KING MARTIN LUTHER Guest book from a private home signed and

Sale 2534 - Lot 269

Price Realized: $ 2,250

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 700 - $ 1,000

"THANKS FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE" KING, MARTIN LUTHER. Guest book from a private home, signed and inscribed by Dr. King. [8] manuscript pages in a printed guest book. Oblong 8vo, original gilt boards, minor wear and soiling; dampstaining affecting several pages but not Dr. King's. [Columbus, OH], 1951-66 and 1976

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Additional Details

This guest book was kept by the Rev. Phale Dolphis Hale (1914-2009) and his wife Cleo Ingram Hale (1922-2013). In addition to serving as the longtime pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church in Columbus OH, Dr. Hale was also president of the local chapter of the NAACP from 1950 to 1960, and later served as an Ohio state legislator for 13 years. The Hales often hosted visiting ministers and other dignitaries at their home because of the difficulty of finding hotel accommodations, and many of them signed this guest book.
Certainly the most famous of these guests was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who signed his name on 22 November 1959, adding in his own hand "Thanks for a great experience." King had been a childhood friend of Cleo Hale in Atlanta, and came to town that day to help celebrate the 71st anniversary of Rev. Hale's church. The Hales and their relationship with Dr. King are discussed in Wil Haygood's recent book Tigerland, pages 31 and 180-4, as well as in the Columbus Dispatch, 1 April 2018.
The volume would be interesting even without Dr. King's inscription. Among the other notable signers are the Rev. S. Howard Woodson, a New Jersey civil rights leader; and Kentucky activist Wilburn N. Daniel, who signed twice ("an enjoyable visit with a wonderful family . . . the best, a great fellowship"). Almost all of the entries are dated 1951 and 1959 to 1966, with a lone entry dated 1976 on a separate page.