SAMUEL F.B. MORSE One year before his first successful telegraph message, Morse signs an autograph letter to Treasury Secretary John Spencer, explaining that the cost of preparing the wire will be $10 more than his previous estimate. He'll still come in under budget! ALS: "Saml F.B. Morse", 1 page, 8x10. New York, 1843 May 1. To Secretary of the Treasury John C. Spencer. In full: "In my letter of the 29th ulto accompanying the contracts for the Telegraphic Wire, and the expenses of covering, I left a blank in the former which I observed was to be filled with a sum not exceeding 24 cents pr.lb. I have this moment heard from Paterson, and am enabled to fill the said blank with 22 cents. This varies the expense of Preparation of the Wire as given in my letter to the Department of 26th ulto from $1900 to $1910 - making the contracts for this part of the work of $690 less than the original estimates, instead of $700 - as therein stated." Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872), a portrait painter and a founder and first President of the National Academy of Design (1826-1845, 1861), interested himself in the possibilities of a magnetic telegraph in 1832. He developed the Morse Code for use in the telegraph instrument. read more...
Business & Finance | Appointments
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JAMES A. GARY As US Postmaster General (1897), he signs the appointment of a postmaster for Chester, Vermont. Civil Appointment signed: "Jas. A. Gary", 21x16. Washington, D.C., 1897 October 1. Gold seal of the US Post Office affixed in lower left corner. read more...
Sale Price $180.00
$200.00
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JAMES A. GARY. Partly Printed DS: "Jas. A. Gary" as Postmaster General, 1p, 20x16. Washington City, 1897 November 15. Commission of William C. Saunders as Postmaster of Waterford, New London County, Connecticut. Gary served as McKinley's Postmaster General from 1897-1898. read more...
Sale Price $180.00
$200.00
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JOHN HANCOCK and JOHN AVERY, JR. As Massachusetts Governor and Secretary of State, both sign a manuscript document appointing Superior Court Justice David Sewall to the Commonwealth's Supreme Court (1781). Ornate Manuscript DS: "John Hancock" as Governor of Massachusetts, 1 page, 21¾x13. On vellum. read more...
Sale Price $9,562.50
$11,250.00
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JOHN HANCOCK, JOHN AVERY and MOSES GILL Massachusetts' Governor, Secretary of State and future Acting Governor sign a document appointing a Revolutionary War veteran as a Bristol County Justice of the Peace (1781). read more...
Sale Price $7,800.00
$9,750.00
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AVERELL HARRIMAN, AS GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, APPOINTS FUTURE U.S. SENATOR DANIEL P. MOYNIHAN TO HIS FIRST GOVERNMENT POST AVERELL HARRIMAN and CARMINE G. DeSAPIO. Partly Printed Civil Appointment signed: "Averell Harriman" as Governor and "Carmine G. read more...
Sale Price $459.00
$540.00
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AVERELL HARRIMAN and CARMINE DeSAPIO. Partly Printed DS: "Averell Harriman" as Governor of New York and "Carmine G. DeSapio" as Secretary of State, 1p, 17½x15, mounted to a board of same size. Albany, New York, 1956 December 20. read more...
Sale Price $459.00
$540.00
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EDWIN D. MORGAN As Governor, he signs an appointment of a first lieutenant in the 41st Regiment, New York Volunteers (1861). Partly Printed Military Appointment signed: "E.D. Morgan" as Governor of New York, 1 page, 17x14. Albany, 1861 December 26. read more...
Sale Price $396.00
$440.00