Offered here are two cuts signed by Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson and legendary inventor and businessman Thomas Edison. Christy Mathewson was a gentleman among scoundrels in the rough-and-tumble world of deadball era baseball. College educated at a time when most athletes were not, Mathewson earned a reputation as a member of the New York City literati, penning a well-received newspaper column, numerous books, and even a play. It was with the New York Giants that Mathewson blossomed into one of the best pitchers of all-time, winning 373 games during his exemplary 16-season career.

American inventor and businessman Thomas Edison developed many devices which changed world and how people live. In his prolific career Edison was responsible for the invention of the phonograph, the motion picture camera and the long-lasting electric light bulb. Today, the light bulb has come to represent more than simply artificial sunlight. Having transcended its original function, the light bulb is the universal symbol for creative genius—the icon, for example, that appears in the ether above cartoon characters who have just had the epiphanic idea of a lifetime. When Thomas Edison patented the light bulb, he created the archetypal definition of what it means to invent.

Mathewson signed his name in bold black pen on a 4 ½ x 2 ¾ inch paper that has been adhered to a larger 6 ¾ x 4-inch piece of paper. On the lower left corner of Mathewson’s cut is “38” that has been handwritten in pencil. On the opposite side of the larger paper is another 4 ½ x 2 ¾ inch paper that has been signed by Edison in black/gray pencil and adhered to the larger cut. On the lower left corner of Edison’s cut is “40” that has been handwritten in pencil. Both signatures are bold and clear, while the paper displays minor toning due to age. A wonderful collection of early 20th century autographs from subjects that excelled in their respective fields. These signatures come with a LOA from JSA (BB12758).

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