Description
1977 Burger Court portrait, signed by all nine Supreme Court justices.
Color photograph, white bottom edge border with signatures. Framed piece measures 22″ x 20,” brown cherry wood frame, brown matte, archival glass. Brown paper backing, with “U.S. Rep. R.L. Mazzoli” label on back panel. Slight tear to the backing on the left side.
This piece is signed by all nine Supreme Court justices, including: Chief Justice Warren Burger, William J. Brennan, Potter Stewart, Byron White, Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell, William Rehnquist and John Paul Stevens.
This unique portrait of the 1977 United States Supreme Court justices is believed to be the first time a casual photograph was taken of all nine together. The photograph was taken on January 10, 1977 and first appeared in the January 1977 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. Provenance: From the estate of Rep. Romano L. Mazzoli (1932 – 2022), a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky’s 3rd district from 1971 to 1995. Mazzoli co-authored the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, also known as the Simpson-Mazzoli Act. This legislation aimed to curb illegal immigration by strengthening border security and establishing penalties for employers who hire undocumented workers. Mazzoli earned his law degree from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1960 and practiced law before entering politics.
