33 minute read
Presidents and First Ladies
Handwritten letter by George Washington, inviting a prominent Southern Loyalist to dinner before the Revolution
1. George Washington Autograph Letter Signed. ALS signed “Go: Washington,” one page, 6.25 x 6.75, December 18, [1772]. Letter to the Reverend Jonathan Boucher, written from Mount Vernon, in full: “I send my Carriage up but cannot undertake to promise for the Horses bringing you down, as two of them are unused to drawing, & but one Postilion accustomd to drive, the other, with my lame Horses not being return’d from Williamsburg—Mrs. Washington &c join in Compliments to Mrs. & Miss Boucher, who, together with yourself, we shall expect to see at Dinner.” Includes the detached address panel, addressed in Washington’s hand, “To The Rev’d Mr. Boucher in Alexandria.” In very good to fine condition, with light creasing and toning, and old repairs to back of the letter and its detached integral address leaf, including a tear just above the signature. Despite counting George Washington as a close friend, Boucher was one of the most prominent Loyalists in the South. In 1775, because of his opposition to the Revolution, Boucher chose to return to England, where he was rewarded with a government pension for his loyalty. Starting Bid $1000
President Jefferson thanks Michaux for a contribution to “our Botanical libraries”— books later sold to the Library of Congress
2. Thomas Jefferson Autograph Letter Signed. Third-person ALS as president, signed “Th: Jefferson,” one page, 7.75 x 9.75, July 12, 1806. Letter to botanist Francois Andre Michaux, in full: “Th: Jefferson returns his thanks to Mr. Michaux for the book of his travels & the pamphlet he has been so kind as to send him. He possesses the Flora Americana of his father & has seen his work on the American oaks, both of which are valuable additions to our Botanical libraries. He has no doubt that Mr. Michaux will increase the debt of science to his family by his further researches in the United States, in which he wishes him all success, and prays him to accept his salutations & respects.” In fine condition, with intersecting folds, a crease to the upper right corner tip, and two light seal-related stains.
On July 6th, Michaux had sent to Jefferson his recently published dissertwation on the naturalization of forest trees in North America].’ Jefferson had assembled one of the largest and most diverse private libraries in America, later purchased by the Library of Congress. Starting Bid $1000
Scarce unissued ship’s pass signed by President Madison
3. James Madison Document Signed. Partly-printed
vellum DS as president, one page, 10.5 x 15.5, March 13, 1809. Scallop-topped ship’s pass issued for the “Ship Eagle of New York, Charles Henry, master or commander… mounted with no guns, navigated with Twelve men, To Pass with her Company, Passengers, Goods and Merchandize without any hinderance, seizure or molestation, the said Schooner appearing by good testimony to belong to one or more of the Citizens of the United States.” Signed at the conclusion by President James Madison, and countersigned by Secretary of State Robert Smith. The beige paper seal remains affixed to lower left corner. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
4. James Madison Document Signed. Partly-printed
vellum DS as president, one page, 10.5 x 10, no date [1809–1817]. A rare unissued ship’s pass, left blank and signed in advance by James Madison. A secretarial hand has added immediately below: “The office of [Secretary of State] vacant at the signing of the president.” Lower left retains the original white paper seal. In fine condition. These documents were often left blank and signed in advance before being sent out to American ports, where they were filled out as needed. Starting Bid $200
Handwritten letter from President Monroe regarding the worrisome conduct of a young man: “If he is removed from his present place, he will suffer by it, thro life”
dent, one page both sides, 8 x 9.75, December 27, 1819. A handwritten letter from James Monroe, in part: “In speaking to the young man of whom we were conferring yesterday, you had I think better not mention any thing that you have heard respecting him...You may also lead him into conversation respecting his conduct in the office...He is evidently under some great excitement, and I fear little possessed of himself. You will, by a full communication, see into the cause, & read the state of his mind.. If he is removed from his present place, he will suffer by it, thro life.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
“Jas. Monroe,” one page, 8 x 10, December 16, 1809. Handwritten letter to Charles F. Mercer, in part: “I shall be on the grounds continually till the day of sale, and happy to see you, whenever it may be convenient to you. I wish much to consult you on certain points connected with this business, in some of which I am personally & very materially interested, but let not this interfere with any object of your own.” Monroe adds a lengthy postscript below. In very good to fine condition, with short edge tears, and seal-related paper loss to the left edge and integral address leaf. Starting Bid $200
Amidst a rash of officers’ resignations during the Second Seminole War, President Jackson endorses a document outlining a succession plan
president, signed “Approved, June 27th 1836, Andrew Jackson,” one page, 7.75 x 12.5, June 27, 1836. Draft of an official ‘General Regulation’ relative to the granting of leaves of absence, on the acceptance of the resignations of Officers of the Army, published as part of General Order No. 43 of 1836. In part: “A due regard to the public interest and the good of the service no longer justify the practice of granting long furloughs on the acceptance of the resignations of Officers of the Army. Indulgences ought not to be expected, nor can they be accorded, to an Officer when the public interest may be concerned, and his presence, or the performance of duty be necessary. In time of active service and the employment of the Army in the field, as is now the case in Florida and elsewhere, if the resignation of any Officer be accepted, it shall take effect within thirty days from the date of the order of acceptance, and the vacancy be immediately filled by the next officer entitled to promotion.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Early letter from President Jackson sent to the Minister to the Netherlands
8. Andrew Jackson Letter Signed. LS
as president, one page both sides, 7.75 x 9.75, June 20, 1829. Letter to Maine judge William Pitt Preble, in full: “I take the liberty to introduce to your acquaintance & polite attention Maj. Davezac, who will hand you this...He is the brother in law of the Hon’ble E. Livingston of Louisiana, of the U.S. Senate, and is a gentleman of brilliant talents, & classical education... and has expressed a great desire to attend you as Sec’y of Legation to the Netherlands.” In fine condition, with seal-related paper loss, and a split fold, to the integral address leaf. Starting Bid $200
10. Martin Van Buren Letter Signed. LS as Secretary
of State, signed “M. Van Buren,” one page, 7.75 x 9.75, November 2, 1829. Letter to Pennsylvania politician and future Vice President George M. Dallas, in full: “Your several letters respecting the difference between Mess’rs Barrozo and Porlude have been received. The course pursued by you meets the entire approbation of this Department, and you will receive, in season for the investigation to take place on Saturday next, the necessary instructions for the government of your conduct on that occasion.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
“J. Tyler,” one page both sides, 4.75 x 7.25, no date. Handwritten letter to John Canfield Spencer, in full: “I return you the letter of Col. Randolph and will wait for the Report of General Jones. My opinion becomes daily stronger that a Regiment of Volunteers is precisely what is wanting. Such a corps once organized and displayed will induce others to raise and uniform additional companies and at the seat of gov’t we shall cut a respectable appearance not only in the eyes of our own people but of foreigners who visit the city.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
President Tyler ratifies a treaty to compensate “the Wyandott Nation of Indians”
13. John Tyler Document Signed. Partly-printed DS
as president, one page, 8 x 10, October 5, 1842. President Tyler authorizes and directs the Secretary of State to affix “the seal of the United States to the ratification of a Treaty between the United States of America, and the Wyandott Nation of Indians.” Signed nicely at the conclusion by John Tyler. In fine condition, with light toning to the right edge. Starting Bid $200
Polk forwards a letter to a Confederacy founder
14. James K. Polk Autograph Letter Signed. ALS as
Speaker of the House, one page, 7.75 x 9.75, June 30, 1837. Sent from Columbia, Tennessee, a handwritten letter to Francis Preston Blair and John C. Rives, the editors of the Washington Globe, the primary propaganda instrument for the Democratic Party. In full: “Please send the Weekly Globe to ‘Dr. William C. Swanson, Belfast P. P. Marshall County Tennessee.’ Send also the Tri-weekly Globe to ‘Col. Robert Campbell Garland P. O., Maury County Tennessee.’ I will be responsible for these subscriptions.” In fine condition, with a faint block of toning to the upper left corner area. Starting Bid $200
15. James K. Polk Hand-addressed Free
Frank. Hand-addressed and free franked mailing envelope, 5.75 x 3.75, addressed in Polk’s own hand to “The Hon. Howell Cobb, of Georgia, Ho. Repts,” and franked in the upper right corner, “J. K. Polk.” Reverse retains the original red wax seal. In fine condition, with light creasing along the top edge. Howell Cobb was a southern Democrat and Georgia politician (1815–1868) who is perhaps best known as one of the founders of the Confederacy, having served as the President of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States. Starting Bid $200
16. Zachary Taylor Document Signed.
Manuscript DS, signed “Z. Taylor, Col., 1st Reg’t, U.S. Inf’y, Comd’g,” one page, 7.75 x 2.75, June 7, 1833. Receipt for supplies at Fort Crawford, in part: “Received…of Lt. T. B. W. Stockton, Asst. Qr. Master, twelve quires of letter paper & sixty quills.” Boldly signed at the conclusion by Colonel Zachary Taylor as Fort Crawford’s commanding officer. In fine condition, with trimming to the top edge. Starting Bid $200
Scarce incomplete “full power” document from President Fillmore
president, one page, 8 x 10.5, January 31, 1853. President Fillmore authorizes and directs the secretary of state to “affix the Seal of the United states to a Full Power.” Signed at the conclusion by Millard Fillmore. In fine condition, with scattered light creasing. An unusual incomplete document from the commander-in-chief; research indicates that this was ostensibly meant for the ratification of a convention between the United States and Borneo, which was ratified on the date of this offered document. Starting Bid $200
A date with Hamilton Fish in New York
18. Franklin Pierce Autograph Letter Signed. ALS, three pages on two adjoining sheets, 5.25 x 8.5, December 27, 1859. Written from New Haven, a letter to his former private White House secretary Sidney Webster, in part: “We have just received the most kind and whole-hearted invitation from Gov. & Mrs. Fish to become their guests while in New York. There is no private family in the midst of which we should both find ourselves so happy as in that of these cherished friends—and yet, I have written to Gov. Fish that I think we had better go to the Clarendon as we have proposed.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
19. Franklin Pierce Autograph Letter Signed. Civil War-dated ALS, three pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, July 31, 1863. A handwritten letter to Francis Ormand Jonathan Smith, a former Maine congressman, in part: “I have written to Ezra Carter Jr. Esq., of your city today in relation to the retirement of Dr. Lord from the Presidency of Dartmouth College and to a movement in progress among his friends...I go tomorrow with Mrs. Pierce to Rockport on Pigeon Cove, Cape Ann, probably to remain several weeks.” In very good to fine condition, with creasing to the bottom, loss to lower left corner of the first page, and old tape to the bottom of the inner hinge. Starting Bid $200
Historically important document: two months after Gettysburg, President Lincoln calls for a draft of Pennsylvania’s men to bolster Union forces
21. Abraham Lincoln Document Signed. Civil War–dated partly-printed DS as president, signed “Abraham Lincoln,” one page, 7.75 x 9.75, September 4, 1863. Draft order for the Union Army issued by President Lincoln from the Executive Mansion, sent to the War Department. In part: “I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, and Commanderin-chief of the Army and Navy thereof, having taken into consideration the number of volunteers and militia furnished by and from the several States, including the State of Pennsylvania, and the period of service of said volunteers and militia since the commencement of the present rebellion, in order to equalize the numbers among the Districts of the said States, and having considered and allowed for the number already furnished as aforesaid, and the time of their service aforesaid, do hereby assign one thousand seven hundred and ninety (1790) as the first proportional part of the quota of troops to be furnished by the 13th District of the State of Pennsylvania under this, the first call made by me on the State.” Boldly signed at the conclusion by President Lincoln. In fine condition, with an area of creasing to the center of the top edge. Starting Bid $1000
23. U. S. Grant Document
Signed. Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 7.75 x 9.75, February 10, 1875. President Grant directs the Secretary of State “to affix the Seal of the United States to a Warrant for the pardon of William James.” Boldly signed at the conclusion by President Grant. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
24. U. S. Grant Signature. Ink signature, “U. S. Grant, Long Branch, N.J., Aug. 9th 1882,” on an off-white 4.5 x 1.75 lightly lined sheet. In fine condition. Encapsulated in a PSA/ DNA authentication holder. Starting Bid $200
Supremely rare handwritten letter as president: three days after his inauguration, Garfield graciously accepts the resignation of the last administration’s Attorney General
25. James A. Garfield Autograph Letter Signed as President. ALS as president, one page, 5.25 x 8.5, Executive
Mansion letterhead, March 7, 1881. Letter to Attorney General Charles Devens, written three days after Garfield’s inauguration as president. In full: “Permit me, in accepting your resignation as Attorney General, to express my sincere personal respect and my appreciation of the fidelity and ability with which you have served the government during the past four years.” In fine condition.
Devens, who had distinguished himself as a Union general during the Civil War, served out a full four-year term as attorney general under President Rutherford B. Hayes. In keeping with tradition, Devens tendered his resignation effective on the day of President Garfield’s inauguration. Garfield appointed Wayne MacVeagh to fill the role, whose time in it was brief; MacVeagh would resign shortly after Garfield’s death, so that President Arthur could choose his own Attorney General. Because of his assassination, Garfield’s autograph as president is extremely rare—letters especially so, this being just the second we have offered. Between its great rarity and exquisite association as a letter to a former cabinet member and fellow Civil War veteran, this is the ultimate Garfield letter. Starting Bid $1000
Rare presidential appointment of a Gettysburg veteran
26. James A. Garfield Document Signed. Scarce partly-printed DS as president, one page, 17 x 14, April 29, 1881. President Garfield appoints Francis W. Seeley as “Postmaster at Lake City, in the County of Wabasha, State of Minnesota.” Crisply signed at the conclusion by President Garfield and countersigned by Postmaster General Thomas L. James. The gold seal and red ribbon affixed to the lower left remain intact. In very good to fine condition, with light toning along the central vertical fold. Seeley had distinguished himself at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, where he was wounded twice. Starting Bid $500
28. Grover Cleveland Signed Executive Mansion Card.
Executive Mansion card, 4.25 x 2.75, signed crisply in ink as president, “Grover Cleveland, Nov. 1896.” In fine condition, with a small erasure to the upper left corner. Starting Bid $200
Harrison offers thanks for a Lincoln portrait, noting that he “will add it to several engravings of him which already hang in my library”
30. Benjamin Harrison Letter Signed. LS signed “Benj. Harrison,” one
page, 4.75 x 8, personal letterhead, April 17, 1896. Letter to photographer George B. Ayres, in full: “I have your kind letter of April 13th, and thank you for our congratulations and good wishes. I did not know Mr. Lincoln personally before his nomination and am therefore not competent to speak of the photograph of him, which you enclose, as a likeness. I am very much obliged to you for sending it to me, and will add it to several engravings of him which already hang in my library.” Harrison adds a couple words in his own hand. In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
32. Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Harrison Signed Autograph Album. Leatherbound
autograph album, 7 x 4.25, signed inside in ink by over thirty political figures, very few signed backto-back, including: Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, Levi P. Morton, William B. Allison, William E. Chandler, John Sherman, James F. Wilson, Charles Frederick Crisp, Joseph C. S. Blackburn, David B. Henderson, Jonathan P. Dolliver, Alexander M. Dockery, William S. Holman, Henry Cabot Lodge, Thomas B. Reed, George D. Perkins, and others. A block of toning over a portion of Hayes’s signature, otherwise fine condition. A desirable compilation of 19th–century Washington’s political elite. Starting Bid $200
34. William McKinley Autograph Letter Signed and Rutherford B. Hayes
Autograph Note Signed. ALS signed “Wm. McKinley, MC 17 Ohio Dis.,” one page, 5.25 x 8.25, The Ebbitt letterhead, December 10, 1877, with the reverse bearing an ANS in pencil from President Rutherford B. Hayes, signed “R. B. Hayes.” McKinley’s handwritten letter to Secretary of War George W. McCrary, in part: “This will introduce to you Capt. H. G. Brown of Carrollton, Ohio.” Hayes’s note on the reverse: “I will be gratified if Capt. Brown can properly receive the position of employment he seeks.” In fine condition, with some trivial ink bleeding, and faint show-through to the upper left from old adhesive residue on the reverse. Starting Bid $200
Limited first edition of Roosevelt’s classic hunting book
35. Theodore Roosevelt
Signed Book. Signed book: Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter. First edition, limited issue, numbered 219/260. NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1905. Hardcover, 7 x 10, 369 pages. Boldly signed on the colophon in ink, “Theodore Roosevelt.” Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG/None, with rubbing to corners and extremities, and light toning to textblock edges; bound in three-quarter pigskin, which is notorious for deterioration. Nearly all known copies reflect this. However, this copy has been saved that fate having been expertly and professionally rebacked with the original spine laid down. Starting Bid $300
36. Theodore Roosevelt Signed Check.
Personal check, 8 x 2.75, filled out in another hand and signed by Theodore Roosevelt as president, payable to A. Zichtt & Co. for $5.05, October 28, 1907. In fine condition. An attractive and boldly signed presidential check. Starting Bid $200
President Roosevelt to the first State Forester of Minnesota—“My keen interest in the work to which you are to contribute leads me to emphasize its importance”
37. Theodore Roosevelt Typed Letter Signed. TLS as president, one page, 7 x 8.75, White House letterhead, July 10, 1908. Letter to William T. Cox of the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, in full: “I am informed that you have been designated to prepare material for the use of the National Conservation Commission. My keen interest in the work to which you are to contribute leads me to emphasize its importance. By close and vigorous cooperation with the Commission you will render a valuable public service which I shall appreciate.” In very good to fine condition, with light soiling and slightly irregular toning. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. Starting Bid $200
President Wilson writes to Texas Congressman John Nance Garner, recognizing him “as a loyal servant of your state and of the country”
38. William H. Taft Autograph Letter
Signed. ALS signed “Wm. H. Taft,” eight pages, 5 x 7.75, personal letterhead, no date (circa 1915). Lengthy letter to Helen Rhett, the wife of R. Goodwyn Rhett, the former mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, discussing matters such as health and the graduation of his daughter, in part: “Mrs. Taft and I have just been to Bryn Mawr to see Helen graduate. I am very proud that after having been out of Bryn Mawr for three years in social gayety at the White, Helen had the courage to go back and finish... and graduate third in a class of 84 and to win the literary prizes of the college.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
40. Woodrow Wilson Typed Letter Signed. World War I-dated TLS as president, three pages, 7 x 8.75, White House letterhead, May 10, 1917. Letter to Texan Congressman and future Vice President John Nance Garner, in full: “Your letter of today has given me a good deal of distress...In the first place, because of the feeling you evidently have that the services... you have rendered the administration in Congress have not been appreciated...or, rather, have not been in any public way recognized. I can assure you that that impression on your part is entirely unfounded.” In very good to fine condition, with light staining and soiling, and irregular trimming to the lower right edge of the last page. Starting Bid $200
Written from aboard his ‘Larooco’ houseboat, FDR sends a poem to a “Companionable Ornithologist”
44. Franklin D. Roosevelt Typed Poem Signed. Typed poem from
Franklin D. Roosevelt on an off-white 5.5 x 11 sheet of ‘Larooco’ stationery, the name of the houseboat FDR co-owned with close friend John Sigsbee Lawrence, signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To M. S. Crosby, Companionable Ornithologist” and “For Helen, Oct. 1924, Franklin D. Roosevelt.” The eleven-verse poem reads, in part: “Oh the Blue Laroo is missing you / For you taught her things no boat e’er knew / Of the martin purple and heron blue, / And the ways and wiles of the things that flew...The Blue Laroo rose up to see / This new companion, and to be / It’s fellow in the heavens free — / A new bird species! — Hully gee! / You ask what was this species new, / And rare, and bright and gorgeous too? / Why, what would charm the Blue Laroo / Except the lovely Pink Bazoo?” In very good condition, with tears, fold splits, old tape stains, paper loss to the top edge, and overall wrinkling from being affixed to another sheet. Accompanied by a first edition of FDR on His Houseboat: The Larooco Log, 1924–1926, edited by Karen Chase. Starting Bid $300
FDR on his “New Deal” acceptance speech from the 1932 DNC
8.5 x 11, Executive Mansion letterhead, July 30, 1932. Letter to Seymour E. Allen, in part: “I am glad to get your letter of July 15th. The ‘New Deal’ which I mentioned in my acceptance speech has many ramifications; some of the things which I had in mind were mentioned in the acceptance speech; the other factors I shall speak about during the campaign at length. On the whole, it can be characterized by a statement that it seeks a more equitable distribution of national wealth among all of the people.” In very good to fine condition, with uniform overall toning, and scattered light staining. Starting Bid $200
46. Harry S. Truman Typed Letter Signed. TLS, one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, October 19, 1966. Letter to Dean Acheson, his former Secretary of State, in part: “As you may well imagine I was disturbed by all you had to say about the situation as you found it after taking a good look at it! I can only hope that with experience and the conditioning and strength that comes to the man after he has weathered the storms of criticism, vilification, disappointments and betrayals that he will rise to the full measure of the great calling of that office.” In very good to fine condition, with light creasing to the bottom blank area, and a vertical bend to the left margin. Starting Bid $300
Six days before he became president— “I’ve become a political eunuch”
47. Harry S. Truman Typed Letter Signed. World War II-dated TLS as vice president, one page, 8 x 10.5, Office of the Vice President letterhead, April 6, 1945. Letter to Hugh P. Williamson, a prosecuting attorney in Missouri. In full: “Thanks a lot for your good letter of the Third. I am certainly glad to have the reactions which you gave me on the various phases of the State administration.” Below, Truman adds a large handwritten postscript: “Keep sending ‘em. Tell Tom Van Sant that just because I’ve become a political eunuch, he needn’t strike me from his list.” In fine condition, with small splits to the ends of the folds, and a couple of tiny edge chips. Accompanied by a photocopy of Williamson’s letter to Truman, dated April 3, reporting on various aspects of the political situation in Truman’s home state. It seems that Truman never found his position as vice president particularly active or influential, lamenting his plight to conclude this letter in self-deprecating fashion. Amusingly, vice presidents have often found scatological or vulgar ways of expressing their frustration with the office; John Nance Garner famously likened the post to a ‘bucket of warm piss.’ Truman’s harsh positional viewpoint applied for only six more days; on April 12, President Roosevelt would succumb to a stroke and thus make Truman the most politically powerful man in the world. Starting Bid $1000
DS as president, one page, 8 x 10.5, White House letterhead, no date. President Truman awards the “Legion of Merit, Degree of Legionnaire,” to a Soviet colonel following World War II. In full: “Colonel Nikolai V. Borgunov, Red Army, performed outstanding services as commander of a tank brigade with the First White Army. The forces under his expert leadership contributed materially to the defeat of the enemy at Berlin. He reflected great credit upon himself and the Soviet Union.” In very good to fine condition, with light soiling to both documents. Accompanied by the Legion of Merit certificate awarded to the general, bearing the autopen signature of Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson. Starting Bid $200
A “stunned” Jackie on her “Daddy’s death,” expressing to a friend how “terribly touched” she was by her letter
50. Jacqueline Kennedy Autograph Letter Signed. ALS signed “Jackie,” two black-bordered pages on two adjoining sheets, 5.25 x 7.75, no date [circa August 1957]. Handwritten letter to “Rosie,” her friend Rosemary Warburton Chisholm, in full: “It was so very thoughtful of you to send me a telegram as soon as you had heard of Daddy’s death. I was really terribly touched—having never lost anyone close before—I didn’t realize what a comfort it is to hear from your friends—especially right afterwards, for that is when you are still the most stunned. So I want to thank you more than I can say—and tell you how much I appreciated it.” In fine condition.
The year 1957 was one of highs and lows for the Kennedys. JFK’s book, Profiles in Courage, won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize and following a devastating miscarriage in August, 1956, their first child, Caroline, was born in November. That same year, in August, the future first lady lost her father, John Vernou Bouvier III (1891-1957), for whom she was named. A wealthy stockbroker and playboy, Bouvier had divorced Jackie’s mother in 1940, but remained close to his daughters who adored him and emulated his stylish ways. Starting Bid $300
51. John F. Kennedy Signed
Photograph. Marvelous mattefinish 8 x 10 portrait photo of Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy taken after being nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate in August of 1960, signed and inscribed in the lower border in fountain pen, “For George Wagner, with best wishes—John Kennedy.” In fine to very fine condition, with light silvering to the edges of the image, and slight brushing to the sentiment. Although taken in the summer of 1960 by Alfred Eisenstaedt, this was the preferred portrait JFK would sign and give out during the beginning of his administration. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from JSA. Starting Bid $500
glossy 13.75 x 11 photo of John F. Kennedy, Judge O. Bowie Duckett, and Maryland Governor J. Millard Tawes, signed in the lower border in fountain pen, “John F. Kennedy,” and in ballpoint, “J. Millard Tawes” and “O. Bowie Duckett.” Reverse is stamped: “Whelan Photographers, One State Circle, Annapolis, MD.” In very good condition, with a tear to the left edge, a horizontal crease across the image, and more creasing to the corners and wide borders. Starting Bid $200
Important official printing of a landmark Civil Rights bill: President Johnson, Vice President Humphrey, and Speaker McCormack sign the Voting Rights Act of 1965
53. Lyndon B. Johnson Document Signed: Voting Rights Act of 1965. DS as president, signed “Lyndon B. Johnson,
Aug 6, 1965,” ten pages, 10 x 15, August 6, 1965. Official printing of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, “S. 1564: An Act To enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes,” signed at the conclusion by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, and Speaker of the House John McCormack. In very good to fine condition, with some edge creasing.
Signed into law by President Johnson at the height of the Civil Rights Movement on August 6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act was designed to secure the right to vote for racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the South. It is considered to be the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation ever enacted in the United States: by the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new Black voters had been registered. Readopted and strengthened over the course of several years, it is a piece of legislation that continues to be impactful in today’s America. Starting Bid $200
Seeking “a full generation of peace,” President Nixon embarks on his “mission to Peking”
54. Richard Nixon Typed Letter Signed. TLS as president signed “RN,” one page, 6.75 x 9, White House letterhead, February 14, 1972. Letter to California Congressman Del Clawson, in full: “It was heartening to receive your strong expression of support for my January 25 Indochina peace initiatives contained in a letter of January 26, 1972, signed by a bi-partisan majority of the House of Representatives. I am confident history will record that support such as yours during these difficult times contributed significantly to our mutually shared goal—a full generation of peace. As I embark on my mission to Peking, I want you to know how much I deeply appreciate your thoughts.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $200
Aware of the damage to America’s prestige, President Ford asks Senator Baker to suppress a report on the CIA’s involvement in “political assassination activities” of foreign leaders
55. Gerald Ford Typed Letter Signed on Political Assassinations. TLS as president signed “Gerald R. Ford,” three
pages, 7 x 10.5, White House letterhead, October 31, 1975. Important letter to Senator Howard Baker, outlining the reasons why a Congressional report involving US political assassination activities should remain classified. In part: “I am writing to urge the Select Committee not to make public the report on the subject of assassinations…the very idea that any person or organization within the United States Government could consider assassination as an acceptable act is abhorrent. I know you share this view and a determination to make certain that such deeds will not take place in the future…
Public release of these official materials and information will do grievous damage to our country. It would likely be exploited by foreign nations and groups hostile to the United States in a manner designed to do maximum damage to the reputation and foreign policy of the United States. It would seriously impair our ability to exercise a positive leading role in world affairs…For the reasons set out above, I appeal to you and your colleagues on the Senate Select Committee to oppose publication of this report on alleged assassination activity.” In fine condition. Starting Bid $500
Less than a year before reaching the White House, Ford offers “some deep-rooted thoughts about prospects for peace in the world”
56. Gerald Ford Typed Letter
Signed. TLS signed “Jerry Ford,” two pages, 8 x 10.5, Congress of the United States, Office of the Minority Leader letterhead, January 5, 1973. Letter to friend and former New York Congressman Seymour Halpern, expressing his “deeprooted thoughts about prospects for peace in the world.” Ford sees an end to warring in Vietnam and the Middle East, is “heartened by recent developments with regard to our relations with the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China,” and attests that trade “is a key to future peace.” In fine condition, with some faint stains in the left margin of the first page. Starting Bid $200
Rare early letter from Clinton at Yale, evoking the words of “a great southerner, Thomas Wolfe,” to console a close friend
57. Bill Clinton Typed Letter Signed. TLS signed “Bill,” one page, 5.5
x 8.5, Yale University letterhead, [1970]. Letter of condolences to “Dale,” with Clinton summing up his feelings with a passage from “a great southerner, Thomas Wolfe,” one that he believes is “a finer testament to the beauty and meaning of life, any life, than any religious statement I have read.” A part of the passage: “To lose the earth you know for greater knowing; to lose the life you have for greater life; to leave the friends you loved for greater loving; to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth.” In fine condition, with some light creasing, and a clipped upper right corner. Starting Bid $200
18 holes with the “POTUS” while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard
58. Barack Obama Signed Golf Score Card. President Barack Obama’s tri-fold score card from the Farm Neck Golf Course on Martha’s Vineyard, measuring 4 x 6 (folded), no date, filled out entirely by the president, who signs his title as president in the player field, “POTUS,” and tracks the score for his three playing partners—“Marv,” “Sy,” and “Eric”—over 18 played holes. In fine condition, with a central horizontal fold. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Samuel Sutton, the personal valet to President Obama. Starting Bid $200
59. White House 1927 Wood Gavel. Gavel
constructed of wood removed from the White House during its 1927 renovation, measuring 11˝ long with a cylindrical 3.5˝ x 1.75˝ head, bearing an attached metal plaque that reads: “’Certified by Centuries,’ From White House Roof, Longleaf Pine in Excellent Condition After 112 Years of Service—1815–1927.” In fine condition, with dimples to either end of head. Repurposed relics from the 1927 White House renovation are considerably scarcer than that of its 1950 successor, and gavels, in particular, are among the most desirable of the renovation formats. Starting Bid $200
