JOSEPH STALIN His very rare signature on an autograph note to Defense Commissar Voroshilov on a 1936 report concerning a new military technology! Rare ANS: "J. Stalin" in Russian in light green pencil at upper left of first page of Typed DS by two officials, 2 pages, 8¼x11½. U.S.S.R., 1936 January 13. Headed: "Report". Stalin has written, in full: "To Comrade Voroshilov/What does this mean?" The report (not translated) concerns the discovery of an infrared detector with military applications. Untranslated notes in red and blue pencil at top of first page. JOSEPH STALIN (1879-1953) was General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party from 1922-1953. After Lenin's death in 1924, he eliminated his opposition and established himself as dictator. Stalin's "Great Purge" from 1936-1938 rid the Communist Party of all the people who had brought him to power. Soviet Nobel Peace Prize winner Andrei Sakharov estimated that more than 1.2 million party members (more than half the party) read more...

FIDEL CASTRO and JUAN ORTA The Cuban dictator signed this 4¾x7 black and white photograph that includes a letter signed by his private secretary Photograph signed: "Fidel Castro/ Hab. Nov 19, 59" as Prime Minister. B/w, 4¾x7. Fine condition. Accompanied by TLS: "Juan Orta", Chief of the Prime Minister's Office, 1 page, 8½x10¾. On official letterhead. Havana, Cuba, 24 October, 1959 "Año de la Liberacion". To Eugenio Von Boeck, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of Bolivia, Montevideo, Uruguay. In Spanish, loosely translated: "On behalf of the Prime Minister, Dr. Fidel Castro, I am pleased to send you the photograph which you amicably requested in your letter dated the 15th of the current month." Date stamp in lower right corner. Lightly creased. Binder holes in left margin. Otherwise, fine condition. The letter is dated 26 days before the signature on the photo and was presumably forwarded to Castro to accompany it. On January 1, 1959, read more...

JOSEPH STALIN, KLIMENT VOROSHILOV, and KIRILL MERETSKOV With war looming in 1938, Stalin signs a key document reorganizing a Red Army recently beset by his devastating purges! Extremely rare! Document signed (in Cyrillic alphabet): "S", "K. Voroshilov", "K. Meretskov", 3 pages, 7½x12. Moscow, 1938 July 14. Initialed by Stalin on p1, countersigned by Voroshilov and Meretskov (as Secretary) on p3. Headed: "Top Secret Copy No 1 Protocol No 12 of the meeting of the Chief Council of War of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army". In Cyrillic script, with accompanying English translation. Decisions of a meeting held that day, attended by Stalin, Voroshilov, [Foreign Minister Vyacheslav] Molotov, and by five high-ranking army generals: [Efim] Shchadenko, [Boris] Shaposhnikov, [Aleksandr] Loktionov, [Dimitrii] Pavlov, and [Kirill] Meretskov (who also signed the document as Secretary). The document provides detailed instructions for reorganizing Soviet military commands in the Kiev Special read more...

AS CASTRO MOVES TO EMBRACE COMMUNISM, HE ACCEPTS THE RESIGNATION OF A FUTURE CRITIC UNWILLING TO FOLLOW THIS COURSE. FIDEL CASTRO and OSVALDO DORTICÓS. Document signed: "Fidel Castro" as Prime Minister, "Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado" as President, 1p, 8½x12¾. Havana, Cuba, 1960 January 22. In Spanish. Presidential Decree No. 2358, accepting the resignation of Dr. Julio Garceran de Vall y Souza, administrator of laws for the Supreme Justice Court. Also signed by the Minister of Justice. Impressed with official seals of office over each signature. On January 1, 1959, Cuban President Fulgencio Batista fled the country, and FIDEL CASTRO, who had led a guerrilla struggle against the former leader, took over as Premier. He would hold this title he until 1976, when he became President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers. Although Castro's Marxist-Leninist principles and alignment with the former Soviet Union isolated Cuba in the Western Hemisphere and antagonized the United States, his regime has outlasted its former Soviet patron. read more...

CHAIM WEIZMANN Typed letter in Hebrew, signed as President of Israel, thanking a retiring Cabinet Minister, "my friend and dear teacher" Yehuda Leib Fishman (Maimon). TLS: "Chaim Weizmann" in Hebrew as President of Israel, 1 page, 6½x8¾. No place, 1951 October 8. On letterhead of the State of Israel to the Honorable Rabbi Yehuda Leib Fishman (Maimon). In Hebrew, translated. In full: "It is not a parable to tell you your honor, my friend and dear teacher, that I have the privilege to work with you for more than 20 years, and I recognize and respect your actions for more than 40 years. Today, when you leave the table of government, I tell you what is in my heart. I don't know anyone from the senior office of the Zionist Movement that awakens in me more honor in his beliefs than you." A carbon copy of this letter was sent to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Russian-born chemist and Zionist CHAIM WEIZMANN (1874-1952) was President of the World Zionist Organization (1920-1930, 1935-1946) read more...

FIDEL CASTRO Three weeks after gaining power, Castro signs a typed document authorizing transfer of documents and data to one of his lieutenants. Important Typed DS: "Fidel Castro", 1 page, 8½x11. Fortaleza de La Cabaña, Havana 1959 January 30. In Spanish. "From: Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz/To: All the Ministries". In full: "It is authorized to Captain Dr. ANTONIO NUÑEZ JIMENEZ to remove collections and documents and data to him, necessary for plans of the REVOLUTION." Dr. ANTONIO NUÑEZ JIMENEZ (1923-1998) served under Che Guevera in the revolution which brought Castro to power. He later organized geographic expeditions to locations around the world including the North Pole, Antarctica, the Andes, Amazon, Galapagos Islands and Africa. FIDEL CASTRO marched into Havana on January 9, 1959 and became Cuba's new leader. Fulgencio Batista had fled Cuba on January 1, 1959, after his government was overthrown by an armed revolt. After the fall of Batista, the Constitution of Cuba of 1940 remained in force for a very short period. It was almost immediately replaced by the Basic Law of February 7, 1959. read more...

FRITZ SAUCKEL These incredibly rare documents are a handwritten, dated and signed account of Nazi Germany's forced labor and mass deportation operations by Germany's chief of slave labor recruitment. They were written by Sauckel for his lawyer during his trial before the International Military Tribunal in Nuremburg after World War II. They are important documentation of the 20th century's worst war and of some of the worst atrocities ever recorded in human history. They are also a typical example of the defense used by many defendants in the postwar Nuremberg trials: they were only following orders. This defense failed to sway Sauckel's tribunal; he was found guilty of war crimes and later hanged. Historically Important Autograph Manuscript signed twice (at top of first page and at bottom of last page): "Fritz Sauckel", in pencil, as war crimes defendant, 26 pages, 8x10½. IN GERMAN WITH 1945 ENGLISH TRANSLATION WITH FOOTNOTES AND COMMENTS. Nuremburg [Germany], 1945 July 15. This text was provided by Sauckel to his attorney as a means of fully describing the organization of the forced labor department, and Sauckel's duties and responsibilities. read more...

MOSES AUSTIN He signs a demand promissory note arranging for payment in 142½ pounds of lead. Framed to 10½x8½. Promissory Note signed: "M. Austin", 1 page, 7¼x5¼, affixed to a larger off-white sheet and framed to an overall size of 10½x8½.  Mine A Burton, 1802 February 11. In full: "Please pay Mr. Jos. Pratt One Hundred & forty two pounds & half of lead out of the Lead in your hands of mine and this order shall be your Discharge for the same."  Moses Austin (1761-1821), the father of Texas pioneer Stephen F. Austin, was known as "the Lead King" of southwestern Virginia, where he owned mines and production facilities to make buckshot and other lead products. His business failed, and in 1798 Austin and his family moved to what is now Missouri, then Spanish territory. (Austin had purchased the land from Spain, but when he signed this note it was actually in French territory under a secret Franco-Spanish treaty, soon to be acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803). Mine a read more...

MOSES AUSTIN and MOSES BATES Austin posts bond for his brother-in-law, Moses Bates with Sheriff (later US Senator) Henry Dodge Manuscript Document signed: "Moses Bates", "Moses Austin", 1 page, 7½x12½. Each has hand-drawn his seal to the right of his signature. Ste Genevieve, Missouri, 1812 April 5. Docketed on verso. In full: "Know all Men by these present that we Moses Bates and Moses Austin are held and formerly bound to H. Dodge Sheriff of the District of St. Genevieve in the kind sum of Eight hundred and forty Dollars lawful money of the United States to be paid to the said Dodge or his successor..The condition of the above obligation is such that a capias ad respondendum has Issued from the Court of Common Pleas for the District cop[ie]d at the suit of William C. Carr and Henry Elliott administrator of Earon Elliott deceased on which said suit bail is required for the sum of four hundred and Twenty Dollars and the said Dodge has arrested the said Moses Bates in his capacity as sheriff of the said Bates should be cast in the said suit he will pay read more...