A scrapbook assembled largely during the 1930s by Hilda Jeanne Payin has sold for $28,759 at auction, bringing together signatures from some of the most celebrated figures in American sports, politics, science, music and entertainment. The collection featured baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, inventor Thomas Edison and composer George Gershwin, alongside dozens of other prominent personalities. According to the official lot description published by RR Auction, the 9-by-12-inch hardcover album contained more than 200 signatures, signed photographs, cards, correspondence and other signed pieces. It sold on October 14, 2026, including the buyer’s premium.
A collection spanning several generations of famous names
The scrapbook was more than a collection of celebrity signatures. It captured a broad cross-section of public life during the early and middle decades of the 20th century, from American presidents and pioneering scientists to musicians, actors and sporting icons. RR Auction described the album as a unique assemblage, notable for the number of pieces personally addressed to Payin.
These inscriptions, greetings and dated items helped establish the collection’s personal character and provided clues about when it was assembled.
Among its most prominent sporting names were Babe Ruth, one of baseball’s most famous players, and Lou Gehrig, the New York Yankees star remembered for his remarkable career. Both were represented by signed cards. Thomas Edison, whose inventions helped transform modern technology, contributed another major name to the collection through a signed card bearing the inscription “Thos A Edison”. Earhart, the pioneering aviator who became an international celebrity, was represented by a signed card as well. The scrapbook also included a signed card from George Gershwin, the American composer known for works blending classical music with jazz influences.
Presidents, explorers and political figures
The album’s historical significance extended into American political life. It contained a signed piece from former US president Calvin Coolidge on White House letterhead, alongside a signature from his wife, Grace Coolidge. Other presidential connections included Herbert Hoover and his wife, Lou Henry Hoover, as well as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Mamie Doud Eisenhower. Their signatures added to the collection’s representation of political figures and public personalities from different periods.
The scrapbook also featured Frank B. Kellogg, who served as US secretary of state and received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in promoting the Kellogg-Briand Pact, an international agreement intended to renounce war as an instrument of national policy. Exploration and aviation were represented by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, known for his polar expeditions, and Jean Piccard and Jeanette Piccard, pioneers of high-altitude ballooning. Adventurer Aloha Wanderwell, recognised for driving around the world, was another notable name. Together, these signatures gave the album a historical reach beyond any single profession or period.
Hollywood stars and musical greats filled its pages
Entertainment formed another substantial part of Payin’s collection. RR Auction listed signatures from Golden Age Hollywood performers including Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Bette Davis, Mae West, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Several items carried personal messages. Lionel Barrymore signed a piece addressed to Payin in 1935, while John Barrymore also addressed a message directly to her. Such inscriptions helped distinguish the scrapbook from a collection consisting solely of detached signatures.
The album included performers from Broadway, jazz, vaudeville and popular music, among them Irving Berlin, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby and Ethel Waters. One especially personal inscription came from Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, who wrote a message to Payin in 1932. Classical music was equally well represented. The collection featured composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, conductor Arturo Toscanini, violinist Jascha Heifetz and violin prodigy Yehudi Menuhin. Cellist Gregor Piatigorsky signed a card for Payin in 1936 and included a musical staff from Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.
Why the scrapbook attracted auction interest
RR Auction listed the scrapbook in its Fine Autographs and Artifacts Featuring Notorious Notables and Royalty sale. The lot carried an estimate of more than $20,000 and ultimately sold for $28,759, including the buyer’s premium. The auction house described the album as being in very good to fine overall condition, although some signed cards showed irregular toning and the cover had scuff marks.
Its appeal rested on the combination of famous names, the breadth of its contents and the evidence linking many pieces directly to Payin. Rather than representing a single celebrity or event, the scrapbook preserved a personal collection spanning sports, science, exploration, politics and entertainment. Nearly nine decades after many of its signatures were gathered, the album had become a historical record of the people who shaped popular culture and public life during the 20th century.