Gene Boyer (American, 20th C.) "Martin Luther King, Jr." Signed and dated lower right. Original Acrylic painting on Cold Press Illustration Board.
Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation.
This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood First Day of Issue Proofcard for the 15c Martin Luther King, Jr. stamp issued on January 13, 1979.
"Violence is not only morally repugnant, it is pragmatically barren." With these words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, planted the seed of an idea that would become his lifelong dream. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, where this Proofcard was issued, Dr. King graduated from Morehouse College, and then completed advanced studies at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, and at Boston University. Like his father and maternal grandfather, he had planned to be a Baptist minister. Yet, his approach to religion was unique. He believed that the church was not defined by the outer walls of a building or Bible studies alone; but that the economical, social and even political needs of all people were within the scope of his personal responsibility. Racial violence in the decade between the mid-fifties and sixties mapped out his ministry for him. King insisted that nonviolence was the only way to effect a lasting change. In 1954 he led a boycott of the Birmingham, Alabama, transit system to force desegregation. His continued nonviolent protest activities drew more and more participants resulting in the formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1964 Dr. Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in Civil Rights. He had a dream and gave it substance, creating a ministry that spans the continents.
Image Size: 11.5 x 10 in.
Overall Size: 18.5 x 17 in.
Unframed.
(B05984)
Condition
- By registering to bid for this auction either in-house or online and/or placing a bid in this auction the BIDDER/BUYER agrees to all the terms and conditions of Helmuth Stone Gallery Auctions.
- All silver, gold and/or jewelry lots or invoices containing said lots MUST be paid for via WIRE TRANSFER, no other forms of payment will be accepted.
- All items are sold as-is where-is and no guarantees are made of any kind. All sales are final; no refunds will be given under any circumstances.
- Helmuth Stone Gallery provides condition reports as a courtesy to our clients and assumes no liability for any error or omission. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client and is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Descriptions are our opinions and should in no way be construed as a guarantee of any kind as to age, condition, mater. The bidder assumes responsibility for ensuring that the condition of the item(s) meets with their satisfaction prior to bidding. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
- Online images can sometimes be low quality due to the uploading process, original high-resolution images can be requested via email at HelmuthStone@gmail.com
- We recommend looking into shipping quotes prior to bidding, shipping quotes can take up to a week or more post-sale as we host our auctions through multiple online platforms and shipping can become backlogged, if you would like a list of local shippers please email us directly.
- Our auction catalogs are hosted through multiple online platforms along with phone and in-house bidding. Bids placed on other platforms are not shown through this catalog. Because of this, even if it appears you are the only absentee bid or bidder on a lot, you may already be outbid or may have placed a bid equal to another bidder. Therefore, we always recommend bidding live.
- Unless otherwise stated in the description, all items are sold without additional documentation or COAs. If any supporting documentation is available an image will be available online via the catalog listing.