Library Cards of the Rich & Famous
Elvis Presley's signed high school library check-out card is coming to auction next week at Heritage Auctions' August 14 Elvis memorabilia sale. Among some other of the King's artifacts--concert posters, jewelry, autographs, photographs--the library card from 1948 holds Elvis' early autograph; he was only thirteen when he signed it. His family had recently moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Tupelo, Mississippi, where Elvis attended Humes High School and checked out The Courageous Heart: A Life of Andrew Jackson For Young Readers from the school's library. The card with the surprising signature was discovered by a Humes HS librarian while weeding the collection years later. Heritage is offering the card along with a copy of the book. The current bid is $2,400, but the auction house believes it will reach $4,000 at least.
This item reminded me of the library slip signed by J.D. Salinger that realized $1,314 at Heritage last year. A fun find in both cases, and the kind of evidence of readership and reading habits (of the rich & famous, or otherwise) that won't exist for future scholars or collectors.
