U.S. First Lady - 1845-49

Signed Card, 2” x 3 ¾”, “Mrs. James K. Polk,” dated in another hand on reverse, “May 4, 1887.”

Lightly and evenly toned, with minor bleeding of ink at the “P” in the last name.

U.S. First Lady - 1933-1945

Signatures, in two rare forms, “Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt),” on a 5” x 6 ½” linen letter-sheet, with the notation, “Albany, N.Y., Apr[il] 14, 1932,” in another hand beneath.

U.S. First Lady - 1933-1945

Signed White House Card, 2 ¾” x 4 ¼”, as First Lady, “Eleanor Roosevelt.”

The card has light soiling and wear and there is a small stain in the lower left corner. 

U.S. First Lady - 1901-09

Signed White House Card, 2 ½” x 4”, as First Lady, "Edith Kermit Roosevelt,” with “THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON,” embossed in the upper right corner. While autographed items of Mrs. Roosevelt are common, signed White House cards are seldom seen.

Lightly and evenly toned, with minor paper clip staining in the upper left corner and old mounting remnants on reverse. Accompanied by the well-worn White House transmittal envelope, with the typewritten address, “H.F. Seeley, Esquire, 130 Oak Street, Bridgeton, New Jersey.”

32^nd U.S. President - 1933-45

Signed White House Card, 2 ¾” x 4 ¼”, as President, “Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

One tiny stain beneath the signature; small mounting remnants on reverse. Condition is pristine otherwise.

Accompanied by a Typed Letter Signed from FDR’s private secretary, M.A. “Missy” LeHand, on White House stationery, dated July 29, 1936, sending the card to “Miss Jewel Allen, Veterans’ Hospital, Oteen, North Carolina.”

32^nd U.S. President - 1933-45

Personally Writing to a Young Polio Victim Who Hopes to go to Warm Springs

Typed Letter Signed, on embossed 8” x 10 ½” stationery as New York Governor, to “Miss Lenora Burge, 228 N. Orange Street, Rialto, California,” apparently a young polio victim, hoping to go to Warm Springs. Responding personally to her request for information, FDR refers the matter to the head physician at the well known rehabilitation center, founded by Roosevelt in 1927 for the treatment of others afflicted with polio.

“Albany, June 8, 1931. Dear Lenora:- I have your letter of May 27^th and am taking the liberty of sending it to Dr. Leroy W. Hubbard, the physician in charge at Warm Springs, Georgia, with the request that he send you full information about Warm Springs. Very sincerely yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

Overall condition is excellent, with light, even toning and two horizontal folds.

32^nd U.S. President - 1933-45

Appointing and Directing a U.S. Navy Ensign to Report for Duty at Puget Sound

Document Signed, as acting secretary on an imprinted 8” x 10" Navy Department form, Washington, May 8, 1919, “Franklin D. Roosevelt, Acting Secretary of the Navy,” a temporary appointment for “Ensign…Harold J. Bellingham, U.S.N., Thirteenth Naval District.” Ensign Bellingham is further directed to report for duty at the Puget Sound, Washington Naval Station.

There are two spindle holes and several small staples holes in the upper margin, and the document bears general soiling and wear, along with two horizontal folds.

Twenty-Sixth U.S. President – 1901-09

Signed White House Card, 2 ¾” x 4”, as President, “Theodore Roosevelt.”

Nearly pristine, both front and reverse.

U.S. First Lady – 1909-13

Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, 4 ¼” x 5 ½”, dated “1919” in another hand at the conclusion. Writing on imprinted stationery from the family home in Quebec, Mrs. Taft arranges to send a copy of her autobiography, along with autographs from her husband, which are no longer present.

“To W.E. Ambler. My dear Mr. Sir: I will send you an [sic] copy of my book which costs three dollars and a half, but I am in Canada now, and I can not get it easily. I will get it when I go back to my own country. Mr. Taft sends autographs but that is all. Yours sincerely, Helen H. Taft. July 3^rd.”

Condition is excellent overall, with a horizontal fold at the center.

27^th U.S. President - 1909-13; U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice - 1921-30; U.S. Secretary of War - 1904-08

Typed Letter Signed, on imprinted 5 ½” x 9” stationery as U.S. Secretary of War. At the request of his brother, Henry Waters Taft, War Secretary Taft sends a letter of introduction, not present, for the former Secretary of the U.S./Venezuelan Boundary Commission, ”Mr. Severo Mallet-Prevost, 931 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y.”

“War Department, Washington, November 11, 1904. My dear Mr. Mallet-Prevost: I have a note from my brother Harry asking a letter of introduction for you and Senor Nunez to the Superintendent at West Point. I take pleasure in inclosing a letter herewith, and hope it may reach you in time.  Very sincerely yours, W.H. Taft.”

Overall condition is excellent, with a horizontal fold at center, a few unobtrusive stains, and very minor bleeding of ink in Taft’s signature.

27^th U.S. President - 1909-13; U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice - 1921-30; U.S. Secretary of War - 1904-08

Signed White House Card, 2 ¾” x 4 ¼”, as President, “Wm. H. Taft.”

The card is pristine, both front and reverse.

Thirty-Third U.S. President - 1945-53

Signed White House Card, 2 ½” x 4”, as President, “Harry S. Truman.”

There is minor brushing of ink at the “H” in Truman’s signature, along with extremely light soiling in the left and upper margins.

Accompanied by the White House transmittal envelope, with the typewritten address, “Joseph Connell, 24 Sweden Street, Waterloo, Liverpool 22, England.” and an October 20, 1945, Washington, D.C. postmark.

Thirty-Third U.S. President - 1945-53

Autograph Note Signed, an inscribed signature on a 3” x 5” index card.

“Feb. 8, 1954. To Peter Sinton with best wishes for a long & happy life. Harry S. Truman.”

There is minor brushing of ink to several letters.

Accompanied by the transmittal envelope, imprinted Harry S. Truman, Federal Reserve Bank Building, Kansas City 6, Missouri, with the typewritten address, “Mr. Peter Sinton, 2 Laurel Street, San Francisco 18, California,” and a February 8, 1954, Kansas City, Missouri postmark.

Eighth U.S. President - 1837-41

Autograph Letter Signed, on a 4 ½” x 7 ¾” sheet. Writing from his Kinderhook, New York estate, Van Buren cordially responds to an autograph request from this letter’s unnamed recipient.

“Lindenwald, October 6^th [18]48, Dear Sir, I send my autograph with much pleasure, & am, with thanks for the obliging expression contained in your letter, very respectfully & truly yours, M. Van Buren.”

There are two light vertical creases, several old glue stains, and a few superficial edge tears; the corners have been trimmed diagonally.

Eighth U.S. President - 1837-41

Vice President Van Buren urges Erastus Corning’s support in the establishment of Oglethorpe University

Autograph Letter Signed, 1 ½ pages, on front and reverse of the first leaf of an 8” x 10” letter-sheet.

As U.S. Vice President, Van Buren recommends Samuel Kennedy Talmadge and solicits the support of prominent New York businessman and politician Erastus Corning, at this time the mayor of Buffalo, for the establishment of a college in Georgia.

“Washington, March 14^th 1836. My Dear Sir, My friend Mr. Talmadge of Georgia visits our section of the Union in the hope of obtaining subscription for a seminary of Learning in his State, the merits of which he will explain. It is well known that our Southern friends have heretofore been very liberal in respect to similar applications coming from us, & I sincerely hope that Mr. Talmadge may be able to report on his return the existence of a reciprocal spirit on our part. You will promote the deserving object & serve a worthy man by extending to Mr. Talmadge such facilities as may be in your power. I am D[ea]r Sir very truly yours, M. Van Buren.”

The endeavor proved successful, as Oglethorpe University opened its doors in Milledgeville, Georgia in 1838, with Talmadge serving as its president from 1841 until his death in 1865. Due to the Civil War, specifically the enlistment of many of its students in the southern army and the loss of its endowment which was invested in Confederate bonds, the school was closed from 1862 until 1866. When the Georgia capital was relocated to Atlanta in 1870, Oglethorpe University was moved to that city.

The usual light folds and toning detract very little, and there are two unobtrusive remnants from past framing on the blank final page of the letter-sheet.

U.S. First Lady – 1915-21

Signed White House Card, 2 ¾” x 4 ¼”, as First Lady, “Edith Bolling Wilson.”

Very slight brushing of ink at “B” in signature; pristine otherwise, both front and reverse.