LOT #1 |
Sold on Jul 28, 2023 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
Alan Alda "Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce" Screen Used Dog Tags and Boots from M*A*S*H Donated by Alda I...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
M*A*S*H Goes to Auction: Hawkeye’s Combat Boots and Dog Tags Benefitting The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Alan Alda "Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce" Screen Used
Dog Tags and Boots from M*A*S*H Donated by
Alda Including Signed LOA (CBS, 1972-1983). Vintage pair of
military-issue dog tags made of nickle/copper alloy on stainless
steel bead chain. The tags were issued to two veterans: 1) Hersie
Davenport / 36392663 T43 [Tetanus shot taken 1943] / A [blood type]
/ Velma Davenport [emergency contact] / 1217 Ash St / Texarkana Ark
P[rotestant]; 2) Morris D Levine / 32444435 T42 [Tetanus shot taken
1942] B [blood type] / Gladys Levine [emergency contact] / 515
Riverside Ave / Brooklyn NY H[ebrew]. Accompanying the dog tags are
one pair of distressed standard-issue combat boots designed for
durability and comfort, with sturdy leather uppers, rubber soles
and black laces. Each boot has "Hawkeye" handwritten in marker on
the interior.Hawkeye (Alda) was the chief medical surgeon of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. Alda's portrayal was characterized by his sharp wit, anti-authoritarianism, and his dedication to his patients and the medical profession. Alda's performance in front of and behind the camera earned him numerous awards and nominations throughout the show's 11-year, 251-episode run. He won five Emmy Awards for his work on the show, including ones for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. Alda directed 32 episodes of M*A*S*H and wrote or co-wrote 19 episodes of the series, including the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen," the most-watched episode of any broadcast network television series. In addition to his Emmy Awards, Alda won six Golden Globes Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical for his work on M*A*S*H, which one network executive (dismissively!) called "a situation tragedy."
Alda's Hawkeye Pierce is considered among the most beloved characters in television history, and the role - and his shaping of the series - cemented his status as one of the most respected actors, writers and directors in the industry. As critic David Thompson wrote in Television: A Biography, Alda and co-creators Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds "share the credit for a simply crafted show, ready to take risks and departures, and certainly mindful of the reality of war."
Included is a signed letter of provenance from Alan Alda, which reads:
"Boots and Tags
By Alan Alda
I put these boots on every day that we shot MASH, for eleven years. And the dog tags, too. And every time my foot found its way into one of the boots, or the necklace of tags went over my head, I remembered: Someone had worn these once in a real war.
Each of the two dog tags bore a different name, religion and ID number, and I always wondered what had become of the soldiers who had worn them. Which war had they been part of? Had they survived it?
Thinking about these men wasn't some kind of acting exercise. They were on my mind because I was literally in their shoes and wearing the metal tags stamped with the minimal words and numbers that served as their identity. When I laced up the boots, I thought about the guy who had worn them before me, and what he might have had to go through, compared to their present occupier.
When the show ended, the boots and tags were the only things I kept. I never wore them again-just kept them on a shelf.
As the years passed-more than fifty since I'd first put them on-I realized they could have a life again. I had begun to devote most of my time helping improve how science and medicine are communicated. In the past few years, The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science has worked with 20,000 scientists and doctors around the world to help them explain their work to the rest of us.
The boots and tags could be part of that. Putting them up for auction, with all proceeds going to the non-profit Center, is a way for them to march again. This time to help improve communication-something a little different from the conflict in which they were first worn. [Signed] Alan Alda"
Exhibiting age and production wear, oxidation, and scratching to the metal tag. Boots exhibit age and heaving scuffing from use. Proceeds will benefit The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions.
Auction Info
2023 July 28 M*A*S*H Goes to Auction: Hawkeye's Combat Boots and Dog Tags Benefitting The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science Signature® Auction #7353 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2023
28th
Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 24
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 15,728
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
25% on the first $300,000 (minimum $49), plus 20% of any amount between $300,000 and $3,000,000, plus 15% of any amount over $3,000,000 per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms