The Order Creating Napoleon's Great Travel Library, the Very One that Accompanied Him to Russia, Signed by the Three Men Who Built It
by Napoleon Bonaparte
26/10/1810. In 1808 Napoleon formed the idea of having a traveling library, in order to make his hours of intellectual recreation independent of the exigencies of a campaign or the delays of a courier. More importantly, during times of battle, he ordered books that taught him the topography of the countries he was invading and gave him other information to help toward victory. Obviously such a collection of books would have to be selected with great care, that the... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Napoleon Writes from the Kremlin in Moscow During His Ill-Fated Invasion
by Napoleon Bonaparte
27/09/1812. In 1812, Napoleon was still at the height of his fortunes. The Peninsular War in Spain against Britain, he believed, would soon end in triumph. All that remained to complete his “Continental System”–a unilateral European blockade designed to economically isolate Britain and force its subjugation–was the cooperation of Russia. Czar Alexander I kept a tenuous peace, but was unwilling to submit to the Continental System, which would be ruinous to the Russian economy. To intimidate Alexander, Napoleon massed... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
An Original Order from Napoleon, Readying His 8th Corps for the Invasion of Spain and Portugal
by Napoleon Bonaparte
23/09/1809. A rare full, signed order by BonaparteIn 1809, a formation known as the Reserve Corps of the Army of Germany was assembled. This later became a new VIII Corps that served in Spain in 1810. The Reserve Corps was under the command of Marshal François Christophe de Kellermann. Its three divisions were led by Generals Olivier Rivaud de la Raffinière, Eloi Laurent Despeaux, and Joseph Lagrange.The siege of Astorga was an attempt by French forces to capture that... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Napoleon on the Defining Character of a Great Leader: ""it is advantageous for the good of the service to be liked.""
by Napoleon Bonaparte
14/08/1806. He aims to build back the Navy after the defeat of the Trafalgar Campaign and worries about saboteurs in Bordeaux A letter never before offered for sale, acquired from the direct descendants of the recipienthttps://vimeo.com/916159720?share=copy Napoleon’s appeal to his men is legendary. More than almost any other person, he embodied the nationalism of the 19th century; his soldiers revered him and for generations after he was studied for his populist leadership. He was a man of the people. Many books... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Original, Unpublished Notes for Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, Prepared for the Invasion, from the Archives of Napoleon's Senior Aide de Camp Charged with Planning that Invasion
by Napoleon Bonaparte
1812. It is based on an 1809 intelligence operation that Napoleon commissioned to chart Persia, Russia and the steppes A remarkable and apparently unpublished manuscript documenting Russia and its environs in the early 1800s, fascinating for that purpose as well Acquired from the direct descendants and never before offered for sale""Resistance could only result in the burning by the assailant of a large part of the wooden houses of Moscow"" ""Minsk is a town of 10,000 inhabitants of which two thirds are... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
In an Apparently Unpublished Letter, Napoleon Writes from Madrid to Reincorporate the Survivors from His First Great Land Defeat and Humiliation: the Battle of Bailen and the Surrender of Nearly 20,000 Men
by Napoleon Bonaparte
19/12/1808. A letter never before offered for sale, acquired from the direct US-based descendants of the recipient; it does not appear in the published works of Napoleon or online at the Fondation Napoleon Napoleon's letters mentioning the surrender at Bailen are great rarities, and we have not seen one having been sold publiclyThe Battle of Bailén was fought in 1808 between the Spanish Army of Andalusia, led by General Francisco Javier Castaños and the Imperial French Army's II corps d'observation... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
The New Emperor Napoleon Tours His Kingdom, Paying Homage to Charlemagne and Claiming his Mantle
by Napoleon Bonaparte
22/08/1804. This is earliest document we found having reached the market bearing the title ""Napoleon I"", Emperor of the French on it; it was signed just weeks after he gave himself the title and months before his coronation in front of the Pope. Reference for research, publication, and institutions: Raab B13.105The Corsican-born Napoleon, one of the greatest military strategists in history, rapidly rose in the ranks of the French Revolutionary Army during the late 1790s. By 1799, France was at... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Napoleon, With this Document, Launches the Napoleonic Era
by Napoleon Bonaparte
23/10/1793. Written just days after his first ever promotion One of only 4 documents of Bonaparte, stretching back a century, we can find during the siege, signed with the early Italian form his signature, BuonaparteThe French Revolution had not only overthrown a monarch, it had pitted Europe against France. Austria and more distantly England saw a revolutionary France as a transcendental threat. So as Paris was engaged in a massive upheaval, it faced an ongoing state of hostilities with its... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
President James Buchanan Returns Wilkes Expedition Hero Commander Andrew K. Long to the Active List
by James Buchanan
27/12/1858. In 1838, six U.S. Navy vessels set out on a great voyage of exploration. Aboard were several hundred seamen and scientists under the command of Lt. Charles Wilkes. Authorized by Congress, the U.S. Exploring Expedition (also known as the Wilkes Expedition) would explored and mapped the Pacific, Antarctica, and the northwest coast of the United States. A tremendous feat of navigation, the expedition broadened knowledge of uncharted areas of the world and helped expand American commerce, industry, and... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
James Buchanan: The United States Needs to Be Governed by the Democratic Party
by James Buchanan
20/05/1847. Buchanan served as U.S. minister to Russia during Andrew Jackson’s administration, then was U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1834-1845. In 1844, he and Lewis Cass challenged former President Van Buren for the Democratic presidential nomination. When it became clear that the convention was deadlocked, Jackson protege James K. Polk was put forth as a ""dark horse"" candidate, and he ended up as the party’s nominee. Recognizing Buchanan's support of the ticket and Pennsylvania's contribution to his election, Polk... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Four Language Passport for the Whaling Ship Caledonia, Signed by Andrew Jackson as President and Martin Van Buren as Secretary of State
by Andrew Jackson|Martin Van Buren
07/07/1831. The whaling ship Caledonia operated out of New London, Connecticut. Parker H. Smith belonged to a successful family of whaling captains, and also became involved in the investing and outfitting of whaling vessels. In 1831 he was master of the Caledonia for a voyage into the Pacific Ocean’s whaling grounds.Document signed, as President, Washington, July 7, 1831, being a passport providing that “Leave and permission are hereby given to Parker H. Smith, master or commander of the Ship... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
President Martin Van Buren Orders Official Ratification of the Fourth Ever Treaty Between the United States and Mexico
by Martin Van Buren
08/02/1839. One of the key points of conflict between the United States and Mexico was the status of Texas. Initially, the United States claimed Texas was part of the Louisiana Purchase, acquired from France in 1803. The Spanish disagreed, and the issue was resolved in Spain's favor in the 1819 Adams-Onís Treaty, in which the United States released hold on Spanish Texas and instead was allowed to acquire Spanish Florida. Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, but years... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
President Van Buren Authorizes the U.S. Seal Placed on the Exequatur of the Mexican Vice Consul to the Port of New York
by Martin Van Buren
23/09/1839. Document Signed as President, 1 page 4to, Washington, Sept. 23, 1839 authorizing the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the united States to the Exequatur of Don Juan de la Granja as Vice Consul of Mexico for the Port of New York. Very good condition. Juan de la Granja (1785-1853) was born in Spain, moved to Mexico then to New York a few years before this document. In 1842 he became Consul of Mexico to the... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
The Very Day He Assumes Office in April 1782, Edmund Burke, Now Paymaster of British Troops in the New World, Reshapes War Provisioning and Makes Plans to Manage Payment and Expenses for the Retreating of the Troops from the New United States Headed Toward Nova Scotia
by Edmund Burke
10/04/1782. War-related documents of Burke from his short term in this position are very uncommon This document was last sold by Sessler's and Mabel Zahn in the 1960s and has been in the same private collection sinceThe American victory at Yorktown in fall 1781 had effectively ended major combat operations in the Revolution, and Lord North’s ministry collapsed soon afterward, bringing in a government committed to both peace negotiations and fiscal retrenchment.Britain’s political decision to stop prosecuting the war in... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Weeks Before Being Elected President, George HW Bush Thanks Jeane Kirkpatrick, Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor and UN Ambassador, for Her Rousing Speech at the 1988 Republican National Convention
by George H.W. Bush
24/10/1988. The 1988 Republican National Convention was held in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans from August 15 to August 18, 1988. The convention started out by honoring President Ronald Reagan, who gave a speech on opening night. It ended up nominating George HW Bush, the sitting vice president, as its candidate for president. The event is best known for Bush's “thousand points of light” speech accepting the nomination. Other speakers included Senators Bob Dole and John McCain, former... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
George HW Bush Receives the Family of a Fallen Soldier at the White House
by George H.W. Bush
18/01/1990. I will never ever forget your courage, your family love, your pride in your fallen son - your faith, your just plain classJust days after James Markell died in Operation Just Cause (the overthrow and capture of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega), the President came to Cincinnati to address the Chamber of Commerce and met with the family privately at the Hyatt Hotel where he was speaking. A few weeks later, a note arrived from the President. It is... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
George H.W. Bush Praises Colin Powell, Saying a Movement to Honor Powell Was “Fitting”
by George H.W. Bush
12/12/97. Colin Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff throughout the Bush presidency. During that time, he worked closely with the President on almost a daily basis, and oversaw 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove General Manuel Noriega from power and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Powell was Secretary of State for Bush’s son George W. during his first term, in which the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
George HW Bush Unpublished ALS as President Encouraging a Gravely Ill Boy, and Wishing Him a Quick Recovery
by George H.W. Bush
2/10/92. October 1992 was the home stretch of the re-election campaign of President George HW Bush. Although he had successfully managed and won the war in Iraq, a flagging economy and strong challenge from Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton did not bode well. And on October 1, Ross Perot, who had announced his candidacy in February and then withdrawn in July, re-entered the campaign, meaning there would be a challenge of a third party likely to draw votes away... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
George H.W. Bush Inscribes a Photograph to Lee Atwater, the Man Who Made Him President
by George H.W. Bush
18/08/1988. Lee Atwater engineered Bush’s come-from-behind victory in the 1988 election. After a short tutelage as a Republican election consultant in his native South Carolina, where he got a reputation as an take-no-prisoners campaigner, he went to Washington and became an aide in the Reagan administration, working under political director Ed Rollins. In 1984, Rollins managed Reagan's re-election campaign, and Atwater became the campaign's deputy director and political director. Rollins later described Atwater as ""ruthless”. During those years in... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Byrd Antarctic Expedition II Cover Signed by Byrd Below His Photograph
by Richard E. Byrd
2/2/35. Byrd was a naval officer and polar explorer, recipient of the Medal of Honor, and organizer of polar logistics. Many questions were left unanswered upon conclusion of Byrd's first Antarctic expedition and the Admiral was all too aware of the necessity for a quick return to the ice. Plans were soon made for a second expedition as many of the experienced men would still be available and polar interest in America was thriving. Despite declining interest in the... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Four Language Passport for the Whaling Brig Leonidas, Signed by John Tyler as President and John C. Calhoun as Secretary of State
by John Tyler|John C. Calhoun
18/08/1845. The Brig Leonidas saw long service in the whaling industry, and is frequently mentioned in journals and records of the era. An interesting and unexpected episode in its history was recorded in a magazine in 1850: “Another illustration of the well known power and agility of the swordfish, the formidable enemy of the whale, was discovered by the workmen engaged in repairing the brig Leonidas, whaler, at this port, a day or two since. In searching for the... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Uncommon Signed Engraving of Thomas Carlyle
by Thomas Carlyle
1865. Engraving of a photograph of the great writer and historian by Elliott and Fry, taken approximately 1854. Signed and dated by Carlyle in 1865, as he finished his great work on Frederick the Great.Signed images of Thomas Carlyle are very uncommon, this being the first we have carried.
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Signed Postcard Photograph of Enrico Caruso in Costume as Manrico in Verdi's “Il Trovatore”, Circa 1908
by Enrico Caruso
1908. Enrico Caruso, an Italian opera singer, was one of the greatest tenors in history. Caruso was also the most popular singer in any genre in the first two decades of the 20th Century and one of the most important pioneers of recorded music. Caruso's popular recordings and his extraordinary voice, known for its mature power, beauty and unequalled richness of tone, made him perhaps the best-known operatic star of his era. Such was his influence on singing style,... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Twenty Six Masterly Portraits of Men and Women of All Ages and Styles of Dress, Drawn by Noted Portrait Artist James Wells Champney
by James Wells Champney
06/1880. James Wells Champney was a 19th century American painter who studied in and exhibited in Europe and whose paintings include landscapes and portraits, for which latter genre he became especially known. Among the many portraits he painted is that of explorer Henry Morton Stanley. Champney was also an illustrator for the noted Century Magazine. His work is exhibited in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.A large album leaf with fully 26 portraits of... Read More
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC
Rare Signed Photograph of Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase
by Salmon Chase
1861. A beautiful and boldly signed image of Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, signed SP Chase. This image was in the family of a prominent Boston women’s suffrage family that also took an active part in the Civil War, and has never before been offered for sale.
Offered by The Raab Collection, LLC