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Lot #84
Nelson Mandela Signed Album -'Why I Am Ready To Die'

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Estimate: $600+
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Description

'Why I Am Ready To Die' spoken word album by Nelson Mandela, with narration by Peter Finch, signed on the front cover in black felt tip, "N. Mandela, 14. 7. 99." In very good to fine condition, with some edge creasing, and a tear to the lower right edge impinging on Mandela's left eye. The record is included.

This record contains extracts of a three-hour speech, alternatively titled ‘I Am Prepared to Die,’ given by Nelson Mandela on April 20, 1964, from the dock of the defendant at the Rivonia Trial. The speech is so titled because it ends with the words ‘it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.’ The speech is considered one of the great speeches of the 20th century, and a key moment in the history of South African democracy.

The Rivonia Trial was a landmark political trial in South Africa that took place between 1963 and 1964. It was named after the suburb of Rivonia in Johannesburg, where several key leaders of the anti-apartheid movement were arrested by the South African government. In June 1964, Nelson Mandela and several of his co-accused were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial played a significant role in raising awareness about apartheid's injustices and contributed to international pressure on the South African government to end apartheid and release political prisoners. Mandela's release in 1990 and the subsequent negotiations led to the eventual dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of democratic elections in South Africa in 1994.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts
  • Dates: #680 - Ended December 06, 2023





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