The June 2-5, 2002, Pre-Long Beach Sale, Sale 14
Lot 1528
Buchanan, James
(1791-1868) 15th president of the U.S. (1857-61). He was a congressman
(1821-31) and senator (1834-45) from Pennsylvania. At first a Federalist, he
became a conservative Democrat and was Pres. Polk's secretary of state
(1845-49) during the Mexican War. In 1856 he was elected president. Believing
slavery was morally wrong but not unconstitutional, he tried to keep the
"sacred balance" between proslavery and antislavery factions, but his views
alienated radicals in both North and South. After Lincoln's 1860 election
victory, Buchanan was faced with the crisis of secession. Believing that states
did not have the right to secede nor the federal government the right to coerce
them, he promised there would be no hostile moves during negotiations. U.S.
troops were, however, moved to Fort Sumter; shortly after he left office,
gunfire there set off the Civil War.
Free Frank ("Free / James
Buchanan"). One page, 4¾ x 3", Lancaster, n.d. (illegible stamp).
Addressed in Buchanan's hand to "Vergie David Esquire / Pikeville /
Maryland." Matted and framed with a Buchanan portrait to 11 x 16½".
Stamp postmark and "Free" stamp. Portrait needs to be remounted; soil around
edges of address panel; one vertical fold crosses at "J" in James and
"D" in David. A handsome piece, good to very good condition.
Estimated Value $300-500.
Lot 1529
Garfield, James A
(1831-1881) 20th president of the U.S. (March-Sept., 1881). He served in
the Union army until 1863, when he became a Republican member of the U.S. House
of Representatives, and followed his party's Radical Reconstruction program.
Elected president in 1880, he declared war on the leading faction of his party
by appointing James G. Blaine secretary of state (passing over the "Stalwarts"
of the influential Roscoe Conkling); won a victory with his appointment for
port collector of New York; and began prosecution of frauds in the U.S. postal
service. On July 2, 1881, he was shot by a disappointed office seeker, Charles
J. Guiteau. Garfield died September 19 and was succeeded by Vice President
Chester A. Arthur.
Autograph Note Signed ("J.A. Garfield"). One
page, octavo, Mentor, ohio, July 17, 1880. To Miss Annie Bridgman of
Northampton, Massachusetts. Transmittal folds; two minor ink smears; erased
pencil comments at top and bottom of page are still slightly visible. Matted
and framed with two handsome portraits to 27 x 14". Very good condition.
By July of 1880, Garfield had secured his party's nomination and was
officially running for office. Following the advice of President Hayes and
others, Garfield ran a low-profile campaign, just managing to defeat Winfield
S. Hancock by a mere 10,000 votes.
Estimated Value $600-700.
Please
note the extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our Political
Memorabilia section.
Lot 1530
[Garfield, James A.].
Printed Speech & Program - Hiram College. Twenty-two pages, octavo,
Cleveland, published by Fairbanks, Benedict and Co., June 14, 1867. Printed
transcript outlining Garfield's views on education. Garfield attended Hiram
College (then known as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute), graduated from
Williams College, then returned to the academy at Hiram as a teacher and later
as its President. Enlightened writing, interesting reading. In very good
condition.
In part: "... In brief, the student should study himself,
his relations to society, to nature, and to art - and above all, in all through
all these, he should study the relations of himself, society, nature and art,
to God, the Author of them all... And finally Young Gentlemen, learn to
cultivate a wise self-reliance, based not on what you hope, but on what you
perform..."
Estimated Value $100-200.
Please note the extensive
collection of Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1531
[Garfield, James A.].
Printed Offset of Speech. Eight pages, octavo, Washington DC, January 28,
1864. Being one of Garfield's earliest speeches, delivered as a Member of
Congress, on the floor of the House of Representatives. Yellowing due to age,
with some foxing and small tears along edges. In very good condition overall.
Here, during the height of the Civil War, Garfield argues for
confiscation of the property of rebels. Echoing the sentiments of many
Northerners, Garfield used British Common Law, as well as precedents set by the
American government during and since the Revolutionary War, arguing that the
rebels had forfeited certain property rights. A valuable statement of a future
President's political stance during our nation's most turbulent era.
Documents of this type were rarely published in large numbers, as the
cost in time and overhead to manually copy the tracts was prohibitive. Even
today, in the age of word processors and photocopiers, Members of Congress
rarely produce speech transcripts for public consumption - rather they are made
available primarily to key constituents as proof of their activity and
productivity.
Estimated Value $125-200.
Please note the extensive
collection of Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1532
Grant, Ulysses S
(1822-1885) Commander-in-Chief of the Union army in the U.S. Civil War and
18th president of the U.S. (1869-77). He received Robert E. Lee's surrender at
Appomattox on Apr. 9, 1865. He was made full general in 1866, the first U.S.
citizen after Washington to hold that rank. Grant was elected president in
1868, defeating Horatio Seymour, and reelected in 1872, defeating Horace
Greeley. His administration was characterized by corruption, special-interest
legislation, and vigorous pursuit of a punitive Reconstruction program; in
foreign affairs, however, much was accomplished by his able secretary of state,
Hamilton Fish. Grant's Personal Memoirs (2 volume., 1885-86) rank among the
great military narratives of history.
Check Signed ("U.S.
Grant"). Partially printed, accomplished in manuscript. 8¼ x
2¾", Washington DC, May 24, 1867. Drawn on account and Jay Cooke & Co.
Bankers. Made payable to "Self" in the amount of eighty dollars. "Paid"
and date stamp appear on front, there are two cancellation punches. Mounted on
an orange card; one "y" shaped tear at center does not interfere with
signatures or other text; toning to right edge. Overall, very good condition.
Estimated Value $400-500.
Please note the extensive collection of
Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1533
Hoover, Herbert C
(1874-1964) 31st President of the U.S. (1929-33); born West Branch, Iowa.
He easily won the 1928 Republican presidential nomination and defeated Democrat
Alfred E. Smith. His administration was dominated by the Great Depression,
ushered in by the stock market crash of Oct. 1929. Believing the economy would
regenerate spontaneously, Hoover was reluctant to extend federal activities. He
ran for reelection in 1932 but was overwhelmingly defeated by Franklin D.
Roosevelt. Later, Hoover coordinated (1946) food supplies to war-ravaged
countries and headed (1947-49) the Hoover Commission, which recommended
administrative reforms of the executive branch.
Hoover, Herbert, The
Memoirs of Herbert Hoover 3 Vol., Signed (The MacMillan Co., N.Y.,
1951).
Each volume has been signed and inscribed by Hoover: "To Gardner
Richardson With The Kind Regards of Herbert Hoover". Dust jackets on all of
the volumes are worn with some tearing, particularly at the top and bottom
edges. Overall, very good condition.
Estimated Value $400-450.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our
Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1534
Jefferson, Thomas
(1743-1826) 3rd President of the U.S. (1801-1809). At the Second
Continental Congress he drafted the Declaration of Independence. In 1779 he
became governor of Virginia, guiding that state through the troubled last years
of the American Revolution. Appointed secretary of state (1790-93) in
Washington's cabinet, he served as vice president (1797-1801). The Republicans
triumphed at the polls in 1800, but Aaron Burr, who had been slated to become
vice president, tied Jefferson in the presidential vote. Jefferson was finally
chosen president by the House of Representatives, largely on the advice of
Hamilton, who considered Jefferson less dangerous than Burr. Jefferson was the
first president inaugurated in Washington, a city he had helped to plan.
Usually strict in his interpretation of the Constitution, he pushed through the
Louisiana Purchase of 1803, an action that it did not expressly authorize. He
also planned the Lewis and Clark Expedition. During his second administration,
difficulties arose from attacks on neutral U.S. shipping by the warring powers
of Britain and France. With such measures as the Embargo Act of 1807 he tried
to use economic pressure to gain a solution, but this aroused strong opposition
in the U.S. In retirement after 1809 at his beloved home, Monticello, Jefferson
brought about the founding of the Univ. of Virginia and continued his lifelong
interests in science, architecture, philosophy, and the arts.
Free
Frank ("free / Th Jefferson"). One page, 10 x 8", n.p., n.d. Addressed
in Jefferson's hand to "Mr. John Heckewelder / Bethlehem." Postmark and
"Free" stamp. Transmittal folds with expertly repaired separation at
intersections; minor surface soil. Very good condition.
Jefferson and
Heckewelder were both very active in the American Philosophical Society
(Jefferson was president of the Society from 1797-1814) and corresponded
regularly regarding their research into the native peoples of America.
Estimated Value $3,500-5,000.
Please note the extensive collection
of Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1535
Kennedy, Jacqueline
(1929-1994) Wife of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the U.S. A young
debutante, Jacqueline finished her schooling at Vassar and began working as a
photographer for a newspaper. It was then that she had the opportunity to meet
John Kennedy, considered the most eligible bachelor of the time. The couple
married in 1953. Upon her husband's Presidency, Jackie captivated the nation
and the world with her elegance, intelligence, and impeccable style,
championing the restoration of the White House. After Kennedy's assassination,
she married Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping magnate and multi-millionaire.
Following his death seven years later, Jackie worked as an editor for
Doubleday. Already an American icon, upon her death, Jackie's estate was sold
in an impressive four-day auction, realizing over $34 million.
Autograph Note Signed ("Jacqueline Kennedy"). As First Lady. One
page, large duodecimo, n.p. (1962). On a White House Notecard. To Vincent
Price. Notecard envelope (embossed "White House") included, also addressed to
"Mr. Price", in the First Lady's hand. Both are in fine
condition.
"Dear Mr Price -- I thought you might like this bound copy
of the first edition of our guide book", a considerate note that Mrs.
Kennedy took the time to write herself. As mentioned above, Vincent Price was
deeply involved in the rehabilitation of the White House and would have
welcomed Mrs. Kennedy's guidebook (the first about the White House), eagerly.
This is a lovely note, exemplifying Mrs. Kennedy's graciousness and linked to
her most famous contribution, the refurbishment of what she wanted to be "the
most perfect house in the United States".
Estimated Value $750-900.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our
Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1536
Kennedy, Jacqueline.
Typed Letter Signed ("Jacqueline Kennedy" ). As First Lady. One
page, small quarto, Washington DC, July 24, 1962. On White House stationery. To
Mr. and Mrs. [Vincent] Price. Transmittal folds, else fine.
Mrs. Kennedy
here thanks Mr. and Mrs. Price for the gift of a Bierstadt painting: "I cannot
tell you how happy I am to accept for The White House the Bierstadt painting.
From what I hear from Mr. Fosburgh it is absolutely charming and I look forward
to seeing it on my return this fall..." Vincent Price, a recognized collector
and connoisseur of art, served on The White House Art Committee for Mrs.
Kennedy as she undertook her renovation of The White House.
Estimated Value
$400-500.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential
biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1537
Madison, James
(1751-1836) 4th President of the U.S. (1809-17) An early opponent of
British colonial measures, he helped draft the Constitution for the new state
of Virginia (1776), served in the Continental Congress (1780-83, 1787), and was
a member of the Virginia legislature (1784-86). A principal contributor to the
Federalist Papers, he was largely responsible for securing ratification of the
Constitution in Virginia. As a congressman from Virginia (1789-97), he was a
strong advocate of the Bill of Rights. After Jefferson triumphed in the
presidential election of 1800, Madison became (1801) his secretary of state. He
succeeded Jefferson as president in 1809. is term in office witnessed the
beginning of postwar national expansion and the rise of Jacksonian democracy.
Partial Document Signed ("James Madison"). As President.
10½ x 5¼", Washington DC, December 30, 1812. Countersigned by
James Monroe, as Secretary of State. Foxing at the seal, two vertical folds,
one of which intersects "James" and "Monroe"; minor surface soil.
Overall, good condition.
The printed text of this partial document
indicates that our section was clipped from a ship's paper.
Estimated Value
$300-400.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential
biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1538
Reagan, Ronald (1911-
) 40th President of the U.S. (1981-89). A film actor who was president of the
Screen Actors Guild, he was a supporter of the New Deal long before he joined
the Republican party in 1962 and began to champion right-wing causes. As
governor of California for two terms (1967-75), he cut state welfare and
medical services and education funds. After leaving office, he campaigned for
the 1976 Republican presidential nomination but lost narrowly to Pres. Gerald
Ford. Four years later he won the nomination and, with his running mate, George
Bush, resoundingly defeated Pres. Jimmy Carter. His presidency had barely begun
when he was shot by a would-be assassin, John Hinckley, Jr., on Mar. 30, 1981;
he recovered quickly. His tax and spending policies, however, led to enormous
peacetime budget deficits, greatly increasing the national debt. In 1994 he
disclosed that he had Alzheimer's disease in hope of increasing public
awareness of the illness.
Lot of two. The first item is a "Masquers
Honor Ronald Reagan" program, dated October 9, 1959, signed by Ronald
Reagan, Edward G. Robinson, Spring Byington, Jack Benny and June
Allyson. Everyone has signed on one side of the opened quarto program.
There is significant soil, presumably from the dinner itself, but the
signatures are nice and strong. Our second item in this lot is another Masquers
program, this time honoring Steve Allen. Dated December 4, 1959, this program
features the signatures of Allen, Jayne Meadows, Kirk Douglas, Louella
Parsons Less soil than above, good condition.
Reagan was a movie
star long before he was a politician and here we have a great link to that part
of his life and his contemporaries!
Estimated Value $350-400.
Please
note the extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our Political
Memorabilia section.
Lot 1539
Taft, William Howard
(1857-1930) 27th President of the U.S. Running as Roosevelt's successor in
1908, he defeated William Jennings Bryan. He continued Roosevelt's policies,
i.e., "trust busting" and, in Latin America, "dollar diplomacy," but he was
more conservative than Roosevelt and antagonized the progressive elements in
his party. His relations with Roosevelt deteriorated, and in 1912 he found
himself running for reelection against his former mentor, who had formed the
Progressive Party (Bull Moose party). The Republican vote was split, and the
Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson, won. Taft was appointed (1921) chief
justice by Pres. Harding; his chief contribution to the court was his
administrative efficiency.
Endorsed Check ("William H Taft").
Partially printed, accomplished in type. 8¾ x 3¼", New Haven,
Connecticut, February 27, 1917. The check is drawn on the Yale University Press
account at the New Haven Bank and made payable to Taft in the amount of $7.02.
Taft endorses and signs the verso. Punch cancelling to check and attached stub.
Light soiling to check, a bit more appears on stub. In good condition
overall.
Subsequent to his Presidency, while working as a law Professor
at Yale, here the University Press offers him a royalty payment.
Estimated
Value $300-400.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential
biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1540
Truman, Harry and Bess.
1. Typed Letter Signed ("Harry Truman"). One page, quarto,
Independence, Missouri, January 31, 1963. On his personal stationery. In black
ink. To Mr. Victor Messall of Maryland. With two horizontal folds. 2. Typed
Letter Signed ("Harry Truman"). One page, quarto, Independence,
Missouri, May 24, 1963. On his personalized stationery. In black ink. To Mr.
Victor Messall of Maryland. Accompanied by the original transmittal envelope.
With two horizontal folds. 3. Autograph Note Signed ("Bess W. Truman").
Two pages with integral blank, octavo, Washington, D.C., "January
fifth", n.y. On White House stationery. In black ink. With one vertical and
one horizontal fold. Marked bleeding of ink. 4. Typed Letter Signed ("Bess
W. Truman"). Two pages, octavo, Washington, D.C., n.d. On White House
stationery. In black ink. With one horizontal fold. Also included is a card
invitation from Bess Truman. Overall the group is in very good to fine
condition.
In his letters Truman jokes with a friend about getting
older, while Mrs. Truman cordially thanks another friend for a gift of pralines
-- apparently popular choice for the Trumans as she writes: "They happen to
be my favorite candy."
Estimated Value $500-600.
Please note the
extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia
section.
Lot 1541
Truman, Harry S. Typed
Manuscript Signed ("Harry Truman"). As President. One page, quarto,
n.p., n.d. In black ink. To John Wesley Snyder. Light folding at edges. Overall
in very good condition.
Here Truman praises John W. Snyder for his
service in the bureaucratic trenches and bestows to him the Poison Oak Leaf
Cluster to Carl Vinson Medal with Crossed Palms. Snyder and Truman had a long
history together, serving together during World War One. Later, Truman named
him Secretary of the Treasury. The document reads, in part: "Armed only with a
handful of papers and with utter disregard for the welfare of the House Naval
Affairs Committee, Mr. Snyder undertook and successfully completed a
single-handed frontal offensive against a numerically superior segment of the
Post-War Fleet... Mr. Snyder's outstanding action is consistent with the
highest traditions of the Bureau of the Budget."
Estimated Value $600-700.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our
Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1542
Truman, Harry S
(1884-1972) 33rd President of the U.S. He was nominated for vice president
in 1944 and elected along with Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt's death
on Apr. 12, 1945, thrust Truman into the presidency at a crucial time-the
closing days of World War II. After the war in Europe ended on May 8, Truman
authorized the use of the Atomic Bomb against Japan at Hiroshima (Aug. 6) and
Nagasaki (Aug. 9). On Aug. 14, Japan surrendered. In the 1948 presidential
election Truman won a stunning (and unexpected) victory over Thomas E. Dewey.
His term of office was marked by controversy from beginning to end. Among his
controversial acts were his decision to use the atomic bomb, the "loss" of
China to the Communists, and his firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the
Korean War. He was much respected for his plain speaking and for his ability to
make hard decisions, however, and during the 1970s public opinion polls
consistently showed him to be among the most admired of American presidents.
Lot of three items.
Signature ("Harry Truman"). Signed
printed portrait, 8 x 11", n.p., n.d. Black an white photograph of pencil
sketch, signed across lapel. Pencil notation verso: "original photograph rec'd
from Mr. Long / Sept 23, 1946. Adhesive residue verso with some toning to
extreme edges. Very good condition.
Signature ("Greta Kempton").
Signed printed portrait, 8 x 11", n.p., n.d. Black and white photograph of Ms.
Kempton sanding in front of her first portrait of President Truman. Adhesive
residue verso with some toning to the edges. Very good condition.
Printed
portrait of Truman, signed in the plate. Image size: 7 x 9½,
sheet size: 10½ x 13½". A lovely, almost-sepia image.
Minor toning to edges, overall very good to near fine condition.
Kempton painted five portraits of President Truman and several more of
his family, in addition, she created more than two dozen portraits of Truman
administration officials and members of their families. A wonderful lot linking
artist and subject.
Estimated Value $500-600.
Please note the
extensive collection of Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia
section.
Lot 1543
Tyler, John
(1790-1862) 10th President of the U.S. Governor (1825-27) of Virginia and
U.S. senator (1827-36). A moderate states' rights Democrat, he was a reluctant
supporter of Andrew Jackson during his two terms as president but eventually
broke with the Democrats and joined the new Whig Party. In 1840 he was running
mate to the Whig presidential candidate, William Henry Harrison, and they waged
the victorious "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" campaign. Harrison died on Apr. 4,
1841, after only one month as president, and Tyler became the first vice
president to succeed to the presidency. Tyler's chief accomplishments as
president were the Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1843) with Great Britain and the
annexation of Texas as a state.
Free Frank ("J. Tyler"). One
page, small quarto, Virginia, July 10, n.y. Addressed in another hand to "Mrs.
Margaret Beeckman / Saratoga Springs / New York State." Transmittal folds;
minor toning; wax residue from seal; some surface soil. Overall, very good
condition.
Estimated Value $300-400.
Please note the extensive
collection of Presidential biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.
Lot 1544
Van Buren, Martin
(1782-1862) 8th President of the U.S. (1837-41). Elected governor of New
York in 1828, he became one of Andrew Jackson's supporters and resigned (1829)
to become Jackson's secretary of state (1829-31). He was Jackson's running mate
in the 1832 presidential election and was elected vice president. Largely
through Jackson's influence, he was the Democratic candidate for president in
1836 and won. He was defeated for reelection in 1840 by William Henry Harrison,
the Whig Party candidate. He remained a power in Democratic politics, but in
1848 he ran for president as the candidate of the Free-Soil Party and managed
to throw the election to Zachary Taylor. He supported Abraham Lincoln in the
secessionist crisis.
Free Frank ("Free / M. Van Buren"). One
page, small quarto, Kinderhook, New York, n.d. (illegible). Addressed in Van
Buren's hand to "Chapelden Ellis Esquire / at / New York." Postmark and
"Free" stamp. Adhesive and paper residue at one edge from earlier mounting;
torn when wax seal removed; expected folds; minor toning; hand smudge at
"C" in Chapelden. Overall, very good condition.
Estimated Value
$300-500.
Please note the extensive collection of Presidential
biographies in our Political Memorabilia section.