Maine Antique Digest April 2015

Maine Antique Digest, April 2015 27-C

- AUCTION -

Two photographs of Franklin Delano Roosevelt sold for $5000 (est.

$4000/6000) and $6000 (est. $3000/5000), respectively. One (below) is a

staff photograph of the

Harvard Crimson.

The 7¾" x 9¾" sepia-toned

image, which sold on the Internet, was made in 1902 and is signed “F.D.

Roosevelt” on the reverse. It is also signed by approximately half of the

other staff. The future president is standing near the center of the group,

with his pocket watch chain visible. The second photograph, measur-

ing approximately 8" x 10" overall including its mat, shows FDR as a

Mason. He joined the fraternal organization for life in 1911. The photo

clearly shows leg braces—a rare view of evidence of his disability. The

Secret Service was mandated to prevent such photographs by the press

or anyone else. Interesting, though, that he did choose to sign this one.

A partial autograph manuscript, unsigned, by Henry

David Thoreau brought $8750 (est. $6000/8000) from

an Internet bidder. The one page, which measures 3"

x 7¼", contains ten lines not found in Thoreau’s pub-

lished writings. Eloquent on the subject of bearing wit-

ness to nature, it says in part: “We do not want to hear

the man who saw the track only—or even followed the

trail—and found the bones and the hide and depos-

ited them in his cabinet- but him whose sheep the wolf

killed who has summered and wintered within hearing

distance of his howl….” The manuscript was housed in

a 13¾" x 19¾" frame that included a small engraved

portrait of Thoreau and a facsimile signature.

A collection of 27 crime scene and autopsy photos

of Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Barrow—i.e., Bon-

nie & Clyde—fetched $14,400 (est. $12,000/15,000).

The photos were so-called first-generation, mean-

ing the first prints made from the negatives, not

copies of those prints. This image archive included

five bullets test-fired from the pair’s guns. The

material had been featured on the PBS television show

History Detectives.

To see the program, go on

line