Lot 300

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

An Extremely Rare Autograph Letter Signed by Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter to His Manager, Marjorie Fairbanks

Autograph Letter Signed, "H. Ledbetter," 1 page, 7.5" x 8.75" (visible), New York, March 28, 1949, to his manager Marjorie Fairbanks concerning the receipt of monies from his "Bass [player?]" Light toning toward bottom margin, light mailing folds, else fine. Elegantly matted and framed to 26.5" x 20.75" with a large color portrait of Ledbetter playing guitar.

Ledbetter writes, in full:

"Dear mrs Fairbanks[,]

i rec[eived] som[e] money From my Bass [player] He is all right But He was slow[.] i did[']n[t] [kn]ow whot [sic] was the mat[t]er But now i [kn]ow so Don[']t warrie [sic] we got every thing in front of us Take care of your Self and say Hello to Clif[f]ord [Manz] for me

and martha

H Ledbetter"

Although he is identified primarily with his solo-guitar work, in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Ledbetter began playing with jazz ensembles—part of the burgeoning New Orleans jazz revival. Huddie discovered that he was being credited as an important source in the development of jazz when music historians Charles Edward Smith and Frederick Ramsey, Jr. began inquiring into the roots of his music. In the early to mid 1940s, Ledbetter toured with several jazz and blues bands including combos headed by the likes of Bunk Johnson, Brownie McGhee and Art Hodes. Around June 1946, he recorded five songs in New York with George "Pops" Foster on bass (together with Willie "The Lion" Smith on piano, Sonny Terry on harmonica, and Brownie McGhee on guitar).

During January and February 1949 he made several radio appearances on the WNYC Jazz Festival as well as a $75 gig at the Jazz Band Ball in February and in the same month he joined the musicians union (Charles K. Wolfe, Life and Legend of Leadbelly, 1992, pp. 232-244). Clifford Manz was serving the lecture and concert coordinator for the University of Minnesota when Ledbetter performed there in the fall of 1948. (Ibid, p. 253).

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 22, 2022 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000