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Non-Sport Autographs
7 Lots
 Lot 399. 2 Publications Signed by Richard Merkin - Artist, Illustrator and Sports Collector. Merkin was widely recognized for both his artwork, which revealed his fascination with the 1920s and 1930s, and his eccentric fashion sense. From 1963-2005, he taught at the Rhode Island School of Design while producing illustrations for such publications as “The New Yorker.” According to the magazine, which described him as “a connoisseur of the good life,” Merkin “loved and evoked the great spirit of the nineteen-twenties, thirties, and forties in his work.” He was a close friend of Tom Wolfe, who wrote that what “made Merkin so sought after as an illustrator was his eccentric approach to modernist art.” His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian and the Whitney Museum. Merkin died in 2009. His signature, as “Merkin,” is on the front cover of a 1969 softcover publication for an exhibit of his works at the Hayden Gallery at MIT. Some pages are loose. The signature is large and bold, with a minor smudge on small portions of the “r” and “k.” He added “1991.” In addition, in a copy of “Leagues Apart: The Men and Times of the Negro Baseball Leagues,” he wrote: “For Lou, with good wishes! R.M.” Merkin illustrated the book, which was written by Lawrence Ritter. The 1995 apparent first edition hardback is nm-m in a similar dust jacket. These autographs come with a Letter of Authenticity from Collectible Classics. We received the Merkin items from a reliable, long-time consignor and believe the signatures to be authentic. In addition, they are consistent with signatures we obtained directly from Merkin. The winning bidder will have 45 days from the close of the auction to have them checked by a reliable third party. After June 24, 2012, the lot may not be returned.
Winning Bid $25.
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 Lot 400. Color 8” x 10” Photo Autographed by the Four Freshmen. Gem mint 10 signatures by the current members of the popular and influential jazz vocal band – Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, Bob Ferreira and Vince Johnson. Ross and Don Barbour established the group in 1948 at Butler University. In 1950, the performers caught the attention of Stan Kenton, who introduced them to Capital Records. Two years later, they had their first hit single, “It’s a Blue World.” “Mood Indigo" followed in 1954, "Day by Day" in 1955 and "Graduation Day" in 1956. The Four Freshmen have been nominated for Grammy Awards six times and named by the readers “Down Beat” magazine seven times as the Best Vocal Group of the Year – five times in the 1950s and twice in the 21st century! The current lineup has been selected multiple times as the Best Vocal Group by “JazzTimes” magazine. In 65 years, 23 different members have formed 22 different lineups. Eichenberger (lead, guitar, keyboards, arranger) is only the group’s third lead singer. Calderon (second voice, trumpet, flugelhorn) joined the group in 2001; Johnson (third voice, bass, trombone, guitar), in 1999, and Ferreira (fourth voice, drummer), in 1997. These autographs come with a Letter of Authenticity from Collectible Classics. We received the signed photo from a reliable, long-time consignor and believe the signatures to be authentic. The winning bidder will have 45 days from the close of the auction to have them checked by a reliable third party. After June 24, 2012, the lot may not be returned.
Minimum Bid $25.
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 Lot 401. Autographs of 8 Deceased Country Music Stars – Acuff, Twitty, Young, Pierce, Owens, Etc. Roy Acuff (died 1992) was one of the leaders in moving country music from the string band to star performer format. He was a co-founder of Acuff-Rose Music, which signed Hank Williams, the Everly Brothers and other star acts. In 1962, he became the first living performer to be enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Conway Twitty (d. 1993) enjoyed success as a rock ‘n roll, rockabilly and country music artist. He had 40 No. 1 “Billboard” country songs, more than any other artist except George Strait. Webb Pierce (d. 1991) had more No. 1 country hits in the 1950s than any other artist. Generally regarded as a honky tonk vocalist, he performed rockabilly songs as well. Called the “Hillbilly Heartthrob,” Faron Young (d. 1996) was a versatile performer known for such songs as “Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young” and “Hello Walls.” Hank Thompson (d. 2007), a successful performer of honky tong western swing music for seven decades, inspired the 1987 novel and 2009 movie “Crazy Heart.” Jerry Reed (d. 2008) was a guitarist, songwriter, singer and actor who received a Grammy Award for “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.” Buck Owens (d. 2006) had 21 No. 1 country hits and co-hosted “Hee Haw” from 1969-86. Owens signed an 8” x 10” color photo that has a horizontal crease; his signature is nm 7. Twitty’s autograph is personalized on the cover of the May 1990 “Music City News”; nm 7. The autographs of Acuff, Thompson, Reed (personalized), and Pierce are on the backs of individual 33 1/3 rpm LP album jackets. Young placed a personalized signature on the front of an album cover with his image. These autographs are nm-m 8 and better. The back of the Acuff cover is signed also by Jimmie Riddle (d. 1982), a member of Acuff’s band. Later, he became a “Hee Haw” performer who contributed the vocal art of “eefing” to the “Hambone Brothers” act. This excellent assortment of autographs by country music pioneers comes with a James Spence Authentication (JSA) Auction Letter of Authenticity.
Winning Bid $50.
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 Lot 402. Baseball Autographed by Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, 1997-2007. Nm-m 8 to mint 9 autograph on a panel of a mint Rawlings Official League ball. Blair was the leader of the Labour Party. This autograph comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Collectible Classics. We received the autograph from a reliable, long-time consignor and believe it to be authentic. The winning bidder will have 45 days from the close of the auction to have them checked by a reliable third party. After June 24, 2012, it may not be returned.
Winning Bid $68.
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 Lot 403. Mike Huckabee Autographed Baseball. Nm-m 8 signature by the TV and radio talk show host, former Arkansas governor and candidate for the Republican nomination for President. Huckabee signed a mint Rawlings Official League ball. This autograph comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Collectible Classics. We received the autograph from a reliable, long-time consignor and believe it to be authentic. The winning bidder will have 45 days from the close of the auction to have them checked by a reliable third party. After June 24, 2012, it may not be returned.
Winning Bid $15.
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 Lot 404. Sarah Palin Autographed Rawlings Official League Baseball. The 2008 Republican candidate for Vice President placed an nm-m 8 signature on the sweet spot of the mint baseball. This autograph comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Collectible Classics. We received it from a reliable consignor and believe it to be authentic. The winning bidder will have 45 days from the close of the auction to have them checked by a reliable third party. After June 24, 2012, it may not be returned.
Winning Bid $40.
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 Lot 405. Donald Trump Sweet Spot-Autographed Baseball. Mint 9 to gem mint 10 signature by the TV star, entrepreneur and sometimes politician on a mint Rawlings Official League baseball. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $75.
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