Archive of Lincoln memorabilia coming to auction

CLEARWATER, Fla. – A family-operated, multi-generational business, Blackwell Auctions has earned a position of respect within the antiques and fine-art trade, not only in Florida, but also worldwide. Co-founders Edwin Bailey and John McNeal, together with auctioneer John Noble, are known for their curated sales of high-quality estate merchandise and fascinating collections.

The auction house is bringing forth a small, but historically significant archive of Lincoln memorabilia during its Saturday, June 10 Americana auction.

Lincoln Memorabilia Headlining Auction

The 120-year-old archive of Lincoln memorabilia, items related to the 16th President of the United States, has never before been offered for public sale and contains within it the research collection of New York attorney Daniel Patterson, who spent 30 years accumulating material in an attempt to prove the authenticity of a Thomas Hicks painting of Lincoln.

Featured in the selection of Lincoln memorabilia are several portraits, the most important being an 1897 lithograph created and signed by Joseph DeCamp (American, 1858-1923). Commissioned by printer Louis Prang in 1896, DeCamp’s artwork was intended to be part of a series of portraits of famous Americans. Initially, the print run had been set at 100, however, fewer than a dozen Lincoln lithographs from that series were ever taken from the stone. Other than the one in Blackwell’s auction (numbered 5/100), only one other is known to exist; it resides in the collection of the Boston Public Library. Blackwell’s example carries a pre-sale estimate of $2,000-$3,000. Two supporting letters from DeCamp to Prang – one accepting the commission and the other confirming that the job had been completed – are offered as a separate lot with an estimate of $300-$450.

Lithographs, Letters and Cabinet Cards 

Among other highlights of Lincoln memorabilia is an 1892 color lithograph of Lincoln from an 1864 photograph taken by M.P. Rice, $100-$150; a Jan. 3, 1865 (Civil War era) letter from New York Governor Preston King to Col. Nelson W. Green in which Lincoln is mentioned, $200-$400; and a rare 1891 cabinet card of Lincoln made from the original 1864 negative, $1,000-$2,000. Thomas Hicks items include a CDV photo by Matthew Brady, an 1850s news scrapbook, and an 1852 daguerreotype with a lock of Hicks’ hair.

In addition to this extensive selection of Lincoln memorabilia, the many facets of America’s rich and unique history continue. A 14K gold Waltham hunter pocket watch that President Theodore Roosevelt presented in 1905 to a British ship captain who had rescued an American ship’s crew. With the U.S. Presidential Seal engraved on the front cover and an inscription on the inside back cover, the handsome timepiece is expected to make $12,000-$15,000.

LAPD Police Badges Boast Rich History

An extraordinary rarity is the pairing of two Los Angeles Police Department badges worn by

Hollywood Police Division Lt. H.B. “Jack” Wallace, an early motorcycle patrolman who served from 1904-1925. The auction duo consists of Wallace’s LAPD badge #7 plus his 14K gold retirement badge, which is set with two very nice diamonds, a sapphire and a ruby. The lot is estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

America is a sports-loving nation, as reflected by several significant items in the auction. Rare and highly desirable to collectors, a 1956 Topps sheet of 110 uncut baseball cards includes more than a dozen Hall of Famers, e.g., Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson (2) and Ernie Banks (2). Fewer than 10 uncut sheets of this type are known to exist. Estimate: $9,000-$15,000. Another great sports treasure is a Jackie Robinson single-signed baseball with JSA Letter of Authenticity, $6,000-$9,000.

Auction is Armed With Antique and Vintage Firearms

Several antique/vintage firearms will be auctioned, among them a rare 1917 DWM Artillery Luger pistol with all matching numbers, $3,000-$4,000; a 1911 Remington Rand World War II .45 caliber government automatic pistol with serial number dating it to 1944, $2,000-$2,500; and a fine 1935 G date matching-numbers Luger dated 1941 with two magazines and holster, $1,500-$2,500.

Our nation’s long love affair with dogs is showcased each year at the Westminster Kennel Club Show. An archival memento of the high-profile event is an elegant Tiffany & Co. sterling silver trophy engraved and awarded in 1917 to the Irish Setter Club of America team. Its pre-sale estimate is $2,000-$3,000.

Emerald and Diamond Earrings Set to Shine

Exquisite jewelry will take the auction spotlight, as well. Highlights include a pair of emerald and diamond 14K white gold earrings with an accompanying appraisal that shows a value of $5,350, estimate $1,750-$2,500; and a pair of 5-carat tanzanite and diamond earrings set in 14K white gold, $2,000-$3,000. A man’s ring mounted with a 1911 gold Indian-head coin weighs 19.4 grams and is estimated at $1,000-$1,250.

A numismatic rarity, a 1776 Georgia Spanish Milled Dollar displays vivid colors and strong signatures. Graded XF, the note is entered with a $1,000-$2,000 estimate.

The June 10 auction catalog is well worth exploring, with its wide variety of fine, decorative and folk art, Arts & Crafts furniture, rugs, clocks, and other hand-selected items apportioned into 325 lots. Blackwell Auctions ships merchandise worldwide. All forms of bidding are available for the Saturday, June 10 auction, including absentee, phone and live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. Start time: 12 noon Eastern Time. Gallery preview: Friday, June 9 from 2-6 p.m. or 10-12 on auction day.

For additional information, call or text Edwin Bailey of Blackwell Auctions at 727-644-0457, or email info@blackwellauctions.com. Online: www.blackwellauctions.com.