WORLD HISTORY

BERTRAND RUSSELL TO HIS TYPIST: ”…YOU WERE GOOD AT DECIPHERING BAD HANDWRITING. IT OCCURS TO ME THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE ENCLOSED MANNUSCRIPT”.

RUSSELL, BERTRAND [EARL]. (1872-1970). British philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate. Typed Letter Signed, ”Bertrand Russell”, on imprinted Telegraph House stationery. One full page, octavo. ”Harting, Petersfield”, March 12, 1937.

JOHN HANCOCK  —  A 1765 LOTTERY TICKET FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF FANEUIL HALL

ISSUED TO EDWARD PROCTOR, WHO LEAD A GROUP OF MEN ON THE NIGHT OF THE ‘BOSTON TEA PARTY’ TO DUMP INTO THE SEA THE TEA CHESTS SECURED ABOARD THE ‘DARTMOUTH’ WHILE SHE LAY MOORED AT GRIFFIN’S WARF IN BOSTON HARBOR.   BOLDLY SIGNED BY PROCTOR ON THE VERSO AND STRONGLY SIGNED BY HANCOCK ON THE RECTO —   A SIMPLY SUPERB, AND POSSIBLY UNIQUE, COMBINATION OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR PATRIOT SIGNATURES

HANCOCK, JOHN (1737-1793)   President of the Continental Congress and of the Congress of the Confederation; Governor of Massachusetts; first Signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Scarce Partly-printed “Faneuil-Hall LOTTERY, No. Five” ticket, boldly signed “John Hancock”, at the lower center right.

SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE — SAMUEL ADAMS — AS GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS

ADAMS, SAMUEL. (1722-1803). American patriot and Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Partially-Printed Document Signed, ”Samuel Adams”, as Governor of Massachusetts. One page, oblong folio. Boston. September 8, 1796. Countersigned by John Avery, as secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN PLEDGES HIS STOCK IN THE SAVOY AND CLARIDGE’S HOTELS  —  AS SECURITY FOR A LOAN

SULLIVAN, SIR ARTHUR S.  (1842-1900).  English composer.  Exceedingly-rare, Partly-printed Document Signed twice, “Arthur S. Sullivan”, and “A.S.”, on a stock certificate transferal agreement form.  One full page, quarto.  London, April 6, 1898.

GENERAL CHENNAULT,  OF “FLYING TIGERS’ FAME,  WRITING FROM TAIWAN, RECALLS HIS PREDICTIONS ABOUT RED CHINESE INVOLVEMENT IN THE KOREAN WAR

CHENNAULT, CLAIRE LEE.  (1890-1958).  American Army officer;  best known for his leadership of the “Flying Tigers” and the Republic of China Air Force in World War II. Typed Letter Signed, “C.L. Chennault”, on his name-imprinted “The Orient’s Own” CAT Civil Air Transport letterhead.  One page, quarto.  Taipei, Taiwan, February 24, 1953.

ZEPPELIN SIGNED POSTCARD PHOTOGRAPH OF HIS “LUFTSCHIFF”  [AIR-SHIP]

ZEPPELIN, FERDINAND VON.   (1838 –1917).  German general and inventor of the Zeppelin rigid airships, founded the company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin;  acted as an observer for the Union Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War (1863) where his interest in balloons developed under Thaddeus S.C. Lowe.  Surprisingly Scarce Signed Postcard image of: “Zeppelin’s Luftschiff, Modell 4 1908” airship.  Boldly signed “ Zeppelin ” on the photographic surface under the airship on the lower left side.

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL – THE HORSE STUD BREEDER —  IDENTIFIES TWO OF HIS COLTS, AND OFFERS THEIR PEDIGREE

CHURCHILL, SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER.  (1874-1965).  British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-1945, 1951-1955).   Good Typed Letter Signed, “Yours affectionately, W”, on his imprinted Chartwell / Westerham / Kent stationery.  One page, quarto.  August 24, 1956.  Addressed  in Churchill’s hand to: ‘My dear Juliet”.