Melvin ‘Pete’ Mark’s heralded collection, featured at Oregon Historical Society, goes to auction

Do you suppose you’d look good in Gen. Dwight Eisenhower’s “private 2-star signature” jacket? Would you prefer to stir your morning espresso with a silver spoon made by Paul Revere?

Such wishes now is perhaps inside your attain. All it’s a must to do is supply the very best bid when these gadgets — and greater than 100 others — from late Portland real-estate government Melvin “Pete” Mark Jr.’s assortment go up for public sale on Could 7.

Mark, who died in 2017 at 91, was a devoted and discerning collector of momentous moments from U.S. historical past.

“It was actually his ardour,” his son Jim Mark instructed The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The Mark assortment is so vital, with so many uncommon, one-of-a-kind gadgets, that the Oregon Historic Society hosted 5 separate displays from it through the years.

The items going beneath the gavel by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions embody an Enigma encrypting machine utilized by the Nazis throughout World Struggle II, the Mount Vernon Panorama Plan written by George Washington, and Franklin Roosevelt’s copy of his 1933 Inaugural speech by which he famously declared, “the one factor we now have to concern is concern itself.”

Additionally on the block are President John F. Kennedy’s White Home rocking chair and Gen. George S. Patton’s “excessively uncommon” hand-carved wood saber and strolling stick.

The public sale will embody letters from lots of the U.S. presidents, from Washington to Ronald Reagan.

One 1961 letter from former President Harry S Truman addresses a request for touch upon the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor by taking situation with “tear shedding” over Truman’s determination to drop atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“I want I may write you concerning the twentieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor,” Truman wrote to United Press Worldwide’s David Oestreicher. “I’ve little or no to say about that besides that the tears which were shed on account of the atomic bomb ought to have been shed [over] the Pearl Harbor assault.”

Pete Mark was the longtime managing associate (after which chairman) of the Melvin Mark Cos., and he served as a frontrunner in downtown Portland’s revitalization within the Nineteen Seventies and ‘80s — together with the event of Pioneer Courthouse Sq..

He pursued a variety of civic-minded efforts over many a long time, akin to serving on Portland Artwork Museum’s board, whereas persevering with so as to add to his private assortment of historic artifacts.

Not every thing from the gathering is within the public sale. The Mark household is holding onto just a few dozen gadgets, which might be displayed in rotation at Melvin Mark Cos.’ Portland headquarters. Proceeds from the public sale, says Jim Mark, will stream into the Mary and Pete Mark Basis. The muse has supported a variety of native establishments, together with Oregon Historic Society, Portland Artwork Museum and Central Metropolis Concern.

Jim mentioned he expects lots of the items within the public sale might be snapped up by museums, in addition to by philanthropic-minded collectors like his dad.

He mentioned his father grew to become a collector as a result of he acknowledged the worth of figuring out and understanding the previous — and since he wished to move alongside his love of historical past.

He would “clarify historical past prefer it occurred yesterday,” Jim mentioned. “If I had a buddy come over, he would need to present the gathering and discuss concerning the historical past behind every merchandise.”

— Douglas Perry

dperry@oregonian.com

@douglasmperry