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Lot #177
William Randolph Hearst Twice-Signed Autograph Poem

"On golden goblets rare and fine / Drink deeply of that draught divine / Good California wine"

Estimate: $200+

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Server Time: 12/21/2024 02:56:51 AM EST
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Description

"On golden goblets rare and fine / Drink deeply of that draught divine / Good California wine"

Original unpublished handwritten poem, signed “W. R. Hearst, Seripsit,” on the left inside portion of a 6 x 8 Christmas card to Hearst’s close friend, actor and newsman Harry Crocker, which he signs a second time “from W. R. Hearst.” The first three lines of the poem, in Latin, are from the Odes of Horace. These are followed by 12 lines of verse in English by Hearst, prefaced as “An ode—in his mode.”

In full: “The Winter days are drear and dire / The Winter winks and snows conspire / To vent on earth fierce Winter’s ire / Drag in the logs, light up the fire / Pile high the wood upon the pyre / To gain the glow that men desire / Bring on the meals that men may dine / Bring on the drink for which men pine / Then when the flames reflecting shine / On golden goblets rare and fine / Drink deeply of that draught divine / Good California wine.“ In very good to fine condition, with light scuffing to the front of the card, and light toning and staining to the poem inside.

The image on the front of the card, in gold, is taken from a sculpture by Arnold Ronnebeck and published by the American Artists Group of New York.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autographs and Artifacts Featuring Art and Literature
  • Dates: December 20, 2024 - January 08, 2025





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