Dear Readers,
Please enjoy this article. The items in this auction are a mix of personal items( hand written letters) and beautiful works of art.
More Than Just Real Estate: Elliman's Gallery Showcases Historical Artifacts
As a rule, a real estate office is not the typical repository for historical artifacts such as Thomas Edison’s telephone sketches, Beethoven’s crudely written notes done in uneven lettering or John Lennon’s hand-written proposal for forming a band, which he had sent to Eric Clapton.
Nevertheless, those promotional items are a part of a 300-lot auction presented by Profiles in History and displayed at Douglas Elliman’s Madison Avenue gallery. Personal effects from historical personages as diverse as King George III and Joe DiMaggio are included.
Martha Malinowski from Profiles in History is the curator of the auction. Malinowski had worked at Sotheby’s for 26 years prior to joining Profiles in History. The number of items in the collection that she had previously handled astounded her. One item in particular is a Charles Dickens’ manuscript that was written following William Makepeace Thackeray’s death. According to Malinowski, the emergence of previously sold artifacts for re-sale is not rare. What she found unusual in this case was the size and content of the collection, and the realization that it was held by one individual.
Additional items include ten letters written by George Washington. There is a poignant letter to Marilyn Monroe, written by Joe DiMaggio after a particularly unpleasant fight.
The auction, entitled “The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector Part I” will be held in California on 18th December 2012. It will be followed by Part II in May 2013. The highest-priced items range between $500,000 and $200,000. Less costly items, such as the letter written by a Revolutionary War soldier, are priced between $2,000 and $3,000.
Malinowski finds the manuscripts fascinating, particularly the penmanship: There is the loopy handwriting of Ernest Hemingway, while Emily Dickinson’s handwriting is, at first glance, similar to page-wide algebraic equations. Vincent Van Gogh’s handwriting is the clearest of all the letters displayed. His letter to a Madame Ginoux, written in French just seven months before he committed suicide, is both profound and touching.
The collection was originally slated for display at Fraunces Tavern. This became impossible in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, but Douglas Elliman’s New York City real estate very kindly provided their gallery space for the display. Elliman’s CEO Dottie Herman referred to the resiliency of New York, and lauded the collection as unique and amazing.
It is a collection not to be missed
This information was written by Ken Torrino, web relations for Elliman, brokers for NYC, Queens Real Estate.
Make today your best day ever!
Michele
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
WOW what an amazing collection. I do love the internet, but hope people will continue to hand write notes, letters and journals, they are so elegant and timeless! So sad about Fraunces Tavern, I spent many a looong lunch hour there when I worked downtown NYC…
So Cool!!!!!!!!! It was looking at old letters at a Ben Franklin exhibit once that got me interested in Caligraphy! So much history and emotion in looking at hand written notes!!!
Cool stuff….I've always admired the art of hand-written letters. It is such a pleasure to receive one these days. Thanks for sharing.
The collection is shocking not just for its sheer size (10 letters by George Washington in this auction alone), but also for its content. Almost all the material reveals substantial information, like a touching letter from Joe DiMaggio to Marilyn Monroe , written after a vicious fight in the early days of their relationship.
What a wonderful collection! Notes and letters have always been a thing of beauty to me. My grandmother was a Parlimentarian and a calligraphist – she made written law look beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
Wow…I agree with Donna – there's still much to be said for a handwritten note! Hope to have time to visit this when I'm in NYC next year!
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