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Sale 56
Lot 1
[Gutenberg Bible Leaf From the Book of Job]. Printed leaf, double folio, 4 columns (2 each front and back), each column with 42 lines, being part of chapter 37 and all of chapters 38 and 39. Printed by Johann Gutenberg (Mainz, Germany), c. 1450-1455. With hand rubrication. Presented in a black leather portfolio case with the title: A Noble Fragment Being A Leaf of the Gutenberg Bible. 1450-1455 With A Bibliographical Essay By A. Edward Newton. New York Gabriel Wells 1921. The Bible leaf is attached with archival tape on the verso at the left margin to a slightly larger sheet in the portfolio. The Bible sheet is toned and has marginal soiling; paper filler was added to blank lower right margin
The Gutenberg Bible is a printed version of the Latin Vulgate. It was the first major book to be printed with movable type. It is thought that Gutenberg printed approximatey 180 copies: 145 on paper and the remainder on vellum. Either 47 or 48 of the 42-line Bibles are known to exist today but only 21 of them are complete. Even at the time they were printed, they were prohibitively expensive and probably only within the financial reach of churches and monasteries.
Job is the first of five books commonly referred to as "The Books of Poetry" because they are written in poetic style, rather than the narrative style of most other books. These include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. The Book of Job addresses the issue of why God allows the righteous to suffer; it has long been praised as a masterpiece of literature. Victor Hugo said, "Tomorrow, if all lliterature were to be destroyed and it were left to me to retain one work only, I should save Job." Tennyson called it "…the greatest poem, whether of acient or modern literature," and Daniel Webster said, "The book of Job taken as a mere work of literary genius, is one of the most wonderful productions of any age or of any language."
This sheet begins in Chapter 37 with the verse: "By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened."
Chapter 38 begins: "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me."
Estimated Value $60,000 - 80,000.
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Lot 45
Washington, George (1732-1799) First President of the United States (1789-1797); Commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Partly Printed Check Signed "G:o Washington" and accomplished in Washington's hand, 2¾ x 7 1/8 in., Mt. Vernon, Aug. 26, 1797. Check No. 1, written on the Bank of Alexandria for $762.50, payable to Dr. James Craik. Decorative border at left margin and lower edge. Small professional repair to lower left corner. Boldly penned and signed.
The Bank of Aleandria was established in 1792. It was the first financial institution authorized by the General Assembly of Virginia. George Washington was a patron and a stockholder of the bank.
Dr. Craik (1730-1814) was born in Scotland and did his medical training at the University of Ediburgh. In 1754, while serving with the British army as a surgeon in Colonel Joshua Fry's Virginia Provincial Regiment, Craik met and became friends with George Washington, who was a lieutenant colonel in the same regiment. After the French and Indian War, Craik lived in Maryland until Washington persuaded him to move to Alexandria, Virginia. During the American Revolution, Craik served as an army surgeon, attaining the rank of Surgeon-General to the Continental Army. In 1798, during the Quasi War with France, Washington appointed him Physician General of the Army, a post he held until 1800. Craik was one of three physicians who attended Washington on his deathbed. He was referred to in Washington's will as his "compatriot in arms, and old and intimate friend."
After Washington's second term as President ended on March 4, 1797, he retired to Mt. Vernon, where he lived until his death on December 14, 1799.
Estimated Value $30,000 - 40,000.
Spink-Smythe (formerly Smythe), Oct 11, 1995, lot 387 - W. S. Roberts Collection.
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Lot 538
Gemini 11, 1966, FLOWN Complete Flight Plan (8.5x11") This three-ring looseleaf flight plan has card covers (two white velcro strips on both the front and back covers) and includes 23 extensively notated, double sided pages. EACH cover and EACH page has been signed "Flown on Gemini XI / Richard Gordon, Pilot".
We were hoping to see notations in the flight plan by the consignor regarding his two spacewalks and/or the docking manoevers with Agena and/or the tether experiment, but most of the comments seem related to cameras, crew reports and other operational matters. There is one great cartoon printed into the Plan showing Dick in the open hatch of the capsule after having ejected various "unneeded" pieces of equipment (such as the control panel, a seat, a manoevering unit, a bag of trash, etc.). The caption reads: "Hey Pete, Are you Sure we don't need any of this?".
This Plan is an important piece of American space history and a valuable historical document. This flight was important in that NASA proved the feasability of docking right after achieving orbit (critical for the LM redocking with the Command Module on Apollo 11) and for the consignor's two space walks.
Minor aging but, given its history, long travels and almost 45 years uf age, this plan is in excellent condition.
Estimated Value $15,000 - 25,000.
Ex. The astronaut Richard "Dick" Gordon collection.
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Lot 46
Washington, George. Letter Signed as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, 2pp, Headquarters near Dobbs Ferry (NY), July 14, 1781. To Col. (Marinus) Willett who commanded the New York Militia in the Mohawk Valley. In full: "Sir: I have rec.d your favor of the 6th. The dispositions which you are making for the defence of [the] Country upon the Mohawk R[iver] appear to me judicious, as I have ever been [of] opinion, that small stationary Garrisons w[ere] of no real utility. By having your parties [con]stantly in motion and ready to unite upon occasion, the small parties of the Enemy w[ill] be checked, and their main Body may be s[ud]denly attacked, if they commit themselves too [far] into the ['Country' is marked through] settlements. A proportion of the Massachusetts M[ilitia] will be ordered to reinforce your command.Up[on] them and the Levies of New York you must place your dependance, for it will be impossible for me, while our present operations are in hand, to spare any of the Continental troops. From your letter and from Major Villefranche's representaition, I find it will be impossible to construct a new Work. I have therefore desired him to put Fort Herkimer in the best posture of defence. And as the greater part of the Artillery and Stores will, as you observe, in that case be superfluous, you will send down all that are not wanted, to the Comm.y of Militar[y] Stores at Albany. A small magazine, by way of reserve, may be kept at Schenectady. I am with Esteem Sir yr most ob.t Serv.t G:o Washington." The letter has toning and fold wear and uneven margins with several letters missing, primarily along the right margin; there are also two small contemporary ink stains. Washington's signature is boldly penned. A draft of this letter is in the Library of Congress.
In July and August, 1781, Washington and his troops were encamped at Dobbs Ferry and the surrounding area, along with French forces under the command of the Comte de Rochambeau. The British controlled Manhattan and Washington hoped to find weaknesses in the British defenses and retake Manhattan. His plans changed on August 14, 1781, when he received a communication from French Admiral Comte de Grasse in the West Indies advocating a joint land and sea attack against the British in Virginia. Washington made the decision to march over 400 miles to the Chesapeake region of Virginia. The allied armies broke camp on August 19, 1781 and marched toward Yorktown for what would be the decisive battle of the war.
Marinus Willett (1740-1830) fought in the French and Indian War, taking part in the attacks on Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Frontenac. In 1775 he joined the New York City Sons of Liberty and helped seize arms from the British. He served as Lt. Col of the 3rd New York Regiment of the U.S. from Nov. 1, 1776 to Dec. 22, 1779 when he was appointed Lt. Col of the 5th NY Regiment. He served until Jan. 1, 1781, when the five NY Regiments were reduced to two. NY Governor James Clinton then offered Willett command of the levies and militia in the Mohawk Valley, making him responsible for the overall defense of the Mohawk Valley, which was subject to numerous Loyalist and Indian raids. Willett used "flying camps" which changed position almost daily; General Washington offers his approval of this approach in his letter. In the fall of 1781, Willett commanded the troops who killed the most hated man in the Mohawk Valley, the Loyalist Walter Butler. Butler's Rangers, composed of Loyalists and their Indian allies, committed such depradations in the Mohawk Valley (including the Cherry Valley Massacre of November 1778), that the news of Butler's death was more celebrated there than the news of the victory at Yorktown. After Yorktown, Washington was able to send reinforcements to Willett. After the war, Willett was one of the founders of the Society of the Cincinnati and served as mayor of New York City (1807-1808).
The Mohawk Valley, located between the Adirondack and the Catskill Mountains, covers almost 6,000 miles. It was the home of the Iroquois Indians and in the 1700s was settled by German, Dutch, and Scottish immigrants It became the scene of commercial and military competition between Europeans powers, leading to the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution, some 100 battles were fought in New York State, including the Battle of Oriskany and defense of Fort Stanwix, where Willett was second in command.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 30,000.
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Lot 541
Apollo Program, FLOWN Hasselblad Camera and 500mm. Telephoto Lens. The lot includes the Hasselblad Electric camera body (P/N SEB 33100102-? / S/N 1054), Film Magazine (P/N SEF 33101018-301, S/N 1020), a Carl Zeiss "Synchro Compur" 1:8 / 500mm. Telephoto Lens (No. 3494681 / hand engraved MSC51792) with Carl Zeiss lens filter (S86 / 1x / HZ / 0), Sun Shade and various Hasselblad Lens Caps. A custom black focusing ring on the lense has large "ridges" to accomodate use by an astronaut's gloved hands. There are three preset focusing dots (yellow, red, green) on the ring to simplify focusing for the astronauts.
There is a piece of white velcro attached to the magazine slide (to anchor the slide to the wall in the Command Module so it wouldn't float off in the weightless environment of space). There are also several "sticky" patches on the camera body, probably where other velcro patches/labels have come off over time. A "rub" on the body of the lens is just a sign that this is an original part that has seen some use at one time.
This 500mm. lens is one of only four to be specially modified by NASA (two of which were personally modified by the consignor) to enable the astronauts to photograph lunar craters from the Command and Service Modules while in lunar orbit. The consignor can find no record of other similar lenses surviving the years.
NASA Hasselblad cameras have shown up from time to time over the years (mainly from this consignor) but this is the first time a lens of this rarity has become available. The consignor advises us that he has saved the best for last and that this is his last Hasselblad camera body and the only 500mm. specially modified lens that he had. Others MAY surface in years to come, but probably not for awhile. The odds are against your waiting around for lightening to strike again.
Don't overlook this opportunity to purchase a piece of history. It will be the focal point of your collection.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 35,000.
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Lot 260
McAuliffe, General Anthony C (1898-1975) American soldier and West Point graduate. He fought in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He is famous for the most famous quote from World War II: "Nuts!" Autograph Letter Signed "A C McAuliffe," 1 1/3 pp (Washington, DC), Feb. 20, 1975. Written less than six months before McAuliffe's death to a young man, Mr. Jonathan Cross, in Philadelphia, explaining the circumstances during the Battle of the Bulge which led to his famous quote. In full:
"Dear Jonathan: The best answers to your questions are contained in the many histories that are available, like 'Battle: The Story of the Bulge' by John Toland. I commanded the 101st Airborne Division and attached troops, a force of about 20,000, charged with defense of the key road center of Bastogne. We were quickly surrounded and cut off by the Germans. Their commander sent me a written demand to surrender, saying our situation was hopeless. The Germans asked for a written reply, so I gave them one: 'Nuts.' I was disgusted and was sure we could hold out until General Patton's Army broke through to us. This we did. Sincerely, A. C. McAuliffe." Very fine. Accompanied by the transmittal envelope, addressed in McAuliffe's hand.
The Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16, 1944-Jan. 25, 1945), called Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein by the Germans and the Ardennes-Alsace campaign by the U.S. Army, but now more commonly know as the Battle of the Bulge, was Germany's last, desperate offensive of the war. It was also the largest land battle of World War II in which American forces took part. Hitler planned to take Allied forces by surprise by attacking a weakly-defended area in the Ardennes mountain range during bad weather, when Allied aircraft could not be deployed, and to push through to the harbor at Antwerp. He hoped to divide British and American forces, whose generals were known to bicker, and to force them to sue for a separate peace from the one the Germans would have to sign with the Soviets; this would give the Germans more time to churn out more war materiel.
The town of Bastogne was vital to the Germans, as all seven roads in the Ardennes mountains converged on the town. By noon of Dec. 21st, they had surrounded Bastogne and on the 22nd, the German commander, Generalleutnant Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz, sent a written demand for surrender in order to avoid "total annihilation." McAuliffe, who was in command only because Gen. Maxwell Taylor was elsewhere, didn't hesitate, even though most of his medical supplies and personnel had been captured and artillery ammunition was restricted to ten rounds per gun per day. McAuliffe's gutsy reply to the Germans raised the morale of Allied troops everywhere when word got out. His faith in Patton was justified, too; Old Blood and Guts showed up with his Third Army the day after Christmas, bringing much-needed relief.
More than 1,000,000 men fought in the Battle of the Bulge: some 600,000 Germans, 500,000 Americans, and 55,000 British. American casualties were approximately 80,000, wih 19,000 killed; British casualties were 1400, with 200 killed; and Germans killed, wounded, or captured amounted to 100,000.
After the Battle of the Bulge, McAuliffe was given command of the 103rd Infantry Division of the US 7th Army, which he led from January 15, 1945 to July, 1945. For his actions at Bastogne, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by General Patton on Dec. 30, 1944, and later received the Distinguished Service Medal.
Without question the most important World War II letter we have handled. It could realize a runaway price.
Estimated Value $20,000 - 25,000.
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Lot 245
Lee, Robert E (1807-1870) Legendary Confederate general. Free Frank Signature, "R.E. Lee / Gen'l" in the upper right corner of a blue-ruled envelope addressed in General Lee's hand to "Mrs. Lawton / Genl A.R. Lawton / near Albany / Georgia." The envelope bears a vertical pair of five-cent Confederate Scott No. 7 stamps postmarked from Virgnia, Jan. 13, 1863. Light age toning and soiling; minor ink brushing. Extremely rare usage, one of just a few known as Commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Estimated Value $7,500 - 10,000.
Sotheby's, Apr. 2008, Dr. Robert Small Trust Collection, lot 12.
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Lot 237
Paine, Thomas (1737-1809) Radical American patriot and revolutionary propagandist; author of the pamphlet "Common Sense." Autograph Note Signed, 1 page, 4¾ x 7 in., n.p. (Paris), 4 Vendermaere (probably a misspelling of Vendémiaire, the first month of the French Revolutionary calendar, making the date Sept. 26), n.y. (c. 1787-89). To To Ira Allen (1751-1814), brother of Revolutionary War Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen: "Dear citizen--I called at the Caffe Boston today, where I dined, but you were not at home,--will you call on me tomorrow morining, at 12 O Clock. Thomas Paine." On the verso, Paine addressed the note to "L[e] General Allen / Americain." The Cafe Boston was a gathering-place for Americans in Paris. Very good; overall toning, some ink bleeding. Boldly penned and signed.
In 1787, Paine moved to Europe and fanned the flames of revolution in Britain (he was forced to leave Britain and declared an outlaw in 1792), and in France, where he became a citizen and member of the National Convention. Eventually he was imprisoned and would probably have become a victim of Madame Guillotine had it not been for the intercession of American minister James Monroe.
Ira Allen was a general in the Vermont militia and used that title while in Europe. He went to Paris from England in 1796 after the failure of his attempt to get England to finance a ship canal between the Richelieu and St. Lawrence Rivers, which would have allowed him to turn Burlington, Vermont, into a port that could trade directly with England. Since Ira owned some 200,000 acres in the Champlain Valley, accomplishing that goal would have made him rich beyond measure. When England turned him down, Ira tried to convince France to finance a revolution in British Canada, create an independent republic called United Columbia and build Ira's canal so Burlington could trade directly with France. Ira got the French money and guns, but the British captured his ship, Olive Branch, and hauled him back to England, where he spent a year in court trying to get his guns back; when the British courts said he'd have a chance if he had adequate documentation of having bought the guns from France, he went back to Paris and got thrown into prison by a revolutionary government that had changed members since he had been there the first time. Ira languished in two Paris jails for a year and didn't get back to
America until 1801, where he went bankrupt and spent his last 13 years in poverty and despair.
(Our thanks to J. Kevin Graffagnino, Director of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan for the information on Ira Allen.).
Estimated Value $10,000 - 15,000.
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Lot 243
Jackson, Thomas J. "Stonewall" (1824-1863) Confederate general; mortally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville. Scarce battlefield Autograph Letter Signed "T.J. Jackson / Maj. Genl." 1 p, 7¼ x 4¾ in., n.p., July 24, 1862. To Maj. Gen. R.S. Ewell: "General, Please let Mr. J.S. Barbour select a couple of men from your command for the purpose of procuring information beyond our lines. Respectfully yours, T.J. Jackson Maj. Genl." Addressed in Jackson's hand at lower left to Maj. Gen. R. S. Ewell. Written in pencil on the verso are two dockets in Gen. Ewell's hand: "Mr. Barbour wishes to confer with two men from the 13th Va., he is referred to Genl. Early. July 24, 62 R.S. Ewell" and "Genl. Early will please detail the men if Mr. Barbour find[s] those he wishes…". Scattered toning and staining, but boldly penned and signed.
In an attempt to capture Richmond and thereby end the war, Union forces under McClellan had invaded the Shenandoah Valley (Peninsular Campaign, March-July 1862). Jackson successfully fought off several divisions, preventing some 50,000 men under Nathaniel P. Banks and Irvin McDowell from reinforcing McClellan. When John Pope's Army of Virginia joined McClellan in the Valley and Pope moved toward Gordonsville, Virginia, a railroad junction strategically located between Richmond and the Valley, General Lee sent Jackson to protect the town. In this letter dated July 24, Jackson orders the selection of two spies to place behind Union lines, likely hoping for information to use against Pope. On August 29th, troops under Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet attacked Pope's Army at Manassas and Pope was forced to retreat across Bull Run Creek, having lost 15,000 men. Pope was blamed for the defeat and relieved of his command.
Ewell was Stonewall Jackson's senior Major General during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Ewell lost a leg at Groveton in August 1862 but returned to the field in May 1863 to take charge of the 2nd Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia after Jackson's death at Chancellorsville. Jubal Early, who was in command of Eizey's Brigade in the 2nd Corps, took over Ewell's division when he was wounded.
Estimated Value $12,000 - 15,000.
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Lot 217
Custer, George Armstrong (1839-1876) U.S. Army Civil War Bvt. Maj. Gen.; Indian fighter; he died on June 25, 1876 at the Little Big Horn, along with his entire force of 266 men. Autograph Letter Signed "G A Custer," as Commander of the 7th Cavalry, 1 page, 9½ x 7¾ in, Hays City, Kansas, May 10, 1869.To Lt. General Sheridan, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Army. Custer writes, "Confidential) Without delicate handling of the Indian question by persons experienced in Indian affairs we are liable to lose all benefit of our last winters campaign and be plunged into another general war with the southern tribes. I think this can be avoided." Fine; light staining affects little of the text.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 13,000.
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