- 261
King, Martin Luther, Jr.
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 USD
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Description
- Typed letter signed ("Martin L. King Jr."), to a Mrs. Schaefer, regarding his naming by TIME magazine as their "Man of the Year"
- paper, ink
1 page (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216mm) on paper. Atlanta, Georgia (Southern Christian Leadership Conference Stationary), 24 January 1964. [With]: TIME magazine cover (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216mm), signed by Martin Luther King Jr., and two accompanying envelopes.
Condition
1 page (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216mm) on paper. Atlanta, Georgia (Southern Christian Leadership Conference Stationary), 24 January 1964. [With]: TIME magazine cover (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216mm), signed by Martin Luther King Jr., and two accompanying envelopes.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.
Catalogue Note
A affecting letter of gratitude, penned by the leader of the civil rights movement "...I sincerely feel that this particular recognition is not an honor to be enjoyed by me personally," King writes, "but rather a tribute to the entire civil rights struggle and the millions of gallant people all over the nation who are working so untiringly to being the American dream into reality."
Leading up to being named TIME magazine's "Man of the Year" in January of 1964, King had been one of the central driving forces behind the Birmingham campaign, which sought to use nonviolent tactics, including marches and sit-ins, in order to openly yet peacefully violate laws considered unjust. It was King's aim to incite mass arrests so that avenues for negotiation might be opened. During the protests, however, the Birmingham Police Department infamously used high-pressure water jets and police dogs against protesters, to include children. As the footage was broadcast throughout the United States, the nation's attention was gripped, horrifying many white Americans, and also consolidating black Americans behind the movement.
"The fact that TIME took such cognizance of the social revolution in which we are engaged," King continues in the present letter, "is an indication that the conscience of America has been reached and that the older order which has embraced bigotry and discrimination must now yield to what we know to be right and just."
A remarkable letter by one of the 20th century's most important figures
Leading up to being named TIME magazine's "Man of the Year" in January of 1964, King had been one of the central driving forces behind the Birmingham campaign, which sought to use nonviolent tactics, including marches and sit-ins, in order to openly yet peacefully violate laws considered unjust. It was King's aim to incite mass arrests so that avenues for negotiation might be opened. During the protests, however, the Birmingham Police Department infamously used high-pressure water jets and police dogs against protesters, to include children. As the footage was broadcast throughout the United States, the nation's attention was gripped, horrifying many white Americans, and also consolidating black Americans behind the movement.
"The fact that TIME took such cognizance of the social revolution in which we are engaged," King continues in the present letter, "is an indication that the conscience of America has been reached and that the older order which has embraced bigotry and discrimination must now yield to what we know to be right and just."
A remarkable letter by one of the 20th century's most important figures