MLK Autograph Could Fetch Big Bucks
Monday, January 19, 2009

On the day we commemorate and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the late reverend's autograph is making its way to auction. From the Raleigh News & Observer:
A piece of civil rights history will hit the auction block this weekend when a 1958 program autographed by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. will go on sale in Raleigh.
The program comes from a Durham voter registration conference attended by King, who delivered the evening's main address. The auction, to include various collectibles, begins 10 a.m. Saturday at Tory Hill Auction Company, 5301 Hillsborough St.
When King visited Durham on April 9, 1958, his "I Have a Dream" speech was five years in the future, but he had long worked on the blueprint.
King, then only 29, had already helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott and worked to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a group that championed nonviolent resistance in the struggle for civil rights. The theme for the Durham conference, which was spread among multiple Durham churches, was "Serving God Through the Exercising of Civic Responsibilities."
King signed the program with a pencil in clear, precise handwriting across the front. The yellowed paper rests inside a glass frame at the auction house.
Auctioneer Jason McCoon said the program's owner did not want to be identified. He estimated the autograph would fetch $1,500 to $2,500. Absentee and telephone bids will be accepted.
For more information on the auction or the bidding process, call 858-0327 or see www.toryhillauctions.com.
(Pictured: Auctioneer Jason McCoon with the signature he claims could fetch up to $2,500. From News & Observer photographer by Chris Seward.)
3 Comments:
I am going to go out on a limb and say that this is going to sell for more than they are estimating. $2500 seems too low to me. I hope it sells for a lot of money. May Dr. King continue to rest in peace.
JoAnn, Irvine, CA
In this time of excitement and expectations for our country, I feel that an autograph from Dr. King will fetch $10,000 or even more. and at this rate it would be a bargain!
Marie Montana, Los Angeles, CA
We couldn't agree more with both of you, ladies. The confluence of Dr. King's holiday and the historic inauguration we are about to witness can't help but push upward the price of this one-of-a-kind piece of history.
As always, we are grateful for your comments.
C & F
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