DANVERS, MASS.- JG.Limited – the recently formed auction arm of the venerable collectibles powerhouse JG Autographs, Inc. – will hold its online-only inaugural sale, July 25th to August 23rd, at www.JG.Limited. The 500-lot History & Culture auction has items pertaining to JFK, Thomas Jefferson, the Wright Brothers, Harry Truman, Al Capone and other historical notables.
The list of categories is long and impressive and includes art, business and finance, Civil Rights, classical music, film and television, literature, militaria, modern music, the Nobel Prize, politics, Presidents and First Ladies, science and medicine, space and aviation, Supreme Court, theater and world leaders. Autographs and artifacts span three centuries; collectors, mark your calendars.
“We’re thrilled to announce JG.Limited, our brand new premium auction and content platform,” said Jared Gendron, the president and owner of JG.Limited, as well as its parent company, JG Autographs, Inc. “For nearly two full decades, JG Autographs has been handling rare autographs and historical artifacts from around the globe and across multiple centuries,” Mr. Gendron said.
He added, “Whether a hand-written letter from Abraham Lincoln, a signed first edition James Baldwin book, or Lebron James’ game-used or autographed sneakers, as temporary custodians we believe it's our role to present these items in a way that preserves their legacy. We offer an opportunity for ownership of history to collectors, fans, historians and institutions worldwide.”
While its business is rooted in the past, JG.Limited is focused on – and welcomes – the future. It harnesses modern technology through a custom developed and designed website. In addition, the all-new Android and Apple apps allow bidders to participate in regularly scheduled auctions; register, preview, watch, and bid from tablet or mobile devices – all with the press of a button.
Lot 9 is Thomas Jefferson's rare White House service china, likely a dessert bowl. The beautiful, circa 1790s white Chinese export porcelain serving plate is 6 ¼ inches in diameter and features painted blue borders with gilt fleur-de-lis edges. The center bears a hand-painted design featuring Jefferson’s neoclassical shield with 13 stars enclosing a script initial “J” (est. $15,000-$18,000).
Lot 89 is an outstanding, recently discovered album featuring a remarkable assemblage of over 100 autographs from notables of the 19th century never before offered for sale. Signers include Roosevelt, Taft, Cleveland, Carnegie, Mark Twain, Admiral Nelson Miles and many others. The clipped signatures are from letters, documents, full letters and other sources (est. $2,000-$3,000).
Lot 119 is a Standard Oil Trust 1882 stock certificate, hand-signed by John D. Rockefeller (as president), Henry Flagler (secretary), and Jabez Bostwick (treasurer). The certificate is for 20 shares and is dated August 22, 1882. Rockefeller organized Standard Oil in 1870, gained a monopoly in the oil business, then organized the Standard Oil Trust in 1882 (est. $2,000-$2,500).
Lot 356 is a fabric swatch, approximately .625 inches by .875 inches, taken from the Wright Flyer, the very first airplane, which made its debut flight at Kitty Hawk on Dec. 17, 1903. The historical artifact, with provenance (copy provided) dating back to the Wright estate and Harvey D. Geyer (a close friend), has been authenticated and encapsulated by CAG (est. $5,500-$8,500).
Lot 382 is one of eight lots (382-389) pertaining to the artist Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), the acclaimed American illustrator and writer of children’s books. This lot is a signed, uncorrected advanced proof of the book We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy. Sendak hand-signed and inscribed the cover to a friend, “For Elizabeth, from Maurice Nov. ‘93” (est. $1,250-$1,500).
Lots 11-23 are all Cecil Stoughton original, first-generation John F. Kennedy photographs from JFK’s funeral, 8 inch by 10 inch glossies, many of them featuring Jackie Kennedy as well as RFK, Ted Kennedy, family members and service attendees. Cecil Stoughton (1920-2008) was President Kennedy’s photographer during his White House years. Estimates range, $150-$300.
Other JFK-related items include lot 29, an assassination-era Texas School Book Depository guardsman watch clock, where Oswald shot Kennedy (est. $3,000-$4,000); lot 30, a blood-stained leather swatch from the Lincoln convertible assassination car (est. $5,500-$8,500); and lot 31, a complete 1964 first edition set of the Warren Commission report (est. $1,500-$2,000).
Harry S. Truman items include lot 45, an oversized (11.25 inches by 17.25 inches) autographed document proclaiming the end of World War II, boldly signed by Truman as President and dated May 8, 1945, in overall fine condition (est. $7,000-$9,000); and a hand-signed and postally used free frank envelope from Jan. 11, 1963, with an enclosed New Year’s holiday greeting to David Edelstein, a Truman-appointed Jewish judge in a Manhattan District Court (est. $750-$1,000).
Lot 79 is a Watergate-era typed letter dated May 29, 1974 on Washington Post letterhead and signed by the investigative reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein with a pair of additional signatures on an affixed clipped magazine page photo of the duo (est. $150-$200); while lot 54 is an autographed, handwritten quotation card from Jacob S. Coxey, Sr. (1854-1951), the Ohio politician and leader of “Coxey’s Army” of unemployed men, dated May 1921 (est. $150-$250).
Lot 92 is Al Capone’s personally owned saucer plate, from the mobster’s Hutschenreuther Royal Bavarian china service, sourced directly from Capone's granddaughter Barbara Mae Capone, with an ornate, hand-engraved 24k coin gold designed pattern (est. $300-$400). Lot 104 is a brown, leather-bound 120-page ledger from a Rockingham County (N.H.) general store, spanning 1802-1810, including many Revolutionary War family connections (est. $250-$500).
Lot 208 is a deckle-edged album page hand-signed in bold black fountain pen by Patrick S. Gilmore (1829-1892), the Irish-born American bandmaster who composed the Civil War song When Johnny Comes Marching Home (est. $150-$250). Lot 335 is an autographed photo of Olof Palme, the Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1969 to 1976 and again from 1982 to 1986, up until his tragic assassination in 1986 (est. $200-$250).
Lot 214 is a 1945 first day of issue cover “Honoring the Armed Forces”, signed by Lt. Leslie R. Groves (1896-1970), who oversaw the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project, which developed the first atomic bomb (est. $100-$200). Lot 313 is a 12-page manuscript archive featuring schematics of military architecture hand-drawn by Joseph Totten, whose incredible career spanned administrations from Jefferson to Lincoln (est. $2,000-$2,500).
