Alexander Hamilton’s letters to be auctioned in NYC
NEW YORK — The hottest Broadway show is shining its spotlight on a collection of historic American documents: Alexander Hamilton’s letters, being auctioned at Sotheby’s.
Javier Munoz, who plays him in the Broadway musical, got teary-eyed Tuesday as he held the only known letter from Hamilton’s son Philip to the man addressed as “Papa.” The son asks his father for advice on a written presentation, noting that his mentor had deleted a sentence Hamilton liked best.
“I’m overwhelmed,” said Munoz, who held the delicate old piece of paper unprotected, asking permission to flip it over. “It’s sort of like walking into someone’s apartment and looking at the desk where they work. And that’s so revealing about how their mind works.”
Dozens of the letters penned by one of the nation’s founding fathers will go on the block Jan. 18, with an estimated worth starting at $1.4 million and topping $2 million. But Sotheby’s expects the feverish interest in the megahit “Hamilton” likely will drive prices up.