LONDON.- On 9th June 2016 at 11am, Dreweatts and Bloomsbury will host an auction of Vintage Posters, Autographs and Memorabilia at their Bloomsbury Auctions’ base on Maddox Street, London.

The sale will provide collectors with the opportunity to acquire autographs and memorabilia from the worlds of Art, Film, TV and Theatre, Politics, Literature and History, Music and Sport. Estimates range from £100 - £3,000.

Of the historic items on offer, a highlight for those keen to own a piece of political history is a colour photograph featuring Bill Clinton looking on as Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat shake hands during the signing of the Oslo Accord on the lawn of the White House, September 3rd, 1993. The photograph commemorates the signing of the ‘Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements’. The declaration was the result of a series of talks which began in early 1993 in Oslo between Palestine Liberation Organization leader Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Rabin to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Accord called for the creation of Palestinian self-government and for the gradual withdrawal of Israel Defence Forces from the Gaza strip and parts of the West Bank. The photograph is signed “Y. Rabin”, “Bill Clinton” and “Y. Arafat” in various inks below the image which is mounted, framed and glazed and is estimated at £1,500 - £2,000 (Lot 320).

Another historical highlight is an extraordinary autograph letter from Horatio Nelson (Lot 331) which is new to market having been recently discovered. The intriguing, single-page letter, estimated at £1,500-£2,000, is dated 13 December 1800 and addressed to an unknown recipient and signed ‘Nelson’ at its conclusion. The letter reads: “I am truly sensible of all the obligations I owe you for the trouble you have been, so obliging as to take regarding my last diamond. I have reason to believe that it is not worth £200 and I have bought another, therefore I will decline all further trouble about it. Again I beg leave to thank you for your goodness…”

Jazz aficionados will be delighted to find autographs of both Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington early on in their careers featured in the sale. The rare vintage, sepia toned photograph of a handsome, 21 year old Louis Armstrong with his trumpet is signed and inscribed “My Best Wishes to Mr H. Bacon from Louis Armstrong, 1/20/” with the year cancelled out with a pen-drawn black square (Est: £300 - £400, Lot 350). The equally suave Duke Ellington is captured in a vintage, black and white half-length photograph dated c. 1940s. The photograph is complete with printed signature and hand signed with the inscription: “To Harry Bacon, Duke Ellington” (pictured, Est £300 - £400, Lot 357), and would serve as a wonderful addition to any music fan’s collection.