ephemera

Matt Holliday Asheville Tourists Bobblehead St. Louis Cardinals

Wearing an Asheville Tourists' minor league uniform, this very rare Matt Holliday bobble head is up for bid on eBay. Holliday currently plays Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The seller says, "While a member of the MLB Colorado Rockies, the team's Single-A minor league team, the Asheville Tourists, had a Matt Holiday bobble head giveaway. I got this after the game, still in its box, from a friend of the team. This bobble head has never been on display; it's been out of the box for only a few minutes to check it and take pictures."

Original 1874 Atlas of Cuyahoga County Ohio

Up for bid on eBay is this nifty 1874 atlas of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The atlas, according to the listing, was published in Philadelphia. It includes a map of the U.S. and Ohio.

Southern Pacific Railroad Linen Napkin

This is a beautiful and rarely seen linen napkin from the Southern Pacific Railroad owned Steamship Co, also known as the Morgan Line, is up for grabs on eBay.  The company ran ships from New York City to New Orleans. 

According to the listing, the napkin shows no use and no holes.  There is a 5 1/2" round white logo in the center.  Around the edge of the logo is the wording "Southern Pacific S.S. Lines" and a star flag in the center.  There is a trapping of floral designs around the edge.

Historic Montford Neighborhood Asheville Preservation Society Book

A 64-page paperback featuring Asheville's Montford neighborhood is up for bid on eBay.The booklet was produced by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County in 1985.

The seller says, "This rare volume showcases the sprawling, homogeneous neighborhood of about three hundred acres, which retains over six hundred structures. Montford represents a rich diversity of architectural styles and values, most constructed between 1890 and 1920 during Asheville's emergence as the greatest city of the southern Appalachians. Profusely illustrated. Very hard to find volume."

Civil War Parade Flag 34 Stars

A printed parade flag from the Civil War Era—made between 1861-1863—is being auctioned on eBay.  

According to the listing, the flag measures 5 1/2" x 7" in an old 9 1/2" x10 1/2" bamboo- patterned frame.  The seller says, "…unusual design for this flag groups five stars in top and bottom rows, with six stars in each of the four rows between them. Found in a wall of a house in New England built over 100 years ago."

The Honeymooners TV Show Cast Autograph

Bidding has begun on eBay for a 5x7 card autographed by the original cast of The Honeymooners. The card is autographed by, Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, Joyce Randolph, and George Petrie who was in many of the original episodes.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of classic television history," says the seller.

Spenger’s Fish Grotto Menu

This vintage menu for Spenger's Fish Grotto at 1919 Fourth Street in Berkeley, California, is up for grabs on eBay.

According to the listing, the menu is dated March 1973. It also has the Sunday specials attached.

Mexico Agua Caliente Thoroughbred Horse Racing Track Scrapbook

On eBay bidding is underway on an interesting and quite unusual photographic scrapbook dated 1931-1932, which features Agua Caliente Thoroughbred Horse Racing track in Tijuana, Mexico.

According to the listing, the large scrapbook contains over 150 pages on the 1931 & 1932 thoroughbred race meets.

The seller says, "…meticulously made, contains well over 100 original photographs plus race results, articles, and other track related information. Also includes over 10 photos of the famous Australian Turf Champion PHAR LAP as he wins the Agua Caliente Handicap with William Elliot up. A great historical record of this once great thoroughbred palace."

Hubble Flown Solar Cells

The seller of these flown solar cells from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) says, "My step mom works on the HST program at NASA and was given this Lucite encased piece of the Hubble Solar array from the servicing mission back in 1993 (SM1). I also interned there as a teenager and she gave it to me. It was only for a few weeks, but it was an amazing experience. I even got to enter the clean room where components for Hubble and other programs were being worked on."

If you're a collector, the seller continues, you probably know the history of these items, but if you're not... "Part of the solar array was jettisoned into space, but part was returned to earth and they cut it up to give to people who worked closely on the program. This is the first solar panel sent up into space on the Hubble but they had to be replaced because of problems with them flexing in the rapid temperature changes of space. So, if you're planning on sending this back into space, you might want to be aware of that flexing issue. The cut of the solar cell is about 2.5 x 1.75 inches. From what I have seen, this piece is bigger than the square cuts that the ESA handed out, which only had two cells. I've taken excellent care of the Lucite encasing and it is in great condition (non-smoking, dry, non-sunny environment). It comes with this little translucent stand which, I assume, is made from Lucite too. This piece of international space history is very dear to me, but I have to sell it for financial reasons."

George Washington Era Sheet Music for The Battle of Prague

This wonderful piece of original sheet music from the era of George Washington's presidential years is up for bid on eBay. 

"For being more than 200 hundred years old," says the seller, "I think it is in remarkable condition and has shown great care through the years."

Entitled "The Battle of Prague" with the following additional wording on the cover: Favorite Sonata for the piano for G. Washington President of the United States with accompaniment, according to the listing. $1 dollar. Boston - Printed & Sold by Graupner No 6 Franklin St.

According to various sources, the seller continues, the printer, Graupner, was born Johann Christian Gottlieb Graupner in 1767 and died 1836.  Graupner was an oboist, conductor, teacher, composer as well as music publisher.  He joined a regimental band in Hannover at an early age, then to London and during the mid-1790's he came to North America.  In 1801 he founded the Boston Philharmonic Society, and five years later was a co-founder of what later became the Handel and Haydn Society.  He published instructional books for the clarinet and flute and a widely used 'Rudiments of the Art of Playing on the Piano-Forte'.  He became the major publishing figure in Boston in the early decades of the 19th century.

What is interesting about Francis "Frank" Johnson, is that he was born 1792 and passed away 1884.  He was an African American musician and composer, and was also a conductor and the first African American to give public performances.  If you link into Wikipedia for Johnson, scroll down to the Musical Innovations heading, that section references 'The Battle of Prague' as composed by Frantisek Kotzwara (born 1730 and died February 2, 1791 of erotic asphyxiation) and Johnson's arrangement.  This may not be referencing the piece that I am offering, but I found it interesting that Johnson was popular particularly for conducting works that depicted battle and he impressed the audience with realistic effects.  The fact that the sheet music that I have has specific references to "The Bugle Horn Call for the Cavalry", many calls for "Cannon", "The Trumpet Call", "Flying Bullets", "Trumpets and Kettle Drums", "Cries of the Wounded", has all lead me to believe that this is a piece of music that he would have loved to conduct.