Ellsworth Bunker Archive Sold For $86,581 at Auction
AMHERST, N.H.— A comprehensive archive of memorabilia relating to diplomat, Ellsworth Bunker, sold last night for $86,581, according to Amherst, NH-based auction house RR Auction.
Ellsworth Bunker (1894-1984), who served the US in various capacities under seven presidents, most often remembered as having been a “hawk” in wartime Saigon, Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker made major contributions to American diplomacy for nearly 30 years.
For these efforts, he was twice awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction—one of which is included in this collection. Other significant items in the sale of the Bunker Archive are a pen used to sign the Paris Peace Accords, the flag flown over the United States Embassy in Saigon on the day the cease fire took effect, drafts of Bunker’s unpublished autobiography, presidential signed photos, and an extensive assortment of medals, awards, and private papers.
His highly regarded skill as a worldwide troubleshooter landed him in the middle of some of the most politically complex situations of our time—most notably as ambassador to wartime South Vietnam, from 1967 to 1973. Bunker made other significant contributions as ambassador to India under Eisenhower, and in drawing up the Panama Canal treaties under Carter.
“Ellsworth Bunker is considered one of the most important American diplomats of the 20th century,” says Bobby Livingston, VP at RR Auction. “The collection speaks volumes to his accomplishments and it is not surprising that it commanded such an impressive figure.”
Bunker passed away in Dummerston, VT in September of 1984, at age 90.
The Rare Manuscript, Document & Autograph auction began on Friday, February 22 and ended on Wednesday, March 13 at 7PM. For more information including comprehensive list of items featured in the auction, go to www.rrauction.com.
Established in 1976, RR Auction is known to collectors and dealers worldwide as the most respected auction source for guaranteed authentic autographs.
