Historical
114
Posts
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Historical
114
Posts
6
Followers
Up for auction is an Iconic vintage glossy 5 x 7 photo of Albert Einstein famously sticking his tongue out on his 72nd birthday, signed in the thin upper border in fountain pen in German (translated): "This gesture applies only to the rest of the world. Yours, A. Einstein 51." Reverse bears an International News Photos credit stamp: "Int'l News Photos, 235 East 45th St., New York." In very good to fine condition, with scattered creasing, including a thin vertical crease descending to his forehead, visible at an angle. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. What do you think it’ll sell for?
https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/349742307124099-albert-einstein-iconic-signed-tongue-photograph-this-gesture-applies-only-to-the-rest-of-the-world/
I enjoy not only the history of football but the history of football cards. Here are a couple of my 1910 Murad Cigarettes trading cards. They made 3 series of the set in 1909, the Harvard Card was released, and the following year, Tufts College appeared in series 2. The set was dedicated to college sports, and only one football card was printed in each series.
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Last week, I stumbled upon a unique portrait of Colonel Sanders in his iconic white suit, which I ended up buying as it was an exact portrait of a rare one I already owned of him in a black suit with his autograph at the bottom. Though I had always thought my piece was interesting, I never paid much attention to the faded inscription at the bottom, assuming it was just signed for a random couple who had requested his autograph.
While researching the white suit portrait, I came across a post by Darren Rovell on X (https://x.com/darrenrovell/status/1872401111157813679), where he shared that a signed portrait of Colonel Sanders had sold for $450 on eBay last December.
The thread included the backstory of that exact portrait and revealed an inscription that read "Sincere best wishes to my dear friend Leonard Goldstein -- Sincerely, Col. Harland Sanders. 11/4/60". But what sparked my interest was the fact that Goldstein was one of the first KFC franchisees who happened to invent the rotating bucket sign that stood atop his restaurant.
Intrigued by the significance, I took another look at the faded inscription on my portrait. Using AI to help decipher it, I was finally able to reveal that it was said: "Greetings from Kentucky Fried Chicken __ -- To Harley & Margaret McDowell -- Sincerely, Col. Harland Sanders. 9/5/61".
It turns out Harley McDowell was the fourth ever KFC franchisee and as I dug deeper into his story, I realized how crucial some of these early pioneers were in shaping KFC’s history:
Pete Harman, the first KFC franchisee, operated out of Harman’s Cafe in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1952. A painter working on Harman’s Cafe suggested renaming Sanders’ chicken as “Kentucky Fried Chicken” to distinguish itself from generic southern fried chicken. Harman also introduced the famous bucket meals in 1957.
Harley McDowell, the fourth franchisee, operated out of Bismarck Big Boy in North Dakota in 1954, where he launched the first ever drive-thru KFC.
Leonard Goldstein, possibly the fifth franchisee, opened his location out of Lendy's Big Boy in Virginia in 1955. He ended up coming up with the idea for the rotating bucket sign that would later become an iconic symbol of KFC.
Dave Thomas, while not technically a franchisee, was an investor in a 1950's franchise that was struggling and played a monumental role in its turnaround and KFC as we know it today. He introduced an accounting system, trimmed the menu to focus solely on chicken, and pushed Sanders to personally appear in commercials. Thomas went on to invest in four more failing KFC restaurants in Ohio and after completely turning those establishments around, he sold his shares back to Sanders for $1.5 million—a fortune he later used to found Wendy’s.
In case you were wondering, Colonel Sanders initially started licensing out his recipe and pressure frying method for $0.04/chicken until he sold to investors in 1964. It wasn't until then where they ordered all existing locations to operate as standalone KFC's or have their licenses terminated.
While these portraits are unique in their own right as only one was given to a handful of early franchisees to hang inside their establishments, what struck me the most was how personal these inscriptions were as the Colonel usually reserved these special messages for individuals who played pivotal roles in his life.
Excited to see more of you showcase your unique collectibles and the amazing stories they hold!
(P.S. -- Yes, this does hang in my dining room and yes, I do hear the phrase "11 herbs & spices" in my head whenever I look at it.)