Rare Autographs, Books and Manuscripts
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017
32nd President of the U.S. – Magnificent letter with other pieces. ALS dated Aug. 12, ’07 on letterhead Campobello Island, Eastport, Maine to Mr. Ryan, 3 full pp 8 x 5” on 2 sheets of letterhead. He asks Mr. Ryan to “go to the house someday and make some alterations to the baby’s wooden crib.” He gives quite detailed instructions as to what he would like done and even includes a drawing. It is signed with his full signature. The consignor wrote to FDR’s daughter whose crib the letter concerned, Anna Roosevelt Halstead, and sent her a copy of the letter. She graciously replied that she was giving it to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library “because I feel it would be of interest to many researchers who are interested in F.D.R. the man.” She also gave some interesting information about her father’s hobby of making and racing model sailing boats. “Some of the rigging he did was quite intricate.” “Louis Howe, his friend and assistant for some years, had the same hobby and the two men would race their sailing boats across the Hudson River as well as at Campobello.” Mrs. Halsted’s letter is included in this lot. Later at a meeting of the Manuscript Society, the consignor met FDR’s granddaughter Eleanor Roosevelt Seagraves, who was known as “Sistie” when she lived in the White House as a child, and gave her a copy of the letter. Her very nice letter of appreciation is also included here. The FDR letter was the subject of an article in the Fall 2014 edition of Manuscripts entitled “FDR—Another Facet of His Personality”. A reprint of that article is also part of this lot. Altogether, a unique bit of presidential history.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Unique ALS
Click above for larger image.