32 résultats
20956Known as "Gentleman Jim" this influential Country Western singer of the '50s and '60s achieved great popularity with such hits as "He'll Have to Go" 1960; he died at age 40 in a plane crash in Tennessee. Color IPS verso heavy stock 3½" X 5½" n.p. n.d. Near fine. Handsome color picture postcard issued by RCA Victor Records the recto featuring a nice half-length portrait of Reeves in tie and red sweater. Verso features message and address portions and across this in bold large script as red as his sweater Reeves writes "To / Donald / Best of luck always / Gratefully / Jim Reeves." The signature itself which runs from the lower left corner to the upper right corner measures a full 5½"! A superb example of this rarity. unknown books
42342Jean Paul" a much-admired and much-maligned German writer of the Romantic period whose prolific output included such novels as "The Invisible Lodge" 1793 "Hesperus" 1795 "Siebenkäs" 1796-97 "Titan" 1800-03 "The Awkward Age" 1804-05 and many others. ALS in German 1p 6¼" X 8" Hof in Vorgtland Germany 13 December 1789. Addressed to in translation "Highly honored and respected Sir." Very good. Mounting traces along left edge verso only. An unusually early example boldly penned in dark brown ink during a period when he was living with his mother and tutoring children in a nearby village; his pseudonymously-published poorly-received "Selections from the Devil's Papers" was published earlier this same year. In this letter he writes an unnamed publisher that in translation "I take the liberty to send you the beginning of a manuscript and beg you to give me your opinion as to its probable acceptance or rejection at your earliest convenience. I have the honor to sign myself with the greatest respect." Boldly signed "J.P.F. Richter." Richter's next book "The Invisible Lodge" wasn't published until 1793 and parts of it such as "Life of the Cheerful Schoolmaster Maria Wutz" are believed to have been written in 1790 so it's quite possible that he was submitting some other portion of "The Invisible Lodge" with this query. An interesting example worth further research. Very scarce. unknown books
40787This giant of the telecommunications world headed RCA Radio Corporation of America from 1919 to 1970 -- but began as a lowly Belarus immigrant office boy in 1907 with the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America in New York working his way up the radio and television ladder. TLS 1p 8½" X 11" New York NY 1966 May 10. Addressed to Arnold F. Gates Literary Editor of the Lincoln Herald 1914-93 noted Lincoln and Civil War scholar. Near fine. On "Radio Corporation of America" letterhead Sarnoff discusses a biography of him that Eugene Lyons had authored: "Thanks you for your kind letter. and the reprint of your excellent review of my biography which appeared in the 'Lincoln Herald.' I am naturally pleased that you found the book so rewarding and I appreciate your thoughtfulness in writing to me." Early in 1966 Harper & Row had published a book by Sarnoff's cousin Eugene Lyons "David Sarnoff: A Biography." Large bold signature in blue ink. Accompanied by a fine glossy 9" X 7" black and white news agency photograph International News Photos a candid closeup of Sarnoff smiling alongside a beauty contestant winner. Caption at bottom which dates this 23 April 1956 describes the scene: "David Sarnoff RCA chairman and chairman of the National Security Training Commission names Barbara Lyman Washington Cherry Blossom Queen an honorary colonel in the Washington Army Reserve at a kick-off luncheon for military reserve week. unknown books
28345Confidant of Missouri pioneer Jonathan Bryan 1759-1846 of the noted St. Charles family whose relatives included their neighbor Daniel Boone. DS 1p 7½" X 12" St. Charles County MO 1847 February 2. Near fine. Acknowledgment that Tuter who signs himself as "Administrator of the Estate of Johnathan Bryan" has had a writ of replevin made out and issued to the St. Charles sheriff Edward C. Cunningham 1809-65 for delivery to an unnamed offender. The writ seeks to recover the following property apparently wrongfully taken from Jonathan Bryan's estate: "one negro man a Slave named Heney one Two horse waggon and one pair of Briches Two Black horses one Lorrel horse with bold face one walnut Cupboard one clock one Bureau one bedstead and bedding one walnut Table one Trunk one Bible." In other words everything but the kitchen sink. Signed at the conclusion by Tater in his definitely untutored hand. Tales of slaves are found in the Bryan family lore such as: "Mrs. Jonathan Bryan a kinswoman of Daniel Boone was working in her yard with a slave woman when a boy slave screamed. She saw an Indian warrior heading for them with a tomahawk in one hand and a gun in the other. The women ran for the house. Just as they were slamming the door they caught the warrior's head and right arm between the door and facing. The slave woman grabbed the hatchet from his hand and killed him with a sharp blow. The women had barely recovered from their fright when the boy shouted again." Could the slave boy in this old family legend by none less than the "Slave named Heney" whose return is demanded in this replevin suit Quite unusual slavery item with an intriguing history. unknown books
32921This east coast watercolorist and children's book artist illustrated and often also wrote a wide array of children's books from the 1930s into the 1960s -- including "Wilderness Pet" "Wiggly and Giggly the Little Twin Bears" "Whitetail: King of the Forest" "The Three Puppies" "The Small One" "The Nutcracker of Nuremberg" "The Bluebird" "The Night Before Christmas" "The Enchantment of Santa Claus" "The Christ Child" "Pussy Cat Talks to Her Kittens" "Polly Parrot" "Piccolino" "Is There a Santa Claus" as well as some "Dick and Jane Basic Readers." Offered here is the near-complete original illustration art for Smock's 1937 children's book "Jocko" written by Dorothy Winchell and published by Albert Whitman & Co. of Chicago. Represented here is almost the entire book from front cover art through closing "The End" image -- lacking only 3-4 pages front board graphic frontispiece pages 21 and 31. Most are in the form of ca. 10" X 15" heavy stock art boards most with typeset text blocks pagination and other typeset elements stripped in. All are beautifully inked in black and shaded in pale blue. There is a smaller form full-color title page and half-title page and sixth text page these with the text portions entirely hand lettered. Very good. Stripped-in text blocks are usually slightly discolored from the rubber cement with which they were affixed; occasional light soiling and bit of occasional edgewear. Many original tissue overlays are present and these are generally heavily chipped and sometimes partial given their delicate nature though many contain pencilled coloring instructions etc. Four drawings are present in oversize form two 22" X 15" two 15" X 18½". Overall quite attractive and quite displayable. Jocko the monkey is a fictional character seen in 19th century texts such as the 1875 short story "Jocko the Monkey" by Fanny P. Seaverns. The Steiff company issued a monkey stuffed animal named Jocko in the late 19th century and various other Jocko the Monkey products have appeared over the years from cookie jars to posters. There were a series of silent short films about Jocko in the 1920s etc. -- all interesting predecessors to Hans and Margret Rey's "Curious George" which debuted in France in 1939. "Jocko" is the charming tale of "a bright little monkey" named Jocko and his owner an organ grinder named Rollo. Through no fault of his own Jocko gets lost and causes accidents and chaos all about him. He ends up the center of attention at a circus parade. Jocko is asked to join but luckily Rollo finds him at the last moment and they are happily reunited. A delightful collection from the height of this illustrator's fame. It's most unusual to find the nearly complete artwork from an entire book of this period. unknown books
17521This highly-regarded versatile and prolific leading man -- considered by many one of the greatest actors ever -- won an Oscar for "Captains Courageous" 1937 and "Boy's Town" 1938. IPS 8" X 10" n.p. n.d. Very good. Slightest of edgewear with faint tape stain at each corner. Handsome studio portrait taken for "The Mountain" costarring Robert Wagner and Claire Trevor showing a benevolent older Tracy in sportscoat and ascot boldly inscribed in black ballpoint in a light portion at the upper left "To Donald / best wishes / Spencer Tracy / 7/14/61." A lovely example. unknown books
40617The eighth wealthiest American of all time was a German-born lumber magnate who began his empire in Rock Island Illinois in 1856 starting as a night fireman at a sawmill and working his way up until he owned this sawmill then began adding more until the "Weyerhauser Syndicate" was enormous; he moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1900 where the firm still operates and is the world's largest timber seller. Partly-Printed Document Signed 1p 8 3/4" X 3 3/4" Rock Island IL 1881 November 15. Very good. Ornate check drawn on the Peoples National Bank printed in black on blue stock and featuring decorative border a variety of ornate typefaces and a steel-engraved vignette at left showing a puffing locomotive at a train station. The check has been made out to Weyerhaeuser in the amount of $25000 and is signed by the bank president Bailey Davenport. Davenport 1823-90 was the son of Davenport Iowa's murdered founding father fur trader/Indian agent/frontiersman Colonel George Davenport 1783-1845 and was himself a wealthy banker real estate entrepreneur and mayor of Davenport during the Civil War. On the check's verso Weyerhaeuser signs boldly adding "pat to the Order / of H C Putnam" above. Below this Putnam then signs. Henry Cleveland Putnam 1832-1912 was a Wisconsin lumber baron and philanthropist one of the founders of Eau Claire. Three more unidentified persons also sign below Putnam. Twenty-five thousand dollars was a huge sum of money in 1881. Real estate developer Davenport and Weyerhaeuser who also served on the board of directors of this bank surely had many and complex business dealings -- as Weyerhaeuser likewise also had with fellow lumber baron Putnam. Weyerhaeuser's syndicate was vast and he had arrangements with a large number of other lumber businesses. It's possible the transaction had to do with the purchase of timber lands but this warrants further research. In any case a unique and intriguing document. unknown books
