Lot 167
Salk Jonas 1914 - 1995 Jonas Salk photo of the launch of his Polio vaccine and signed letter championing the Special Education movement of 1975
A fantastic set of two pieces as:
1. A near fine 1955 glossy Black and White photo of Jonas Salk signing an autograph for seven year old who was to receive a polio vaccine the following day. Verso of photograph has a vintage sheet crediting the photographer, and dating the photo 4-21-55. 7"x 9"
2. A TLS on "The Salk Institute" letterhead, 8.5" x 11'. Dated "May 16, 1975" and signed "Jonas Salk". Expected folds, else fine.
A wonderful set. The 1955 black and white photo of Salk was taken with a 7 year old about to vaccinated against Polio. The date of the photo is significant as it was taken just a mere 10 days after Salk's long awaited, important Polio report which declared his vaccine to be effective and safe against the dreaded disease! The report, presented on April 12, 1955, was heralded and "The announcement was made at the University of Michigan, exactly 10 years to the day after the death of President Roosevelt. Five hundred people, including 150 press, radio, and television reporters, filled the room; 16 television and newsreel cameras stood on a long platform at the back, and 54,000 physicians, sitting in movie theaters across the country, watched the broadcast on closed-circuit television. Eli Lilly and Company paid $250,000 to broadcast the event. Americans turned on their radios to hear the details, department stores set up loudspeakers, and judges suspended trials so everyone in the courtroom could hear."
This was a monumental step forward in medicine to eradicate a disease which created more fear by Americans than the possibility of Nuclear War. Polio paralyzed tens of thousands of victims, mostly children:
"The presentation was numbing, but the results were clear: the vaccine worked. Inside the auditorium Americans tearfully and joyfully embraced the results. By the time Thomas Francis stepped down from the podium, church bells were ringing across the country, factories were observing moments of silence, synagogues and churches were holding prayer meetings, and parents and teachers were weeping..."
Salk had invested his life and passion in the pursuit to rid the world of Polio, a disease which tended to mostly affected children and teens. His drive was not motivated by financial gain, but instead that of bettering the world with a sole focus to develop a safe and effective vaccine as rapidly as possible. With no interest in personal profit, when asked if he would patent his vaccine he replied "Would you patent the sun?"
His quest to better the world comes forward once again in this typed letter of "May 16, 1975, to Mr. J.L Pruett, Principle/Department of Special Education". The relevant background of that time was in 1975, Congress had just required U.S. public schools to provide specialized education services to all eligible children with any type of disability. Pruett advocated quite heavily for this cause and once passed by Congress he solicited signatures and letters and endorsements to display in his school for his special education program in Texas. As one can see in Salk's response to Pruett, Jonas once again was championing them both to help the world, and help children. But on this occasion it was on behalf of building a base to educate children of Special needs. He notes in part:
"These are particularly trying times and the world seems to be beset by more problems that one can cope with. I believe that the largest number can be attributed to intolerance and greed - My earliest ambition was to go to Congress to right some of the injustices that exist. As a physician and scientist I have had an opportunity to do so although in a somewhat different way - you are in the midst of such injustice as we hope one day to be able to prevent"
Although separated by decades, this is a wonderful set with a stunning photo and a revealing TLS, showing the never ending battle to make the world a better place regardless of the venue.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer
Shipping
Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.
Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.
University Archives
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $99 | $10 |
| $100 | $299 | $20 |
| $300 | $499 | $25 |
| $500 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $2,999 | $200 |
| $3,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 + | $5,000 |