Set of Presidential Signatures at University Archives

University Archives' Rare Autographs, Manuscripts & Books features more than 485 lots including a set of presidential signatures from George Washington to Barack Obama, all signed as President, from 1789 to 2010. 

The lot at the October 30 sale comes from a Dallas collector and includes a scarce William Henry Harrison signature. University Archives estimates that fewer than a dozen such sets exist in private hands. The sale also includes an autograph letter signed by James A. Garfield as President, an autograph document signed in full by George Washington dated ca. 1773, an advance press copy of a printed speech draft signed by President Harry S. Truman, ca. October 30, 1945, and a military commission signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Other highlights include:

• an autograph letter in German signed by Albert Einstein in which the scientist explores both his Unified Field Theory and General Relativity
• an autograph letter in Gujarati twice signed by Mohandas Gandhi to his older brother Laxmidas from South Africa on January 22, 1889 inquiring about mutual acquaintances
• a manuscript document in Russian signed by Josef Stalin, then a member of the Revolutionary Committee, dated September 9, [1920], about military preparedness during the ongoing Polish-Soviet War
• a June 20, 1960, autograph letter in French signed by Pablo Picasso to his patron and art collector Max Pellequer on the reverse of a postcard depicting “Paix” (“Peace”), a reproduction of the original color lithograph that Picasso produced for a peace conference held in Stockholm, Sweden in July 1958
• a contract signed by both John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon, dated September 11, 1975, relating to their production company, Bag Productions
• an archive of 18 autograph letters signed by Hawaiian missionaries, ca. 1846-1849 including descriptions of a surfboard and surfing, the majority written by Dr. Seth Lathrop Andrews, a medical missionary from Putney, Vermont headquartered in Kailua, Hawaii
• a Civil War-dated autograph letter signed by Brigadier General George A. Custer on April 6, 1864, congratulating Captain R.R. Moffatt for his new “sabre shield” design for cavalry weapons