The Auction at Graceland•January 8, 2020
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/8/2020
During a horse-buying excursion in Mississippi at the beginning of February 1967, Elvis spotted a 65-foot white cross overlooking a manmade lake on a beautiful piece of land. The property was for sale and Elvis’ immediate attraction to the place led him to knock on the door and make an offer. Elvis didn’t even bother negotiating the price of “Twinkletown Farm” with the owner, Jack Adams, but proceeded to put down an initial payment of $5,000 against the total asking price of $437,000 for the house, cattle, farm equipment and 160 acres of land. Shortly after, Elvis moved nearly 40 horses to the property, plus eight trailers for his friends and family, and spent $100,000 on vehicles for the ranch. Elvis renamed the farm “Circle G Ranch,” with the “G” standing for Graceland. Much of the following weeks were spent by Elvis, Priscilla and his entourage at the ranch, which provided an escape from the pressures of Hollywood and superstardom. Offered is a news service image that depicts Elvis walking away from the camera at the Circle G Ranch. The reverse contains various handwritten notations including “Elvis Presley 2-67 / 80847” and “walk w/Elvis” along with the center stamp “William Leaptrott / Staff Photographer / Memphis Press-Scimitar / Feb 17 1967.” Elvis enjoyed his time playing cowboy away from the press as this photo certainly indicates. The black-and-white photo measures 9 by 7 inches (22.86 x 17.78 cm) and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Graceland Authenticated.
The front contains traces of black grease pencil editorial marks and the reverse exhibits typical discoloration from age and minor edge wear. Overall the photo is in excellent condition.