Lion Heart Autographs will be Selling 280 Letters and Documents from Major Public Figures
- by Announcement, Rare Book Hub staff
Never Before Offered for Sale - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Remarkably Important and Prophetic Letter Speaks to America as the Nation Faces Tests of Justice and Equality
“We Must Learn to Live Together as Brothers or We Will All Die as Fools”
Over 280 Lots Will Hit the Auction Block May 20th Including a Letter by Theodore Roosevelt Referencing Tariffs, Political Bosses, Taxes, Farmers and the Cost of Eggs
New York, New York – (April 22, 2026) – Lion Heart Autographs (NY), one of the world’s most widely-recognized and respected auctioneers of historical autographs and manuscripts announces the auction of an incredibly rare and timely document penned by civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The letter will be offered live on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote he will ‘follow Christ to death” to achieve racial equalityfor “the health of Democracy,” echoing his enduring commitment to fighting discrimination through nonviolent protest, public speeches and organized action – principles that have been tested in cities across the nation. His leadership helped drive progress in civil rights and voting rights and affirmed that these rights must apply to everyone.
In this 1962 letter, written to Samuel Brent Oliver III, a North Carolina high school student, Dr. King outlines goals that remain as relevant today as they were nearly 65 years ago, as the United States continues to grapple with applying justice fairly and equally.
His deeply held commitment to nonviolent protest, public advocacy, and organized demonstrations fight discrimination advanced rights essential to the “the growth of individuals both white and Negro, and the future of the world.” The letter also foreshadows the danger King faced throughout his life, culminating in his assassination in 1968.
Dr. King further wrote “the world is too small now for us to think we can ignore persons who are a little different from ourselves. I feel this to be part of God’s plan for His world, that the brethren might dwell together in unity.”
In 1961, King met with President John F. Kennedy to request a second Emancipation Proclamation to promote racial integration, which he defines in the letter as “providing the same opportunities and facilities for citizens regardless of race,” a condition he deemed essential for a healthy democracy. King also quotes Psalm 133: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" – a theme he echoed in his November 5, 1962 speech at the University of Michigan, where he proclaimed, "We must learn to live together as brothers or we will die together as fools." Just ten days later he penned this letter.
Less than two weeks afterward, on November 27, 1962, King spoke at the Booker T. Washington High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, He concluded with an early version of what would become his iconic “I Have a Dream” message, later delivered during the historic March on Washington on August 28, 1963. King was named TIME magazine’s 1963 “Man of the Year” and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Today, America faces tests ongoing tests of its founding promises – moments when the ideals set forth in its founding documents collide with the realities of division and fear. The moral clarity expressed in this extraordinary letter reflects King’s courage and enduring relevance. It stands as both a tribute to his legacy and a call to confront division with empathy and unwavering commitment to truth. A full transcript of the letter is available to media upon request.
This remarkable and revealing letter has remained in the possession of the recipient’s family for decades and has never been offered for sale prior to this auction. Also included is the original envelope bearing notes from the recipient.
The auction also includes over 280 lots of historically significant documents, autographs and manuscripts. Additional highlights include a letter by Theodore Roosevelt on His and Our Times: Tariffs, Political Bosses, Taxes, Farmers and the Cost of Eggs; a Betty Ford letter addressing mental health, substance abuse and healthcare; a Hillary Clinton note announcing her run for the United States Senate; a David Ben-Gurion document on Israel’s duty to maintain the bond between us Jews of Diaspora; a detailed letter by President Ronald Reagan on tax cuts and much more. A complete listing of the auction is available at www.lionheartautographs.com
Items are currently available for bidding at Lion Heart’s auction on Invaluable.comand LiveAuctioneers.com
Hi-resolution images are available upon request by emailing [email protected]
ABOUT LION HEART AUTOGRAPHS
An internationally recognized dealer of autographs and manuscripts specializing in art history, literature, music and science. Founded in 1978, Lion Heart Autographs has earned an unmatched global reputation for acquiring and placing the most rare, interesting and unique autographs and manuscripts, while scrupulously authenticating and describing each piece’s historical significance. Clients range from Harvard, Yale and the U.S. Library of Congress to private collectors, investors and corporations around the globe. Lion Heart Autographs is based in New York and was founded by its president, David Lowenherz. For more information, please visit www.lionheartautographs.com
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000
Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000
Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000
Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000
Freeman’s, June 30. Thomas Jefferson’s “Birth of the New Nation” letter, carried to Paris with the Treaty of Peace, by a Jewish patriot. $100,000-200,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. “The rockets’ red glare.” A British midshipman’s log recording the bombardment of Fort McHenry. $60,000-80,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry Commission signed by James Madison, 1812. $40,000-60,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776. $15,000-25,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. One of the Earliest Printed Announcements of American Independence, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000-15,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. "The Two Big Guns of the N.Y. Yanks": A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000-12,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. A Unique Contemporary Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words to His Followers, the Day Before his Violent Death. $8,000-12,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. The State of Minnesota Officially Certifies the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Of the United States. $8,000-12,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York to Queen Anne from the Colony of New York. $8,000-12,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000-12,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. A Call to Arms in the Months Following the Declaration of Independence: An Early Continental Army Recruitment Poster. $6,000-9,000.
Freeman’s, June 30. Samuel Jones, the Statesman Behind the Newly Discovered "Jones Declaration": His Annotated Set Used in His Working Law Library. $6,000-9,000.
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Inundation papyrus. P.Michael 4, the ‘Inundation papyrus’, a geographical account of the Nile near Canopus, in Greek, remains of two columns from a manuscript scroll on papyrus, Egypt, second century CE. £12,000-18,000
Forum, July 16: Book of Hours, use of Sarum, manuscript on vellum, 6 full-page miniatures, with famous Middle English inscriptions, Southern Netherlands for the English market, [c.1430]. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Qu'ran, Arabic manuscript on burnished, stencilled, and gold-flecked paper, 447ff., Sultanate Gujarat, Ahmadabad, [after 1411 but no later than 1442]. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Turner (William). A New boke of the natures and properties of all wines that are commonly vsed here in England, rare first edition of the first English book on wine, By William Seres, 1568. £20,000-£30,000
Forum, July 16: Spenser (Edmund). The Faerie Queene. first edition, Printed [by John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, 1590. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Shakespeare (William). The Comedie of Errors, extracted from the first folio, Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, 1623. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Fleming (Ian). Casino Royale, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1953. £40,000-60,000
Forum, July 16: d'Agoty (Jacques-Fabien Gautier). Anatomie de la Tête, first edition, Paris, chez le Sieur Gautier, 1748. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 16: Martial Arts.- Lee (Bruce). 'Praying Mantis style' Kung Fu book, containing numerous annotations, diagrams and graphs in Bruce Lee's hand, c. 1960. £50,000-70,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Warre (Capt. Henry James). Sketches in North America and the Oregon Territory, first edition, rare hand-coloured issue, 1848. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Norie (John William). The Marine Atlas, or Seaman's Complete Pilot for all the principal places in the known world..., 1826. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Mao Tse-tung.- Kim Il-sung.-[Note book for visitors from China to Korea], signed by Mao and Kim, [Beijing, 1954]. £10,000-15,000
Sotheby’s Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone 25 June – July 7
Sotheby’s, July 7: Ludwig van Beethoven. Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, 1813, first edition, 3 volumes, contemporary half calf. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass, Brooklyn, 1855, first edition, first issue, original green cloth, the Doheny copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding. £15,000 to £20,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: George Eliot. Middlemarch, Edinburgh and London, 1871, first edition in the original parts. £20,000 to £30,000.
New York, New York – (April 22, 2026) – Lion Heart Autographs (NY), one of the world’s most widely-recognized and respected auctioneers of historical autographs and manuscripts announces the auction of an incredibly rare and timely document penned by civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The letter will be offered live on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. 
The auction also includes over 280 lots of historically significant documents, autographs and manuscripts. Additional highlights include a letter by Theodore Roosevelt on His and Our Times: Tariffs, Political Bosses, Taxes, Farmers and the Cost of Eggs; a Betty Ford letter addressing mental health, substance abuse and healthcare; a Hillary Clinton note announcing her run for the United States Senate; a David Ben-Gurion document on Israel’s duty to maintain the bond between us Jews of Diaspora; a detailed letter by President Ronald Reagan on tax cuts and much more. A complete listing of the auction is available at www.lionheartautographs.com 
