Fellow members:

Please note our latest news:

Alexander Autographs of Stamford, Connecticut, auctioneers of historic letters, documents and relics, has now placed its April 29-30 live auction online, and bidding has commenced! Our full-color catalogs will be mailed on Monday, April 14th, and may be ordered by new bidders through our website or by calling our offices directly.

All lots may be viewed in color at our auction web site: www.alexautographs.com.


One of the most "timely" collectibles in the sale is the gold watch presented by members of the Democratic National Committee to candidate John F. Kennedy during his successful 1960 bid for the Presidency, and worn by Kennedy during his hard-fought campaign against Richard Nixon for that office. The watch, considered one of the most important timepieces in existence, is a 14K gold calendar Benrus wristwatch, 39 jewels, self-winding, and is engraved on the case: "To Our Next President J.F.K.". It originates from the estate of Kennedy's close friend and campaign aide David Powers (1912-1998) who was given the watch by Kennedy and it is accompanied by Powers' letter of provenance and other related documentation. A watch Kennedy wore at his inauguration fetched $420,000 at Guernsey's several years ago and is now being reproduced for public sale. This example is estimated by us at $100,000+.
As always, the sale also includes a large selection of important historic letters and documents in all fields of collecting. Among the items being offered is a response from the Massachusetts House and Senate to John Hancock's presentation of the Bill of Rights ($4-6,000), a Robert E. Lee letter in which he explains his failure to commence the writing of his memoirs: "I would not publish now for the public mind in my opinion is not yet ready to hear the truth..." ($12-14,000), an exceptionally rare grouping including a diary, photograph and accoutrements of an African-American soldier of the 54th Mass. ($7-9,000), a signed quotation from Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic"($2-3,000), financial records concerning the construction of the Capitol Dome in Washington ($3-4,000), notes by Fidel Castro blasting the American government following the botched Bay of Pigs invasion: "The Revolutionary Government is very aware of the desperate efforts...in order to promote at all cost revolutionaries, terrorism acts, murder attempts and all type of fights..." ($10-12,000), an important Thomas Edison letter describing his superior methods of recording ($10-12,000), a John Steinbeck signed first edition copy of The Grapes of Wrath, inscribed to magician Joseph Dunninger ($10-15,000), two important, fine content letters by German author Heinrich Heine ($4-6,000 each), a superlative oversize signed photograph by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini with a musical quote, inscribed to his lover ($10-12,000), with fellow composers Serge Prokofiev, George Gershwin, Anton Dvorak, Giuseppe Verdi and other composers also well represented, a very rare letter by Methodist leader John Wesley ($3-5,000), and an equally rare signature by California mission founder Fr. Junipera Serra ($2-3000).

Every American president is represented, including important examples by George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and so on.

World War II is a rapidly growing field in autographs, and both sides of the conflict are represented with some of the most significant items to ever be offered. Included is Heinrich Himmler's 1939 pocket diary which includes mention of the invasion of Poland, meetings with Hitler, etc. ($20-30,000), a history-making letter from Brownshirt leader Ernst Rohm to Hitler urging him to ally with fellow ultra- nationalists two months before the "Beer Hall Putsch" ($12-15,000), a signed copy of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" ($8-10,000), various items from Hermann Goring's uniform, obtained by American General Lyman Lemnitzer, a love letter from Heinrich Himmler to his mistress ($2,500-3,500), an important, fine content grouping of war-date letters from Claire Chennault, head of the flying Tigers, a letter from Bernard Montgomery shortly after landing in Italy: "The Eighth Army has now firmly established itself on the Fortress of Europe. There will be no stopping us now..." ($1,500-2000), an oversize photo of Benito Mussolini inscribed to Heinrich Himmler upon Mussolini's visit to Berlin in 1932 ($6-8,000), a crucial general's map and plans for the invasion of Salerno, and much more.

On the lighter side, pop culture is widely represented by a large selection of Beatles items, including signed photos, signature sets, and related items, items penned by Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, fine drawings by Grateful Dead illustrator Stanley "Mouse" Miller, and much more.

Those tired out from all the action will be able to rest their bones on a bench used by the New York Rangers from 1968-1998, during which time the Rangers broke their forty year championship drought ($1,200-1,500), and at the same time contemplate the four Babe Ruth signed baseballs offered in the same sale.

Alexander Autographs is located in Stamford, Connecticut, website www.alexautographs.com , telephone 203-276-1570. Every item may be previewed at our offices prior to the sale (appointment required), or on the morning of each day of the sale, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Bid live in person (and enjoy lunch on us!), via telephone or fax, or at www.ebayliveauctions.com in realtime. Bids may also be placed at our web site, www.alexautographs.com. Please note both bidding websites require pre-registration.

Feel free to call us at any time for assistance!

With our thanks for your continued interest,


Bill Panagopulos
President, Alexander Autographs, Inc.
Victoria Tillotson, Les Perline, Mindy Greenstein, Throop Geer & Mark Schmidt-Fellner

Consultants and colleagues:
Peter Klarnet, Richard Manzi, George Hollingsworth and Victor Dominicis

Alexander Autographs, Inc.
860 Canal Street
Stamford, CT 06902
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: (203) 276-1570
Fax: (203) 504-6290 http://www.alexautographs.com