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Lot #220
Scientific and Edison Associates (3) Signatures - Luther Burbank, Charles P. Steinmetz, and Francis Jehl

Estimate: $200+

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Server Time: 7/16/2026 08:17:43 AM EDT
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Description

Three ink signatures of influential American innovators associated with the advancement of science, technology, and industry in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries — Luther Burbank (“Faithfully yours, Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, Calif., Dec. 1st, 1909”), Charles P. Steinmetz (“Charles P. Steinmetz”), and Francis Jehl (“Francis Jehl”) — on individual off-white slips and cards ranging in size from 4 x 2.25 to 7 x 2. The Burbank signature is matted and framed with a portrait to an overall size of 10.25 x 12.75. In overall fine condition. Accompanied by an unsigned cabinet portrait of William Henry Meadowcroft (1853–1937), Thomas Edison's close personal assistant, long-time secretary, and primary biographer.

Representing three notable figures whose work helped shape modern America, this attractive grouping brings together Luther Burbank (1849–1926), the celebrated horticulturist known as the “Plant Wizard” for developing hundreds of new varieties of fruits, flowers, and plants; Charles Proteus Steinmetz (1865–1923), the pioneering electrical engineer and mathematician whose work on alternating-current systems helped establish the foundations of modern electric-power transmission; and Francis Jehl (1860–1941), one of Thomas Edison's trusted Menlo Park assistants who participated in the development of the incandescent lamp and later chronicled the inventor's formative laboratory years. Together, the signatures reflect the remarkable breadth of American innovation during the period, spanning agriculture, electrical engineering, and invention.

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