SAMUEL F.B. MORSE His signed, handwritten letter to telegraphic expert Robert Sabine (1868), insisting that he be given journal space to refute "Hamel's calumnious paper read before the Society of Arts". ALS: "Saml F.B. Morse, 3 pages, 5x8. Po'keepsie, N.York, 1868 August 8. The inventor of the Morse Code who established a telegraph line between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore in 1844 writes to Robert Sabine, Westminster, London. In full: "I began a letter to you on the 18th July in reply to your valuable letter of the 18th of June. I have had so many interruptions since my return that I must defer its completion, until I have finished by Report as Commissioner for my Government. I write now simply to acknowledge your kindness and to thank you for your courtesy, and to promise you at no very distant day the finished letter on Hamel's calumnious paper read before the Society of Arts. The part in which he refers to me, requires a thorough exposure. I do not ask to have it published entire, but I do ask that it be read to the Society, and that it be recorded in their proceedings, with such remarks of their own as their sense of justice may prompt after a proper examination of the case read more...

GEORGE “BUGS” MORAN The Chicago mobster who waged a city-wide war with fellow mafioso Al Capone signed this petition. Extremely rare! Typed Document Signed: "George Moran", 1p, 8x3¾. No place, but probably Chicago, 1938 November 28. Co-signed: "Lillian E. Cohen" as Notary Public. In Full: "GEORGE MORAN being first duly sworn, states that he has read the above and foregoing petition, signed by him, and that the same is true except for those matters stated by him to be upon information and belief, and that as to those matters this affiant states that he believes them to be true." George "Bugs" Moran (1893-1957) had committed more than 20 known burglaries and was imprisoned three times before he was 21. He became the head of Dion O'Banion's North Side gang in Chicago in 1926. For three years, Moran's gang and Al Capone's gang were bloody adversaries. Their rivalry climaxed on February 14, 1929 in a Chicago garage when seven members of Moran's gang were machine gunned to death on orders from Capone in what became known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. read more...

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN and JAMES TRIMBLE As President of Pennsylvania (1786), the Founding Father of the United States signed this pay warrant for the Council door keeper Manuscript DS: "B Franklin Presdt." as President of Pennsylvania and "James Trimble", 1 page, 7½x4¾. Pay Warrant for Frederick Sneider "For his attendance as Door keeper to Council from the first until the twenty eighth day of February 1786 - 28 days - at 10pr - £ 14..0..0" All in the hand of Trimble who has signed next to the word "Examined". Autograph Docket signed: "J. Trimble" on verso. In full: "Frederick Sneiders/accounts/Read in Council/Febry 28th 1786/approved and an order/drawn". During the American Revolution, FREDERICK SNEIDER was in the Sixth Company of the 2nd Battalion Pennsylvania Militia. When Timothy Matlack (engrosser of the Declaration of Independence) became Secretary of the Commonwealth on March 6, 1777, JAMES TRIMBLE was appointed Deputy Secretary, or Assistant Secretary of the Supreme Executive Council. Alexander J. read more...

SAMUEL F.B. MORSE The artist and inventor signs this letter recommending that Congress purchase letters of General Henry Knox owned by a lady and wishing the courts would effectively put an end to the pirating of his telegraph invention. ALS: "Saml. F.B. Morse", 2p, 7¾x10. Po'keepsie, N.Y., 1849 July 23. To C.S. Daveis, Esq., Portland, Me. Daveis (1788-1865) was a prominent Maine attorney. In full: "Yours of the 17th inst I received on Saturday evening & this morning I called on Mrs Beekman and read her your letter. She feels that she has (as she undoubtedly has) a valuable deposit of papers, which ought to belong to the State or the United States Government. She is well disposed towards accommodating you with the sight and use of the letters of Gen. Knox. She says that the papers are contained in several boxes, and the search will be attended with some labor but that she will select out those of Gen. Knox and lay them by themselves. That she should be desirous of reaping pecuniary benefit from papers possessing so much value to the state, is both natural and proper, and she felt gratefully that part of your letter which promised her you did. read more...

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER and HENRY M. FLAGLER The business partners signed this framed stock certificate in ink! Stock Certificate signed: "J.D. Rockefeller" as President, "H M Flagler" as Secretary and "J A Bostwick" as Treasurer of the Standard Oil Trust, 1p, 11¾x7½, with 4¼x7½ receipt portion attached at left. New York, 1883 November 9. Certificate No. 764, certifying that "D.B. Porter is entitled to Ten Shares in the equity to the property held by the Trustees of the Standard Oil Trust...." Each share was valued at $100. Vignette of the U.S. Capitol building at top center, giving the shareholder the false impression that the U.S. government had something to do with the Trust. Also signed: "D.B. Porter" on verso, which transfers the within shares to Josephine E. Carpenter on April 26, 1893. John D. Rockefeller and Henry M. read more...

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...

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER and HENRY M. FLAGLER John D. Rockefeller and Henry M. Flagler sign stock certificate for fifty shares. Stock Certificate signed: "J.D. Rockefeller" as President, "H.M. Flagler" as Secretary and "J.A. Bostwick" as Treasurer of the Standard Oil Trust, 1p, 11¾x7½ with 4¼x7½ receipt portion attached at left, New York, 1884 May 6. Certifying that "Martin Snider is entitled to Fifty shares in the equity to the property held by the Trustees of the Standard Oil Trust...." Each share was valued at $100. The certificate was cancelled on February 10, 1898. This bond was sold by Snider, who has signed on verso, to Strong, Sturgis & Co. in 1891. The Standard Oil Trust, created in January 1882, placed all stocks and properties of over a dozen oil companies (including Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company of Ohio) into the control of nine trustees of which Rockefeller owned over a third of the combined holdings. The trust was dissolved by court decree in 1892. The patriarch of the Rockefeller family had organized Standard Oil Co. read more...

WALT DISNEY The business pioneer has inscribed and signed this printed illustration of Goofy. It's framed with an unsigned photo of Disney surrounded by many of his beloved animated characters Printed Illustration Inscribed and Signed: "To/ Ann/ Sincerely -/ Walt Disney". B/w, 7¼x9¼. Image of two cartoon drawings, one full-size and one of the head of "Goofy". Goofy, who became the symbol of "Everyman" in Disney cartoons, first appeared over six decades ago in "Mickey's Revue" (1932). Then a bit player, he was named Dippy Dawg until he got his "official" name for his goofy work in "Orphan's Benefit" (1934). Goofy became a star in the 1935 cartoon, "Moving Day", and his popularity resulted in his own line of Disney merchandise. Teamed with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in a number of cartoons, Goofy had his first starring role in 1939's "Goofy and Wilbur". Goofy later went on to appear in his own series of comic books (1953). read more...

JOHN HANCOCK Hancock handwrote, dated and put his John Hancock on this letter to the "Gentlemen of the Senate & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives" in 1783, while he was Governor of Massachusetts. He wrote this letter to inform the recipients that he had received an "Application for Sundry Articles for the use of the Tribe" from the Penobscot, which offered their services to the colonies during the American Revolutionary War. This letter was written less than eight months before the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war between the colonies and England. Draft autograph letter signed "J.H." as Governor of Massachusetts. 1 page, 7¾x6¼. Council Chamber, Boston, Massachusetts, Feb. 7, 1783. Addressed to the "Gentlemen of the Senate & Gentlemen of the House of Representatives". In full: "I have this moment Rec'd a Letter from Colonel Lithgow, by Two Indians of the Penobscot Tribe, these Indians are come to make Application for Sundry Articles for the use of the Tribe. The Letter with the Commissions given one of these Indians by Brigr. Genl. Lovell, I have directed the Secretary [to] lay before you. read more...