Lion Heart Autographs, for nearly forty years an internationally recognized dealer of autographs and manuscripts focusing on art, history, literature, music and Science has announced the opportunity to own several pieces of exceedingly rare memorabilia about the Titanic.
Lion Heart Autographs will offer an extremely rare custom card issued to a
SURVIVOR of the Titanic aboard the Carpathia. This Cunard Line "Landing or Custom Card" was filled out in blue pencil for First Class RMS Titanic passenger Caroline Bonnell (1882-1950) who was rescued in the morning of April 15, 1912, by the RMS Carpathia following the sinking of the Titanic, and is an exceedingly impressive piece of memorabilia from the doomed ocean liner rarely available to the public. Noted on the card is "Carpathia ex Titanic." On April 11, 1912, the New York bound Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage from Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, after having left Southampton and Cherbourg the previous day. The world's largest ship at the time, the Titanic carried scores of wealthy, upper-crust American and British citizens as well as hundreds of poor emigrants from Europe traveling in steerage. Among the first class passengers was Caroline Bonnell, a native of Youngstown, Ohio and the daughter of the English-born proprietor of Wick, Bonnell & Co., steel rolling mills. Bonnell had been in Europe since February vacationing with her cousins. After the visit Caroline joined her aunt for their return home aboard the Titanic.
Three days into the transatlantic crossing, Captain Edward Smith received warnings about icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland, which he ignored. As history now tells us, the Titanic collided with an iceberg causing the catastrophic sinking. Caroline boarded Lifeboat No. 8, likely the first lifeboat to be lowered, along with her aunt and two other women. As soon as the captain of the Croatia-bound Carpathia received Titanic's distress signals he turned his ship around and sailed at top speed toward the troubled vessel. After taking on the survivors, the Carpathia sailed for New York where she arrived three days later. The rare landing card being offered in this extraordinary auction has the printed words "Second Cabin" struck through and replaced by the word "Saloon," which was where the rescued Titanic passengers were cared for aboard the Carpathia. Also crossed out at the bottom of the card, is the phrase "To be submitted to Immigration Officials at New York and surrendered at Steamer's Dock on disembarking," indicating the "suspension of the usual customs formalities. (Auction estimate: $8,000-$10,000).
An additional rare offering from Lion Heart Autographs includes ten telegrams related to the sinking of the Titanic including two from evangelist "Billy" Sunday. This archive of telegrams communicates the survival of four women and the loss of one man in the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, including one sent the very day of the disaster informing the recipient not to despair and one in which the
SURVIVOR is incorrectly reported as being lost at sea. This group of telegrams was sent between members of the wealthy Bonnell and Wick families of Youngstown, Ohio, as well as press and friends concerning the passengers' safety. Two telegrams are from the famous Evangelist William A. (Billy) Sunday (1862-1935) in Fargo, ND, written to Caroline Bonnell, now back in Youngstown, Ohio. It states "Thank God you and Mary are among the saved. Is it true, Lillian and George Wick and wife were lost. Wire my expense as complete particulars as possible. You have no Friends more loyal than the Entire Sunday Party and we are anxious for the news. We are hoping that report that others of your party are missing, is untrue. W. A. Sunday." (Auction estimate: $3,000-$5,000).
The rare Titanic lots are only two of the highlights in the upcoming auction: Five Centuries of Autographs: Ferdinand and Isabella (1492) to the Present conducted by Lion Heart Autographs via Invaluable.com on Wednesday, June 15, 2016beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET (http://www.invaluable.com/catalog/searchLots.cfm?scp=c&catalogRef=NBL3QDC1QR)
Other highlights include a rare manuscript written by Albert Einstein referring to his General Theory of Relativity (Estimate: $60,000-$80,000), a piece of the original silver colored cloth from the fuselage of the Spirit of St. Louis signed by Charles Lindbergh (Estimate: $15,000-$20,000); a 1797 letter written by Josephine Bonaparte (Estimate: $2,500-$3,500); a handwritten letter by Albert Einstein to his son about Freud, sex and declaring that "the relation between gravitation and electricity is now revealed" (Estimate: $18,000-$20,000); an order signed by Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492 punishing adulterous behavior written at the time Columbus was exploring the New World and shortly after his discovery of America (Estimate: $10,000-12,000); a card inscribed twice by blind, deaf and mute Helen Keller (Estimate: $150-180); a handwritten Jackie KENNEDY letter on her personal Fifth Avenue stationery, sending thanks for a book (Estimate: $400-600); a signed promissory note for Cole Porter's Brewster Town Cabriolet DeVille, the luxury automobile IMMORTALIZED in his song "You're the Top" (Estimate: $300-500); six ink drawings by President Ronald Reagan on a sheet of White House stationery including a horse's head, a self-portrait as a cowboy and cartoon characters including Fu Manchu and Jiggs (Estimate: $9000-12,000); the earliest known example of a Franklin Roosevelt autograph letter as president to go to auction written aboard his Campobello Island-bound yacht during his first vacation after taking office (Estimate: $6000-9000); a humorous 1903 autograph letter signed by George Bernard Shaw (Estimate: $2200-2600), and much more.
For bidding registration and catalog click here: http://www.invaluable.com/auction-house/lion-heart-autographs
The auction will take place online, partnering with Boston-based www.Invaluable.com, one of the world's leading online auction platforms and www.eBayliveauctions.com, both of which offer live, real-time online bidding from around the world. Lion Heart Autographs, Inc. is located at 216 East 45th Street, Suite 1100, New York, NY, 10017. Telephone: 212-779-7050; Fax: 212-779-7066; Email: lionheart@lionheartinc.com; website: www.lionheartautographs.com. Hi-res images can be requested fromcaroline@m2mpr.com
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