Steven Raab

Steven S. Raab is an American dealer and expert in historical autographs and the founder of The Raab Collection, LLC (formerly Steven S. Raab Autographs), a firm established in 1989, specializing in the sale and acquisition of historical documents. Prior to founding The Raab Collection, Steven practiced law in Philadelphia, and maintained a specialty practice focused on franchise law.^[1] He is a co-founder of the Professional Autograph Dealers Association (PADA), formerly serving as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and a former member of the Boards of Directors of the Rosenbach Museum and Library and the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, ME. Steven is the son of David Raab and Helen Leibowitz. He is married to Susan Raab. Their children are Nathan, Jonas and Sarah.

Legal career

Steven graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in December 1970, with a major in history.^[2] He graduated from the Temple University Beasley School of Law with a specialty in antitrust and received a JD in 1975. In 1985, he opened the Steven S. Raab Law Office, a firm specializing in franchise law. In 1987, he co-authored the book "Blueprint for Franchising a Business". By the end of the 1990s, he had closed the law office to devote his full time to the historical document firm.^[1]

Career in Autographs

Steven’s first historical artifact was a bullet he found on the battlefield at old Fort Hell near Petersburg, Virginia.^[3] In 1958, his mother took him to a live performance of the Three Stooges, and after the show he met them and obtained their autographs. These were the first he would own.^[4] Soon after, his father took him to Gettysburg and bought him an original sword and his first Civil War book, a comic book about Abraham Lincoln.^[5] In 1960, his childhood collection had grown to 11 items, including a portfolio once owned by Hannibal Hamlin and an 1862 Union Springfield rifle. He created brief historical descriptions for each of the pieces in his collection, which he arranged around his bedroom like a museum.^[3] In the 1980s, Steven began seriously collecting significant historical letters and documents. In 1989 he opened Steven S. Raab Autographs, and issued Catalog #1 in March 1990. His focus on autographs was on quality. "We’re looking for pieces," Steven said, "that have a story to tell."^[1] In this capacity, Steven became an authority on historical document authentication. "People aren’t sending much handwritten correspondence anymore and it’s only going to get worse," he told the Wall Street Journal.^[6] In 1995, Steven was among handful of autograph dealers who joined in founding the Professional Autograph Dealers Association. He served for years as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel, as well as the Chairman of the Membership Committee.^[7]

Acquiring Rare Historical Documents and Assembling Major Collections

Steven has been a driving force in helping many collectors and institutions build historically important collections.^[8][9] He has also discovered and introduced to the market many historically important documents, among them the original letter of Theodore Roosevelt coining the phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," and the lost Kennedy Air Force One Tapes.^[10] Steven also authenticated the Last Will and Testament of John Brown, exposing one version as a copy and another as the original.^[11]

The 2011 discovery of the Air Force One John Kennedy assassination tapes

In late 2011, The Raab Collection announced that it had discovered and would offer for sale an original audio recording of the events on board Air Force 1 immediately following the assassination of President Kennedy. This tape was significantly longer than the only other copy known to exist.^[12] On January 30, 2012, Nathan Raab appeared on set on Piers Morgan Tonight to discuss the discovery, which contained new information on the immediate aftermath of the assassination of John Kennedy.^[13] Earlier in the week, the firm had been featured on many national media outlets, including CNN, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,^[14] and CBS Morning News with Charlie Rose.^[15] A copy of the tape was donated to the National Archives, where it is now available to the American public.^[16]

The Ronald Reagan Archive to his "Pen Pal"

In 1999, Steven acquired a collection of hundreds of letters written from Ronald Reagan to "pen pal" Lorraine Wagner, correspondence which spanned a generation. This archive was widely covered in the national media for the nature of the letters, which showed a tender and loyal side of the former President.^[17]

The William Henry and Benjamin Harrison Archive

In 2015, Steven negotiated the acquisition of the archive retained by the descendants of Presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison, comprising scores of items, many unpublished. Among them were important letters of Theodore Roosevelt, Benjamin Harrison, and others. Included in the archive was the original Congressional Gold Medal awarded to William Henry Harrison for his services during the War of 1812.^[18]

Philanthropy and Board Memberships

Steven Raab is a former Member of the Board of Directors of the Rosenbach Museum and Library, as well as the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, ME.^[19] He donated much of his acclaimed historical newspaper collection to the Rosenbach Museum and Library.^[20] He is also an active contributor to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, where his son, Nathan, is a member of the Board of Councilors.^[21]

References