Christies Auction Celebrates USA’s 250th Anniversary

Pieces of American history were on display for auction at Christie's in Manhattan, New York. The event, named We the People, celebrates America's 250th anniversary. It contains some items expected to sell for millions of dollars. NTD's Sean Marshall gives us a close-up look. Sometimes items from great events in history are saved. Sometimes these items make it to Christie's auctions at 20 Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, New York, and appear in auction events like their We the People auction. Peter Klarnit isn't on the auction floor bidding for clients. You might find him assisting with interesting information about items scheduled for auction. Well, I was actually bidding for a client in the Max Barry evening sale, which is part of our specificities for Americana Week, and this being the 250th birthday of our nation, which only happens once. Founded in 1776, Christie's is a leading auction house known for high-end art and luxury sales, and auctioning a number of extremely rare items, like a printed copy with handwritten edits of the second draft of the Constitution belonging to the founding father, Rufus King. It was estimated to sell for about $3-5 million, but ended up realized for close to $7.4 million on Friday, January 23rd. And the birth certificate of Apple, signed 50 years ago in an apartment in Mountain View, California by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, an agreement that established the Apple Computer Company, along with the agreement to release Ronald Wayne, who got worried that his 10% investment share for $800 wasn't going to be worth the risk. The sale's a bit of an embarrassment of riches. We have five lots that are estimated in excess of $1 million, including the Declaration of Independence, a working draft, printed draft of the Constitution used by the members of the convention. We have a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln and William Seward. We also have the Culbertson Guidon, which is a flag recovered from the Custer Battlefield. A trip to Christie's can be like a trip to the museum. It might be hard to find in the busy tourist area of Rockefeller Center, filled with distracting statues, toy stores, TV stations, and people. You'd almost have to be looking for them. We have the original study for Grant Wood's classic painting, American Gothic. We have a letter from John Sutter, who sent out the first news of gold in California in 1848. He's writing six weeks into the gold rush, and he's complaining how he can't get anyone to work at his mill because they're all out digging for gold. Something that can make the pieces extra interesting is the stories that go along with some of the items. One of the leading pieces is Gilbert Stewart's portrait of George Washington, thought to have inspired the face on the U.S. dollar bill. Some of these stories can be listened to on the Christie's website. The We the People auction ends on January 23rd. Klarna says there are many events planned by many different entities, with more coming later in the year. Sean Marshall, NTD News.