BOSTON, MASS.- RR Auction's July Fine Autograph and Artifact sale boasts a wealth of remarkable historical material from the 18th century to the present day, including significant letters by Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein, Paul Cezanne, and Marilyn Monroe.

Among the highlights is a Nikola Tesla letter evoking the great rivalries of the electric age. In the four-page letter on personal monogram letterhead, July 14, 1899. Handwritten letter to Rear Admiral Francis J. Higginson by Nikola Tesla, penned from his "Colorado Springs Experimental Station.” Tesla insists his wireless technology is superior to Marconi's: "I am now looking with full confidence to the establishment of a communication with the European continent.” Tesla alludes to his rivalry with Marconi in this significant letter, asserting that he has now perfected novel methods which are superior to those previously promulgated by himself and others. Marconi was his chief competitor in this area at the time. Further, his inquiry about the ship's power supply, whether "direct or alternating," is noteworthy as a question associated with the 'current wars.' Tesla was an advocate for alternating current, while Thomas Edison was a supporter of direct current. In both cases, Tesla would become embroiled in lengthy legal battles over patent infringement with his competitors. Rife with content related to the great rivalries of the early electric age, this is a fabulous autograph letter by the celebrated innovator. (Estimate: $50,000+)

Albert Einstein signed letter on the precipice of his international fame in 1919, Einstein writes to a fellow future Nobel laureate on radioactive theory and a WWI prisoner of war. The one-page typed letter in French, November 5, 1919. Letter to Professor Jean Baptiste Perrin, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1926 for his work on the atomic structure of matter. In addition to important family and political content, Einstein comments on a theory that Perrin had developed in which all chemical transformations (including radioactive decay) are triggered by radiation, calling it "dubious." Also significant is the date: one day before the official report of Eddington's expedition debuted before the Royal Society of London, confirming Einstein's theory of general relativity. Widespread newspaper coverage of the results vaulted Einstein into immediate international fame. An altogether remarkable letter from one Nobel Prize winner to another. (Estimate: $25,000+)

Paul Cézanne letter thanking a young poet for his literary work, and that he looks forward to a discussion "about the things of Art which interest us so much.” The rare one-page letter in French, June 11, 1898. Handwritten letter to the young poet and art critic Eugene Montfort. Montfort had just published his second collection, Chair (1898), and was introduced to Cezanne by the poet and art critic Joachim Gasquet. Gasquet had befriended Cezanne at an 1895 exhibition at Aix-en-Provence, and would author a biography of the artist in 1921. A fabulous handwritten letter by the important Post-Impressionist painter, connecting the visual and literary arts in fin de siècle France. (Estimate: $15,000+)

Marilyn Monroe handwritten notes where Marilyn remembers her mom in notes for a meeting with her psychoanalyst: "Mother always tried to get me to 'go out' as though she felt I were too unadventurous.” The notes along the top refer to two women who recently entered Monroe's life—her psychoanalyst Dr. Marianne Kris, whom Monroe had begun seeing after leaving Dr. Margaret Hohenberg in the spring of 1957, and Jane Miller, Monroe's stepdaughter with husband Arthur Miller. A fascinating handwritten note from Monroe, who no doubt used this sheet as a reminder for an upcoming appointment with Kris. (Estimate: $7,500+)

Among other lots of interest are incredible signed photographs of Ernest Hemingway and the Apollo 11 crew; rare mid-century Academy Awards; and marvelous music autographs including the Beatles, the Eagles, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin.

To celebrate the Fourth of July, we also have an offering of autographs from patriot luminaries like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Paine. RR Auction is a globally recognized and trusted auction house specializing in historical autographs and artifacts. Join us as we make history selling history in July 2022.

The Fine Autograph and Artifacts auction by RR Auction began on June 24 and will conclude on July 13.