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Profiles in History, run by Joe Maddalena, has announced the high sale results of their auction, "The Property Of A Distinguished American Collector Part II" in Los Angeles. High selling items are detailed below.
- A Marilyn Monroe autographed letter to Lee Strasberg in which she discusses the psychological toll Hollywood has taken on her, was estimated to sell for $30,000 to $50,000 and sold for $156,000
- A Ludwig van Beethoven autographed letter to opera singer Friedrich Sebastian Mayer days before the premiere of his opera, Fidelio, was estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000 and sold for $96,000.
- A collection of original love letters from one of the most tragic and compelling romances in history, that of Tsar Alexander II and Princess Catherine Yurievskaya, was estimated to sell for $60,000 to $80,000 and sold for $96,000.
- A Thomas Jefferson autographed letter about his retirement and the next generation was estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000 and sold for $60,000.
Founded in 1985 by Joseph Maddalena, Profiles in History is the world's largest auctioneer & dealer of original Hollywood Memorabilia, historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs and manuscripts. Born into a family of antiques dealers in Rhode Island, Joseph "Joe" Maddalena learned early on how to turn his passion of collecting historical autographs into a career. Upon graduation from Pepperdine, Joe pursued his passion to become a full-time dealer of historical documents, and opened his first office in 1985. Profiles in History has held some of the most prestigious and successful auctions of Hollywood memorabilia and own virtually every Guinness Book record for prices of original screen-used memorabilia. Highlights from their previous auctions include the "Cowardly Lion" costume from The Wizard of Oz ($805,000); Steve McQueen's "Michael Delaney" racing suit from Le Mans ($960,000); From the history-making Debbie Reynolds Auction in June 2011, Profiles in History sold the Marilyn Monroe "Subway" Dress from The Seven Year Itch for $5.52M and the Audrey Hepburn Ascot Dress from My Fair Lady for $4.44M. In February 2012, Profiles in History arranged the sale of a pair of Judy Garland screen-used Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In addition, Joe Maddalena is the star of Hollywood Treasure, which just ended its second season on Syfy. Hollywood Treasure takes viewers into the fascinating world of showbiz and pop culture memorabilia. For more information visit www.profilesinhistory.com.
