slavery
“AS COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION, IT WAS MY DUTY TO BRING FORWARD THE WORK OF THE OFFICERS COMPOSING THE EXPEDITION, NOT AS WORKS OF ART SUCH AS YOURS, BUT AS BEING DESCRIPTIVE OF THE COUNTRY…”
CHESNEY, FRANCIS RAWDON . (1789-1872). British General, soldier and explorer of the Euphrates River whose expedition proved the practicability of the Euphrates route to India. Two, relatively rare, Autograph Letters Signed, “F.R. Chesney”. Four full pages total, quarto.
“STRIKE BUT HEAR” — A SCARCE LETTER FROM THE PEN OF THE AMERCIAN EDUCATIONAL REFORMER, HORACE MANN, ABOUT AN ARTICLE SUBMITTED TO HIS JOURNAL
MANN, HORACE. (1796-1859). American educational reformer; slavery abolitionist; Whig politician elected to the United States House of Representatives (1848–1853); President of Antioch College. Scarce Autograph Letter Signed, “Horace Mann”. 1 ¼ pages, quarto. West Newton, Massachusetts. November 24, 1846.
ALLEN GINSBERG TO ISTVAN EORSI: ”I TAUGHT U.S. BLACK LITERATURE COURSE THIS SPRING AND LEARNED A LOT, IT CHANGED MY EYES FOR NEGROES MORE EMPATHY, THE LITERAL SHADOW OF SLAVERY’S STILL CAST IN PRESENT COUNTRY’S OSTRACISM ON THE STREET — (WORSE THAN 60’S HIPPIES!) & JOBS, THEY OFTEN INTERNALIZE IT — & US WHITE FOLKS RARELY LOOK INTO THE PIT OF THEIR GRIEF, IT’S MADE ME COME TO REALIZE THE LONG SUFFERING DECADES”.
GINSBERG, ALLEN (1926-1997) Outstanding Autograph Letter Signed ”Allen”. One full page, quarto. New York, June 18, 1989. To Hungarian writer, novelist, poet and political essayist and longtime friend of Ginsberg, ISTVAN EÖRSI (1931-2005)
THE ONLY PRINT PORTRAIT THAT LINCOLN IS KNOWN TO HAVE AUTOGRAPHED
SIGNED EN ROUTE TO HIS INAUGURATION IN 1861
ONE OF THREE KNOWN COPIES
LINCOLN, ABRAHAM. (1809-1865). Sixteenth President of the United States (1861-1865). Superb and extremely rare engraved Portrait Signed, “A. Lincoln”, on his way to his inauguration in 1861. Lincoln is depicted in a full-faced bust pose, beardless.
THE PARDON OF A SLAVE. 1766 — “THE PROPERTY OF MR HUGH HOPEWELL; HIS CRIME NOT BEING OF A VERY HEINOUS NATURE, & HIS MASTER DESIROUS OF SAVING HIM… I AM NOT FOND OF HAVING ROGUES ESCAPE PUNISHMENT, BUT ON THE CONTRARY ( I SHOULD RATHER CHOOSE THEY SHOULD SUFFER AN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS (PARTICULARLY NEGROES) AMONG WHOM VILLAINY AND ROGUERY IS BUT TOO COMMON….)
PLATER, GEORGE. (1735–1792). American statesman from Saint Mary’s County, Maryland; he represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1780, and briefly served as the sixth Governor of Maryland in 1791 and 1792. Uncommon Autograph Letter Signed, “Geo Plater”. One full page, legal folio. No place, June 22, 1766. To Maryland Governor, Horatio Sharpe.
EUGENE O’NEILL, EXPRESSES HIS ADMIRATION FOR PAUL ROBESON — BUT STILL POLITELY REFUSES TO WRITE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE BIOGRAPHY OF ROBESON, WRITTEN BY MRS. ROBESON
O’NEILL, EUGENE. Good Typed Letter Signed, “Eugene O’Neill”, on imprinted Le Plessis, Saint-Antoine Du Rocher stationery. One page, quarto. No place, February 19, 1930.