Jewish marriage certificate of Moe Howard from Three Stooges auctioned for $21,889

Auction house in LA also sells pair of items belonging to actor’s brother Curly Howard, another member of the comedy group

By ToI Staff 3 July 2022, 2:35 am

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The Three Stooges, Joe DeRita, as "Curly," left, Moe Howard, center, and Larry Fine, are shown in a scene from the movie, "Have Rocket, Will Travel" in Los Angeles, California, May 25, 1959. (AP Photo/Ed Widdis)

The Jewish marriage certificate of Moe Howard, the leader of the Three Stooges comedy group, fetched over $20,000 at an auction this week in Los Angeles.

Howard, whose real name was Moses Horwitz, in 1925 tied the knot in Brooklyn with Helen Schonburger, a cousin of magician Harry Houdini. She was later a scriptwriter for the Three Stooges after he briefly retired in 1926 at her urging when she became pregnant.

The marriage certificate, known as a ketubah, was sold for a final bid of $21,889.

According to a press release, Nate D. Sanders Auctions also sold a weathervane used on the couple’s home that Schonburger made for $24,079.

Additionally, it sold a pair of items that belonged to Howard’s younger brother Jerome Lester Horwitz, known by his stage name Curly Howard, who was also a member of the comedy group.

A 18 karat ring that he owned went for $10,456, while a deed he signed with the name “Jerome Horowitz” picked up $12,353.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRsio9Xix7c

The Three Stooges first rose to fame in the early 20th century with their short films, many of which included Hebrew or Yiddish terms in an ode to their Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.