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Lot 754: LEE HARVEY OSWALD - Current Bid: $20,000.00

Est: $40,000 USD - $50,000 USDSold:
Alexander Historical Auctions LLCChesapeake City, MD, USMay 10, 2017

Item Overview

Description

LEE HARVEY OSWALD
(1939 - 1963) American assassin of President John F. Kennedy who Oswald shot in Dallas, November 22, 1963. Oswald was in turn murdered by nightclub owner Jack Ruby days later. OSWALD ASKS GUS HALL FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE COMMUNIST PARTY An incredible content letter from assassin Oswald to the leaders of the Communist Party USA expressing his desire to join them to share in their "trails and tribulations". Oswald''s letter, 1p. 8vo., is undated but sent from "P.O. Box 2915 Dallas, Tx", the box Oswald rented on Oct. 9, 1962 and the same box at which he received the Kennedy murder weapon in March, 1963. His letter is addressed to party leaders Gus Hall and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn at the party''s mailing address in New York. In part: "...I have followed the activies [sic] of the C.P. for the last few years, and I have decided that it is very timely and correct for me at this time to apply for membership in the Communist party of the U.S. I wish to become a member so that I may share, as fully as is possible, your trails [sic] and tribulations, as well as your glories and victories...". Very fine condition. GUS HALL (1910-2000), then General Secretary, was a leader and chairman of the Communist Party USA and its four-time U.S. presidential candidate. During the Second Red Scare, Hall was indicted under the Smith Act and was sentenced to eight years in prison. After his release, he led the Communists for over 40 years. ELIZABETH GURLEY FLYNN (1890-1964) was a labor leader, activist, and feminist who played a leading role in the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Flynn was a founding member of the ACLU and a vocal proponent of women''s rights, birth control, and women''s suffrage. She joined the Communist Party USA in 1936 and late in life, in 1961, became its chairwoman. Oswald was rejected, as Hall suspected he was a government "plant". After Kennedy''s murder, Hall never surrendered the letter to the Warren Commission, as he feared that the commission''s wide-ranging powers would be used to tear the party apart. He did, however, preserve the letter in his estate. The letter was purchased by our consignor several years ago. Sold with a vintage AP print of Gus Hall, "Party Man," taken by Marcia Keegan, July 26, 1973; and a recent print of Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby, signed in ink by former Dallas police detective James Leavelle, who was leading the prisoner through the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters at the time he was killed. Three pieces.

Artist or Maker

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Auction Details

Autographs & Collectibles Spring 2017 Day 2

by
Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
May 10, 2017, 10:00 AM EST

98 Bohemia Avenue, Chesapeake City, MD, 21915, US

Terms

Buyer's Premium

27.5%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
$0$99$10
$100$499$20
$500$999$50
$1,000$1,999$100
$2,000$4,999$250
$5,000$9,999$500
$10,000$19,999$1,000
$20,000$49,999$2,500
$50,000$99,999$5,000
$100,000+$10,000

Terms and Conditions

This auction will begin at 10:00 A.M. EST on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 and continue on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at 10 A.M. EST. This auction is conducted under the laws of the State of Maryland.

Please contact Invaluable at 617-746-9800 if you have difficulties using the Invaluable.com website or logging in.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason at any time. In exceptional cases of clerking errors, third-party bidding platform errors, miscommunication, or other errors beyond the direct control of the auctioneer (such as internet or computer related problems), the auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw the lot after the hammer has fallen but only before any payment has been accepted.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot for any reason at any time.

In the event of duplicate high bids, the earliest bid received will be the winner. Note: Absentee bids left with Invaluable.com do not reach the auctioneer until the lot opens during the live sale, thus are not considered early bids! The third-party bidding platform you are using may have received an earlier bid of equal amount and will consider this an earlier left bid for their purposes only!

Some lots may carry a reserve beneath which the item will not be sold.

Detailed descriptions of lots and images are available upon request. Bidders are advised that we warrant ONLY printed descriptions and additional information set forth in the addenda and from the auction block. Illustrations of lots in this catalog and our website may have size, brightness or contrast modifications for display purposes. Accurate color representation is not guaranteed.

Estimated selling prices are for your guidance only. Actual selling prices may be higher or lower than the estimate indicated.

The placing of a bid legally binds the bidder to purchase the lot at or below the bid placed, plus buyer's premium (see item 3). Bids may not be retracted without our approval. Please think before you bid! You are legally bound once you do so. Non-paying bidders will be reported to Invaluable and blocked from future bidding.

Absentee Bidding: All bidding is undertaken in a competitive manner. The winning bid will always be one bidding increment over the second highest bid. The minimum acceptable bid for any lot is one-half of the low estimates given in the item description. Absentee bids left with the auctioneer are accepted up to one hour before the start of the auction. Live bidding: Bids entered during the course of the sale by bidders on the floor, on the phone, or live on the internet will be taken at the amount bid.

We will invoice you within 5 days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, but not before, receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via phone, email, mail, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filled with us prior to the auction.
Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, money orders, domestic personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for clearance, and bank wires. Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Historical Auctions LLC.

Shipment will be via USPS Priority Mail, FedEx Ground or DHL. All packages require a signature upon receipt. We are happy to assist you to make arrangements for extra-large or heavy items which we cannot ship directly. Please notify us immediately after the auction if you would like to ship via FedEx on your own account, we will add an appropriate handling charge to the invoice. Multiple lots may be combined into one package at our discretion. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale.

Items may also be returned if the catalog description differs significantly from the item's actual state; such returns must be made within three (3) days of purchaser's receipt of the lot(s) with prior approval. All returned lots must be in the same condition as shipped. All items are in very good condition unless stated otherwise. Lots which bear defects or damage not visible because of framing will not be subject to return.

Any lot containing five or more items is not subject to return for any reason.

We do not examine the condition of items contained within frames beyond what is readily visible. Such defects may include, but may not be limited to: mounting, silking, marginal damage, closed tears, "mat burn", etc. That being the case, we are not responsible for such hidden damage. Bidders are further advised that we are selling the autograph, not the frame, and therefore the condition of the frame shall not be considered reason for return. Shipping costs for framed items may vary greatly depending on the size and/or weight of the frame, and at times these charges may be quite substantial. Customers may request us to remove an autograph from its frame to reduce shipping charges. We will accommodate customers in that respect for an additional charge of $10.00 per framed item, but such service will be undertaken at our sole discretion. Alexander Historical Auctions will be responsible for any damage caused to the VISIBLE area of the item as it appears in the frame. We will in no way be responsible for any pre-existing hidden damage or defect, nor will we be responsible for any damage caused by us to any previously hidden portion of the autograph, its mount, or any material matted with the autograph during removal from the frame.

The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the preceding terms and conditions of sale as well as the Bidding Procedure guidelines and Terms posted on our website.

Taxes

Sales tax will be charged for Maryland residents, unless a resale certificate is submitted to us prior to any payment.

Contract Information

The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the preceding terms and conditions of sale as well as the Bidding Procedure guidelines posted in this catalog. The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason at any time. In exceptional cases of clerking errors, third-party bidding platform errors, miscommunication, or other errors beyond the direct control of the auctioneer, the auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw the lot after the hammer has fallen but only before any payment has been accepted. We are not liable for clerking, internet network errors or other technical issues. Please read the Invaluable guidelines for the requirements for internet bidding.

Payment Information

We will invoice you within 5 days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, (but not before) receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via mail, phone, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is provided prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, money orders, personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for clearance, and bank wires.

Shipping Information

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Shipping Information

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Buyer's Premium

There is a 27.5% Buyer's Premium charged on the final hammer price of each lot.

Condition Statement

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). The condition of autograph material is generally described per standards suggested by the Manuscript Society.

Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale.

Any declarations of lack of authenticity by any party must be made in writing.