{"product_id":"the-mayflower-collection","title":"The Mayflower Collection | A Museum-Scale Archive of Alcoholics Anonymous \u0026 Recovery History","description":"\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFoundational manuscripts. Pioneer correspondence. Association copies. Early publishing history. Rare books, documents, ephemera, and artifacts spanning the development of Alcoholics Anonymous and the modern recovery movement.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOffered as one intact collection.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Extraordinary Archive of Recovery History\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe Mayflower Collection is one of the most substantial privately assembled archives of Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery history to be offered through Recovery Collectibles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eBuilt over many years, the collection brings together rare books, original manuscripts, correspondence, association copies, early publications, photographs, ephemera, and historically significant artifacts connected to the people and events that shaped the recovery movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eRepresented throughout the archive are materials associated with \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, Dr. William D. Silkworth, Lois Wilson, Ebby Thacher, Clarence Snyder, Ruth Hock, Jack Alexander, Larry Jewell, Richmond Walker, Marty Mann, Bobbie Burger, Ed Webster, Wilbur and Ruth Smith, Father Ralph Pfau\u003c\/span\u003e, and numerous other early members, authors, publishers, and historical figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe collection includes foundational and pre-publication material, founder and pioneer correspondence, early First Edition Big Books, important signed and association copies, Works Publishing material, manuscripts relating to major A.A. publications, Oxford Group material, Al-Anon history, early pamphlets and periodicals, and recovery-related ephemera and artifacts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMuch of the archive has been displayed within a dedicated recovery-history gallery and preserved as a connected historical collection rather than simply as individual collectibles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe owner has now elected to offer \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Mayflower Collection as one intact archive.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHighlights of the Mayflower Collection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1939 Pre-Publication Multilith of \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eInscribed and signed by Bill Wilson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAmong the most important pieces in the collection is an original 1939 pre-publication Multilith copy of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eProduced before publication of the First Edition Big Book, these copies represent one of the earliest surviving forms of the text. This example carries an inscription and signature from A.A. co-founder Bill Wilson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. William D. Silkworth Correspondence\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe collection includes original signed correspondence associated with Dr. William D. Silkworth, whose medical perspective became central to the framework presented in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Doctor’s Opinion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eHis presence within the archive provides a direct documentary connection to one of the most influential medical figures in early A.A. history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEarly Twelve Steps Manuscript Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMayflower includes manuscript material connected to the development and presentation of the Twelve Steps and the literature that grew from them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThese documents offer a rare view of the program through surviving historical material rather than published text alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e Pre-Publication Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe archive also includes pre-publication manuscript material relating to \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, extending the collection into the literature A.A. later used to document its own development, personalities, service structure, and history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWorks Publishing Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOriginal Works Publishing material documents the earliest publishing history of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAmong these pieces is an original Works Publishing stock certificate, connecting the archive directly to the early financial and publishing history of the Big Book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Bob Smith \u0026amp; Bill Wilson Correspondence\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOriginal correspondence involving both A.A. co-founders forms an important part of the collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eIncluded is a handwritten Dr. Bob Smith letter to Sarah Klein, together with Bill Wilson correspondence involving early members and individuals within the developing A.A. network.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThese letters preserve the personal relationships behind the institutional history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Larry Jewell Collection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA focused group of material associated with early A.A. member Larry Jewell includes his personal 1939 First Printing Big Book, early Houston press coverage, and related historical material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003ePreserved together, these objects tell a far richer story than the book alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Jack Alexander Collection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eJack Alexander’s 1941 \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSaturday Evening Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e article became one of the most consequential pieces of national publicity in early A.A. history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMayflower includes presentation, correspondence, and related material documenting his relationship with Alcoholics Anonymous and the historical setting surrounding that landmark article.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1945 First Edition Big Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSigned by Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, Bobbie Burger \u0026amp; Dick Stanley\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAmong the archive’s notable association copies is a 1945 First Edition Big Book carrying four important early A.A. signatures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe book stands as both a major collectible and a physical record of relationships within the early Fellowship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe People Behind the History\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eOne of the defining strengths of the Mayflower Collection is the number of historically important figures represented within a single archive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eBill Wilson appears through signed books, correspondence, inscriptions, manuscripts, and publishing material. Dr. Bob Smith is represented through correspondence and association pieces tied to the Akron roots of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dr. William Silkworth connects the collection to the medical understanding of alcoholism that helped shape the Big Book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eLois Wilson and Al-Anon material broaden the archive into the history of family recovery, while Ebby Thacher, Clarence Snyder, and Ruth Hock connect Mayflower to the earliest spiritual, organizational, and publishing history of A.A.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFocused material associated with \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eLarry Jewell, Jack Alexander, Richmond Walker, Marty Mann, Wilbur and Ruth Smith, and Father Ralph Pfau\u003c\/span\u003e extends the collection into early A.A. expansion, journalism, recovery literature, alcoholism education, friendship, and faith-based recovery writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eTogether, these materials preserve not just individual names, but a network of relationships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eAuthors correspond with pioneers. Founders inscribe books to friends. Journalists document the Fellowship. Physicians influence its understanding of alcoholism. Publishers produce its literature. Members preserve the books and letters passed between them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThat network is one of the qualities that gives the Mayflower Collection its historical depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMore Than a Collection of Rare Books\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMany of the pieces within Mayflower are important enough to stand alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA signed Big Book can be sold separately. So can a founder’s letter, a pre-publication manuscript, an early pamphlet, or a Works Publishing document.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eBut the larger significance of the collection comes from the way those materials relate to one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA Larry Jewell Big Book gains greater context beside his associated historical material. Jack Alexander material becomes more meaningful when viewed with the publications and correspondence connected to his relationship with A.A. Manuscripts, founder correspondence, publishing records, and association copies collectively reveal relationships that isolated objects cannot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFor that reason, the owner is presently offering Mayflower \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eas one intact archive\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eFor a collector, museum, historical organization, research institution, or private foundation, the collection offers the opportunity to acquire not simply a concentration of important recovery artifacts, but an existing historical archive with substantial depth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCollected, Curated \u0026amp; Exhibited\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eMuch of the Mayflower Collection has been carefully arranged and displayed within a dedicated recovery-history gallery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eBooks, correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, and artifacts have been presented together within their broader historical context, demonstrating the collection’s potential not only for private ownership, but also for continued exhibition, education, and historical research.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSelected Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003eThe Mayflower Collection includes material relating to:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFoundational and pre-publication A.A. literature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDr. William D. Silkworth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly First Edition Big Books\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSigned, inscribed, and association copies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorks Publishing and early A.A. publishing history\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePioneer correspondence and personal collections\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Oxford Group and pre-A.A. influences\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJack Alexander and early national press coverage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRichmond Walker and recovery literature\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarty Mann and alcoholism education\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Anon and family recovery\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEarly pamphlets, periodicals, convention material, photographs, and ephemera\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical artifacts and exhibition material\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA more detailed collection inventory, additional photography, and supporting documentation are available to serious prospective buyers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAcquisition of the Mayflower Collection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eThe Mayflower Collection is presently being offered as one intact archive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eBecause of the scale, historical significance, and complexity of the material, prospective buyers are invited to contact Recovery Collectibles directly for additional documentation, provenance records, photography, and a private discussion regarding acquisition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003eA detailed collection portfolio and supporting materials are available to qualified prospective purchasers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePrivate inquiries are welcomed.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50529355038962,"sku":null,"price":3000000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/FF140E7B-3F81-4C02-9349-84DE6734632A.jpg?v=1790227378","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/the-mayflower-collection","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}