Anonymous buyer bids $500K for Star-Spangled Banner first edition
December 4th, 2010 - 11:32 am ICT by ANILondon, Dec 4 (ANI): An anonymous buyer bought the first edition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” poem, whose words were adopted for the US national anthem, for a whopping 506,500 dollars.
According to Christie’s New York auction house, it is the only first edition of the poem in private hands, and one of just 11 such manuscripts to exist.
Francis Scott Key wrote a first draft of the poem in September 1814. He was inspired after witnessing the defence of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry against a British bombardment.
The poem was set to music and publisher Thomas Carr rushed the song to print. It was finally adopted as the US national anthem in 1931.
Since the poem’s publication it had “become in the intervening years an absolute true icon of American history and patriotism,” the BBC quoted Christie’s manuscript expert Chris Coover, as saying.
“I’m fortunate enough to have been here 30 years. It’s the first time I’ve ever handled one and it’s quite a thrill,” he said of the manuscript. (ANI)
- Star spangled banner copy sells for $506,500 - Dec 06, 2010
- Flag Day in the USA 2010, Happy 125th! - Jun 15, 2010
- It's the Star Spangled Banner's birthday! - Sep 15, 2010
- How George M. Cohan and Francis Scott Key Shaped America - Jun 08, 2009
- Steven Tyler sings the National Anthem at the AFC championship (Video) - Jan 23, 2012
- Christina Aguilera invited to sing do-over of anthem - Feb 09, 2011
- Jim Cornelison Hired By Chicago Blackhawks As Full Time National Anthem Singer - Jan 17, 2011
- 'Black tulip of US literature' expected to fetch record price at NY auction - Dec 04, 2009
- Life of Rabindranath Tagore at a glance - May 08, 2011
- 'Captain America' - linear, predictable but fun (IANS Movie Review) - Aug 12, 2011
- Christina Aguilera jokes about her infamous Super Bowl mishap - Apr 28, 2011
- Indian national anthem completes 100 years - Dec 27, 2011
- Christina Aguilera Apologizes For Mangling National Anthem At Super Bowl - Feb 08, 2011
- Uttar Pradesh school 'changes' national anthem - Feb 21, 2011
- New facsimile of Buddhist sutra unveiled - May 04, 2012
Tags: american history, auction house, bbc, british bombardment, christie, coover, first draft, fort mchenry, francis scott key, london, manuscript, manuscripts, patriotism, poem, private hands, star spangled banner, thomas carr, true icon, us national anthem, york auction