Thursday's Top Lots: Americana & Ocean Liner Memorabilia

Thursday’s sale of Printed & Manuscript Americana /Ocean Liner Memorabilia saw an unusually high number of registered bidders. The American Revolution and Civil War sections of the Americana sale attracted the strongest interest, and led to some impressive results.

Thomas Houseworth & Co., Pacific Coast Scenery (detail), San Francisco, 1872.

A scarce and important 1872 album of California photographs by Thomas Houseworth, estimated at $2,000 to $3,000 due to condition problems, nonetheless brought $21,600 in a fierce battle between eight telephone bidders.

Gazette of the United States, first newspaper printing of the Bill of Rights (detail), New York, 3 October 1789.

Two lots tied for the position of top lot in this auction: the first newspaper printing of the Bill of Rights, and an archive of military correspondence from King George’s War each brought $24,000.

Photograph of Eugene Victor Debs from an archive of personal letters to his nephew, 1893-1925.

Two important lots were won by institutions. A group of letters by Socialist leader Eugene Debs went to Indiana State University for $6,720. A large collection of Muhlenberg family correspondence from the 1820s and 1830s went to Dickinson College in Pennsylvania for the same price.

"Titanic" Plan of First Class Accommodation, December 1911.

The top lot among the Ocean Liner Memorabilia was the Plan of First Class Accommodation for the “Titanic.” The extremely rare deck plan sold for $7,200.

Labels: Bill of Rights, Dickinson College, Eugene Victor Debs, Gary Garland, Indiana State University, King George's War, Ocean Liners, printed and manuscript americana, Rick Stattler, Titanic