MERCURY 7 ASTRONAUTS A Salute to Project Mercury by America's Original Space Pioneers Comprises: (1) Photograph signed: "Scott Carpenter", "Gordon Cooper", "John Glenn", "Wally Schirra", "Alan Shepard" and "Deke Slayton". B/w, 10x8. Official NASA photo. Fine condition. (2) Commemorative Envelope signed: "Virgil I. Grissom", 6½x3½, honoring Project Mercury, 7-cent U.S. Air Mail stamp affixed, postmarked Port Canaveral, FLA., July 21, 1961. He has also penned: "7:20 EST". Fine condition. GUS GRISSOM signed and revised the facts of his July 21, 1961 "Man Shoot No. 2" on this commemorative cover; during this mission, he manned the Mercury-Redstone 4 Liberty Bell 7 and became the second American in space. The event occurred only two months after the Project Mercury team successfully launched a man into space and safely returned him to Earth. ALAN SHEPARD became the first American hurled into space during his flight aboard Mercury's first manned capsule, the Mercury-Redstone 3 Freedom 7, on May 5, 1961. read more...

GENERAL GODFREY WEITZEL Pair of binoculars with case signed and war-dated in 1861 by Union Major Godfrey Weitzel. He served with the unit that guarded Abraham Lincoln during the 1861 presidential inauguration and later commanded the XXV Corps of U. S. Colored Troops during the First Battle of Fort Fisher. These binoculars were given to Weitzel by Lincoln, with impeccable provenance from the general himself! Ephemera signed "President/Abraham/Lincoln/to/Godfrey/Weitzel/1861" inside case lid. 4¼x3x1¾ Galilean binoculars in 5x3½x2¼ leather case. Stamped inside lid in gold: "McAllister & Brother/728 Chestnut Street/Philadelphia". Weitzel served with the unit that guarded Abraham Lincoln during the 1861 presidential inauguration and helped build defenses in Washington, D. C. Lincoln gave these binoculars to him, and they have impeccable provenance from Weitzel himself. Weitzel (1835-1884) was an engineer with the U. S. Army before the American Civil War; among his pre-war projects were helping to improve the defenses of New Orleans. He entered the war a first lieutenant on the Union side and was eventually promoted to major general in the volunteer service by the end of the war. read more...

ADOLF HITLER and OTTO MEISSNER The Führer signs a typed order bestowing awards for "rescuing humans from mortal danger." Interesting Typed DS: "Af Hitler" as Führer and "Meissner" as Head of the Presidential Chancery and State Minister, 15 pages, 8¼x12. Führer Headquarters, 1944 April 30. In German with partial translation. Exactly one year before his death, Hitler issues a list of persons "to be rewarded with medals for rescuing humans from mortal danger". He orders "the bestowal letters of rescue medals on a ribbon are to be made out under today's date with a facsimile of my signature" for 11 listed numbers. The description of the rescue is listed next to the person's name. Those rescues where "the rescuer's life was not in any particular danger" received lower class medals than the others. Rescues include: "Walter Stallbaum saved a woman, age 40, from drowning in the Mulde river (depth 2.5m) near Pouch, District of Bitterfeld. The rescuer, who is a disabled veteran, had to swim a distance of 50m with the victim against strong current"... read more...

WILLIAM F. "BUFFALO BILL" CODY 6¾x9 black and white photograph mount with an exceptional quality image of the western icon, signed "W.F Cody, 'Buffalo Bill'" Inscribed Photograph Mount signed: "W.F Cody,/"Buffalo Bill"/To- W.S. Metz", B/w 6½x8 image, 6¾x9 overall. Photographer imprint at lower mount reading: "Prince/Parisian Panel/31 Union Square. New York/Penna Ave. & 11th St. Washington D.C." William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) earned the name "Buffalo Bill" for killing thousands of buffalo as a hired hunter in 1867 and 1868. Cody had begun his Wild West career herding cattle at age nine. Five years later, he became the Pony Express' youngest rider. Throughout the Civil War, Cody worked as a government scout, extracting from life and the West all it had to offer. His western notoriety grew with his adventures, including those during the Sioux War, in which he purportedly fought a duel with Chief Yellow Hand. Cody's theatrical career was launched that same year with his re-enactments of such Indian battles. read more...

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT'S THIRD INAUGURATION Oversize black and white photograph showing FDR being inaugurated for his third term, signed by the President, his Vice President and Secretary of State, Chief Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Hughes and Supreme Court Clerk Charles Elmore Cropley, who held the President's family bible while the oath was administered. Handsomely framed to 17½x15. Photograph signed: "Franklin D Roosevelt", "Charles E. Hughes, Jan. 20, 1941", "Charles Elmore Cropley/January 20, 1941.", "Cordell Hull" and "H.A. Wallace", B/w 13¼x10¼, framed to 17½x15. On Monday, January 20, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the nation's first and only president to be inaugurated to a third term in office. FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (1882-1945, born in Hyde Park, New York) is an American politician who served as president during two of the most difficult times in world history, the Great Depression and World War II. He also served as president for four terms (1933-1945), longer than any other president in history. read more...

JOHN STEINBECK Remarkable Holiday letter to a friend, reporting that his dog was poisoned and that he himself had shot Santa Claus Autograph Letter signed: "John Steinbeck", 1 page, 5½x8½. No place, December 17, n.y. To "Dear Ballou", in full: "I had intended to acknowledge your good letter, and then didn't because we were subjected to a maddening tragedy. For it developed that Tillie had been given ground glass. It took her two weeks to die of it and we only knew what it was after she was dead. It made me very said and quite tired. I gave her salt injections every fifteen minutes for almost sixty hours. No chance of knowing who did it of course as I might get a little national publicity for an ax murder. I don't know whether you celebrate Christmas. If you do I hope it's a good one. We shot Santa Clause and are having him for dinner. His skin is pretty good too if the hair doesn't slip. By the way (not by the way at all of course) Mc & O in a letter of the middle of November, said a check would be forthcoming on the first of December. Can it be that this has been lost in the mail. Would you mind asking them whether or not they sent it? These are my Christmas cards. Have you heard of the one C. read more...

GEORGE S. PATTON, JR. The General signs this letter to his sister, Nita, regarding his service guiding French Premier George Clemenceau around Baltimore and family matters Typed letter signed: "G S Patton Jr.", 1¼p, 6½x10¼. No place, 1922 Dec. 5. To "Dear Nita". With Patton's misspellings and grammatical errors. In part: "I only got back at noon from Baltimore where I have been with the squadron since last Thursday parading at Army Day celebrations and escorting the reluctant Clamenceau around the dirtier parts of the city which tradition say were the haunts of LaFayatte. Neither Clamenceau nor we was much impressed by the ceremony but the colored population had quite a thrill and they are tax payers...B. and the children got back this morning from Boston R-E. has the poison ivy other wise all are as usual. I had a book sent to my self at home which is a present so dont have it opened if it gets there before I do. There are to be all sorts of good by parties for us next week so we shall get on the train more dead than alive. Willie Hortons mother died the other day. I am a paul bearer. I specialise in funerals... read more...

AUDIE MURPHY The Hollywood actor and World War II hero's lieutenant's hat, a lobby card for his film Battle at Bloody Beach and a signed document. Comprises: (1) Dark green officer's hat. The wool hat with black and gold piping bears a silver first lieutenant's bar pinned at front. When flattened, the hat measures 10x5. Fine condition. With color copy (on 8½x11 sheet) of the original signed card indicating that "Lt. Audie Murphy, U.S.A." donated this hat to the "Navy Relief Fund Auction". These auctions, held for the benefit of Navy veterans, were first held in 1944. Heavily creased. (2) Original unsigned color lobby card, color, 14x11. Battle at Bloody Beach stars Audie Murphy (pictured) as Craig Benson, a civilian working for the Navy helping supply guerilla insurgents in the Philippines in WWII. His sole motive is to find his bride from whom he was separated during the Japanese invasion two years earlier. Lightly creased at lower margin. Lightly soiled and stained. Ink and pencil notes (unknown hand) on verso (no show through). (3) Document Signed: "Audie/Murphy", 1p, 8½x11. No place, 1969 June 19. In part: " read more...

JOHN PAUL JONES The military hero's signature on a 1¾x1 slip of paper. Extremely Rare! Signature: "Jno P Jones" 1¾x1. Scottish-born John Paul Jones (1747-1792) was commissioned a first lieutenant in the new Continental Navy in December 1775. Serving aboard Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred, Jones was the first to hoist the Grand Union flag on a continental warship. Elevated to Captain, Jones commanded the 12-gun sloop Providence during the summer and fall of 1776, capturing and sinking several British ships. In 1779, now commanding the Bonhomme Richard, a ship loaned by France and named in homage to Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack, Jones raided English shipping and fought his most famous engagement, a long and bloody duel with the superior British frigate Serapis. Refusing English Captain Pearson's request for his surrender, Jones made his famous retort, "I have not yet begun to fight." The Bonhomme Richard was sunk, but Jones won the battle, transferring his command to the vanquished Serapis. In 1781 Jones returned to the U.S. to supervise the formation of the American Navy. In 1788, he accepted service in the Russian navy under Catherine the Great, engaging in several naval battles against the Ottoman Empire. Then, in 1792 he was appointed U.S. read more...