Charles Dickens Handwritten Signed "Christmas Carol" Quote Sold for $23,597 at Auction
Boston—A Charles Dickens handwritten signed quotation from “A Christmas Carol” sold for $23,597 according to Boston-based RR Auction.
Immensely desirable quotation on an off-white stationery sheet, which reads, in full: "And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us every one!' Charles Dickens, Knebworth, Tuesday Eighteenth June, 1861."
Housed with a handsome engraving of Dickens inside a red leather presentation folder, with attractive gilt text and design to cover and interior boards.
Boasting bold handwriting and a crisp, neat signature, this handwritten quote captures the final line of Dickens’s classic 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.
"This is only the third autographed signed quotation we have offered from the great Victorian scribe, and the very first from what is perhaps his most enduring and celebrated work," said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.
Also up for auction was an Al Capone signed Christmas and New Year's card that sold for $13,581.
The front of the card featuring a serene artistic portrait of the Virgin Mary cradling baby Jesus in a meadow, that is signed and inscribed inside, "Your Dear Friend, Al Capone, Regards to Frank & Joe.”
Capone grew up in a Catholic family, and had attended a strict Catholic school until the age of 14—after that, he seems to have had little to do with the church. Still, Capone was known to be especially charitable at Christmas, delivering boxes of candy, fruit baskets, turkeys, and gifts to students and teachers at local schools, in addition to dressing up as Santa Claus for family and friends. The notorious gangster's autograph is scarce in any format, and this outstanding personal Christmas card offers a unique glimpse into his softer side.
Additional highlights from the sale include, but are not limited by:
Rare Beatles-signed 1963 PYX program with classic Hoffman cover sold for $17,762.
Beatles limited edition set of six oversized color 'outtake' photographic prints for the cover of the Abbey Road album sold for $14,826.
Robert E. Lee handwritten letter from May 11, 1861 sold for $13,021.
Pearl Harbor archive including items recovered from the USS Arizona after Pearl Harbor attack sold for $12,154.
Original handwritten score for the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory sold for $10,003.
The Fine Autographs and Artifacts auction from RR Auction began on November 16 and concluded on December 5. More details can be found online at www.rrauction.com.
