Extensive Archive of Ernie Pyle's Personally Owned Photographs and Ephemera; More Than 80 Books, Pamphlets, Photographic Groupings, and Multiple Signed Items
The World: 1915 - 1945. Catalog of detailed items available upon request. Included in this archive are 56 B&W photographs owned by Ernie, 23 with notations in his hand on the rear. 28 roadmaps that Ernie and Geraldine used when they crisscrossed the country in the late 1930's writing dispatches about Americans and our country; 31 copies of British War newspapers dated Dec 1940 - March 1941 which Ernie collected while reporting from London during the Blitz; An original typed manuscript from the Invasion of Sicily; a signed photograph of Ernie in a wing back chair, two of his books personally signed, 3 signed checks from the Union Trust Company; Copies of Indiana University year books from the two years he attended; 8 copies of books written by Pyle; 27 Magazines with by-lines from Pyle; 25 items of Pyle ephemera including the Ie Shima Diary which belonged to the Jewish chaplain of Ernie's embedded unit at the time of his death; 8 Newspapers Scrapbooks with over 400 pages of Pyle's reporting from the front; 12 books about Pyle making up a comprehensive bibliography; 91 Postal First Day Covers, including 4 which were postmarked on the day of his death.
Ernest Taylor Pyle (Aug 3, 1900 – Apr 18, 1945) – Born in small town Dana, Indiana, Pyle rose to the heights of American journalism, earning the Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence in 1944. Ernie became interested in journalism while attending Indiana University where he worked on the Indiana Daily Student. He left school one semester short of graduating. As a Cub Reporter he earned his journalist chops working for the Scripps-Howard organization in New York City and Washington D. C. from 1931-45. It was there in D. C. that he met his wife, Geraldine Siebolds (Core items in this collection were found in the basement of her family’s home).
Ernie reported from the front lines of both WW II theaters. He literally slept in the same foxholes, ate the same K-rations, smoked cigarettes with all the "dogface" soldiers. He was eminently beloved by troops everywhere because of his common man (soldier) approach. His writing was folksy, caring and in the tone of a beloved uncle telling war stories. Pyle was killed by a sniper on Ie Shima island in 1945. At the time of his death in 1945, Pyle was among the best-known American war correspondents. His syndicated column was published in 400 daily and 300 weekly newspapers nationwide. Most items VG to Fine. Item #1667
"No man in this war has so well told the story of the American fighting man as American fighting men wanted it told. He deserves the gratitude of all his countrymen.” – President Harry Truman
**Detailed inventory and photographs available upon request**.
Price: $19,500.00