At Auction | Complete Autograph Set of Constitution Signatories
I’m more interested in the history of such collections than the autographs themselves, though of course the latter varies from document to document. The former includes the story of early modern sociability, seventeenth-century antiquarianism, canon formation in the eighteenth century, the rise of celebrity cultures, and connoisseurship. The Robert D. Farber University Archives and Special Collections at Brandeis University possesses a significant autograph collection spanning 350 years. –CH
From Katherine Morley’s descriptive essay for the Brandeis collection, via the library’s website:
There was a major boom in autograph collecting in both Europe and America at the turn of the 19th century; this had the most impact on modern autograph collecting. One catalyst was likely the popularity of ‘Grangerizing’, which was the insertion of autographs and other illustrative material into printed books; another was the development of the art of handwriting analysis, which sought to uncover a person’s true self as it was expressed through his or her handwriting . . .
From the RR Auction press release, via Art Daily:
Ship’s passport in French, English, and Dutch, 26 July 1795, signed by George Washington, authorizing the passage of “Peter Cockran master or commander of the schooner called the Industry of the burthen of Ninety five & 48/95 tons or thereabouts, lying at present in the port of Washington bound for Falmouth and laden with Tar, Pitch, and Beeswax.”
Boston’s RR Auction announces its October Fine Autographs and Artifacts Sale, featuring over 900 extraordinary lots. The highlight of this exceptional event is an unparalleled collection: a complete set of autographs from all 40 signers of the American Constitution, including prominent founding fathers such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton (Lot 116, low estimate of $100,000).
This remarkable gathering of signatures represents a seminal document in American history that continues to be a touchstone for discussions on governance, rights, and bureaucracy. The Constitution of the United States has been the lifeblood of the American government, shaping the nation’s foundation, and serving as a global model for democratic governance. The collection includes manuscript material from all 40 signers, encompassing a variety of formats, from letters to documents and even paper currency. A standout piece is a three-language ship’s passport signed by President George Washington. Furthermore, this collection includes an additional autograph letter signed by the Secretary to the Constitutional Convention, William Jackson, who witnessed the Constitution’s final edits. This comprehensive collection totals 40 manuscript items, making it a first-class assembly of historical significance.
The sale also features these important manuscripts by renowned figures:
• Mark Twain: An attractive vintage photographic print of ‘Samuel Langhorne Clemens’ in a handsome half-length pose, ca. 1904, signed neatly by Mark Twain. This piece sheds light on Twain’s relationship with his secretary, Isabel Lyon, and the subsequent fallout, offering unique insights into the legendary author’s life.
• Dylan Thomas: A handwritten manuscript for a note published in his Collected Poems 1934–1952, where Thomas reflects on the purpose of his poetry, emphasizing his love for humanity and praise for God.
• Henry Miller: A unique archive of four published manuscripts, each signed by Henry Miller, which delve into character studies of individuals from his personal life. These manuscripts provide a fascinating glimpse into Miller’s influential circle.
• Charles Lindbergh: A handwritten draft of a New York Times article penned by Charles Lindbergh in 1929, discussing the advances in aviation and the limitless possibilities of powered flight.
Additional auction highlights include significant letters by Sigmund Freud, Alexander Graham Bell, Oliver Cromwell, and Harry Houdini. The collection also features signatures of iconic figures like the Beatles, Geronimo, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Online bidding for the sale will conclude on 11 October 2023.
Call for Papers | Art and Architecture in the British Empire
From the Call for Papers:
On the Eve of Independence: Art and Architecture in the British Empire
The Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, 31 May — 2 June 2024
Proposals due by 15 November 2023
In 1774, on the eve of the American Revolution, George Washington began a major expansion of his home, a building whose foundations dated to the 1730s. It was a project that he maintained throughout the war and that he continued after his triumphant return to Mount Vernon. Inspired by the work that began 250 years ago, and that endures today through the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the George Washington Presidential Library is hosting an international and interdisciplinary symposium in the spring of 2024 that explores the art and architecture of the British Atlantic in the long-eighteenth century. The symposium is especially interested in exploring the Atlantic connections between and comparisons of British and American practices in the years preceding and surrounding the American Revolution.
The symposium organizers invite applications from scholars from any field whose work can bear new insight into the art and architecture of the British Empire, especially its North American colonies, during the colonial era and the American Revolution. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
• The role of cultural emulation and ideas of independence in colonial North America before and after the American Revolution
• Artistic and architectural taste-making in the eighteenth-century Atlantic World
• Styles of British and American artwork, and changes to them, in the age of the American Revolution
• The training and practice of artists in the eighteenth century
• British influences on American art, and the creation of distinct American styles
• House and building design and use in the eighteenth-century Atlantic World
• Regional differences in architecture, and the environmental, social, and cultural factors that created these differences
• The practices, skills, and trades behind housebuilding in colonial America
• The role of labor and gender in art, architecture, and uses of space
• The effect of urban and rural landscapes on architecture
• The influence of Indigenous and African practices and knowledge on American art and architecture in the Atlantic World
• Influences outside of the British Empire on American art and architecture
• Analysis of current historic preservation practices at seventeenth- and eighteenth-century sites and homes and discussions of what this work has revealed and continues to reveal about the past
Presenters are asked to submit a detailed 500- to 750-word proposal for their talk along with a CV. Each presenter will be asked to deliver a thirty- to forty-minute lecture with PowerPoint encouraged. The audience is a mix of scholars, professionals, highly informed collectors and specialists, and history enthusiasts. Proposed talks should be delivered with this type of audience in mind. Selected presenters will have travel expenses covered and receive an honorarium. Mount Vernon may commission a volume after the symposium, and presenters may have an opportunity to publish in it. Conference organizers may compose panels, but they are not accepting panel proposals at this time. Proposals are due by the end of day 15 November 2023. Decisions will be made by early 2024. Please direct questions and email complete packages to SymposiumCFP@MountVernon.org.
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