Atlanta, GA — March 30, 2026 — Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery is pleased to present property from the estate of Dr. Goodman Basil Espy III, a distinguished Atlanta physician, humanitarian, and lifelong collector whose remarkable holdings have been celebrated across multiple major auction platforms.
Dr. Espy (1935–2024), known as “G.B.” to family and friends, was widely recognized not only for his medical career, during which he delivered thousands of children and participated in international medical missions, but also for running more than 80 marathons, and for his decades-long passion for collecting objects that embodied history, culture, and storytelling.
Inspired at an early age by his mother’s antiques shop, Dr. Espy developed a deeply personal and wide-ranging collection over the course of his life, guided by curiosity and an appreciation for the narratives behind each object.
A Collection of Remarkable Breadth
Segments of Dr. Espy’s collection have already achieved national recognition through a series of high-profile specialized auctions, including a single-owner sale at Julien’s in 2019 and, more recently, American Greats: Vintage Sports and Hollywood from the Dr. G.B. Espy Collection at Christie’s, including an important Lou Gehrig New York Yankees jersey worn at his final home game at Yankee Stadium in 1939.
Property Offered by Ahlers & Ogletree
Ahlers & Ogletree is honored to present a distinct and complementary group of objects drawn directly from Dr. Espy’s estate. Many of these works remained within his personal environment and have not previously been offered publicly. The offering includes significant memorabilia, from items associated with Marilyn Monroe to rare scientific, historical, and political documents, demonstrating a collector drawn to objects with compelling provenance and cultural resonance. The works offered in this sale reflect a different dimension of Dr. Espy’s collecting interests.
Highlights include an important collection of Art Deco Bakelite radios; signed first editions of Gone With the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird; paintings by William Aiken Walker; antique sterling silver yachting and golf trophies; important signed letters by Albert Einstein, Charles Lindbergh, Jefferson Davis, George Custer, Ty Cobb, and others; and a collection of fine jewelry by Tiffany & Co. Together, these objects provide insight into the broader aesthetic sensibility that defined his home and daily surroundings.
Lots of note include:
A signed and inscribed first edition, first printing, author’s presentation copy of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird with its original dust jacket, estimate $40,000-$50,000
A signed and inscribed first edition, first printing, author’s presentation copy of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, with original dust jacket and accompanying letter from the author, estimate $20,000-$30,000
A TLS by Albert Einstein on Hebrew Literary Foundation letterhead, dated May 31, 1940,
regarding the urgent need to support displaced Jewish scholars from Europe during the
escalation of World War II, estimate $10,000-$20,000
A Babe Ruth signed check dated April 9, 1946, estimate $4,000–$6,000
An ALS by Stonewall Jackson to George Gibson discussing consideration for a military appointment during the Mexican American War, dated October 6, 1847, estimate $3,000-$5,000
.
A Collector’s Philosophy
Throughout his life, Dr. Espy viewed himself not as an owner, but as a steward of history. As he once reflected, his role was to carry objects “from one point in time to another,” with the hope that future custodians would continue that legacy.
That philosophy is evident in the breadth of his collection, one that bridges disciplines, eras, and cultural narratives, united by a shared sense of story and significance.
About Ahlers & Ogletree
Ahlers & Ogletree Auction Gallery is a leading Southeastern auction house specializing in fine art, antiques, decorative arts, jewelry, and estate property. Based in Atlanta, the firm connects regional collections with a global audience of collectors through a robust schedule of live and online auctions.
Leland Little, June 12: The First Illustrated Edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Leland Little, June 12: John Morton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Signed Pennsylvania Land Survey.
Leland Little, June 12: The Scarce Jansson Edition of a Remarkable Early View of London.
Leland Little, June 12: Signed Limited Edition of The Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Leland Little, June 12: Faden’s Important and Scarce Map of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.
Leland Little, June 12: William J. Tate (NC, 1869-1953), Archive of the "Original host to the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.”
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
Freeman’s How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X June 30
Freeman’s, June 30: [Queen Anne's War] Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York Accomplished to Queen Anne. $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Mormonism] A Unique Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words Offered to His Congregation, the Day Before his Violent Death, 1844. $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Baseball] [Mantle, Mickey] Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Baseball] A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000/12,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Declaration of Independence] One of the First Printed Announcements of American Independence, Subscriber Ebenezer Hazard's Copy, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000/15,000
Freeman’s How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X June 30
Freeman’s, June 30: [American Revolution] Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776! $15,000/25,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [War of 1812] "We Have Met the Enemy and They are Ours": The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry is Appointed Master Commandant in the United States Navy, 1812. $40,000/60,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Star-Spangled Banner] Eyewitness Account of the Shelling of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, in a Manuscript Logbook from the HMS Trave, Present at the Battles of Baltimore and New Orleans, 1814-16. $60,000/80,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [American Revolution] Thomas Jefferson at the Birth of a New Nation: An Important Letter Carried by a Jewish Patriot Communicating the Definitive Treaty of Paris, January 16, 1784. $100,000/200,000
Freeman’s, June 30: [Colonial America] [Plymouth Colony] Plymouth Colony Seeks a Royal Charter: A Rare and Important Plymouth Colony Document, 1690/91. $6,000/9,000
Sotheby’s Selections from The Jay T. Snider Collection of Benjamin Franklin Live Sale 24 June
Sotheby’s, June 24: (Benjamin Franklin). The founding—and funding—of the Pennsylvania Hospital. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin, "the Day of the Declaration of Independence is everywhere annually celebrated”. $80,000 to $120,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin, “probably the most fundamental thing ever done in the field of electricity”. $75,000 to $125,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin. One of Franklin's very earliest surviving letters. $40,000 to $60,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: Roger More and Benjamin Franklin. The only complete copy known of Poor Roger. $25,000 to $35,000.
Sotheby’s, June 24: John Jerman. The American Almanack ... for 1731 — the only known copy in private hands. $25,000 to $35,000.
