Authentic Ticker Tape Announcing End of World War II Now at Michaan’s Auctions
Alameda, CA (PRWEB) November 24, 2014 -- A one-of-a-kind, history-marking relic may cause a bidding war in Michaan's Dec. 7 auction, coincidentally held on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The framed, two-piece World War II ticker tape from Aug. 14, 1945 details the exact moment of Japan's surrender (lot 10042-008, $15,000-20,000).
The first segment of the ticker tape describes the forthcoming surrender. The second then communicates the military events of the day, such as several small aircraft and medium bombers hitting the Japanese. The official closing statement announcing Japan’s surrender immediately follows.
This ticker tape is especially rare and valued, as it precisely marks the exact moment in history when the official announcement of the defeat of the Japanese Empire was transmitted over military wire back to the United States. The Dixon, CA relay station where the message was received was one of four official military receiving channels at the time. In this instance, the Dixon station was designated as the prime receiver for all Asian origin transmissions. This initial wire was then sent to various military stations and was the communication that was most likely how President Truman first learned of the surrender announcement. On the same day this announcement was made, more than one thousand Japanese soldiers stormed the Imperial Palace in an attempt to prevent the transmission.
The consignor of the World War II ticker tapes inherited them from his grandfather, a World War II Navy veteran based out of San Francisco. The ticker tape was originally in the possession of the consignor's great-uncle, who was also enlisted in the Navy during the war. He worked in the army radio facility in Dixon, California where the Teletype tape was originally received on that Aug. 14 afternoon in 1945. Before his great-uncle's passing in the 1970s, he gifted them to his consignor's grandfather, thus keeping the ticker tape’s ownership within their family.
A similar ticker tape dated to Aug. 10, 1945 was sold in Bonham's 2013 World War II auction, hammering for $21,250 U.S. dollars. This particular ticker tape was of a smaller transmission, describing the looming potential of Japan's surrender.
For more information on this historic piece of World War II memorabilia, please contact Melissa Cooper at (510) 227-2540 or e-mail melissa(at)michaans(dot)com.
About the company:
Michaan's Auctions is a leading, full-service auction house on the West Coast specializing in the appraisal and sale of antiques and fine art. Some of Michaan's specialty departments include Asian Works of Art, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Modern & Contemporary European and American Paintings/Prints and Jewelry. Established in 2002, Michaan's Auctions holds up to 30 sales each year that attract a broad base of buyers and consignors the world over. With one of the largest facilities in Northern California, Michaan's offers buyers the ability to preview and bid on many unique and desirable pieces. Their team of specialists is dedicated to staying current on the latest issues and developments in the market. For more information, visit their website at http://www.michaans.com/.
Talesa Eugenio, Michaan's Auctions, http://www.michaans.com/, 510-740-0220, [email protected]
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