Christie's to Auction Dylan Poem (by Hank Snow)
Filed under: Auctions
Christie's is ready to auction a handwritten poem by singer Bob Dylan. An interesting find, the piece is said to have come from the hand of the teenager who later became the legend. There's only one problem: Dylan's hand, Snow's words.
The "poem" is based heavily on the song "Little Buddy" by Canadian country singer (didn't know there was such a thing) Hank Snow, who died in 1999 at the age of 85. The similarities eluded experts at Christie's. At one point in his career, Snow was known as the "Yodeling Ranger." A Reuters reader gets credit for the discovery, which the news organization then passed along to the auction house.
Dylan wrote transcribed this piece while away at Jewish camp when he was 16 years old. He submitted it to the camp newspaper for publication, and the editor held the handwritten piece for more than half a century before donating it to Herzl Camp in Wisconsin.
This piece is nonetheless believed to be the oldest Dylan manuscript and will be offered at the June 23, 2009 Pop Culture auction. An estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 has been offered.
Big surprise: Dylan's management office wasn't available for comment.
$25,000 may sound like a hefty price for a couple of harmonicas, but not when those harmonicas have been touched by Bob Dylan himself!
