Emperor Hirohito's manuscript top lot at Voices of the 20th Century Auction
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, May 2, 2025


Emperor Hirohito's manuscript top lot at Voices of the 20th Century Auction
Emperor Hirohito’s monologue achieved $275,000. Photo: Bonhams.



NEW YORK, NY.- The only known copy of Emperor Hirohito’s monologue was the top lot in the Voices of the 20th Century auction at Bonhams New York, achieving $275,000. Highlights from across two sales on December 6 included Billie Jean King’s racquet from the epic “Battle of the Sexes” match (price realized: $125,000), a Wozniak blue box offered at auction for the first time in the History of Science and Technology sale, (price realized: $125,000) and an Apple 1 computer (price realized: $372,500.)

History of Science and Technology
Adam Stackhouse, Senior Specialist, Books and Manuscripts said “we’re particularly pleased with the results achieved for the blue box, which was the first to ever be offered at auction and instrumental in the formation of Apple Inc. There was also significant interest in some early microcomputers offered in the sale, which resulted in a record price for the Intel Intellec-8.”

Top lots from the sale were a new-to-auction blue box by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, which soared above pre-sale estimates with bidding activity over the phones and online, and the revolutionary Apple 1 computer, which was the first pre-assembled personal computer to come to market. In an auction that saw nine of its top ten lots beat their estimates, early computing memorabilia did particularly well. The Intel Intellec-8 microcomputer set a record when it went for nine times its estimate to realize $13,750 and an Altair 8800 sold for 8 times its estimate to achieve $8,125.

Voices of the 20th Century
“We are honored to handle the sale of Emperor Hirohito’s historically significant monologue, which nearly tripled its pre-sale estimate in our sale today,” said Ian Ehling, Director, Books & Manuscripts. “There was also a great result for Billie Jean King’s tennis racquet from the monumental “Battle of the Sexes,” match, in addition to incredible prices for first editions by Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and manuscript pages by Ayn Rand.”

The top lot of the sale, the Emperor's Monologue known as Dokuhakuroku, is an important document transcribed word-for-word by senior diplomat Hidenari Terasaki, from March 18 to April 8 in 1946 at the request of General Douglas MacArthur. Its 173 pages cover events from the Japanese assassination of Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin (1928) to the Emperor's famous Surrender Broadcast recorded on August 14, 1945.

Billie Jean King’s racquet from the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match against Bobby Riggs achieved $125,000, of which a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Women’s Sports Foundation. King’s inspiring victory in straight sets during the exhibition match was a significant event in the movement for greater recognition and respect for women’s tennis and beyond.

The sale had all its top ten lots achieve prices above their low estimates, with notable results for Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls (price realized: $81,250), Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (price realized: $62,500) as well as two separate working manuscript pages of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (prices realized: $56,250 for lot 1058 and $52,500 for lot 1059.)










Today's News

December 10, 2017

Egyptian archaeologists discover mummy in previously unexplored tomb in Luxor

Trump salutes civil rights heroes at boycotted museum opening

Philanthropists make lead gift for new art museum at Notre Dame

Phoenix Art Museum receives significant investment in contemporary art

Russian strongman appears as "Superputin" in new exhibition

France bids emotional farewell to rocker Hallyday

Anish Kapoor's first work in VR launched today during Nobel Week 2017

Storytellers promoted co-operation among hunter-gatherers before advent of religion

Royal Mint Museum buys rare English shilling of Henry VII for record £52,800

Galerie Springer presents works from different cycles of Evelyn Hofer's career

Important Emily Carr painting acquired by the Audain Art Museum

Emperor Hirohito's manuscript top lot at Voices of the 20th Century Auction

Caroline Brazier announces retirement from the British Library

New Kohler Experience Center in Los Angeles hosts inaugural exhibition of David Franklin's Ghost School

Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt exhibits a large-scale installation by Philipp Fürhofer

10 years of the Basil Sellers Art Prize on view at Hazelhurst Gallery

Launch LA opens solo exhibitions of works by Axel Wilhite and Susan Feldman

'Jaime Hayon: Technicolor' brings vibrant colors and whimsical objects to the Milwaukee Art Museum

SWOON opens first exhibition in Asia at Magda Danysz Gallery in Shanghai

The Rome Quadriennale Foundation appoints Sarah Cosulich as Artistic Director

Exhibition brings together drawings and photographs of architectural works of Louis I. Kahn

Hamburger Kunsthalle presents a selection of the best-known publications and photo books by artists

Major work attributed to Zhang Daqian to headline Clars auction

The National Museum of American Jewish History explores successful Human Rights campaign

The 5 Most Iconic Casino Designs in the United States




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
(52 8110667640)

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful