A hard cover book with dust jacket, "HANS ERNI", 1979, Zurich, by Walter Ruegg, edited by Ernst Scheidegger, featuring a comprehensive look at the life and work of the only recently deceased important Swiss modernist artist, HANS ERNI (1909-2015). The book contains an original soft pencil drawing of a young nude female, dedicated by the artist "Cordially to Lennye", dated 14 Juillet 2002, and signed Erni...

An page from a fifteenth century "Book of Hours", DOUBLE SIDED, page 6 3/4" by 4 3/4, framed with glass on both sides to facilitate viewing. There are 16 lines of text in Latin, decorative borders and capitals with extensive use of gold. According to Wikipedia, books of hours were Christian devotional books popular in the Middle Ages. They are considered the most common type of surviving medieval illustrated manuscripts. Generally they contained prayers and psalms...

Early 19th century map of the world, in Mercator projection, the Pacific Ocean at center, titled at upper right "Mappemonde sur la Projection de Mercator", measuring 10" by 14 1/2" inside the double mats, and 16" by 21" as nicely framed. The map might date to about the 1820's. The United States is shown as "Etats Unis". There are numerous picturesque early geographic names like "Is. Sandwich/Owhyhee", "Othahiti", "Nouvelle Hollande" for Australia, The map is printed on old style paper...

Rare original handwritten letter, apparently dating to the year 1801, by the famous, iconic English-language historical novelist, playwright, poet, and judge SIR WALTER SCOTT (1771-1832). This is a folded sheet of ancient paper, measuring 8" by 5", two sides of which bear writing. When acquired it was in a frame with the engraved image of him, as autograph materials are often framed...

A pair of typed letters on White House vice-presidential stationery, one dated October 27, 1972, the other dated August 27, 1973, each addressed to Beverly Hills, CA friends of the 39th Vice President of the United States, SPIRO T. AGNEW (1918-1996)...

A black and white 1950's photo of the famous Argentine, Juan Peron (1895-1974), inscribed in ink at bottom "al senor Herbert He. Jillson, con gran afecto/Buenos Aires, 18 febrero 1955/Juan Peron". The piece measures 14" by 9" inside the mat and 18 1/2" by 13 1/2" framed (no glass, as found). This is a fascinating piece of history. Peron of course was a world-famous figure at mid century...

Ballpoint pen inscribed and signed black and white photograph of quarterback Bill Nelsen of the Cleveland Browns, circa early 1970's, the dedication reading "--Bob-- Best of luck in your future/your cousin Bill Nelsen". The photo measures 9 7/8" by 7". It is loose but protected in a simple inexpensive frame...

Original, HAND SIGNED AND INSCRIBED black and white photo from 1965, of the 36th president of the United States, LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON (1908-1973). Johnson became president upon the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963. He was elected to the office on his own in 1964. A Democrat, he oversaw the ramping up of the war in Vietnam and landmark social legislation. The photo is inscribed to one Ellen Oshim. The writing reads "To Ellen Oshim/with best wishes. / Lyndon B Johnson"...

Original faded green ink pen signature and dedication by the famous heavyweight boxing champion and cultural icon of the 1920's, JACK DEMPSEY (1895-1983). The dedication reads "To the Old Boy himself my friend John Early Best Wishes Jack Dempsey Nov 22 -22 Memphis. Tenn", all written on top of a sepia-toned photo of the champ in his boxing days...

A miniature size hand written in Latin manuscript page, double sided, measuring 4 1/4" by 3", and 8 1/2" by 6 1/2" nicely framed, likely of religious content. Written neatly in brown ink with red capitals in places, much as would be seen in an antiphonal sheet. Condition of this little item, a survivor at many hundreds of years old, is excellent.

Antique early map of central England's Oxfordshire county, by cartographer Robert Morden, originally published in 1695. This map is nicely hand colored. It measures 17" by 15" inside the green mat and 24" by 22" framed (no glass). The mat was seemingly permanently affixed over the margins of the map by the framer, but the central portion of the map does not appear to be laid down as there is play to the surface...

A group of 21 handwritten, typed and printed documents from northern Mexico, dating to the turn of the century, (the earliest, 1885, the latest, 1905, with most clustered between 1896 and 1901), one of those documents actually signed in ink by Porfirio Diaz, (1830-1915), the Mexican general and politician who for seven terms totaling over 30 years was the president of Mexico. Diaz led troops against the French-imposed rule of Emperor Maximilian, and his success in the 1862-1867 campaign was int...

A letter typed on US Senate stationery, dated June 3, 1966, hand signed in brown ink by Ted Kennedy (1932-2009) when he was on the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. The senator was responding to correspondence from a George McCullough of New York City, which evidently dealt with McCullough's concerns about sharply increased LSD use in the United States. This letter was written about three years before the infamy of Chappaquiddick, when Kennedy would have been a senator for only about four...

An original sepia-toned photograph of a middle aged man and his bicycle, with pencil note on the reverse side "Taken on Riverside Park/July 1898 by Sadie Coger", and again on black backing paper "My Dad taken/N New Jersey". The bicycle certainly seems to be quite an advanced model for its time, resembling strongly today's models. There is no glass, frame is simple strip wood, and photo is loose. Small framing nail penetrates wood of frame. A charming survivor of an earlier age, from a South ...

Of considerable historical interest, a black and white photograph of renowned American late 20th century political figure EDMUND MUSKIE (March 28, 1914 – March 26, 1996), inscribed at bottom margin in felt tip pen "To Steve/with the bet wishes of a friend/Ed Muskie". Muskie was an American politician with a long record of public service. He served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 1946 to 1951, was the 64th Governor of Maine from 1955 to 1959, a United States Senator fro...

An albumen photograph of an entrance and most of one wing of the Louvre from the roof of another wing. Titled in the negative 0n the lower close to center, “LE LOUVRE,” and with the photographer’s red stamped signature, “Achille Quintet” on the backboard just below the photograph on the lower right, Faintly in the lower right corner in the negative is the number 62. The photo is 7 3/8 x 9 5/8 inches (19 cm x 24. 5 cm) mounted on white thin cardboard 11 ¼ x 15 inches (28.5 x 38 cm).

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An albumen photograph of a gargoyle located high on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Unknown photographer. Written in the negative in the lower right, “1003, Paris Notre Dame.” The gargoyle emerges from the waist up with a human torso, a dragons ridge on the back of the elongated neck, pointed ears, deep sunk eyes and a slit for a nostril in a rounded snout. 10 ½ x 8 inches (27 x 20 cm) mounted with transparent corners in a 16 x 20 inch (40.5 x 51 cm) mat. The photograph is stuck to a slightl...

An albumen photograph of the Arc de Triomphe at the top of Champs Elysée in Paris France. It is by the unknown photographer E.F.. Titled in a thin margin at the bottom of the negative, “26 (E.F.) Paris – Arc-de-Triomphe.” The photograph is mounted on thin white cardboard. On the back is stamped, November Club, presumably the owner at one time. The image is 8 5/8 x 11 1/8 inches (22 x 28.5 cm). the backing is 14 x 17 ½ inches (35.5 x 43 cm).

Condition: the image is clean and without t...