Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 86

The Manuscripts, Collectibles & Space Auction

The William K. Steiner Collection - Explorers & Inventors

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 479		Peary, Admiral Robert (1856-1920) American explorer and Naval officer who led the first expedition to the North Pole in 1909. Postcard photograph signed ("Robt. Peary"), 4¾ x 3 1/8 in., no place. The date, Oct. 9 1910, is at upper right. A jaunty, three-quarter pose. Estimated Value $250 - 300. Christie's, New York, April 17, 1996. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $432
Lot 480		Zebulon M. Pike, Frederick A. Cook, & Sir Thomas Lipton. Zebulon Pike (1779 -1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer who discovered the peak named after him when he was sent as a captain by President Thomas Jefferson (1806-07) to explore and document the southern portion of the Louisiana territory and to find the headwaters of the Red River. Document signed twice ("Z.M. Pike / Maj."), 1 page, 7¾ x 12 in. Pike's pay voucher for two months' service in the 6th Regiment of Infantry at $50 per month, as well as for his forage and his subsistence, covering the period from April 1 to May 31, 1809. He signs at bottom left that the information is correct and at bottom right that he received his pay. Together with Frederick A. Cook (1865-1940) American explorer, physician, and ethnographer whose claims of being the first to reach the North Pole (on Apr. 21, 1908) and the first to reach the summit of Mount McKinley in Sept. 1906 were discredited. Typed letter signed ("F.A. Cook"), 2 pages, on Auditorium Hotel stationery, 11 x 8½ in., Chicago, Ill., May 11, 1915, to a Mr. Wyckoff, trying to entice him into taking "a personal and financial interest in the motion pictures phase of the project," which was a seven-month expedition to Mt. Everest and "Around the World." Also, Sir Thomas Lipton (1838-1941) tea merchant and yachtsman. Typed letter signed, 1 page, 10 x 8 in. London, Sept. 9, 1920. Uneven toning. To Edgar L. Webster of Thomas Cook & Sons in Paris, looking forward to seeing Webster in October and regretting that they had not seen each other in New York. "I should have liked it had you been able to come and see some of the Races from my Yacht." Estimated Value $800 - 1,200. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $690
Lot 481		Bell, Alexander Graham (1847-1922) Scottish-born scientist and inventor, best known for inventing the telephone. Autograph sentiment signed, 1 page, 11 x 7½ in., Coconut Grove, Fla., Feb. 25, 1922. Bell writes: "Dear Sir / I have great pleasure in sending you my autograph as requested. Yours sincerely / Alexander Graham Bell." Bell would die on August 2, 1922, just over five months after writing this. Boldly penned and signed. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $750
Lot 482		Edison, Thomas (1847-1931) American inventor whose innovative work in electricity and communications laid the foundation for the modern technical age. Among his more than a thousand patents are those for the electric lamp and the phonograph. Autograph memorandum signed ("E"), 1 page, 8 x 5, no place, no date [Aug. 27, 1924]. Written in dark pencil, to his assistant, Shaughnessy, responding to Shaughnessy's note at the top of the page, "Say we have in the past recorded several boy sopranos but there was no demand for this kind of record. E"; Shaughnessy had written, "Mr. Edison Another boy soprano. Are we interested?" Together with an autograph memorandum signed ("Edison"), 1 page, no place, Jan 27 1914 [date stamped at top]. To "Smith": "Try and have made two A4 cells for test. With tubes & rings that have not been plated or annealed. Also Iron pockets which have not been plated or annealed. Also grids for holding pockets and tubes not plated or annealed. The poles on which they are assembled can be plated & annealed. Do not corrugate Irons but crimp. Run Endurance test. Edison." With a 10 x 8 in. AP photo of Edison. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250. View details and enlarged photos	Realized $969
Lot 483		Edison, Thomas Alva. Autograph letter signed ("TAE"), 2 pp,10¾ x 8½ in., no place, no date. Some light dampstaining. A reassuring love letter to his wife: "Darling XXXXX Billy Sweetness Edison… Please Billy Darling don't get so despondent about yourself - there isn't one woman in 20,000 that is really so smart as yourself. Their apparent smartness is entirely superficial on account of their gift of gab. Their judgement isn't worth a cent, your lack of self confidence is the trouble, getting blue over such things is rotten nonsense…Read the newspapers Darling Billy - & stop novels….you got a lover who loves you more & more as we go along & you never need to worry for an instant of his constancy & reliability. So kiss the Darlings 21 times each for me & with the usual unlimited amount for yourself. I am your Lover. " With a four-line postcript signed "E." Mina ("Billy") Miller Edison (1865-1947) was Edison's second wife, who was 20 years old when they married in 1886. His first wife, Mary Stillwell Edison, died in 1884. Edison had three children from his first marriage: Marion, Thomas, Jr., and William. He had three more children with Mina: Madeleine, Charles, and Theodore. It could not have been easy to be the wife or the children of such a famous man. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500. Christie's New York, May 22, 1996, lot 207. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,094
Lot 484		Edison, Thomas Alva. Photograph signed ("Thomas A Edison") on the lower mount, 10 x 7¾ in. Blind embossed stamp at lower left of image, " Copyright 1906 / by Pach Bros. N.Y." and "Pach Bros." imprint at lower left of mount. An almost full length portrait with Edison's beautiful signature. Estimated Value $800 - 1,000. Christie's New York, May 22, 1996, lot 209. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,800
Lot 485		Marconi, Guglielmo (1874-1937) Italian inventor and electrical engineer, known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Photograph inscribed and signed, "To His Excellency Cyrus S Woods. Yours sincerely. G Marconi," 13¾ x 9¾ in. (9½ x 7½ in. photo). A waist-up portrait. Imprint of Elliott & Fry, Ltd. / 55 Baker Street.W. on the verso and pencil signature, "Ellott & Fry" at lower right of photo. Estimated Value $600 - 800. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,020