Seth Kaller, Inc.

George Washington calls for a “material change” in the military, financial and political management of the country in 1780, a dark year in the struggle for independence. Frederick Douglass champions “the right to personal freedom” as the foundation of all other rights. And in Florida in 1876, it’s all about counting the votes.

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To celebrate this historic election season we have put together a unique collection of documents that reflect the history of our democracy and the election process.

Abraham Lincoln was perhaps our greatest president. His prudent measures and political skills stabilized the government after the southern states seceded, and his soaring rhetoric inspired a generation to risk their lives for the great twin causes of national reconciliation and abolition of slavery. Our catalog features varied manuscripts and prints related to his election victories, the war effort, and his assassination. Two highlights are his call for a cabinet meeting to discuss compensated emancipation, and the earliest known printing of the Gettysburg Address.

Our inventory includes items from the Founding Fathers and other larger-than-life presidents like Teddy Roosevelt and JFK, as well as lesser-known presidents like James Buchanan, that shed light on their personal traits and on the trials and turning points of American history. One featured item is a letter written by George Washington as a general, at the nadir of the Revolutionary War, contemplating a program for a stronger national government.

From the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, to the final ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920, women’s suffrage leaders fought for a more inclusive vision of American citizenship. In our growing catalog, we offer iconic movement memorabilia, as well as a letter from Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Isabella Beecher Hooker, to a U.S. Senator lobbying for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women’s suffrage.

We specialize in acquiring and authenticating early prints of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. In this catalog you will also find numerous interesting and unique items, including one of the earliest printings of the Star-Spangled Banner, letters from Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush, and a comprehensive science archive.

From Theodor Herzl and Menachem Begin to Albert Einstein, we offer documents from great Jewish and Jewish-American statesmen and scientists, illustrating their personal experiences and contributions, as well as the rise of Zionism and the state of Israel.

The African American experience includes unspeakable horrors and betrayals, determined resistance, and high achievement. Their rise to full citizenship speaks to the universal truths of the Declaration of Independence. This offering contains such important items as Phillis Wheatley’s poetry, records of slave sales and slave uprisings, runaway slave advertisements, documents related to the Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement, and dramatic signed letters from John Brown and Frederick Douglass. Also included, from more recent times, are Jackie Robinson’s discussion of the “Negro vote,” and Alex Haley’s research notes and manuscript drafts for Roots and an unpublished book.

View the financial instruments owned by famous individuals such as Union General Benjamin Butler, scientist George Merck, and inventor Thomas Edison.