University Archives lines up Hancock, MLK and Dickens highlights for October 21 sale

University Archives will hold an online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Books & Photographs auction on Oct. 21 with 448 lots spanning autographs, documents, books, photos and relics. The sale features key pieces tied to John Hancock, Martin Luther King Jr., Babe Ruth, Charles Dickens and other major historical figures.

Why it matters: - The sale brings together high-end material across multiple collecting categories, including autographs, documents, archives, books, photos, artwork and relics. - Several lots carry five-figure estimates and are likely to draw institutional and private collectors. - The auction also includes the second installment of more than 60 lots from The Douglas Wertman Collection.

What happened: - University Archives scheduled an online-only Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Books & Photographs auction for Wednesday, Oct. 21, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern. - The catalog includes 448 lots and is open for viewing and bidding now. - Bidding is available through University Archives, Invaluable, AuctionZip and LiveAuctioneers. - Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. - Featured lots include signed material by John Hancock, Martin Luther King Jr., Babe Ruth and Charles Dickens.

The details: - A John Hancock signed document dated Jan. 1, 1776, promotes New Hampshire minuteman William Scott to captain in the 16th Regiment of Foot; estimate: $12,000 to $15,000. - A Martin Luther King Jr. typed letter signed and dated Jan. 16, 1964, thanks a California professor for congratulating King on TIME magazine naming him its 1963 “Man of the Year”; estimate: $5,000 to $6,000. - A Babe Ruth signed newspaper clipping carries the headline “Babe Takes a New Grip After Signing” and is PSA/DNA slabbed and certified authentic. - A Lou Gehrig signed card from the same autograph collection is PSA/DNA slabbed and graded MINT 9. - A Charles Dickens signed cabinet card portrait photograph was autographed on April 20, 1868, the last day of Dickens’s 1867-1868 American Reading Tour; estimate: $15,000 to $18,000. - Lot No. 1 is a John Adams signed presentation copy of Jonathan Mayhew’s A Discourse, Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers; estimate: $20,000 to $30,000. - An Abraham Lincoln one-page autograph letter, PSA/DNA slabbed and graded PSA Mint 9, is signed and addressed to Pennsylvania Gov. Andrew G. Curtain and dated July 25, 1864; estimate: $20,000 to $30,000. - A George Washington signed three-language partial ship’s passport dated Feb. 4, 1796, is co-signed by Secretary of State Edmund Randolph and protects Henry Tredick’s brig Drake; estimate: $18,000 to $25,000. - A Harry Truman-signed Citation for a Medal of Merit refers to the “Manhattan District Project in development of the atomic bomb” and was posthumously bestowed upon Charles M. May; estimate: $15,000 to $25,000. - A Thomas Jefferson signed document dated Nov. 8, 1791, approves a Congressional act extending South Carolina’s time to complete the U.S. Census of 1790; estimate: $12,000 to $15,000. - An Edgar Allan Poe carte de visite after Mathew Brady, published by Edward Anthony, is known as the “Ultima Thule” portrait. - A rare Nathaniel Hawthorne signed carte de visite is also in the sale. - A World Trade Center “Top of the World” observatories ticket dated and time-stamped Sept. 10, 2001 at 12:16 p.m. is estimated at $8,000 to $10,000. - A circa-1956 Marilyn Monroe autograph manuscript of 130+ words describes her impressions as an “observer student” auditing Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio classes; estimate: $8,000 to $10,000. - The Monroe manuscript includes contemporaneous edits and a typed transcription by publicist Pat Newcomb.

Between the lines: - The catalog leans into historically important material with broad crossover appeal, from early American political documents to 20th-century cultural icons. - The strongest lots combine rarity, strong provenance signals and notable historical context, which tends to support competition at auction. - The inclusion of authenticated and slabbed items suggests the sale is aimed at buyers who value third-party verification as much as autograph content.

What's next: - The full catalog remains available for online viewing and bidding ahead of the Oct. 21 sale. - University Archives is actively seeking quality material for future auctions. - Sellers can contact John Reznikoff at 203-454-0111 or john@universityarchives.com. - More information is available at the auction catalog and University Archives.