVE BIDDING Ends Thursday, June 23rd at 8 AM ET LIVE PHONE BIDDING To schedule a live auction phone call, please call (603) 732-4280. You may also call to leave absentee bids if you will be unavailable on June 23rd. LIVE INTERNET BIDDING Visit RRAuction.com to be directed to the live auction bidding room, hosted by Invaluable.com.
Remarkable Rarities Bidding closes June 23
RR Auction’s first-ever Summer Remarkable Rarities event brings 50 unique historical autographs and artifacts to the bidding block in a sensational live auction! Bid in person, by phone, or online on this diverse, curated selection of the most elite items we have encountered all year. Among them are an Apple-1 computer, an Apollo 11 lunar soil experiment, a first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, a gun recovered from the scene of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, a sketch by Pablo Picasso, a Babe Ruth autograph, and President Ronald Reagan’s ‘Trust but Verify’ putter. Join us LIVE as we make history selling history in June 2022.
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Robert S. Eaton Sr. 1940–2001
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Massachusetts document from 1783 signed by Governor John Hancock, history’s most recognizable autograph LOT 3001 John Hancock Document Signed Manuscript DS, three pages, 7.75 x 12.5, March 6, 1783. As governor of Massachusetts, Hancock names a member to the Scarborough Court of Common Pleas, in part: “It is provided that the Governor by Advice of Council shall appoint Civil Officers…there shall be held and kept within each County…a Court of Common Pleas by four substantial discreet and learned Persons…they or any three of them shall be a Court and have Cognizance of Civil Actions of the Value of more than forty shillings…I therefore reposing special Trust and Confidence in the Loyalty Prudence and Ability of William Thompson Esq….[appoint him] one of the Justices of the Court of Common Pleas.” Signed prominently at the conclusion by John Hancock, and countersigned John Avery as secretary. The first page retains the original embossed paper seal. In very good to fine condition, with scattered staining, small areas of paper loss, and overall silking for reinforcement. Estimate $4,000+
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As speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, Benjamin Franklin urges the Commissioners for Indian Affairs to convert goods into money LOT 3002 Benjamin Franklin Document Signed Manuscript DS, signed “Signed by the Order of the House, B. Franklin, Speaker,” six pages, 7.5 x 12.5, September 22, 1764. A supplement to the act entitled “An Act for granting to His Majesty the Sum of Twenty Four Thousand pounds for the Defense and Protection of this province and for other purposes herein mentioned,” which is signed neatly at the conclusion by Benjamin Franklin as Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, and countersigned on the first page by John Penn as Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania. The document reads, in part: “Whereas by an Act of Assembly passed in the third year of His Majesty’s reign [entitled above]…the Commissioners for Indian Affairs are enjoined and required...to sell, dispose of, and convert into Money all and every Part of the Goods, Wares and Merchandize... purchased with certain Monies borrowed by Virtue of another Act of General Assembly of this Province from the Trustees of the General Loan Office, or otherwise howsoever in their Possession as Commissioners for Indian Affairs: And that the Said Commissioners should...pay into the Hands of the Provincial Treasurer all Such Monies as Should arise from the Sale of the Said Goods, Wares and Merchandize, together with all such other Money as should be in their Hands belonging to the Said Indian Trade by any Ways or Means...Therefore Be it enacted by the Honourable John Penn...That the Said Commissioners for Indian Affairs shall have full Power and Authority, and they are hereby required to exercise their best Discretion in selling, disposing of and converting into Money all Such Goods, Wares and Merchandize...remaining in their Hands, Custody or Power as Commissioners for Indian Affairs, to the greatest Advantage and Benefit of this Province.” The document has been professionally affixed inside a custom-
Custom-made leatherbound presentation folder made leatherbound presentation folder, which also contains the document’s original embossed seal with faded red ribbon. In very good to fine condition, with light staining, professional repairs to small areas of paper loss, and expert silking to reinforce both sides of each page. Estimate $20,000+
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“Twenty barrels of gin”— Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton rules in a case concerning import duties on distilled spirits LOT 3003 Alexander Hamilton Document Signed Manuscript DS, signed “Alexandr Hamilton, Secy of the Treasy,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 7.75 x 12.75, October 18, 1792. As taxes on imports were a part of the Treasury department’s responsibility from its inception, this document finds Hamilton making a formal finding in a case involving import duties on distilled spirits. One William Pierce Johnson, of Newbury Port, had appealed his forfeiture of “the Brigantine Sally and twenty kegs of gin” on the grounds that the law under which the property was seized had since been repealed by a new Act. Hamilton, “by virtue of the power and authority to me given,” has “maturely considered the said statement of facts and petition, and although it doth appear to my satisfaction that the said forfeiture was incurred without wilful
negligence or any intention of fraud, yet no sufficient excuse is alleged for inattention to a law so long enacted on the part of the Mate of the said Vessel.” He therefore grants Johnson’s petition, and orders that the forfeiture will be suspended, while “Johnson [will] pay...the legal duties, and all reasonable costs and charges attending the proceedings...to be assessed by the Judge aforesaid.” Signed at the conclusion by Hamilton, and countersigned by Benjamin Lincoln as collector, James Lovell as a naval officer, and Thomas Melville as surveyor. Lincoln adds a five-line note, stating that “the importer...had no intention to defraud the Revenue.” The first page retains the original embossed paper seal. In very good condition, with light toning and creasing, small old repairs, and archival reinforcement along the hinge. Estimate $10,000+
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While framing the Constitution in Philadelphia, George Washington pens a magnificent handwritten letter with reference to Revolutionary heroes “Commodore Paul Jones” and “the Marq’s de la Fayette” LOT 3004 George Washington Autograph Letter Signed ALS signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 7.25 x 9, July 9, 1787. Important handwritten letter to Hector Saint John de Crèvecoeur, the author of Letters from an American Farmer, today recognized as being one of the first books in the canon of American literature. In the epistolary work, Crèvecœur comments on the emergence of an American identity, customs and manners, flora and fauna, the slave trade, and other wide-ranging topics. Washington writes from Philadelphia in the summer of 1787, where he was presiding over the Constitutional Convention, thanking Crèvecœur for a copy of his influential book and making direct references to Revolutionary War heroes John Paul Jones and the Marquis de Lafayette. In full: “The letter which you did me the honor of writing to me by Commodore Paul Jones, came safe; as did the 3 volumes of the Farmers letters. For both, particularly the compliment of the latter, I pray you to accept my best thanks. Let me express my gratitude to you at the same time, Sir, for the obliging offer of transmitting any communications I may have occasion to make to my good and much esteemed friend, the Marq’s de la Fayette, whose services & zeal in the cause of his Country,
merits as much applause from his fellow Citizens as it meets admiration from the rest of mankind. I congratulate you on your safe arrival in this Country—and with sentiments of esteem & regard I have the honor to be, sir—yr. most obed. serv.” In fine to very fine condition. Provenance: The Crèvecoeur Papers, Property of a Swiss Gentleman (Christie’s, New York, 20 April 1979, lot 169). Just ten weeks later, Washington and 38 other delegates to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia would sign the document they created: the Constitution of the United States. During this period, Commodore John Paul Jones was sailing throughout Europe—who, though having just entered into the service of the Empress Catherine II of Russia, retained his status as an American citizen and rank as an officer. Washington frequently entrusted him with the conveyance of important correspondence abroad, including his dispatches to Thomas Jefferson (then minister to France) and the Marquis de Lafayette. In September 1787, Washington wrote to both via Commodore Jones, enclosing copies of the new Constitution. A remarkable letter linking four important early American figures. Estimate $40,000+
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Incredibly rare handwritten wartime letter from John Adams to John Hancock, written from Paris during negotiations to end the Revolution LOT 3005 John Adams Autograph Letter Signed to John Hancock Revolutionary War–dated ALS signed “John Adams,” one page, 7.25 x 9.25, May 26, 1783. Significant handwritten letter to “His Excellency John Hancock,” sent from Paris while awaiting the final signing of the Treaty of Paris. In full: “Mr. De Hogendorp, a Lieutenant in the Dutch Guards, in the Service of the Republick of Holland, is going to America in the Suite of Mr. Vanberkel the Dutch Minister and I am requested by some respectable Gentlemen to give him Letters of Introduction to some persons in America. Any civilities you may please to show him will be gratefully acknowledged.” In fine to very fine condition. John Adams traveled to the Dutch Republic and settled in Amsterdam in mid-1780, where he hoped to transform a proAmerican sentiment into a substantial loan, thereby lessening American reliance on France. However, fearing reprisal from the British, the Dutch government refused to even meet with him for more than eight months. In spite of these political difficulties, Adams never relented. When news of America’s triumph at Yorktown reached Europe, Adams petitioned at The Hague for official recognition of American independence, and continued to badger them for a loan. As a result of these efforts, on April 19, 1782, the Netherlands became the second nation in Europe, after France, to recognize the sovereignty of the United States. Adams was then able to negotiate a loan of five million guilders, a treaty of amity and commerce, and establish the first American embassy on foreign soil.
On March 4, 1783, Dutch politician Pieter Johan van Berckel was made the first minister plenipotentiary to the United States of America. Adams pledged to acquaint him and his envoys with certain American dignitaries. With this letter, he introduces Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp, a member of van Berckel’s delegation, to his old friend, Governor John Hancock. During his travels in America, van Hogendorp would befriend Thomas Jefferson and spend time in the company of the Washingtons at Mount Vernon. Van Hogendorp would return to the Netherlands and hold several offices as an influential liberal statesman. At the same time he was connecting his Dutch friends to their American counterparts, Adams was hard at work negotiating the Treaty of Paris as part of a delegation that included Benjamin Franklin and John Jay. The treaty to officially end the Revolutionary War was drafted on November 30, 1782, and finally signed at the Hôtel d’York in Paris on September 3, 1783, by Adams, Franklin, Jay, and British negotiator David Hartley. Autograph letters from Adams to Hancock are exceedingly rare: in 1987, R. A. Ryerson, editor of the Adams Papers, identified this as one of only 13 extant letters of Adams to Hancock. Nine of these are in the Adams Papers, three are owned by other institutions, and only one other item—an account statement—remained in private hands at that date. Estimate $35,000+
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“The time has come”— historic handwritten letter from President Lincoln urging the resignation of Postmaster General Montgomery Blair prior to the 1864 election, later famously published in 2005’s Team of Rivals LOT 3006 Abraham Lincoln Autograph Letter Signed as President Significant Civil War-dated ALS as president signed “A. Lincoln,” one page, 8 x 10, Executive Mansion letterhead, September 23, 1864. Handwritten letter to Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, requesting his resignation. In full: “You have generously said to me more than once, that whenever your resignation could be a relief to me, it was at my disposal. The time has come. You very well know that this proceeds from no dissatisfaction of mine with you personally or officially. Your uniform kindness has been unsurpassed by that of any friend; and, while it is true that the war does not so greatly add to the difficulties of your Department, as to those of some others, it is yet much to say, as I most truly can, that in the three years and a half during which you have administered the General Post-Office, I remember no single complaint against you in
connection therewith.” Professionally and fully silked on both sides and in fine condition. The offered letter is published on page 659 in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s best-selling 2005 book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Blair, aware of the radical Republican faction’s disdain for him, had twice tried to resign in 1864, with Lincoln refusing him both times. In early September 1864, the president was warned by Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts that ‘Tens of thousands of men will be lost to you or will give a reluctant vote on account of the Blairs.’ It was only after Lincoln discovered that John Fremont would withdraw from the presidential race if Blair was taken out of office that the President acted. Fremont withdrew on September 22, and Lincoln, the following day, sent this letter to Blair, who immediately resigned. Estimate $50,000+
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Red rosebud from First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s Dallas bouquet, carried in the presidential limousine on November 22, 1963 LOT 3007 John F. Kennedy Assassination: Rosebud from Jackie’s Bouquet and Jay Watson’s Press Pass Historic dried rosebud from the bouquet of red roses carried by Jacqueline Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The rosebud originates from the collection of Jay Watson, station manager at WFAA-TV in Dallas, who was the first to announce the shooting in Dealey Plaza on live television. Watson frantically interrupted The Julie Bennell Show, a lifestyle and fashion program, with his report: ‘Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, you’ll excuse the fact that I’m out of breath, but about 10 or 15 minutes ago a tragic thing from all indications at this point has happened in the city of Dallas… A bulletin, this is from the United Press in Dallas: ‘President Kennedy and Governor John Connally have been cut down by assassin’s bullets in downtown Dallas. They were riding in an open automobile when the shots were fired.’’ When Jacqueline Kennedy arrived at Love Field in Dallas on the morning of November 22nd, Elizabeth Cabell, wife of the mayor of Dallas, presented Mrs. Kennedy with a bouquet of red roses. The first lady carried them with her to the waiting limousine, and they were in the back seat with the Kennedys when the president was shot. The roses made an impression on Mrs. Kennedy, and she insightfully reflected on the scene in her interview with Life Magazine journalist Theodore H. White on November 29, 1963: ‘Every time we got off the plane that
day, three times they gave me the yellow roses of Texas. But in Dallas they gave me red roses. I thought how funny, red roses—so all the seat was full of blood and red roses.’ The bouquet was abandoned in the back of the limousine in the aftermath of the dreadful event. Two of the roses from Mrs. Kennedy’s bouquet are known to have been recovered by Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry, and have descended through his family; their existence has occasionally been covered in the local press (see: “First lady’s roses left a lasting impression,” Dallas Morning News, August 25, 2013). According to oral history from the Watson family, Jay Watson purchased this rosebud from a Dallas police officer for $50. He preserved it in a simple white envelope, marked in pencil: “Rosebud from Mrs. Kennedy’s bouquet—Nov. 22, 19[63].” It is accompanied by Watson’s original press pass badge from that fateful day, imprinted, “President Kennedy’s Visit to Dallas, November 22, 1963, Press,” and signed on the reverse in blue ballpoint, “Jay Watson.” The rose has been professionally preserved to prevent any future deterioration, and mounted and framed alongside the pass, an image of Jackie holding the bouquet, and a descriptive plaque to an overall size of 11.75 x 9.75. In overall very good to fine condition, with the rosebud in a dried, fragile state. Estimate $10,000+
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Theodore Roosevelt on Americanism LOT 3008 Theodore Roosevelt Hand-Edited Typed Letter Extraordinary typed draft of a letter with extensive handwritten corrections by Theodore Roosevelt, totaling over 700 words in his hand, six pages, 7 x 10, no date but circa early 1916. Roosevelt writes on his concept of “Americanism” to Ernest Brucken of the German-American Alliance amidst World War I. He passionately outlines and defends his definition of American ideals, railing against “base politicians,” “professional pacifists,” and “sordid materialists.” He also poignantly lashes out against the appearance of foreign influence in American politics, responding to Brucken’s efforts to consolidate a block of pro-German voters in America. In small part: “I cordially agree with you when you say in speaking of my fellow Americans of German descent, that it is ‘unnatural that you and we should be on opposite sides.’ With what you say as to the fact that the American Nation ‘should be American and nothing but American now and forever’ and not merely ‘English or Anglo-Saxon,’ I am absolutely in agreement. For over thirty years I have insisted upon this very principle with all my heart and soul. I have especially insisted upon it during the last two years…I do not believe in German-Americans or Irish-Americans, and I believe just as little in English-Americans. We have the right to ask all of these immigrants and the sons of these immigrants that they become Americans and nothing else; but we have no right to ask that they become transplanted or second rate Englishmen. Most emphatically I myself am not an Englishman once removed! I am straight United States!” Each page is affixed by its edge to a slightly larger sheet, and bound together within a handsome custom-made red morocco binding; page one is detached from the binding, and several have edge splits which could be easily repaired. Also bound in are two matte-finish portraits, a calligraphic title page, and a complete typed transcript. In fine condition. Provenance: The Forbes Collection of American Historical Documents, Part Six, Christie’s, May 2007.
“I am concerned only with the honor and the spiritual greatness and national well-being of America; I don’t care a snap of my fingers about threats from GermanAmericans, English-Americans, or the representative of any other hyphenated Americanism”
Estimate $15,000+
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Exceedingly rare signed photo of President Roosevelt with leg braces, accepting an honorary degree from Catholic University in 1933 LOT 3009 Franklin D. Roosevelt Signed Photograph as President Oversized vintage matte-finish 11 x 15 photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt seated and talking with Patrick Cardinal Hayes, the Archbishop of New York, at Catholic University on June 13, 1933, signed nicely in fountain pen as president, “Franklin D. Roosevelt.” The photo is also signed by Hayes, who adds the date and location below. In very good to fine condition, with scattered creasing, tack holes to the corners, and a tear to the top edge. So as not to draw attention to Roosevelt’s polio and subsequent disability, great care was taken to prevent any photos from being taken of the president wearing his braces or in his wheelchair. Photos depicting as much remain very rare, with signed examples virtually nonexistent. Roosevelt became permanently paralyzed from the waist down after contracting polio at the age of 39 during a family trip to Canada in 1921. Unwilling to acquiesce to this immobile fate, he spent the rest of his life trying to recover—he spent the next three years searching for any means possible to walk again, concerned that this inability would affect his political career. Having exhausted most other options, he heard about a young man who had shown improvement after a course of hydrotherapy in the mineral-rich waters at a Georgia resort. It was then, in 1924, that FDR famously traveled to Warm Springs, Georgia, where the immersion in warm water was one of the few things that seemed to ease his pain-shortly thereafter he purchased the resort and developed it into what became a world-famous polio treatment center—the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation, still in operation today as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. It was at Warm Springs that he was able to strengthen his withered leg and hip muscles and eventually found himself able to stand
on his own, at which point he fitted his hips and legs with iron braces and laboriously taught himself to walk a short distance by swiveling his torso while supporting himself with a cane. In 1933, there was a spirit of cooperation and support exhibited by American Catholics for the New Deal, which went beyond platitudes on the supposed similarity of the movement with the teaching of the Church, which found the President and his program alike entirely praiseworthy. On his part, Roosevelt demonstrated an acute awareness of his Catholic backers and managed to solidify this support through his cordial relationship with the American hierarchy, his availability to the Church, and his patronage policies. If President Roosevelt’s appointment policy helped his image among American Catholics in 1933, of added significance were the direct contacts he sought with the Church during his first year in office. One of his more notable public contacts was his acceptance of an honorary degree from Catholic University on June 14th. The major speech of the occasion was made by Patrick Cardinal Hayes of New York, an old acquaintance of the new president, who prefaced his remarks with congratulations to a president who was ‘moving forward with courage and intelligence’ to combat the crisis of the depression. ‘Your actions,’ the Cardinal continued, ‘spring from but one motive, namely, the advancement of the Common Good.’ President Roosevelt, who had not planned to speak, offered a few impromptu remarks, referring to the Cardinal as ‘my old friend and neighbor from New York,’ and commenting that his own presence among the great dignitaries of the Church, and the added fact that it was Flag Day made a ‘happy combination.’ Estimate $8,000+
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“Those who seek a better life for our Negro fellow citizens are engaged in the first task with which we all should be concerned: the fulfillment of the promise of America for all its people” LOT 3010 Franklin D. Roosevelt Typed Letter Signed as President TLS as president, one page, 7 x 9.75, White House letterhead, October 1, 1943. Letter to Arthur B. Spingarn, president of the New York chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), in full: “Thank you for your letter calling my attention to the twenty-five years of service by Walter White in the effort to advance the colored people of America. It is a long period of service in the life of a man, and it has also been, I believe, a long period measured in progress in the life of the Negro in America. Certainly anyone familiar with the long hard road the Negro has had to travel must recognize the importance of such work. It is not important for the Negro alone. We can count on no advancing America unless we can count also upon a better living and a better chance for the thirteen million Negro citizens of the United States. Those who seek a better life for our Negro fellow citizens are engaged in the first task with which we all should be concerned: the fulfillment of the promise of America for all its people.” Handsomely matted and framed with an engraved portrait of FDR to an overall size of 19.25 x 16.25. In fine condition. On May 25, 1944, President Roosevelt wrote a testimonial letter on behalf of Walter White and his twenty-five years of service to the NAACP: ‘He is small, dapper, high-strung, and it is only through his own insistence on his Negro blood (estimated to be about one-sixty-fourth) that anyone would take Mr. White
for a Negro; he is blond with fair skin, blue eyes, and sandy hair. This fact has enabled him frequently to pass for white and secure information (at very dangerous risk) during his investigations of race riots and lynchings. His father, George White, was an Atlanta postman who died because of neglect, after an injury, caused by his being a colored man; that and a harrowing experience during the Atlanta Race riots when he was twelve years old have made the welfare of his putative race Mr. White’s chief concern.’ White became an executive officer of the NAACP in 1918 and its executive secretary in 1931. As an officer, White investigated forty-one lynchings and eight race riots, traveling throughout the United States and Europe. He became a prominent spokesman in the fight against lynchings and for enactment of federal legislation against it, ‘especially in the marshaling of public opinion of behalf of the Costigan-Wagner anti-lynching bill in the 74th Congress, and he led the forces which succeeded in bringing to passage the Gavagan antilynching bill in the 75th Congress.’ In 1937 he was awarded the Spingarn Medal—so named after Joel Elias Spingarn, the brother of this letter’s recipient—for his personal investigation of lynchings and race riots and for his ‘remarkable tact, skill and persuasiveness’ in his determination to bring about the federal anti-lynching bill. Estimate $1,000+
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“Dewey Defeats Truman” —a one-of-a-kind Chicago Daily Tribune front page dual-signed by the 1948 presidential candidates LOT 3011 Harry S. Truman and Thomas Dewey Signed Front Page of the Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper Incredibly rare front page of the Chicago Daily Tribune of November 3, 1948, 16.5 x 23.25, featuring the iconic banner headline “Dewey Defeats Truman,” signed below their respective surnames in black ink by the two candidates: “Truman hasn’t found it out, Harry S. Truman” and “Thomas E. Dewey.” Rolled and in very good to fine condition, with small areas of paper loss, and expertly reinforced via professional silking to both sides. When the decision to print this paper was made, returns were coming in very slowly and time was running out before the deadline for the edition. The Tribune staff, based on the early returns, decided Dewey would be the next President. After the newspaper was delivered to the street, more returns came in and showed that Truman would in fact be reelected, winning the electoral vote with a 303-189-39 majority over Dewey and Dixiecrat candidate Strom Thurmond. Widely regarded as the most notorious journalistic blunder in the history of American newspapers, the ‘Dewey Defeats Truman’ front page holds a unique place amongst the long list of famous front page headlines. This example being signed by its two subjects can be chalked up as an inconceivably rare occurrence-we have never before offered a Truman-Dewey dual-signed item-and cause for great excitement within both periodical and presidential circles. Estimate $15,000+
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‘Trust, but Verify Open’ golf putter used by President Reagan on Air Force One en route to the Geneva Summit LOT 3012 Ronald Reagan ‘Geneva Summit’ Golf Putter Used on Air Force One Spalding TPM 6 ‘Trust, but Verify Open’ golf putter used by President Ronald Reagan aboard Air Force One en route to his fabled Cold War-era meeting in Geneva, Switzerland with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev on November 19 and 20, 1985. The putter measures 35.5” in length and features a Golf Pride grip. In fine condition. Accompanied by a handwritten letter of provenance from Robert ‘Bud’ McFarlane, Reagan’s National Security Advisor from 1983 through 1985, who was on board Air Force One and witnessed Reagan borrow this putter for an impromptu contest. The letter, in full: “This is to confirm that the owner of the putter in President Reagan’s storied putting contest while on the way on AF1 to the 1985 Summit in Geneva with President Gorbachev, is Bill Martin, who was serving as Special Assistant to President Reagan and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council. In offering his putter for the event, Bill proposed that the contest be titled the ‘Trust but Verify Open.’” Included are two photos of Reagan, one of him during the ‘Trust, but Verify Open,’ with McFarlane pictured in plaid to the left, and another of Reagan with Martin, the original owner of the putter.
The Russian proverb ‘Trust, but verify’ or ‘Doveryay, no proveryay,’ was taught to Reagan by Suzanne Massie, an American scholar of Russian history who met with and advised the President many times between 1984 and 1987. She explained to him that ‘The Russians like to talk in proverbs. It would be nice of you to know a few.’ After Reagan used the phrase at the signing of the critical INF Treaty, Gorbachev remarked, ‘You repeat that at every meeting.’ To which Reagan answered, ‘I like it.’ Estimate $35,000+
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26 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Rare signed menu and cigar band from Churchill’s historic 1942 transatlantic flight—the first by a world leader, after soliciting American support for WWII LOT 3013 Winston Churchill Signed Menu and Used Cigar Band Historic British Airways menu for a mid-Atlantic dinner on the Boeing Clipper flying boat RMA ‘Berwick’ on January 16, 1942, 4.25 x 6.75, signed in fountain pen for Steward Victor Arthur Partridge by attendees including Winston Churchill and members of his war cabinet: First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, Air Chief Marshall Sir Charles Portal, Minister for Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook, Senior Assistant Secretary Gen. Leslie C. Hollis, Principal Private Secretary John Martin, his personal physician Charles Wilson, and pilot John Cecil Kelly-Rogers. Includes the original “La Corona / S. M. Kaplan / Habana” band from the cigar that Churchill smoked after the meal, removed with a cigar cutter by Partridge at the time of serving. In overall very good to fine condition, with old tape stains and some surface loss to the top and bottom edges of the menu card, not affecting or impinging on the signatures. As steward on this flight, it was Partridge’s duty was to prepare and serve the meals, including the one described on this menu card. Accompanied by a detailed letter of provenance from his son. Within days of the Japanese surprise attack on the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Prime Minister Churchill undertook a dangerous transatlantic journey on the Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York. He arrived in America on December 22, in time to spend Christmas at the White House. On December 26, Churchill gave a historic
address to a joint session of Congress to win support for his concept of the war. In public, he seemed to epitomize the ‘bulldog’ fighting spirit; in private, the strain was taking its toll, and that very evening Churchill suffered a mild heart attack. After concluding his visit, on January 16, 1942, he decided to fly back to Great Britain to save time—this was the first transatlantic flight by a world leader. In his memoirs, Churchill reflected on the luxury of the aircraft: ‘There is no doubt about the comfort of these great flying-boats. I had a good broad bed in the bridal suite at the stern with large windows on either side. It was quite a long walk, thirty or forty feet, downhill through the various compartments to the saloon and dining-room, where nothing was lacking in food or drink. The motion was smooth, the vibration not unpleasant, and we passed an agreeable afternoon and had a merry dinner.’ Although photos published in Life Magazine and elsewhere show Churchill calmly enjoying himself during the flight—sitting in the cockpit while puffing a cigar, having a drink in the lounge—it was a perilous undertaking. A navigational error brought them too close to the German-occupied French coast, and a Luftwaffe squadron was scrambled to intercept the plane. Fortunately, the German pilots failed in their mission. Safely delivered home to England, Churchill continued to rally his nation for the Allied cause. Estimate $20,000+
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Iconic original 1939 “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster—the epitome of British resilience in World War II LOT 3014 Keep Calm and Carry On Original Poster (c. 1939) Iconic and extremely rare original 19.75 x 29.5 poster published in 1939 by the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Information, boasting the crown and “Keep Calm and Carry On” in white against a bright red full-bleed background. In fine condition, with two soft horizontal folds and a subtle crease to upper left. The epitome of British stoicism in the face of danger, this poster was conceived as a means to raise the morale of the British public as it was threatened by air attacks at the outset of World
War II. Although 2.45 million copies were originally printed in eleven different sizes, it was not immediately sanctioned for public display. The posters were put into ‘cold storage’ and intended to be displayed after devastating air strikes on major cities. While the German air raids would come with the Blitz in September 1940, it was a year after the ‘Keep Calm’ poster was produced. In the meantime, the massive back stock of ‘Keep Calm’ posters was pulped and recycled for the war effort in April 1940 as part of the wider Paper Salvage campaign. Original examples are thus exceedingly rare today. Estimate $12,000+
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Recovered from the USS Arizona after Pearl Harbor: aviator wings and pilot’s license from an ensign killed in the attack LOT 3015 Pearl Harbor: Lawrence A. Williams Archive Spectacular lot of documents and recovered personal effects belonging to Ens. Lawrence A. Williams (1914–1941), who was killed aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. After being commissioned an Ensign on April 21, 1941, Williams was assigned to Observation Squadron 1 (VO-1) and billeted aboard the USS Arizona (BB-39), flying a Vought OS2U ‘Kingfisher’ floatplane (reg. no. 1-0-3). He was killed when Arizona’s forward magazine exploded during the surprise Japanese attack on December 7, and his remains were deemed ‘not recoverable.’ This is an extensive lot of items that spans Williams’ military career from his application to naval aviator school and his training at NAS Pensacola, to his billet aboard the ill-fated Battleship Arizona and the aftermath of his death during the
Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The first two items are one of Williams’ naval aviator wings, and his USN pilot certification cards (signed by Adm. Chester Nimitz), both of which were recovered from his stateroom by salvage teams working on the sunken battleship in the months after the attack. Williams was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, and both his inscribed medal and presentation certificate are included, as is a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Also included are Williams’ posthumous post-war awards and copies of their certificates: American Defense Service with clasp, Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War 2 Victory Medal. The archive also contains numerous photographs, documents, and postwar artifacts, a greater and more detailed listing of which can be found in our online description Estimate $15,000+
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Grand portrait of the esteemed four-star general
LOT 3016 George S. Patton Signed Oversized Photograph Vintage oversized matte-finish 9.75 x 12.75 portrait of General George S. Patton posing outdoors in his four-star uniform, signed and inscribed in the lower border in fountain pen, “To
32 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Capt. R. Monroe, G. S. Patton, Jr.” Desirably cloth-matted within a four-star wooden frame to an overall size of 17.25 x 20.5. In very good to fine condition, with two horizontal creases to the right side, and silvering to darker areas of the photo. Estimate $4,000+
Near war’s end, General Patton acquiesces to a collector’s request: “Here is the Third Army Patch you ask for”
LOT 3017 George S. Patton Typed Letter Signed and Third Army Patch An embroidered 2.5˝ patch of the Third United States Army insignia, presented by General George S. Patton to admirer Faith Senglaub, which is accompanied by a World War II-dated transmittal TLS signed “G. S. Patton, Jr.,” one page, 8.25 x
10.5, personal Headquarters, Third United States Army, Office of the Commanding General letterhead, dated August 8, 1945, which reads, in full: “Here is the Third Army Patch you ask for.” In overall fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. A desirable WWII pairing linked to ‘Patton’s Own,’ the foremost fighting force during the European Theatre. Estimate $1,000+
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Stunning limited edition print of Eisenstaedt’s enduring ‘V-J Day in Times Square’ LOT 3018 Alfred Eisenstaedt ‘V-J Day in Times Square’ Limited Edition Photograph Marvelous limited edition 13.5 x 19 silver gelatin print of Alfred Eisenstaedt’s iconic photograph entitled ‘V-J Day in Times Square,’ numbered 233/250, signed in the lower border in black felt tip by the photographer, “Eisenstaedt.” Annotated on the reverse in another hand in pencil: “Print made in Time Life photo lab, 1994, V-J Day, Times Square, New York City, 1945 by Alfred Eisenstaedt.” Handsomely matted and framed to an overall size of 25 x 30. In very fine condition. Captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt with his beloved Leica amidst the jubilant V-J Day celebration in Times Square on August
14, 1945, this famous image has come to symbolize American victory in World War II. It was first published in a ‘Victory Celebrations’ montage in Life Magazine a week later, captioned: ‘In New York’s Times Square a white-clad girl clutches her purse and skirt as an uninhibited sailor plants his lips squarely on hers.’ The spontaneity of the scene led to the anonymity of the subjects—Eisenstaedt had no time to get their names and details. Although several men and women have claimed to be in the image, their identities have never been proven—resulting in one of the great mysteries in the history of American popular culture. Widely published and universally recognized, this is one of the enduring images of the 20th century. Estimate $15,000+
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Handwritten 1787 land survey by Daniel Boone, complete with hand-drawn diagram of Kentucky wilderness LOT 3019 Daniel Boone Autograph Document Signed
portrait of the legendary outdoorsman to an overall size of 23.25 x 16. In fine condition.
Remarkable ADS entirely in Boone’s hand, signed as deputy surveyor, “Daniel Boone DS,” one page, 8.25 x 6.25, June 12, 1787. A neatly handwritten survey for 656 acres of land undertaken by Boone with the assistance of Septimus Davis and William Brooks as chain-men and William Hill as marker. In part: “Survaid for John Hutson 656 acres of Land by virtue of a tresury Warrant…Situate Lying and being in the County of Madison on…Sturgen Crick adjoining Joseph Boones 1000 acre Survay on the south.” Signed neatly at the conclusion by Boone, who adds the names of his chainmen and marker. In the upper left, Boone draws a diagram of the land in question, noting: “area 656 acres, plated by a scale of 400 poles to the Inch.” Archivally double-matted and framed with an engraved
In the wake of the Revolutionary War, Boone resettled in Maysville, Kentucky, and was elected to the Virginia state assembly in 1787. His military pursuits over, Boone became a local celebrity and for a period earned a profitable living as a tavern keep, a surveyor, a horse trader, and a land speculator. The legalities of the latter soon caught up with Boone’s sense of honor and weak investment strategies, and in 1788 he moved upriver to Point Pleasant, Virginia, operating at a trading post and then occasionally as a surveyor’s assistant. An interesting land document dating to the most prosperous period of Boone’s life. Estimate $10,000+
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38 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Rare early handwritten letter from “G. A. Custer (Cadet U.S.M.A.),” three months into his education at West Point LOT 3020 George A. Custer Autograph Letter Signed ALS signed “G. A. Custer (Cadet U.S.M.A.),” one page, 7.5 x 9.5, September 20, 1857. A handwritten letter to Charles C. Wilson, addressed from the “West Point Barracks” at the United States Military Academy, in part: “In my conversation with you on the cars between Cleveland & Toledo some three months ago you told me you were acquainted with a family named Ward living in that part of the State. Wishing to get their address I take the liberty of thus intruding myself upon your notice...If you will favor me by sending me the address and names of the family of which I speak I will be very much indebted to you.” The consignor notes that Wilson has replied on the reverse, listing the name of Jno. Ward and Miss Augusta Ward, both of Genesco, New York, indicating that they ‘are all the names I can give.’ Handsomely archivally matted and framed to an overall size of 21.75 x 17. In fine condition, with minor paper loss to the lower left corner. Estimate $5,000+
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Jackson relays intel on “Fremonts troops,” and their movement within the Shenandoah Valley, “(15000) of them have returned to New Creek” LOT 3021 Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson Autograph Note Signed Civil War-era ANS signed “T. J. Jackson,” one page, 7.25 x 2.25, no date (circa May / June 1862). Brief handwritten note to an unidentified recipient: “My information is that Fremonts troops or (15000) of them have returned to New Creek.” Handsomely double-matted and framed with an engraved portrait to an overall size of 21 x 14.25. In fine condition. The consignor notes that another hand has on the reverse written: “This was given me by Col. A. W. Harman—Adjt. Gen. on ‘Stonewall Jackson’s’ Staff & the attached P.S. was to him personally, Staunton, Va., Sepr. 1882.”
This important Civil War-era message dates to the Southern general’s famed campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Jackson’s 17,000 men marched 646 miles in 48 days, successfully engaged three Union armies and prevented them from reinforcing the Union offensive against Richmond. The victory bolstered the morale of Confederate troops, which had started to waver at that time. Acting upon the intelligence identified here, Jackson prepared to confront Union Major General John C. Fremont, who had been ordered by President Abraham Lincoln to ‘capture or destroy’ Jackson’s forces. The mention of “New Creek” may be a reference to Mill Creek and the Battle of Cross Keys in June. Fremont had pursued Jackson for eight days, finally confronting him at this battle—only to have Jackson slip away. Estimate $4,000+
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General Beauregard’s signed 1864 plan of battle in Florida, hand-inked by a skilled Confederate draftsman LOT 3022 P. G. T. Beauregard Signed Battle Plan Map Incredibly rare Civil War-dated pen-and-ink tactical plan by which Beauregard intended to engage a numerically superior enemy force, one page, 9 x 10.75, signed and inscribed in the lower left to his protégé and chief of staff, “Charleston, S.C., Mars 27/64, For Brig. Gen’l Thos. Jordan, G. T. Beauregard, Gen’l Comd’g,” and initialed at lower right, “G.T.B., G’l C’d.” The plan was illustrated by “F. W. Bornemann, Draughtsman, C.S. Eng. Dept., Charleston, 26 March 1864.” The map is headed, “General Plan of Battle designed by Gen’l Beauregard for application wherever practicable in Florida and fully explained to Maj. Gen’l P. Anderson and his subordinate commanders,” and outlines a plan of battle by which 8,000 Confederate troops take on a Union Army force of 13,500 men. It shows the Confederate force engaging the Federal troops from an oblique angle, protected by a natural obstacle on the left side (smoke from a grass fire is illustrated here). A manuscript note in the lower right reads: “Camp Milton, East Fla., March 5th 1864, Should it be impracticable to protect the retired flank by setting the grass on fire or by swampy ground,—the mass of cavalry should be thrown in that direction to operate against the corresponding flank of the enemy, to retain it in position. The retired flank may be thrown still further back by breaking it in echelon to the rear.”
Handsomely mounted, matted, and framed with an engraved portrait of Beauregard (featuring a facsimile signature) to an overall size of 21.75 x 16.75. In fine condition, with scattered light staining. Consignor notes that this was purchased from Parke-Bernet Galleries in 1958, and has not been offered for sale since. Estimate $10,000+
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44 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Rare and remarkable signed portrait of Sitting Bull— a generational image signed by the Sioux chief LOT 3023 Sitting Bull Signed Photograph
corner of the mount. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Also includes a full letter of authenticity from JSA.
Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man (circa 1831–1890) known for his steadfast opposition to the intrusion of the US government into Sioux lands. Fleeing to Canada following the Battle of Little Big Horn, he later returned to the US and toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Fearing his growing influence, government agents fatally shot him during an arrest attempt at Standing Rock Agency on December 15, 1890. Excessively rare 4.25 x 6.5 cabinet photo of legendary Hunkpapa Lakota chief Sitting Bull with his family, circa 1883, boldly signed on the mount in ink, “Sitting Bull.” The iconic image shows Sitting Bull seated and dressed in traditional regalia, with a pipe and beaded tobacco bag on his lap and a single eagle feather in his hair. Surrounding him are his mother (Her Holy Door), sister (Good Feather Woman), daughter (Walks Looking), daughter (Many Horses), and infant grandson (Courting a Woman). In very good to fine condition, with light scuffing and a stain to the image, and creases and surface loss to the lower right
An accompanying old catalog description states that this signed photograph originated from the estate of Joseph Epes Brown, who had acquired it in the 1960s. Brown was an anthropologist and historian of religion who helped to develop the study of Native American religious traditions as an academic discipline. His seminal work was a book entitled, The Sacred Pipe, an account of his discussions with the Lakota holy man, Black Elk, regarding the religious rites of his people. Sitting Bull’s autograph is incredibly rare and massively soughtafter in any form, especially in signed photographs—this is the first we have offered in over twenty years. The striking clarity of the portrait and the boldness of the signature make it fit for a museum. Estimate $30,000+
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Striking equestrian portrait of Buffalo Bill, presented to the wife of ‘Cowboy Governor’ Ezra Savage LOT 3024 William F. ‘Buffalo Bill’ Cody Signed Photograph Fantastic oversized vintage matte-finish 11.25 x 8.75 photo of Buffalo Bill on horseback, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “W. F. Cody, ‘Buffalo Bill,’ To Mrs. Governor Savage, Tacoma, Sep. 16th 1910.” Handsomely cloth-matted with gold fillet and framed to an overall size of 15.75 x 13.75. In fine condition, with light silvering to the darker areas of the image. Buffalo Bill’s famous Wild West Show performed in Tacoma, Washington on September 16, 1910, where he evidently pre-
sented this signed photograph to Julia McCullough Savage, wife of former Nebraska Governor Ezra P. Savage. In July 1901, the National Magazine profiled Gov. Savage: ‘He has been termed the ‘Cowboy Governor,’ and he earned the title on a ranch in western Nebraska. In appearance, he resembles Colonel W. F. Cody, although he does not affect the long hair of ‘Buffalo Bill.’’ After his term ended, the Savage family moved to Tacoma. A nice portrait with a great association and a large, clear autograph of the legendary western showman. Estimate $2,000+
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Image larger than actual size.
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“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord” LOT 3025 Julia Ward Howe Autograph Quote Signed from ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ Estimate $1,000+
AQS from ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ on an off-white 3.5 x 2.5 card, in full: “’Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,’ Julia Ward Howe, January 1896.” Includes a Civil Wardated 1862 song booklet entitled ‘Army and Navy Melodies: A Collection of Hymns and Tunes. Religious and Patriotic. Original and Selected.’ published by J. P. Magee, containing the first printed songbook appearance of ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ The AQS is in very fine condition; the booklet is in good to very good condition, with worn and tattered paper wrappers, staining to the title page, and inch-long tears to the lower left of the first twenty or so pages.
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Image larger than actual size.
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Twice-signed Mark Twain portrait, presented to Mrs. Fridtjof Nansen: “He had his desire—he has seen the pole; I have had mine, for I have seen him” LOT 3026 Samuel L. Clemens Signed Photograph Amazing, crystal-clear 4.25 x 6.5 cabinet photo of the author by J. Lowy of Vienna, boldly signed at the top of the image in ink with a reference to the polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen, “He had his desire—he has seen the pole; I have had mine, for I have seen him. Mark Twain,” and signed and inscribed on the mount to his wife, “To Mrs. Mrs. Fridtjof Nansen, With best salutations of S. L. Clemens, May, 1898.” In fine condition, with light surface scratching. The Clemens family visited Austria for about a year-and-ahalf, from the end of September 1897 through the end of May 1899, spending most of their time at the summer resort of
Kaltenleutgeben near Vienna. During that period, Twain was the toast of the town, hobnobbing with Viennese elite such as ‘Waltz King’ Johann Strauss II, renowned pacifist Bertha von Suttner, Countess Misa von Wydenbruck-Esterhazy, pianist Theodor Leschetizky, and pioneering psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Another of his celebrity encounters was evidently the Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who had reached a northern latitude record during the Fram expedition of 1893–96. His wife, Eva Nansen, was a celebrated mezzosoprano singer who would have traveled in the same artistic circles as Clemens. A striking, charmingly inscribed portrait of the celebrated author. Estimate $12,000+
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Rare first edition of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin LOT 3027 Charles Darwin: First Edition of On the Origin of Species
the right upright of H in JOHN; and the right upright of the second N in LONDON is well to the right of the upright of the second R in MURRAY.
Rare, historic, and influential first edition book: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life by Charles Darwin. First edition. London: John Murray, 1859. Hardcover with chocolate brown endpapers with binder’s ticket of “Edmonds & Remnants, London” on rear endpaper, original green blindstamped cloth, lettered in gilt on spine (Binding Variant B), neatly rebacked retaining the original spine, hinges neatly repaired, slightly spotted, very slight loss at extreme inner margin of title page. Complete with endpapers, half-title, folding diagram, 502 pages, and 32 pages of inserted publisher’s advertisements (dated June 1959). Book condition: VG-/None, with title page and first page of table of contents partially detached, foxing to first several pages, bumped corners, and edgewear.
Priced at fifteen shillings with a first printing of 1,250 copies, On the Origin of Species was released by publisher John Murray on November 24, 1859. The entire first printing was subscribed to immediately, leading to a second printing shortly thereafter. The book was a sensation, wildly exceeding the expectations of either Darwin or his publisher. In revised editions, Darwin made corrections and responded to critiques of his work—the most noteworthy change being the addition of an introductory epitaph acknowledging religious objections to his evolutionary theory.
There is only one issue of the first edition of On the Origin of Species (Freeman 373), the text being identical in all copies. There are however very slight differences in the binding, this copy corresponding to Variant B: the L in LONDON is over
Widely considered ‘the most important biological book ever written,’ Darwin’s work introduced evolutionary thought to the masses and rightfully posited the idea of natural selection as its driving force. As significant as it is rare, the first edition of On the Origin of Species represents a cornerstone in the canon of modern science. Estimate $100,000+
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54 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Unique celebration of Einstein’s genius— a thematic pairing of exceptional autographs celebrating Einstein as both physicist and musician LOT 3028 Albert Einstein Autograph Mathematical Manuscript and Signed Lithograph Physics and music have a deep connection dating back to the time of Pythagoras (“the harmony of the spheres”), and Einstein was the personification of that “Pythagorean relationship” in the 20th century. “If I was not a physicist, I would probably be a musician,” Einstein said in a 1929 interview: “I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” Combining an important scientific manuscript with a superb signed image of Einstein playing the violin, these two complementary autographs wonderfully capture Einstein’s essence in both picture and prose. Emil Orlik’s superb lithograph depicts Einstein at 50 years of age (in 1929) and gives visual substance to Einstein’s statement that “I get most joy in life out of my violin.” In sober contrast to this delightful image, the present manuscript is a highly abstract and generalized statement of some of the most fundamental equations of Einstein’s later Unified Field Theory. In the 1940s (and continuing until the end of his life), Einstein sought to develop Unified Field Theory by extending the gravity equations of General Relativity, and Einstein is here
writing out in prototypical form the tensor equations needed to define the spacetime curvature of a complex metric field. Beginning with a tensor formula “which has no simple symmetry properties” (equation 17a), Einstein here evidences how the permutation of the formula’s indices gives rise to conjugate symmetric and asymmetric tensor components (equations 18 and 19, respectively). It is this essential idea that Einstein will rehearse and thematically vary over the remaining course of his UFT career. The present manuscript is unpublished and represents some of Einstein’s earliest work on his final version of Unified Field Theory. Orlik’s lithograph is of exceptional rarity and it is probably the case that the image was only printed in a small number of proofs. This is the only signed image of Einstein playing his beloved violin that we have ever offered; and our research locates only one other signed exemplar of the print (at the American Institute of Physics, also a proof copy). Framed together these handsome autographs have outstanding display potential, and they can be imaginatively viewed as “Einstein Composing a Symphony in E = mc2.” In overall fine condition. Accompanied by a transcription and translation of the text in Einstein’s mathematical manuscript. Estimate $50,000+
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56 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Einstein forwards several ‘Geodesic Lines’ formulae to his Princeton assistant LOT 3029 Albert Einstein Handwritten Letter with Mathematical Equations Handwritten letter in German from Albert Einstein, unsigned, one page both sides, 8.5 x 11, no date (circa 1945-50), sent to his former assistant, the German-American mathematician Ernst Gabor Straus, which reads (translated): “I am glad that you were able to confirm the negative result regarding the divergence identity…Now the point is that you gain confidence in terms of the usefulness, or uselessness, of the particular approach [Einstein writes out a short formula] If it turns out that this does not work, we should return to the series expansion in powers of [formula], of which I wrote to you earlier, with the restriction to the terms that I gave at the time. This is safe, and it must be shown whether those terms have alternating signs. I then know—if this proves to be true, how we can try an approximate solution for the whole area which we can then further examine…But today I am writing about another matter, namely a proof for the inequality of adjunction of the equation Ts=0. It looks suspiciously like witchcraft: but there is—as far as I can see at the moment, not a fault in it. I ask you for a critical re-examination, because it is so easy to shoot a buck, especially when a long calculation is included. It is again a matter of proving identities, in a way that I have tried several times without success.” In the lower
section, Einstein has neatly penned several lines of scientific formulae and, to the complete right half of the reverse, the physicist has meticulously and neatly written out over ten lines of calculations and equations, which is headed “Geodatische Linie” (Geodesic Lines). It remains unknown whether this letter is complete or partial. In fine condition. Accompanied by a custom cloth-and-leather padfolio. Ernst Gabor Straus (1922–1983), born in Munich, had fled Nazi persecution and studied mathematics in Palestine at the University of Jerusalem, then in the United States. In 1944 he became Einstein’s assistant at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Study, bringing important aid to the physicist as Straus formulated a mathematical framework for Einstein’s concepts. They co-authored three papers and brought together many of Einstein’s old publications. It was during their collaboration that a new idea was conceived in the search for a theory of the unified field, which they called ‘Complex Theory.’ The complex theory was distinguished from earlier approaches by the use of a metric tensor with complex values rather than the real tensor of general relativity. Papers were edited, rejected, and reworked before being published in 1948. A superb scientific letter from Einstein with strong associative content that is furthermore enhanced by his extensive manuscript formulae. Estimate $30,000+
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Fully functioning 1943 Enigma I cipher machine used by the German military in WWII LOT 3030 Enigma Machine (c. 1943) Ultra-desirable, fully functional World War II-era three-rotor Enigma I electromechanical cipher machine built for the German military by Heimsoeth and Rinke in Berlin in 1943. Based on the chassis of the commercial Enigma D, the Enigma I machine was the standard Enigma machine used by the German military throughout the war. It features an ebonite Steckerbrett [plugboard] on the front, which was exclusive to the German armed forces and exponentially increased the complexity of the code. This version of the Enigma is sometimes referred to as the Heeres [Army] Enigma, Wehrmacht Enigma, or Luftwaffe Enigma due to its military-specific application. The Enigma machine is housed in its original oak case, with serial number plate “A15788/jla/43” on the keyboard. The hinged inner front panel is stamped “Klappe Schliessen [Keep Closed]” and boasts a rare Reichsadler military eagle stamp, rarely seen on surviving Enigma cases. The machine and case are in excellent condition and show wear characteristic of use during the war. The unit as a whole has been refurbished and restored to full operation. The three included rotors—marked as “I,” “II,” and “III”—match each other with serial no. “A5094,” indicating that they were manufactured in Berlin in 1938. Though the serial numbers of the Enigma machines and their rotors matched when issued, mismatches are typical of field-used machines. Rotors were often swapped out at German communication outposts as they were interchangeable and not dedicated to specific machines. The Enigma machine has a standard German “QWERTZ” keyboard with 26 white-on-black keys, with matching “QWERTZ”
lighted display. When a key is pressed, the corresponding encoded letter—as determined by the specific arrangement of the rotor wheels and plugboard—is illuminated. The rightmost rotor steps once each time a key is pressed. At an adjustable point it triggers the middle rotor to step, and so on. Through this mechanism, an easily crackable simple substitution cipher is avoided—letters are not encoded the same way twice. An encoded message would be written down and transmitted, usually via radio telegraph (a standard World War II-era German Wehrmacht Baumuster T1 telegraph key is included with this machine). In order to decode a message, the Enigma machine on the receiving end would have to be set up with the plugboard and rotor wheels in the same pattern as the sending Enigma: when the encoded message was typed in, the decoded letters would light up, revealing the secret message one character at a time. In the early 1930s, genius Polish codebreakers developed techniques for the decryption of Enigma code, and turned over their research to Allied counterparts after Germany’s 1939 invasion of Poland. Alan Turing and the other brilliant code breakers at Bletchley Park continued their important work, speeding up the time it took to decode Enigma messages. The codebreaking efforts at Bletchley Park led to the development of the world’s first computers as technology was pushed to defeat German cipher machines. Historians agree that these decoded messages shortened World War II by about two years, perhaps denying Nazi Germany the time needed to develop nuclear weapons. As a functional, war-dated example of the German military’s Enigma machine, this piece is truly a marvel of technological and WWII history. Estimate $275,000+
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From the Planet Mars— Complete Specimen of Gadamis 001 with Martian Atmosphere LOT 3031 Gadamis 001 Complete Meteorite Specimen with Martian Atmosphere Mars Rock – SNC (shergottite) Ghadamis, Libya Infinitely more rare than diamonds or gold, meteorites from Mars are among the most exotic substances on Earth with less than 350 kg (770 lbs) known to exist. Scientists long suspected an esoteric group of unusual meteorites with similar features were pieces of Mars which landed on Earth. There were many different reasons to believe in a planetary origin and it was thought these meteorites were either from Venus or Mars. Scientists correctly speculated that an asteroid impact must have “kicked” some of the material off one of the other planets—and as a result of the weaker gravity and thinner atmosphere of Mars, which meant less energy would be required to eject the specimens off the Martian surface —it was reasoned these unusual meteorites were from the planet Mars. And then there was proof! Many of these meteorites—including the current example—contain impact glass and researchers determined that inside the glass meteorites that were tested there were tiny bubbles, and within these tiny bubbles were minute amounts of gas. And the gas matched perfectly with the
signature of the Martian atmosphere which scientists learned about in great detail from NASA’s Viking space probes. This specimen has been authenticated by scientists of the Meteoritical Society—the foremost organization of meteorite researchers in the world—as being a Martian basalt, which is to say it’s a type of lava composed of olivine, pyroxene and feldspar in the form of maskelynite. As tremendous amounts of heat and pressure are required for maskelynite to form, this is consistent with an impact event on Mars which would explain this specimen’s delivery mechanism to Earth. This specimen was found by desert nomads in May 2019 and is exceedingly fresh. A large swath of fusion crust—the result of frictional heating as the meteorite burned through Earth’s atmosphere as it plunged to Earth. With a large-grained diabasic texture, this piece of Mars contains prixmatic clinopyroxene, lathes of maskynite with accessory merrillite, apatite, ilmenite and pyrrhotite. Pockets of shock melt are in evidence which infers the presence of Martian atmosphere. Measuring 163 x 94 x 79 mm (6.41 x 3.71 x 3.11 in.) and weighs 1193.72 grams (2.63 lbs) Estimate $80,000+
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Ground fines of destroyed lunar sample recovered from biological tests
Blattella germanica
Close-up of ground fines from destructive testing
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Histological preparation of Blattella germanica fed lunar sample
From moon dust to cockroach chyme— a one-of-a-kind Apollo 11 rarity LOT 3032 Apollo 11 Lunar Soil Experiment (Cockroaches, Slides, and Post-Destructive Testing Specimen) Extraordinary specimen display from an Apollo 11 lunar dust experiment, in which German cockroaches (among other lower creatures) were fed lunar soil material in order to observe potential pathological effects. The display housed a vial of ground fines of material extracted from the cockroaches following the biological tests, three of the preserved Blattella germanica cockroaches, and a glass slide containing a histological preparation of Blattella germanica fed the lunar sample, among several images and souvenirs associated with man’s first moon landing. The original vial of extracted material was broken, spilling its contents into the display; the gray discoloration in the white batting is the result. The ground fines and glass shards were then meticulously separated into two larger glass vials. The material weighs approximately 40 milligrams (mg). Also includes two cases of “Microscope Slides Prepared from Cockroaches that were fed Moon Rock,” marked “LRL #1” and “LRL #2.” Combined, the cases contain a total of 66 glass slides prepared with histological samples from the control and experimental groups. Contents of the slides are identified on tables inside the case lids, though they may no longer be arranged in the matching order. These experimental samples originate from the collection of Dr. Marion Brooks, an entomologist from the University of St. Paul contracted by NASA to perform the experiment. Includes a letter of provenance from her daughter, as well as photocopies of documentation demonstrating her affiliation with NASA and contemporary reportage on her interesting work. The article ‘Moon Dust and Cockroaches,’ published in Minnesota Science, describes the experiment at length: the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to Earth with some 47.5 lbs of moon rock, which was quarantined in a vacuum chamber for
several weeks. The scientists studying invertebrate life then received about 4.5 pounds of the material, and ground it up into small particles for their studies on microscopic organisms, insects, and aquatic life. Insects were exposed to the lunar particles by mixing it with their food, and aquatic species had it introduced to their tanks. None of the individuals that died during the experiment met their demise as a result of lunar dust exposure. These experiments were carried out within the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). Following this initial experiment, Dr. Brooks was tasked with dissecting the cockroaches to prepare histological sections on glass slides. She then examined them for evidence of pathological conditions caused by ingestion of the extraterrestrial material. She found no evidence of disease or pathogens, and was surprised to observe that the lunar particles caused no damage to the cockroaches’ stomach cells. Includes an original offprint of the journal article ‘Apollo 11: Exposure of Lower Animals to Lunar Material,’ published by Brooks and colleagues in the July 31, 1970, issue of Science, discussing their findings. NASA keeps famously close guard over lunar material returned by the Apollo missions, making it virtually impossible to obtain. In this instance, while still inside the LRL, the material was subjected to destructive experimentation as it was fed to the cockroaches. The dead cockroaches were then transferred to Dr. Brooks for further examination at the University of St. Paul. This cockroach experiment is known to exist in public, with several newspaper articles published over the years and a prior auction of this lot by Regency Superior (lot number 191, April 2010). Documentation is included on our website. Taken from the bellies of Blattella germanica individuals, this material has been transformed from moon dust to cockroach chyme—a one-of-a-kind rarity in the space marketplace. Estimate $300,000+
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Command Module hand controller that steered ‘America’ back to Earth, used by Gene Cernan during the Project Apollo finale LOT 3033 Apollo 17 Flown Command Module Translational Hand Controller Grip Used by Commander Gene Cernan
‘ASHUR Log’ for “SC114,” which lists ASHUR number 114506 as “Hand controller handles,” with remarks field annotated as “NR 1003.”
Flown translational hand controller T-grip used by Commander Gene Cernan to safely guide the Command Module America back into Earth’s atmosphere following the successful completion of the Apollo 17 mission, the last of NASA’s momentous moon-landing journeys. The gray-tone grip, 3.25˝ x 2˝ x 1˝, features a pair of “Class III, Not for Flight” decommission decals, and is mounted upon a wooden display shelf with an embroidered Apollo 17 patch and the grip’s original yellow “Temporary Parts Removal Tag” as issued by the Space Division at North American Rockwell, which confirms the grip’s flown status, its spacecraft designation, and Cernan as its primary user.
The next section, “Identity of Next Assembly,” lists the Model Number as “Hand Controller,” the Part Number as “V36000002-181,” the Serial Number as “S/C 114,” and a Mark for Shipment of “PFT.” The addition of “(CMDR.)” affiliates the grip with the mission commander, Gene Cernan. The referenced Part Number of “V36-000002-181” relates to CSM-114’s master drawing number.
The tag is identified as Part Number “957652-2” with its Authority line reading: “TPS-013, Ashur 114506, Rem. 646.” The first three numbers of the unique code ASHUR 114506, are associated with the serial number of ‘America,’ the Apollo 17 Command Module. Included is a copy of the original six-page
The bottom features the NAR inspector’s stamp “ANM 259” and a date of January 12, 1973, the month immediately following America’s return from the moon and during the period the capsule was delivered back to NAR Downey for post-flight disassembly and inspection. Further handwriting along the bottom: “Art #0945 (HEI).” In fine condition, with expected wear from use. Estimate $70,000+
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Time Magazine cover from 1982, signed by “steve jobs” as one of ‘America’s Risk Takers’ LOT 3034 Steve Jobs Signed Time Magazine Cover Rare magazine cover featuring Steve Jobs removed from the February 15, 1982 issue of Time, 8 x 10.5, neatly signed in the lower left in black ink, “steve jobs.” The cover story, “Striking It Rich,” portrays “Steven Jobs of Apple Computer” as one of “America’s Risk Takers.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds and a trimmed left edge. Encapsulated in a PSA/ DNA authentication holder. Accompanied by the original Apple Computer mailing envelope, postmarked at Cupertino, California, on March 17, 1982. The Time article described the nation’s upstart tech entrepreneurs whose firms were beginning to meet with massive success—Apple went public with an IPO in 1980, and had grown dramatically by 1982. At the end of the year, it was rumored that Jobs was under consideration as a finalist for Time’s ‘Man of the Year’—instead, Time named ‘The Computer’ as its ‘Machine of the Year.’ A superior signed piece rooted in the beginnings of Steve Jobs’s much-publicized success. Estimate $25,000+
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Sought-after functional Apple-1 computer hand-numbered by Steve Jobs, with original hardware suite—from the collection of personal computing pioneer Roger Wagner LOT 3035 Apple-1 Computer Hand-Numbered by Steve Jobs IImportant operational ‘Byte Shop’Apple-1 computer (also commonly known as the Apple I, or Apple Computer 1), complete with all components and accessories required for operation. This Apple-1 was one of the first to be publicly auctioned, sold in April 2002 at the Vintage Computer Festival in California. It was purchased by Roger Wagner, a personal computing pioneer who authored the first book on assembly-language programming for the Apple II. He is a longtime friend of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who said: ‘Roger Wagner didn’t just read the first book on programming the Apple computer—he wrote it.’ The set includes: • original Apple-1 board, marked in the hand of Steve Jobs with stock number “01-0068” • original Apple Cassette Interface (ACI) with manual • original Apple II keyboard with Apple-1 cable adapter • Apple-1 Basic cassettes • Panasonic RQ413S Portable Cassette Tape Recorder/Player • Taxan Model KG-12NU-Y 12” Display Monitor • CFFA1-CF card adapter for Apple-1 • Replica Apple-1 Operation Manual signed in black felt tip by Steve Wozniak This Apple-1 computer was examined and restored to operational condition in April 2021 by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen, and a video of it running and functioning is available online at RRAuction.com. A comprehensive, technical condition report prepared by Cohen is available to qualified bidders; he evaluates the current condition of the unit as 7.0/10. It is listed as #12 on the Apple-1 Registry. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA for Jobs’ handwriting on the board. That Jobs numbered these himself is a recent revelation in the Apple-1 world.
The Apple-1 was originally conceived by Steve Jobs and Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak as a bare circuit board to be sold as a kit and completed by electronics hobbyists, their initial market being Palo Alto’s Homebrew Computer Club. Wozniak alone designed the hardware, circuit board designs, and operating system for the computer. Seeking a larger audience, Jobs approached Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the first personal computer stores in the world. Aiming to elevate the computer beyond the realm of the hobbyist, Terrell agreed to purchase 50 Apple-1 computers, but only if they were fully assembled. The Apple-1 thus became one of the first ‘personal’ computers which did not require soldering by the end user. All together, over a span of about ten months, Jobs and Wozniak produced about 200 Apple-1 computers and sold 175 of them. This Apple-1 is one of the more identifiable Apple-1 computers due to the replacement of the keyboard socket and other components that failed during operation prior to the VCF auction in 2002. The board has no permanent modification (i.e. cuts or trace repairs to the Apple-1 board). In the restoration of this Apple-1 to operational condition, care was taken to not revert any of the replacement components to maintain the well-known provenance of this Apple-1. Additionally included are several items from Roger Wagner’s association with Steve Wozniak, including several photographs of the two together. Between the significant provenance—sold at the 2002 Vintage Computer Festival and owned by a pioneering technologist and software designer—and the impressive array of accompanying hardware and ephemera, this is an outstanding example of the sought-after Apple-1 Computer. From the personal computer-history collection of Roger Wagner. Estimate $450,000+
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Rare Apple Computer check signed by Steve Jobs in 1976— the year of the company’s founding
LOT 3036 Steve Jobs Signed Check Exceptional Apple Computer Company check, 6 x 3, filled out in type and signed by Jobs, “Steven Jobs,” payable to Tektronix, Inc. for $9.18, July 23, 1976. Headed “Apple Computer Company,” the check uses Apple’s first official address at “770 Welch Rd., Ste. 154, Palo Alto”—the location of an answering service and mail drop that they used while still operating out of the famous Jobs family garage. In very fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Tektronix is known for manufacturing test and measurement devices such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers, instruments that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak might have used when building and testing the original Apple-1 computer. During this period in the summer of 1976, three months after founding the Apple Computer Company, they were hard at work building their first product. All together, over a span of ten months or so, Jobs and Wozniak produced about 200 Apple-1 computers and sold 175 of them. A superb check signed by the innovative personal computing pioneer. Estimate $25,000+
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Super desirable dollar bill signed by the world’s richest person, Elon Musk
LOT 3037 Elon Musk Signed One Dollar Bill Estimate $5,000+
Ultra-desirable Series 2017 one dollar bill, signed on the left side in black felt tip by Elon Musk. In fine condition. Encapsulated by Beckett Authentication Services, with an autograph grade of 10. Surpassed only by Jeff Bezos, Musk placed second on Forbes’ ‘The Richest of 2021’ list with a net worth of $151 billion dollars—if converted into one dollar bills, Musk’s wealth would tower into outer space at over 102 miles high. A hugely desirable format autographed by the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
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“Man v. Toro”—a sketch by Picasso sent to Man Ray LOT 3038 Pablo Picasso Signed Sketch on Postcard to Man Ray
Penrose), and one other. Addressed to Man Ray at his studio, “2 bis Rue Ferou, Paris.” In fine condition, with a small stain touching the date.
Exquisite signed ink sketch of a bull accomplished by Pablo Picasso on the reverse of a 6 x 4 postcard depicting horses in Provence et Camargue, boldly titled and signed in ink, “20.10.1957, Man v. Toro, Picasso,” playing off the name of the recipient, the important Dada/Surrealist photographer Man Ray. Also signed in ink by Jacqueline Roque (his second wife), Eduoard Pignon (French artist), Hélène Parmelin (French journalist), Roland (likely artist and art collector Roland
With a wonderful sketch of a bull—a frequent subject in Picasso’s works, including the iconic ‘Guernica’—this is a quintessential Picasso autograph, sent to an important visual artist. The two had a long association, with Man Ray making several portraits of Picasso during the 1920s and 1930s. A simply marvelous modern art piece. Estimate $40,000+
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Gun shown on bottom right of this photo.
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Capone rival Frank Gusenberg’s Colt Detective Special .38 revolver, recovered from the grisly St. Valentine’s Day Massacre scene LOT 3039 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre: Frank Gusenberg’s Colt Detective Special Revolver Frank Gusenberg’s Colt Detective Special .38 revolver, recovered from the scene of the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 14, 1929. Gusenberg was a contract killer and part of Bugs Moran’s North Side Gang, rivals of Al Capone’s Chicago Outfit. On the morning of February 14th, four unknown assailants—two dressed as police officers— shot seven North Side Gang members and affiliates at the 2122 North Clark Street garage, including enforcer brothers Peter and Frank Gusenberg. These were no mere gangland shootings—it was a massacre meant to send a message, with some 70 rounds fired from an arsenal that included two Thompson submachine guns, the favorite firearm of the notorious Chicago syndicate. Frank Gusenberg took fourteen of those shots, yet miraculously survived for three more hours. When Sgt. Thomas Loftus made it to the scene and questioned Gusenberg about the perpetrators, the hitman observed the gangland principle of ‘omertà’ (absolute silence) and insisted, ‘I won’t talk.’ Gusenberg’s last words before succumbing to his wounds were reportedly, ‘I ain’t no copper.’ The revolver is accompanied by a Colt Archive letter dated February 3, 1986, indicating that this Colt Detective Special, serial number 364509, was shipped in a batch of six to Chicago gun dealer P. Von Frantzius on June 26, 1928. Peter von Frantzius was a well-known firearms distributor, later dubbed by the press as ‘The Armorer of Gangland.’ He is known as an almost-exclusive supplier of firearms to the Chicago Mob: one of the two recovered Tommy guns linked to the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was also shipped to Frantzius. According to legend, the firm offered a $2.00 service to file away the serial numbers and bob the hammers, both attributes found on this Detective Special. After the gun was recovered, crime lab investigators were able to raise the obliterated serial number. Where this revolver traveled in the eight months before the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre is open to conjecture. What is known is that this .38 Detective Special was found by Sgt.
Thomas J. Loftus in the S-M-C Cartage Company’s warehouse at 2122 N. Clark Street in a bloody mess with several dead men and a pile of empty .45 ACP cartridge cases. In his sworn statement made at the District Attorney’s office later that day, Loftus mentioned discovering the “.38 caliber Colt Revolver Detective Special, with a one-inch barrel” on the floor of the facility. The revolver is also seen in the corner of a crime scene image taken at the bloody site. The police and investigators linked the gun to Frank Gusenberg, believing that it fell from his pocket as he attempted to crawl to safety following the massacre. No other firearms were recovered at the site, making this revolver the only firearm available to the public that originates directly from the scene of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Includes the original Chicago Police Department property envelope and evidence bag, filled out in pencil with Sgt. Loftus’ name and the important note: “Found on floor at 2122 N. Clark St. Garage, 1-38 Cal. Blue Steel Revolver.” The reverse of the grips are both inscribed in ink, “JCW Jr. St. V. Case,” evidently provenance markings attributing it to the collection of Joseph C. Wilimovsky, Jr. He was a criminologist affiliated with Calvin Goddard Associates, a pioneering forensic ballistics firm that worked on the St. Valentine’s Day investigation. According to an accompanying letter by Neal Trickel, Cook County coroner Herman Bundesen turned the weapon over to a criminologist for firearms identification work, which we know was undertaken by the Goddard Crime Lab. We assume that the gun passed into Wilimovsky’s possession sometime during the 1930s, as the crime lab was sold to the Chicago Police Department in 1938. Trickel writes that he acquired the gun from a relative of the criminologist in the 1980s, after it had been in the family for more than fifty years. Additionally includes an original 1924 P. von Frantzius mailorder catalog stamped “Calvin Goddard” on the cover, two glossy prints of the grisly crime scene photos, and assorted other related documentation. This revolver was previously on loan to the Las Vegas Mob Museum, where it was exhibited for several years. Estimate $100,000+
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76 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Incredibly rare handwritten Dillinger letter relating to the infamous ‘Shirt Shop Boys’ LOT 3040 John Dillinger Autograph Letter Signed from Prison ALS in pencil, signed “John Dillinger #14395,” one page, 7.75 x 3.75, no date [but circa 1929-1933]. Handwritten letter from Indiana State Prison at Michigan City, sent to prison assistant superintendent H. W. Waymire, in full: “I am working in the shirt shop and the work is hard on my eyes and I would like to get transferred to the foundry #4 or Machine shop if possible. I will certainly appreciate it very much if you will do what you can for me.” Double-matted with a typed prison memo marked “See Dr.,” stating that “14395…Dillinger…Wants a transfer
to the foundry from the shirt shop says the shirt shop is hard on his eyes,” a scarce original 1934 US Justice Department wanted poster with mugshot and fingerprints, and a glossy portrait of Dillinger holding a pistol and a Tommy gun, all of which are framed together to an overall size of 28.75 x 14.5. In fine condition, with light creasing, and file holes and staple holes to the top edge. Dillinger remains exceedingly rare across all formats, with this example representing the only letter we have ever offered. Estimate $15,000+
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Tricking a trickster, Houdini writes to the man who exposed slate-writing spiritualist Henry Slade LOT 3041 Harry Houdini Typed Letter Signed TLS, signed “Houdini,” one page, 8.5 x 11, personal letterhead, August 3, 1923. Letter to friend and spiritualist Remigius Weiss, in part: “This morning, having time, I called upon my spirits and did something that Salde [sic] could not do. I opened the slates which were locked and found written on them the following:— ‘Your slate is too small for our use—we will do more some day soon.’ (Signed) W.W.... Does that message mean anything to you or would it have meant anything at the time he wrote it. I am anxious to know the significance of the writing...if I remember rightly he failed
to open the slates at every seance and the writing that is on it now, he wrote when they were unlocked by you.” In fine to very good to fine condition, with slightly irregular light toning, and chips and short tears to the right edge. The letter’s recipient, Remigius Weiss, befriended Houdini when the latter was in Philadelphia investigating Dr. Henry Slade, a fraudulent spiritualist who specialized in slate-writing trickery, a ruse for making ‘contact’ with deceased loved ones. Through his own ingenious methods, Weiss successfully tricked Slade into admitting his deception in a written confession, a detailed examination of which can be found in our online description. Estimate $2,000+
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80 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
“If Sonnett finds out we are surveilling him it would be the end of everything”— cloak-and-dagger content from the TWA v. Hughes lawsuit LOT 3042 Howard Hughes Handwritten Notes Intriguing unsigned handwritten notes by Howard Hughes, one page both sides, 8.5 x 14, November 13, 1965. The uppermost portion is written in a secretarial hand, “From Maheu,” referring to ex-FBI and CIA operative Robert H. Maheu, who acted on behalf of Howard Hughes to thwart blackmailers, spy on enemies and ingenues, and conduct other covert business: “As of yesterday Sonnett was due to arrive in N.Y. today. He doesn’t know the exact time. Davis is standing by for your call. He didn’t think much of the idea of calling Sonnett on an emergency basis, but will do whatever you desire.” Below, Hughes jots his notes on the matter: “& Cook. Of the importance I placed on this an exact visual fix on now. We take a definite penalty when we call. We lose a position. I must have an absolute fix-Apartment in N.Y. Airport. Home in up-state N.Y., Westchester, or Connecticut. Golf Club or what have you. We lose trading positions in the biggest business deal in history of industry in U.S. and the world. We will take this loss to talk to him not to find out he is not home or at the number we call. Please tell Mayheu I am not trying to blame anyone
for anything, but I thought Mayheu understood everything in this message. If Sonnett finds out we are surveilling him it would be the end of everything.” In fine condition. These fascinating notes evidently reveal that Hughes was having John Sonnett, counsel for Trans World Airways, tailed and surveilled. In 1962, Sonnett had filed a complaint on behalf of TWA, charging Hughes with violating antitrust laws by requiring that the airline he partially owned purchase aircraft from Hughes Aircraft Co. The legal battle touched off by the suit was one of the most momentous and enduring in American business history. As part of his strategy, Sonnett attempted to have subpoenas served on Hughes personally, and applied considerable pressure to determine his exact whereabouts. The ‘Davis’ mentioned in these notes undoubtedly refers to Chester C. Davis, who represented Hughes in TWA v. Hughes. This is a particularly important piece of primary material with great cloak-and-dagger content, shedding light on the reclusive billionaire and one of the most significant court battles involving his myriad interests. Estimate $3,000+
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82 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Stunning 1953 Powolny glamour shot of Marilyn— “I’m asking you— ‘Where can you beat it!’” LOT 3043 Marilyn Monroe Signed Oversized Photograph Vintage matte-finish 11 x 14 photo of Monroe taken during a Frank Powolny glamour shoot in 1953, signed and inscribed in bold blue ballpoint, “To Paul, I’m asking you—‘Where can you beat it!’ Marilyn Monroe.” In very good to fine condition, with scattered light creasing, and faint silvering to the darker areas of the image. Monroe and Powolny most famously teamed up in 1953 for a series of stunning, artfully framed publicity stills
for the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Immortalized for his classic World War II pinup of Betty Grable, Powolny remained a trusted photographer for Monroe throughout her career and is noted as taking the last known still photographs of the starlet during the production of Something’s Got to Give, one week before her death in 1962. An uncommon oversized image of the iconic starlet. Estimate $20,000+
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84 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Classic signed portrait of Bruce Lee as Kato in The Green Hornet LOT 3044 Bruce Lee Signed Photograph Vintage glossy 4 x 5 photo of Lee as Kato from The Green Hornet television series, boldly signed in green felt tip, “Bruce Lee.” In very fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder and accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from University Archives. Also includes a matching vintage glossy 4 x 5 photo of his co-star Van Williams, signed in blue ballpoint. Although The Green Hornet was canceled after a single season, Lee’s iconic portrayal of Kato enabled the actor to make three crossover appearances on the wildly popular liveaction Batman series between 1966 and 1967. Lee worked in television for a few more years before landing a leading role in The Big Boss, a martial arts action film that not only elevated Lee’s popularity across all of Asia, but likewise paved the way for Enter the Dragon, Lee’s final and most enduring motion picture. Estimate $10,000+
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86 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Scarce postcard from “El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X),” written during his transformative pilgrimage to Nigeria LOT 3045 Malcolm X Postcard Signed Rare postcard signed “El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X),” one page on a 6 x 4 color postcard depicting Nigeria’s Great Mosque of Kano, postmarked at University College on May 8, 1964. Short handwritten note to “Miss Gloria Owens, 12208 Scottwood, Cleveland 8, Ohio, USA.” In full: “Greetings from beautiful Nigeria here in West Africa.” Gloria Owens was the sister of Maceo X Owens, secretary at Muhammad’s Mosque No. 7 in Harlem where Malcolm X preached alongside Louis Farrakhan. In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
After going to Mecca in 1964, Malcolm X experienced an epiphany that prompted his disillusionment with the Nation of Islam, as well as with its leader Elijah Muhammad. He traveled to Mecca as Malcolm X, a militant Black Muslim, and came back El-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, a believer in Sunni Islam who no longer saw the white man as the devil, and who pursued a new path of Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism. When his stay in Saudi Arabia ended, he departed for Beirut, and then shortly thereafter a three-week tour of Africa, which included stops in Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Algeria, and Ghana, all the while giving lectures on college and university campuses and continuing to educate himself about orthodox Islam. A scarce, exceptionally desirable letter sent during a formative journey to Africa. Estimate $4,000+
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Image larger than actual size.
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Evading “cranks, etc.,” the reclusive J. D. Salinger opens a P.O. box under the pseudonym “John Boletus” LOT 3046 J. D. Salinger Document Signed DS, signed “J. D. Salinger,” one page, 6 x 4, February 20, 1964. Official card from the Post Office in Cornish, New Hampshire, filled out by Salinger to open a post office box under the name “John Boletus,” printing the pseudonym in the “Name of Applicant” box, and signing in cursive at the conclusion, “J. D. Salinger.” An explanation is typed at the center: “Applicant is an author who is planning to have only mail addressed to the name above, which is a pseudonym, placed in the box to avoid having cranks, etc. taking advantage of the fact in their contact with the name Jerome Salinger. Mr. Salinger also uses the above name (Boletus) in business with the Windsor Co. Nat’l. Bank.” According to the card, the box was closed on July 16, 1987. In fine condition.
This remarkable document demonstrates Salinger’s famously reclusive nature—operating under a pseudonym to avoid “cranks”—as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of mushrooms. He likely chose the name because of its innuendoboletus being a Latin name for mushroom, and one in the same kingdom/division/class as the ‘phallus’ mushroom. His frequent use of the pseudonym is referenced in the New Yorker article ‘A Night at the Movies’ by John Seabrook, and in Vanity Fair’s ‘Salinger in Love’ by Joyce Maynard. An extraordinary piece from the reclusive writer. Estimate $7,500+
Remarkable Rarities | June 23, 2022 89
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Amazing Sgt. Pepper-era handwritten letter from George Harrison, recently returned from India, offering unique insight into his new belief system and evolving musical taste LOT 3047 George Harrison Autograph Letter Signed Twice Extraordinary twice-signed ALS signed “Love from, George” and “George Harrison,” six pages, 5.5 x 7, November 4, 1966. Handwritten letter addressed from Harrison’s “Kinfauns” home in Esher, England, sent to his close friend, Art Unger, the owner and editor of the U.S.-based magazine Datebook, shortly after Harrison and his wife, Pattie Boyd, had returned from their historic trip to India. Although the letter is written primarily in blue felt tip, Harrison has also used orange and red felt tip for key points of emphasis, with much of the letter centering around the impact of India on Harrison’s belief system and his musical taste. The letter, in part: “India was, and no doubt still is—‘too much.’ [Pardon the hip talk man]...The religion is everywhere you look and it’s a pleasure seeing and being with others who believe in something real—instead of a lot of hypocrites—who fear the local vicar, rather than love for their
creator. [But who am I to judge others?] I ask myself! Anyway, it was great, and I expect to be there again soon, or as soon as I get the sign. If there is a God, we must see Him; if there is a soul, we must perceive it; otherwise it is better to be an outspoken atheist than a hypocrite [by Swami Vivekananda] I thought you’d like that!” Harrison adds a postscript: “P.S. Which address did you send those things to. Mine or Nems? As they haven’t been received yet? As you will have noticed by now, I was away for English Language.” The second autograph is incorporated in the address Harrison has added to the top of the first page. In fine condition, with a small tape stain to each page. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope addressed by Harrison, who adds “Personal” on the reverse flap, and by letters of authenticity from Tracks and noted Beatles expert Frank Caiazzo. Estimate $15,000+
Remarkable Rarities | June 23, 2022 91
Stupendous ‘8 x 10’ signed photo of the mighty Jack Johnson
LOT 3048 Jack Johnson Signed Photograph Estimate $6,000+
Extremely rare vintage glossy 8 x 10 portrait of Jack Johnson wearing tights in an imposing full-length fighting stance, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To my good friend Lou, with good luck and what goes with it, From Jack Johnson.” In very good to fine condition, with scattered creasing, two heavier vertical creases descending from the top edge, and a small stain next to Johnson’s head; in spite of its flaws, both the image and the handwriting remain appreciably bold against the blank background. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. Accompanied by an original cigarette boxing card. An amazing, seldom-encountered signed photo, very rare in this size—this particular pose has accompanied web stories for CBS News and National Public Radio for years and is just the third signed photo of this size that we have ever offered.
92 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
1939 Cooperstown cover boldly signed by Babe Ruth— graded PSA MINT 9
LOT 3049 Babe Ruth Signed ‘Baseball Centennial’ FDC Superb FDC with a cachet honoring the “100th Anniversary of Baseball” and George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth, postmarked in Cooperstown, New York, on June 12, 1939, signed boldly in fountain pen, “Babe Ruth.” Designed and printed by W. G. Crosby, the cover boasts a ‘real photo cachet’ of Babe Ruth coaching for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The applied three-cent postage stamp honoring baseball’s centennial was issued in
conjunction with the dedication and opening of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on June 12, 1939. Arguably the greatest player in baseball history—and certainly the most famous—Babe Ruth was elected to the Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class in 1936 and attended its dedication ceremonies in 1939. Encapsulated and graded by PSA as “MINT 9.” Estimate $8,000+
Remarkable Rarities | June 23, 2022 93
King Henry VIII orders the Keeper of the Great Wardrobe to deliver cloth, satin, and fabric
LOT 3050 King Henry VIII Document Signed
VIII, signed in the seventh year of his reign. His autograph is rare and highly sought in any form.
King of England from 1509 until his death in 1547, remembered for his role in the English Reformation, his six marriages (and his beheaded ex-wives), and his radical changes to the English Constitution. Rare vellum manuscript DS, signed “Henry R, By the King,” one page, 11.75 x 6.25, July 1516. Warrant ordering Lord Windsor, Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, to deliver articles of cloth, satin, and fabric to Sir Robert Dymoke for various clothing items, including multiple tunics. In fine condition. An unusually bold and clean document from King Henry
Sir Robert Dymoke (d. 1546) was the King’s Champion at the coronations of Richard III, Henry VII, and Henry VIII. The role of the Champion is to ride into Westminster Hall at the coronation banquet and challenge all comers who might impugn the King’s title. Dymoke distinguished himself at the Siege of Tournai in 1513, and became the King’s Treasurer under Henry VIII.
94 www.RRAuction.com | (603) 732-4280
Estimate $35,000+
Conditions of Sale ANYONE EITHER REGISTERING TO BID OR PLACING A BID (“BIDDER”) ACCEPTS THESE CONDITIONS OF SALE AND ENTERS INTO A LEGALLY, BINDING, ENFORCEABLE AGREEMENT WITH R&R AUCTION COMPANY OF MASSACHUSETTS, LLC (“RR AUCTION”) TOGETHER WITH BIDDER, THE “PARTIES”). This Agreement contains important provisions that control rights and liabilities, and specifically has provisions governing how disputes are handled as well as LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY that can be imposed upon RR Auction, WAIVER OF JURY and ARBITRATION PROVISIONS. This acknowledgement is a material term of these Conditions of Sale and of the consideration under which RR Auction agrees to these terms. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. The following terms and conditions (“Conditions of Sale”) constitute the sole terms and conditions under which RR Auction will offer for sale and sell the property on its website, and/or described in the catalog of items for auction (the “Catalog”). These Conditions of Sale constitute a binding agreement between the Parties with respect to the auction in which Bidder participates (the “Auction”). By bidding at the Auction, whether in person, through an agent or representative, by telephone, facsimile, online, absentee bid, or by any other form of bid or by any other means, Bidder acknowledges the thorough reading and understanding of all of these Conditions of Sale, all descriptions of items in the Catalog, and all matters incorporated herein by reference, and agrees to be fully bound thereby.
Section 1 The Parties1.1 RR Auction and Auction This Auction is presented by RR Auction, a d/b/a/ of R&R Auction Company of Massachusetts, LLC, as identified with the applicable licensing information on the title page of the Catalog or on the www.RRauction.com Internet site. The Auction is conducted under these Conditions of Sale. Announcements and corrections from the podium at live auctions and those made through the Conditions of Sale appearing on the Internet at RRauction.com supersede those in the printed Catalog. 1.2 Bidder Bidder shall mean the original Bidder on the property offered for sale by RR Auction and not any subsequent owner or other person who may acquire or have acquired an interest therein. If Bidder is an agent, the agency must be disclosed in writing to RR Auction prior to the time of sale, otherwise the benefits of the warranty shall be limited to the agent and not transferable to the undisclosed principal. The rights granted to Bidder under these Conditions of Sale are personal and may not be assigned or transferred to any other person or entity, whether by operation of law or otherwise without the express written assent of RR Auction. Bidder may not transfer, assign, or otherwise convey these Conditions of Sale or any of the rights herein, and such purported transfer, assignment, or conveyance shall be null and void. No third party may rely on any benefit or right conferred on any Bidder by these Conditions of Sale, and no third party is intended as a beneficiary of these Conditions of Sale. Bids will not be accepted from minor persons under eighteen (18) years of age without a parent or legal guardian’s written consent containing an acknowledgment of the Conditions of Sale herein and indicating their agreement to be bound thereby on behalf of the Bidder. All Bidders must meet RR Auction’s qualifications to bid. Any Bidder who is not a client in good standing of RR Auction may be disqualified at RR Auction’s sole option and will not be awarded lots. Such determination may be made by RR Auction in its sole and unlimited discretion, at any time prior to, during, or even after the close of the Auction. RR Auction reserves the right to exclude any person from the Auction. If an entity places a bid, then the person executing the bid on behalf of the entity agrees to personally guarantee payment for any successful bid and agrees to be bound by these Conditions of Sale in addition to company for whom the Bidder is acting By accepting the Conditions of Sale, Bidder personally and unconditionally guarantees payment. Section 2 Bidding Privileges
2.1 In order to place bids, Bidders who have not established an account with RR Auction must either furnish satisfactory credit information (including two collectibles-related business references) or supply additional information if requested, well in advance of the Auction. Bidders who are not members of RRAuction.com should pre-register before the close of the Auction to allow adequate time to contact references. Privileges will be granted at the sole discretion of RR Auction. Additionally, Bidders who have not previously established credit or who wish to bid in excess of their established credit history may be required to provide a cash deposit prior to RR Auction’s acceptance of a bid. Check writing privileges and immediate delivery of merchandise may also be determined by pre-approval of credit based on a combination of criteria: RRAuction.com history, related industry references, bank verification, a credit bureau report and/or a personal guarantee for a corporate or partnership entity in advance of the Auction venue. 2.2 Bidder providing any false or misleading information provided in connection with the registration shall be a material breach of the Conditions of Sale and in addition to any other remedies at law shall excuse RR Auction from performance under these Conditions of Sale, including the right to any refund. 2.2 Bidding privileges may be revoked without notice, for any reason, at the sole discretion of RR Auction . Section 3 Buyer’s Premium 3.1 The Bidder acknowledges and agrees that a 25% buyer’s premium will be added to the hammer price on all individual lots sold in timed and live Auctions. . For payment other than by cash, delivery will not be made unless and until full payment has been received by RR Auction, i.e., check or wired funds have fully cleared. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, signed by RR Auction, payment in full is due within thirteen (13) calendar days of the Auction or within twelve (12) calendar days of the invoice date, whichever is earlier. Bidder’s failure to pay any payment in full when due required shall constitute a material breach, and in addition to other damages available under contract or law, at RR Auction’s election, RR Auction may cancel the sale and require full premium still be due along with interest at 1.5% per month from the date of breach, or at the maximum legally allowable rate. Section 4 Bidding 4.1 Each Bidder’s determination of its bid should be based upon its own examination of the item(s) and independent investigation, rather than the any reliance as to what is represented in the Catalog, online or elsewhere. Bidder affirms that it regards any statements made by RR Auction concerning the item as solely opinion and that Bidder is making its own inspection and independent evaluation of the goods, and is not relying upon any description or statements by RR Auction (including as to quality, authenticity, provenance, ownership, liens existing, on goods legality, or value) in making its determination to bid on or purchase an item. In any purchase or sale, the value of the item(s) is determined by the price. THE BIDDER HEREBY ASSUMES ALL RISKS CONCERNING ANY AND ALL PURCHASES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. 4.2 RR AUCTION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ERRORS IN BIDDING. A Bidder should make certain to bid on the correct lot and that the bid is the maximum (plus the Buyer’s Premium) that the Bidder is willing and able to pay. Since other Bidders (by mail, facsimile, online, and in person) will be present, and since a reoffering could damage the momentum of the sale, once the hammer has fallen and RR Auction has announced the winning Bidder, such Bidder is unconditionally bound to pay for the lot, even if the Bidder has made a mistake. 4.3 All prospective Bidders who examine lots in person prior to the sale shall personally assume all responsibility for any damage they cause in so doing. RR Auction shall have sole discretion in determining the value of the damage caused, which shall be promptly paid by the prospective Bidder. 4.4 Title to any lot remains with Consignor, any secured party of the Consignor, or assignee of Consignor, as the case may be, until the lot is paid for in full by Bidder and Bidder has fully satisfied any outstanding financial obligations to RR Auction (including as it concerns aby other lots). RR Auction reserves the right to require payment in full before delivering any lot to the successful Bidder. 4.5 It is the Bidder’s responsibility and obligation to have the lots fully insured while in their possession. Bidder assumes any and all risk of loss upon the earlier of shipment to Bidder or in Bidder’s possession. 4.6 Bidder grants to RR Auction or its assigns the right to offset any sums due, or found to be due by RR Auction, and to make such offset from any past, subsequent or future consignment, or items acquired by Bidder in possession or control of RR Auction or from any sums due to Bidder by RR Auction. Bidder fur-
ther grants RR Auction a lien consisting of a senior security interest (or purchase money security interest to the extent applicable) in such sums or items to the fullest extent applicable, authorizes RR Auction to file documents concerning the interest, and Bidder agrees to execute any further documents as may be reasonably necessary to grant RR Auction such security interest. Bidder agrees that RR Auction and its assigns shall be a secured party with respect to items bought by Bidder and in the possession of RR Auction, to the extent of the maximum indebtedness, plus all accrued fees and expenses, until the indebtedness is paid. 4.7 By bidding in this sale, Bidder personally and unconditionally guarantees payment. The authorized representative of any corporate Bidder who is present at the sale shall provide RR Auction or its agent, prior to the commencement of the bidding (or at the time of registration), with a statement signed by a principal, director or officer that they he or she personally and unconditionally guarantees any payment due RR Auction. 4.8 RR Auction may at its sole and absolute discretion, make loans or advances to Consignors and/or prospective Bidders. Section 5 Bidding Options 5.1 Non-Internet bids (including but not limited to in-person, facsimile, phone and mail bids) are treated similarly to floor bids in that they must be on-increment. Any in-person, facsimile, phone, or mail bids that do not conform to a full increment will be rounded up or down to the nearest full increment and this revised amount will be considered Bidder’s high bid. 5.2 When identical bids are submitted, preference is given to the first received. To ensure the greatest accuracy, written bids should be entered on the standard printed bid sheet and be received at RR Auction’s place of business at least twenty-four (24) hours before the Auction start. RR Auction is not responsible for executing mail bids or facsimile bids received on or after the day the first lot is sold, nor Internet bids submitted after the published closing time; nor is RR Auction responsible for proper execution of bids submitted by telephone, mail, facsimile, e-mail, Internet, or in person once the Auction begins. 5.3 In all Auctions, bids on an item must raise the current high bid by at least 10%, or as specified on a per-Auction basis. Bids will be accepted in whole dollar amounts only. No “buy” or “unlimited” bids will be accepted. In a live sale, bids on an item can change at the discretion of RR Auction. 5.4 RR Auction reserves the right to accept or decline any bid. Bids must be for an entire lot and each lot constitutes a separate sale. All bids are per lot unless otherwise announced. Live auction lots will be sold in their numbered sequence unless RR Auction directs otherwise. It is unlawful and illegal for Bidders to collude, pool, or agree with another Bidder to pay less than the fair value for lot(s). For live auctions, RR Auction will have final discretion in the event that any dispute should arise between Bidders. RR Auction will determine the successful Bidder, cancel the sale, or re-offer and resell the lot or lots in dispute. RR Auction will have final discretion to resolve any disputes arising after the sale and in online auctions. If any dispute arises, RR Auction’s sale record is conclusive. Section 6 Payment 6.1 Subject to fulfillment of all of the Conditions of Sale set forth herein, upon the sooner of (1) the passing of title to the offered lot pursuant to these Conditions of Sale, or (2) possession of the offered lot by the Bidder, Bidder thereupon (a) assumes full risk and responsibility (including without limitation, liability for or damage to frames or glass covering prints, paintings, photos, or other works), and (b) will immediately pay the full purchase price or such part as RR Auction may require. In addition to other remedies available to RR Auction by law, RR Auction reserves the right to impose from the date of sale a late charge of 1.5% per month of the total purchase price if payment is not made in accordance with the conditions set forth herein. All property must be removed from RR Auction’s premises by the Bidder at his/her expense not later than sixty (60) business days following its sale and, if it is not so removed, RR Auction may send the purchased property to a public warehouse for the account, at the risk and expense of the Bidder. 6.2 Payment is due upon closing of the Auction session, or upon presentment of an invoice. RR Auction reserves the right to void an invoice if payment in full is not received within thirteen (13) calendar days of the Auction or within twelve (12) calendar days of the invoice date. In cases of nonpayment, RR Auction’s election to void a sale does not relieve the Bidder from their obligation to pay RR Auction its fees (seller’s and Buyer’s Premium) on the lot and any other damages pertaining to the lot. 6.3 All sales for total invoices greater than $1,000 are strictly for cash in United States dollars (including U.S. currency, bank wire, cashier checks, eChecks, and bank money orders), and are subject to all reporting requirements.
6.4 All deliveries are subject to good funds; funds being received in RR Auction’s account before delivery of the Purchases; and all payments are subject to a clearing period. RR Auction reserves the right to determine if a check constitutes “good funds”: checks drawn on a U.S. bank are subject to a ten (10) calendar day hold, and ten (10) business days when drawn on an international bank. Clients with pre-arranged credit status may receive immediate credit for payments via e-Check, personal or corporate checks. 6.5 In the event that a Bidder’s payment is dishonored upon presentment(s), Bidder shall pay the maximum statutory processing fee set by applicable state law. If Bidder attempts to pay via check and the financial institution denies the transfer from Bidder’s bank account, or the payment cannot be completed using the selected funding source, Bidder agrees to complete payment. 6.7 If RR Auction refers any unpaid invoice to an attorney for collection, the Bidder agrees to pay and shall be liable for RR Auction’s attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by RR Auction in addition to the invoice amount and interest the greater of 1.5% per month or at the maximum legally allowable rate from date of invoice to collection. If RR Auction assigns collection to its house counsel, such attorney’s time expended on the matter shall be compensated at a rate comparable to the hourly rate of independent attorneys. 6.8 RR Auction shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the Bidder (as well as to the extent it is a consignor any other monies owed or due to Bidder) to secure payment of the Auction invoice. RR Auction is further granted a lien and the right to retain possession of any other property of the Bidder then held by RR Auction or its affiliates to secure payment of any Auction invoice or any other amounts due RR Auction or affiliates from the Bidder. With respect to these lien rights, RR Auction shall have all the rights of a secured creditor, including but not limited to the right of sale. In addition, with respect to payment of the Auction invoice(s), the Bidder waives any and all rights of offset he might otherwise have against RR Auction and the consignor of the merchandise included on the invoice (the Consignor”). If a Bidder owes RR Auction or its affiliates on any account, RR Auction and its affiliates shall have the right to offset such unpaid account by any credit balance due Bidder, and it may secure by possessory lien any unpaid amount by any of the Bidder’s property in their possession. 6.9 All checks, cashiers checks, bank checks, or money orders are payable to R&R Auction Company of Massachusetts, LLC. RR Auction clients with an invoice totaling $1,000 or under will have the option to pay by VISA, Mastercard, Discover or Paypal. All Paypal payments must be sent to FinanceDepartment@ rrauction.com. Authorize.net, a third-party service provider contracted by RR Auction for processing on-line payments, charges a nonrefundable service fee of 3%, which will be added to your final invoice should you pay by credit/debit card. Section 7 Sales Tax RR Auction is a remote seller and we are now required to collect Sales/Use Tax from our bidders. The states that we have nexus in we will be required to collect and remit sales tax on your behalf. Each state has different requirements to meet nexus. When RR Auction has achieved a certain monetary and/or invoice threshold in each state we will apply sales tax to your total invoice. The states that are affected are: ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OKLAHOMA, PENNSYLVANIA,RHODE ISLAND, TENNESSEE, TEXAS, UTAH, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, WISCONSIN If we have not achieved nexus in a particular state it is still your responsibility to pay sales tax on your purchases. The sales tax rate is determined by the State, Country, and City where purchases are shipped to. If you decide to pick up your purchases at our New Hampshire location you will not be required to pay sales tax. The State of New Hampshire does not have a general sales and use tax. All purchases picked up at our Massachusetts location will be taxed at the current rate of 6.25%. If you have a resale number please email Sue@RRAuction.com or fax to (603) 732-4288 a copy of your state resale certificate and you will be exempt from paying sales tax. Section 8 Delivery; Shipping; and Handling Charges Bidder is liable for shipping and handling and providing accurate information as to shipping or delivery locations and arranging for such. RR Auction is unable to combine purchases from other auctions or affiliates into one package for shipping purposes. Lots won will be shipped in a commercially reasonable time after payment in good funds for the merchandise and the shipping fees is received or credit extended, except when third-party shipment occurs. Bidder agrees that
service and handling charges related to shipping items which are not pre-paid may be charged to a credit card on file with RR Auction. Successful international Bidders shall provide written shipping instructions, including specified Customs declarations, to RR Auction for any lots to be delivered outside of the United States. NOTE: Declaration value shall be the item’(s) hammer price and RR Auction shall use the correct harmonized code for the lot. Domestic Bidders on lots designated for third-party shipment must designate the common carrier, accept risk of loss, and prepay shipping costs. Section 9 Title Title shall not pass to the successful Bidder until all invoices of Bidder (including those pertaining to the item(s) at issue) and amounts owed to RR Auction are paid in full. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to provide adequate insurance coverage for the items once they have been delivered to a common carrier or third-party shipper. Section 10 Rights Reserved RR Auction reserves the right, at any time before, during or after an auction has ended to: withdraw any lot before or at the time of the Auction, cancel any bid, and/or to postpone the Auction of all or any lots or parts thereof, for any reason. RR Auction shall not be liable to any Bidder in the event of such withdrawal, cancellation, or postponement under any circumstances. RR Auction reserves the right to refuse to accept bids from anyone at any time. Section 11 Conducting the Auction 11.1 RR Auction reserves the right to postpone the Auction or any session thereof for a reasonable period of time for any reason whatsoever, and no Bidder or prospective Bidder shall have any claim as a result thereof, including consequential damages. 11.2 RR Auction’s Discretion: RR Auction shall determine opening bids and bidding increments. RR Auction has the right in its absolute discretion to reject any bid in the event of dispute between Bidders or if RR Auction has doubt as to the validity of any bid, to advance the bidding at its absolute discretion and to determine the successful Bidder in the event of a dispute between Bidders, to continue the bidding or to reoffer and resell the lot in question. In the event of a dispute after the sale, RR Auctions record of final sale shall be conclusive. RR Auction also may reject any bid if RR Auction decides either that any bid is below the reserve of the lot or article or that an advance is insufficient. Unless otherwise announced by RR Auction at the time of sale, no lots may be divided for the purpose of sale. 11.3 Reserves Lots may be subject to a reserve which is the confidential minimum price below which the lot will not be sold. Consignors may not bid on their own lots or property. RR Auction may, from time to time, bid on items that it does not own. RR Auction may execute bids consecutively or otherwise up to one bid increment below the reserve. 11.4 Off-Site Bidding Bidding by telephone, facsimile, online, or absentee bidding (advance written bids submitted by mail) are offered solely as a convenience and permitted subject to advance arrangements, availability, and RR Auction’s approval which shall be exercised at RR Auction’s sole discretion. Neither RR Auction nor its agents or employees shall be held liable for the failure to execute bids or for errors relating to any transmission or execution thereof. In order to be considered for off-site bidding in any manner, Bidders must comply with all of these Conditions of Sale and the terms contained on the Registration Form. 11.5 Estimate Prices: In addition to descriptive information, each item in the Catalog sometimes includes a price range which reflects opinion as to the price expected at auction (the “Estimate Prices”). In other instances, Estimate Prices can be obtained by calling RR Auction at (603) 732-4280. The Estimate Prices are based upon various factors including prices recently paid at auction for comparable property, condition, rarity, quality, history and provenance. Estimate Prices are prepared well in advance of the sale and subject to revision. Estimates do not include the Buyer’s Premium or sales tax (see under separate heading). 11.6 Owned or Guaranteed Property: RR Auction generally offers property consigned by others for sale at public auction; in very limited occasion, lots are offered that are the property of RR Auction. 11.7 Before the Auction:
Bidder may attend pre-sale viewing for all of RR Auction’s auctions at no charge. All property to be auctioned is usually on view for several days prior to the sale. Bidder is encouraged to examine lots thoroughly. Bidder may also request condition reports (see below). RR Auction’s staff are available at viewings and by appointment. 11.8 Maximum Bids In All Auctions: To maximize Bidder’s chance of winning, RR Auction strongly encourages the use of maximum bids. RR Auction will then bid for Bidder until the lot reaches Bidder’s specified maximum. Maximum bids are strictly confidential. Placing arbitrary, non-incremental bids on lots with prior maximum bids may result in these lots being sold for less than 10% above the under Bidder’s bid. 11.9 Successful Bids: The fall of RR Auction’s hammer indicates the final bid. RR Auction will record the paddle number of the Bidder. If Bidder’s salesroom or absentee bid is successful, Bidder will be notified after the sale by mailed or emailed invoice. 11.10 Unsold Lots: If a lot does not reach the reserve, it is bought-in. In other words, it remains unsold and is returned to the Consignor. RR Auction has the right to sell certain unsold items after the close of the Auction. Such lots shall be considered sold during the Auction and all these Terms and Conditions shall apply to such sales including but not limited to the Buyer’s Premium, return rights, and disclaimers. 11.11 Bidding in Timed Auction: Bidder may open, monitor, and/or raise bids at any time before the close of a lot through www.rrauction.com. RR Auction offers a callback service the day of the Auction, but Bidder is responsible for supplying a correct telephone number(s) where Bidder can be reached until the Auction closes. Bidder must request this service in writing. RR Auction will make reasonable efforts to ensure that Bidders who request a callback are contacted if outbid; however, RR Auction does not guarantee this service and it is merely a courtesy and not an enforceable right. The auctioneer may also execute a bid on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve, either by entering a bid in response to salesroom, telephone or absentee bids. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer place any bid on behalf of the consignor above the reserve. The auctioneer will not specifically identify bids placed on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve. To ensure proper registration, those Bidders intending to bid via the Internet must visit www.RRauction.com and register accordingly at least one full day prior to the actual auction. Winning bidders will be notified by RR Auction. RR Auction is not responsible or liable for any problems, delays, or any other issues or problems resulting out of use of the Internet generally or specifically, including but not limited to transmission, execution or processing of bids. Any Bidder may bid on any lot prior to 6 pm EST/EDT. At that time, an extended bidding period goes into effect. If Bidder has not bid on a lot before 6 pm EST/ EDT, Bidder may not bid on that lot after 6 pm EST/EDT. Only those Bidders who have placed bids on a lot before 6 pm EST/EDT will be allowed to bid on that lot after 6 pm EST/EDT. If Bidder is the only Bidder on a lot at 6 pm EST/ EDT, that lot is awarded to Bidder. During the extended bidding period, a lot will remain open only to those who bid on that lot prior to 6 pm EST/EDT. All lots WITHOUT an opening bid at 6 pm EST/EDT will remain OPEN to ALL Bidders until 7 pm EST/EDT or until they receive their first bid. These lots will close immediately upon receipt of a bid or at 7 pm EST/EDT, whichever comes first. For all lots that are active after 7 pm EST/EDT, bidding will remain open until 30 minutes pass without a bid being placed on THAT lot (the “30 Minute Rule”). The 30 Minute Rule is applied on a PER LOT BASIS; each lot in the Auction closes individually based on bidding activity after 7 pm EST/EDT. On a PER LOT BASIS, the 30 minute timer will reset each time a bid is placed after 7 pm EST/EDT. If Bidder is the high Bidder, raising Bidder’s maximum bid will NOT reset the timer. RR Auction reserves the right to close the Auction at any time at its sole discretion. 11.12 Bidding - Internet Live Auction: Bidder may open, monitor, and/or raise bids at any time before the close of a lot through www.rrauction.com. RR Auction offers a callback service the day of the Auction, but Bidder is responsible for supplying a correct telephone number(s) where Bidder can be reached until the Auction closes. Bidder must request this service in writing. RR Auction will make reasonable efforts to ensure that Bidders who request a callback are contacted if outbid; however, RR Auction does not guarantee this service and it is merely a courtesy and not an enforceable right. To ensure proper registration, those Bidders intending to bid via the Internet must visit www.RRauction.com and register accordingly at least one full day prior to the actual auction. Winning bidders will be notified by RR Auction. RR Auction is not responsible or liable for any problems, delays, or any other issues or problems resulting out of use of the Internet generally or specifically, including but not limited to transmission, execution or processing of bids. During live internet or live auction, property is auctioned in consecutive numerical order, as it appears in the catalog. The auctioneer will accept bids from those present in the salesroom or absentee bidders participating by telephone,
internet or by written bid left with RR Auction in advance of the auction. The auctioneer may also execute a bid or bids (successively or otherwise) on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve, either by entering a bid in response to salesroom, telephone or absentee bids. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer place any bid on behalf of the consignor above the reserve. The auctioneer will not specifically identify bids placed on behalf of the consignor to protect the reserve. All auctions for lots are with reserve unless specifically stated otherwise. During live Auctions, internet bids can be placed in real time through one or more of the following Third Party services: www.liveauctioneers.com, www.invaluable. com and www.icollector.com. RR Auction is not responsible or liable for any problems, delays, or any other issues or problems resulting out of use of the Internet generally or specifically, including but not limited to transmission, execution or processing of bids. RR Auction treats any third-party site bids as floor or telephone bids. Floor bids and telephone bids are always considered first over third party sites bids, and floor bids are considered earlier than telephone bids. All RR Auction lots purchased through the third-party sites carry an additional Buyer’s Premium. 11.13 Miscellaneous: Agreements between Bidders and Consignors to effectuate a non-sale of an item at Auction, inhibit bidding on a consigned item to enter into a private sale agreement for said item, or to utilize RR Auction’s Auction to obtain sales for non-selling consigned items subsequent to the Auction, are strictly prohibited. If a subsequent sale of a previously consigned item occurs in violation of this provision, RR Auction reserves the right to charge Bidder the applicable Buyer’s Premium and Consignor a Seller’s Commission as determined for each auction venue and by the terms of the seller’s agreement. Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions qualifies Bidder as a client who has consented to be contacted by RR Auction in the future. In conformity with ”donot-call” regulations promulgated by the Federal or State regulatory agencies, participation by the Bidder is affirmative consent to being contacted at the phone number shown in his application and this consent shall remain in effect until it is revoked in writing. RR Auction may from time to time contact Bidder concerning sale, purchase, and auction opportunities available. 11.14 Rules of Construction: RR Auction presents properties in a number of collectible fields, and as such, specific venues have promulgated supplemental Terms and Conditions. Nothing herein shall be construed to waive the general Conditions of Sale by these additional rules and shall be construed to give force and effect to the rules in their entirety. Section 12 RR Auction’s Remedies Failure of the Bidder to comply with any of these Conditions of Sale or the terms of the Registration Form is an event of material breach or default. In such event, RR Auction may, in addition to any other available remedies specifically including the right to hold the defaulting Bidder liable for the Purchase Price or to charge and collect from the defaulting Bidder’s credit or debit accounts as provided for elsewhere herein: (a) cancel the sale, retaining any payment made by the Bidder as damages (the Bidder understands and acknowledges that RR Auction will be substantially damaged should such default occur, and that damages under subpart (a) are necessary to compensate RR Auction for such damages); (b) resell the property without reserve at public auction or privately; (c) charge the Bidder interest on the Purchase Price at the rate of one and one-half percent (1.5%) per month or the highest allowable interest rate; (d) take any other action that RR Auction, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate to preserve and protect RR Auction’s rights and remedies. Should RR Auction resell the property, the original defaulting Bidder shall be liable for the payment of any deficiency in the purchase price and all costs and expenses associated there with, including but not limited to warehousing, sales-related expenses, reasonable attorney fees and court costs, commissions, incidental damages and any other charges due hereunder which were not collected or collectable. In the event that such Bidder is the successful Bidder on more than one lot and pays less than the purchase price for the total lots purchased, RR Auction shall apply the payment received to such lot or lots that RR Auction, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. If RR Auction does not exercise such discretion, the lots to which the payment shall be applied will be in descending order from the highest purchase price to the lowest. Any Bidder failing to comply with these Conditions of Sale shall be deemed to have granted RR Auction a security interest in, and RR Auction may retain as collateral such security for such Bidder’s obligations to RR Auction, any Bidder’s property in RR Auction’s possession or to which title has not yet passed to Bidder. RR Auction shall have the benefit of all rights of a secured party under the Uniform Commercial Code (U.C.C.) as adopted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Section 13 Warranties
13.1 RR Auction does not provide any warranties to Bidders, whether expressed or implied, beyond those expressly provided in these Conditions of Sale. All property and lots are sold ”as is” and “where is”. By way of illustration rather than limitation, neither RR Auction nor the Consignor makes any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to merchantability or fitness for intended use, condition of the property (including any condition report), correctness of description, origin, measurement, quality, rarity, importance, exhibition, relevance, attribution, source, provenance, date, authorship, condition, culture, genuineness, value, or period of the property. Additionally, neither RR Auction nor the Consignor makes any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to whether the Bidder acquires rights in copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property (including exhibition or reproduction rights) related to the item, or whether the property is subject to any limitations or other rights. RR Auction does not make any representation or warranty as to title. 13.2 All descriptions, photographs, illustrations, and terminology including but not limited to words describing condition (including any condition reports requested by Bidder, see also Terminology), authorship, period, culture, source, origin, measurement, quality, rarity, provenance, importance, exhibition, and relevance, used in the Catalog, bill of sale, invoice, or anywhere else, represent a good faith effort made by RR Auction to fairly represent the lots and property offered for sale as to origin, date, condition, and other information contained therein; they are statements of opinion only. They are not representations or warranties and Bidder agrees and acknowledges that he or she shall not rely on them in determining whether or not to bid or for what price. Price estimates (which are determined well in advance of the Auction and are therefore subject to revision) and condition reports are provided solely as a convenience to Bidders and are not intended nor shall they be relied on by Bidders as statements, representations or warranties of actual value or predictions of final bid prices. 13.3 Bidders are accorded the opportunity to inspect the lots and to otherwise satisfy themselves as to the nature and sufficiency of each lot prior to bidding, and RR Auction urges Bidders to avail themselves accordingly. 13.4 All lots sold by RR Auction are accompanied by an Auction Certificate (“AC”). On any lot presented with an AC issued by RR Auction, the certification is only as to its attribution to the person or entity described or to the lot’s usage and only as explicitly stated therein (the “AC”), to the exclusion of any other warranties, express or implied, including but not limited to those pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code. The AC inures only to the original Bidder (as shown in RR Auction’s records). Bidder may not transfer, assign, or otherwise convey the AC and such purported transfer, assignment, or conveyance shall be null and void. Section 14 Firearms RR Auction complies with all Federal and State rules and regulations relating to the purchasing, registration and shipping of firearms. A Bidder is required to provide appropriate documents and the payment of associated fees, if any. Bidder is responsible for providing a shipping address that is suitable for the receipt of a firearm. Section 15 Unauthorized Statements Under no circumstances is any employee, agent or representative of RR Auction authorized by RR Auction to modify, amend, waive or contradict any of these Conditions of Sale, any term or condition set forth on a registration form, any warranty or limitation or exclusion of warranty, any term or condition in either the Registration Form or these Terms and Conditions regarding payment requirements, including but not limited to due date, manner of payment, and what constitutes payment in full, or any other term or condition contained in any documents issued by RR Auction unless such modification, amendment, waiver or contradiction is contained in a writing signed by all parties. Any statements, oral or written, made by employees, agents or representatives of RR Auction to Bidder, including statements regarding specific lots, even if such employee, agent or representative represents that such statement is authorized, unless reduced to a writing signed Bidder and by an authorized officer of RR Auction by all parties, are statements of personal opinion only and are not binding on RR Auction, and under no circumstances shall be relied upon by Bidder as a statement, representation or warranty of RR Auction. Section 16 Bidder’s Remedies 16.1 Except as stated expressly herein, Bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy related to or pertaining to items it bids upon, views, or purchases from RR Auction, and any claims by Bidder related to authenticity, ownership, condition, title or value, shall be against Consignor only. 16.2 This section sets forth the sole and exclusive remedies of Bidder as against
RR Auction (inclusive of its affiliates, officers, managers, employees or agents), or in any way arising out of, related to, or in connection with these Conditions of Sale, , and is expressly in lieu of any other rights or remedies which might be available to Bidder by law. Time is of the essence with respect to these procedures. 16.3 Title to Items The Bidder hereby accepts the benefit of the Consignor’s warranty of title and any other representations and warranties made by the Consignor for the Bidder’s benefit. In the event that Bidder demonstrates in writing, satisfactory to the sole discretion of RR Auction, that there was a breach of the Consignor’s warranty of title concerning a lot purchased by Bidder, RR Auction may make demand upon the Consignor to pay to Bidder the Purchase Price (including any premiums, taxes, or other amounts paid or due to RR Auction). Should the Consignor not pay the Purchase Price to Bidder within thirty days after such demand (if any made), RR Auction may disclose the identity of the Consignor to Bidder and may assign to Bidder all or some of RR Auction’s rights against the Consignor with respect to such lot or property. Upon such disclosure and/or assignment, all responsibility and liability of RR Auction, if any, with respect to said lot or item shall automatically terminate related to or arising from these Conditions of Sale or such transaction operating as a complete waiver and general release by Bidder as to RR Auction and its agents, contractors, and affiliates, as to any and all claims concerning or related to the item, if any . RR Auction shall be entitled to retain the premiums and other amounts paid to RR Auction by Consignor only. The rights and remedies provided herein are for the original Bidder only and they may not be assigned or relied upon by any transferee or assignee under any circumstances. 16.4 Authenticity Challenge Process (1) If Bidder wishes to dispute or challenge the Authenticity of the lot or item (including asserting that it is incorrect), Bidder must adhere to the following procedure: Within 30 days of the Auction Date, Bidder must present written evidence to RR Auction, that the lot is not authentic as determined by a known expert in the field (and one recognized by RR Auction within its discretion) and send the physical item or lot at issue to RR Auction along with all evidence relied upon by Bidder for contesting the Authenticity. (“Authenticity Challenge Process”) “Authenticity” shall mean a gross discrepancy in the between the description, genuiness, or attribution of the item as represented by RR Auction in the Catalog or at the auction, and the item. If RR Auction concurs that the lot is not Authentic as was represented (it is sole discretion), Bidder’s sole and exclusive remedy as against RR Auction (inclusive of its affiliates, agents, employees, and contractors) shall be a refund of the purchase price of the subject item paid by Bidder, with no other costs, liabilities or amounts recoverable by Bidder. If RR Auction does not agree with the assertion by Bidder, then the Parties shall follow the dispute resolution procedures of these Conditions of Sale. Strict adherence to the Authenticity Challenge Process is a condition of standing for Bidder to initiate suit or claim. (2) So long as Bidder has complied with the Authenticity Challenge Process, any claim, suit or action, by Bidder concerning an AC or Certification of Authenticity, or related to the authenticity of the item must, without any exception, be brought within one (1) year of Auction Date and is subject to the other limitations and conditions stated in the Conditions of Sale. 16.5 Other Issues. Any dispute or claim by Bidder against RR Auction (or its affiliates, directors, employees, officers, agents, or contractors)) other than Authenticity, concerning any item or lot bid upon, or purchased, including value, title, condition, bidding process, or description must be asserted (if at all) in the following manner: (1) If the description of any lot in the Catalog is materially or grossly incorrect (e.g., gross cataloging error), or there is any other gross material issue pertaining to the item or lot, the item or lot may be returned if returned within five (5) calendar days of receipt, and received by RR Auction no later than twenty-one (21) calendar days after the Auction Date with explanation in writing.. If there is any discrepancy between the description in the Catalog and a certificate of auction, then the description in the certificate of auction (“Lot Challenge Process”). This paragraph shall constitute Bidder’s sole right with respect to the return of items, and no refunds shall be given for any items not returned to and received by RR Auction within the period of time stated herein or not materially or grossly in deviation from the description. Such a refund is subject to RR Auction’s sole discretionary review, and any request for refund must be made concurrently with returning the physical item or lot to RR Auction. Any item not returned within said frame will constitute acceptance of the item and a waiver and release of any and all claims by Bidder pertaining to the item other than with respect to authenticity; and (2) Provided that the Bidder has engaged in the Lot Challenge Process, any
claim concerning such must be brought no later than one (1) year of the Auction Date for the item or lot at issue and is subject to the other limitations and conditions stated in the Conditions of Sale. NO RETURN OR REFUND OF ANY AUCTION LOT WILL BE CONSIDERED OR PROVIDED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN THESE CONDITIONS OF SALE AND BIDDERS OR AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SUCH SHALL BE A COMPLETE DEFENSE TO ANY CLAIMS BY BIDDER RELATED TO THE CONDITIONS OF SALE, ANY AUCTION OR BID. 16.6 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. For any and all claims by Bidder arising out of or related to this Agreement, Bidder’s viewing, bid, or purchase of items, or any agreement between the Parties, or otherwise, Bidder agrees that to the fullest extent such can be limited under the law, Bidder shall have no right to recover and hereby waives any and all rights to recover from against RR Auction or its affiliates, directors, employees, officers, agents, or contractors, consequential or indirect damages, lost profits damages, punitive, exemplary, statutory (or multiplier damages), physical or emotional distress damages, general or special damages of any kind (beyond amounts actually paid by Bidder for item(s) at issue), and in the event of recovery of any damages whatsoever, such shall be limited by the amounts actually paid by Bidder to RR Auction for the item(s) at issue in such claim, or if no money was paid to RR Auction by Bidder for items at issue, or there items are at issue, the amount of $150.00. Section 17 RR Auction’s Additional Services For Bidders who do not remove purchased property from RR Auction’s premises, RR Auction, in its sole discretion and solely as a service and accommodation to Bidders, may arrange to have purchased lots packed, insured and forwarded at the sole request, expense, and risk of Bidder. RR Auction assumes no and disclaims all responsibility and liability for acts or omissions in such packing or shipping by RR Auction or other packers and carriers, whether or not recommended by RR Auction. RR Auction assumes no and disclaims all responsibility and liability for damage to frames, glass or other breakable items. Where RR Auction arranges and bills for such services via invoice, RR Auction will include an administration charge. Section 18 Headings Headings are for convenience only and shall not be used to interpret the substantive sections to which they refer. Section 19 Entire Agreement Except to the extent Bidder is also a consignor (in which case the terms of the consignment agreement shall also govern), these Conditions of Sale constitute the entire agreement between the Parties together with the terms and conditions contained in the auction Registration Form. They may not be amended, modified or superseded except in a signed writing executed by all parties. No oral or written statement by anyone employed by RR Auction or acting as agent or representative of RR Auction may amend, modify, waive or supersede the terms herein unless such amendment, waiver or modification is contained in a writing signed by all parties. If any section of these Conditions of Sale or any term or provision of any section is held to be invalid, void, or unenforceable by any court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, the remaining parts of the agreement and remainder of the sections or terms and provisions of the section and all sections shall continue in full force and effect without being impaired or invalidated in any way. Section 20 Governing Law and Enforcement 20.1 The Parties agree that all agreements between the Parties including but not limited to these Conditions of Sale are entered into in Boston, Massachusetts, no matter where Bidder is situated and no matter by what means or where Bidder was informed of the Auction and regardless of whether catalogs, materials, or other communications were received by Bidder in another location. 20.2 The Parties agree that these Conditions of Sale, any other related agreement(s), along with all claims between the Parties, including those arising out of or related to such are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard for its conflict of laws principles. The Parties agree that any dispute between the Parties, including but not limited to those related to or arising out of these Conditions of Sale, or related to or arising out of any other related agreement(s) shall be submitted to confidential binding arbitration (the ”Arbitration”) before a single Arbitrator of the American Arbitration Association
(the “AAA”) The Parties agree that the Arbitration shall be conducted pursuant to the commercial rules of the AAA in Boston, Massachusetts, unless the Consumer Arbitration Rules apply, in which case, such rules and venue will govern. In the event that the Parties cannot agree on the selection of the Arbitrator, then the Arbitrator shall be selected by the AAA. The prevailing Party in the Arbitration shall also recover all of its related fees and costs, whether before or after the formal institution of the Arbitration, including but not limited to its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, if RR Auction prevails, such recovery, in addition to all remedies available at agreement or law, shall include the Buyer’s Premium as defined in these Conditions of Sale. Federal arbitration law, including the Federal Arbitration Act apply to this agreement to arbitrate and its related provisions. The arbitration and all related proceedings shall be held strictly confidential and all documents and discovery shall be held confidential and not used, published or disclosed publically or to anyone outside the Parties or expert consultants or counsel who shall agree to hold such confidential.
(along with its officers, directors, agents, contractors, and affiliates) from and against any and all claims, costs, fees, damages, and liabilities arising out of or related to these Conditions of Sale, view of items, or lots, bidding, or participation in any auction by RR Auction, and/or or in any way connected to any item you viewed, bid upon or purchased through RR Auction.
20.3 The Parties consent to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as exclusive jurisdiction and venue for all claims between the Parties except as provided specifically herein and may seek confirmation of the decision in the Arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act in any Court of competent jurisdiction, including the courts of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. To the extent such is necessary under the law, RR Auction may enforce the Arbitration award against Bidder and any related Party in any court of competent jurisdiction. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as RR Auction consenting to jurisdiction or venue in any location outside of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
For Residents of California:
THE PARTIES MAY NOT BRING CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER AS A CLASS OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLAIMED CLASS, OR IN A REPRESENTATIVE ACTION UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED. UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED, THE CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OF THE OTHER CANNOT BE CONSOLIDATED OR JOINED WITH MORE THAN ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON OR ENTITIES’ CLAIMS. NO INJUNCTIVE OR DECLATORY RELIEF SOUGHT BY BIDDER IF ANY, CAN AFFECT OR BE ORDERED TO AFFECT ANY OTHER BIDDERS OR PERSONS.
A written express warranty is provided with each autographed collectible, as required by law. This dealer may be surety bonded or otherwise insured to ensure the authenticity of any autographed collectible sold by this dealer.
20.4 Except as provided specifically in these Conditions of Sale in Bidder’s Remedies against RR Auction (along with its affiliates, directors, agents, officers, employees, and contractors) for any dispute, claim, cause of action related to or arising out of these Conditions of Sale or any other related agreement(s), brought by Bidder must be brought within the earlier of the Auction Date as it pertains to the item(s) at issue or no later than one (1) year of the acts, omissions or circumstances occurred giving rise to the alleged claim, without exception. This provision is intended as a full, complete and absolute bar to and release of any claims by Bidder initiated after one (1) year of such acts, omissions or circumstances. The Parties agree further that these waiver provisions are intended to be binding in the event of any dispute, specifically including but not limited to third party claims and cross-actions brought by Bidder. These provisions are consideration for the execution of these Conditions of Sale. 20.5 To the fullest extent under applicable law and except as specifically stated herein Bidder hereby holds harmless, releases and discharges RR Auction and its agents, officer’s directors, affiliates, successors, and assigns from any and all claims, liabilities, obligations, promises, agreements, damages, causes of action, suits, demands, losses, debts, and expenses of any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected existing prior to these Conditions of Sale. Bidder agrees to the Conditions of Sale and upon each instance that Bidder participates in any auction, bids, or otherwise agrees to such terms and reaffirms this release as of the date of so participating or agreeing unless Bidder otherwise provides clear written notice to RR Auction prior to so bidding. 20.6 The Bidder hereby agrees that RR Auction shall be entitled to present these Conditions of Sale to a court in any jurisdiction other than set forth in this paragraph as conclusive evidence of the Parties agreement, and the Parties further agree that the court shall immediately dismiss any action filed in such jurisdiction. 20.7 Liquidated Damages for Specific Breaches In the event that Bidder provides false information in connection with registering for bidding, fails to correct or update information or breaches the Conditions of Sale by failing to pay the purchase price when due after becoming the winning bidder, as liquidated damages associated with such breaches, R&R may obtain from Bidder the greater of (1) 150% the reserve of the item (if any); (2) the amount bidder bid; or (3), the full amount that bidder would have otherwise paid. Bidder will also be liable for an additional 20% of such amount to account for additional administrative costs, shipping, additional advertising, and other damages and liabilities fees that are difficult to calculate on an item-by-item basis. 20.8 Indemnity. Bidder agrees to defend, indemnify, hold harmless RR Auction
Section 21: State-by-State Law Issues This Auction is being conducted in and the sale shall take place in the State of Massachusetts. Notwithstanding, the foregoing, should these terms and conditions violate the law of any State should that state’s law be found to govern, or any provision herein determined to be invalid, the clause itself and the remainder of the Agreement shall be valid to the fullest extent allowed. Also, to the extent other states law apply to any transaction arising out of the Agreement (without admitting such), RR Auction states:
SALE OF AUTOGRAPHED COLLECTIBLES: AS REQUIRED BY LAW, A DEALER WHO SELLS TO A CONSUMER ANY COLLECTIBLE DESCRIBED AS BEING AUTOGRAPHED MUST PROVIDE A WRITTEN EXPRESS WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF SALE. THIS DEALER MAY BE SURETY BONDED OR OTHERWISE INSURED TO ENSURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF ANY AUTOGRAPHED COLLECTIBLE SOLD BY THIS DEALER.
Section 22 Glossary of Condition terms Information provided to prospective Bidders with respect of any lot, including any pre-sale estimate, whether written or oral, and information in any catalogue, condition or other report, commentary or valuation, is not a representation of fact but rather a statement of opinion held by RR Auction. Use of the following terms constitutes an opinion as follows: VERY FINE describes an item believed to be in virtually flawless condition, and is used sparingly for items of exceptionally attractive appearance. FINE is the most common statement of condition, and applies to most items that we offer. It describes items that we believe to show expected handling wear, generally acceptable random flaws (such as light creases, small bends, etc.), and an overall appearance that is pleasing to the majority of collectors. VERY GOOD describes an item that we believe exhibits more moderate flaws (such as toning, light staining, professional reinforcements or repairs, etc.). Most collectors would be comfortable with items in very good condition, and this would be the expected condition for many formats (early presidential documents, for example). GOOD describes an item which we believe to have obvious visible flaws, including heavy wear, missing portions, or repairs that affect appearance; generally items in this condition are offered only if an item is otherwise believed to be exceedingly rare or important. Bidder may call and request further details and information about RR Auction’s opinions concerning any item via phone or email which shall provided in RR Auction’s discretion. Certificate of Auction, Certificate of Authenticity and Goods Acquired: Bidder warrants that Bidder (and its agents, assigns, successors, and affiliates) shall not purposely deface, destroy, dismember, cut-up into parts the item or Lot purchased at auction from RR Auction and in the event such shall occur whether purposefully or accidently, Bidder (and its agents, assigns, successors, and affiliates) shall refrain from advertising, promoting, or marketing the item as having been purchased from RR Auction and shall in no event display, expressly claim, or imply that the item was certified or auctioned in such state by RR Auction. As liquidated damages for such breach, Bidder agrees to be liable to RR Auction for the greater of the amount of three (3) times the hammer price of the item along with all other fees and costs as otherwise provided in this Terms of Sale.
Your collection is invited INTERESTED IN YOUR OWN FEATURE CATALOG? RR Auction has helped many individuals and families share cherished collections built over the course of a lifetime. We honor the collector’s passion by offering these items to others who consider them just as significant.
Thank you and your team for putting together such a great auction…As I continue my evolution in wisdom of life, I am happy to realize that it is who I am—not what I have—that defines me.”
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Tom Gregory sold his collection with RR in 2016
Tom Gregory
Sell@RRAuction.com
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(800) 937-3880
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www.RRAuction.com
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MARVELS OF MODERN MUSIC PSA ENCAPSULATED STEVE JOBS AND APPLE SPACE EXPLORATION
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(603) 732-4280
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Boston, Massachusetts