PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT DECLINES TO WRITE A BOOK FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: “I NEVER CAN WRITE UNLESS I FEEL IT BORNE IN ON ME TO DO SO, AND OF COURSE TO THINK OF WRITING EVEN A SENTENCE FOR SUCH A BOOK AT PRESENT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE”

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919).  Roosevelt was the Twenty-Sixth President. 

ROGER LIVINGSTON SCAIFE (1875-1951).  Scaife, an author, was the head of publicity at Houghton Mifflin and later at Harvard University Press.

TLS. 1pg. March 13, 1907. Washington.  A typed letter signed “Theodore Roosevelt” as President. The letter is on “The White House” letterhead and is addressed to Roger. L. Scaife at Houghton Mifflin: “I have your letter of the 11^th.  I greatly like Dean Briggs’ book.  It would, however, be out of the question for me even to think of writing such a book now.  I never can write unless I feel it borne in on me to do so, and of course to think of writing even a sentence for such a book at present would be impossible.”  LeBaron Russell Briggs, a Dean at Harvard University, taught a young Franklin D. Roosevelt.  At the time of this writing, Briggs was the second President of Radcliffe College.  In 1904, as TR alluded to, Briggs authored The Transition from School to College.  The letter has even toning to the letter and lightness around the edges from a previous framing.  The Roosevelt autograph is dark and the President added two words in his handwriting.  There is a horizontal mailing fold.

A SMALL ARCHIVE OF MATERIALS FROM PRESIDENTIAL SISTER-IN-LAW EMILY TYLER CAROW, INCLUDING A THEODORE ROOSEVELT SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919).  Roosevelt was the Twenty-Sixth President. 

EMILY TYLER CAROW (1865-1939). Carow was the younger sister of First Lady Edith Kermit Roosevelt and thus the sister-in-law of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Archive. 3 pieces. An archive relating to Emily Tyler Carow and her relationship to her Presidential sister and brother-in-law. All three pieces are in very good condition.

1. PS. N.d. N.p. A photograph signed “Theodore Roosevelt” on thick paper stock. Roosevelt is pictured wearing a monocle in this somewhat dark, black-and-white image but the dark signature has great contrast.

2. ALS. 4pgs. December 21, [1903]. The White House, Washington. An autograph letter signed “Emily Tyler Carow”. Writing to a friend, Carow describes sightseeing in Rome and Christmas at the White House. “Dear Miss Tuttle, This is just to wish you a particularly happy Christmas and that 1904 will bring about all your most cherished desires. The little Roman paper weight if it were animate could tell you many tales of love hate and ambition for I picked up the various bits of marbles from all sorts of historical spots the palaces of the Caesars, the Stadium, the Baths of Caracalla, the Villa of Hadrian below Tivoli, the shores of Porto d’Anzio, the ancient atrium where Nero had his villa, & where his baby daughter lived and if I remember rightly died. These last bits of marble were so washed and worn by the sea, that it was not easy to distinguish them from their plebian companion pebbles, and it was only after they had been cut and polished that I could feel quite sure. My two oldest nephews have come home from school for Christmas and the White House is very gay with children’s voices. May you enjoy as happy a Christmas as I expect to with your sister Edith and her children is the wish of Emily Tyler Carow”. There is toning on the second page.

3. A black-and-white photograph of Theodore Roosevelt, two women (most likely Edith and Emily), and a young man (probably one of his sons) outside in front of a palm tree.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, AS PRESIDENT, SIGNS A DRAMATIC PHOTOGRAPH OF HIM ATOP A JUMPING HORSE

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919).  Roosevelt was the Twenty-Sixth President. 

PS. 9” x 7 ½”. May 2, 1902. No place.  A wonderful black and white photograph signed “with regards of Theodore Roosevelt May 2^nd, 1902” as President.  It is inscribed in the upper right corner.  The theatrical image shows the behatted President atop a jumping horse that is leaping a fence.  The 9” x 7 ½” photograph is matted to an overall size of 13 ½” x 12”.  The signature is light, in part because the surface of the photograph is not conducive to absorbing ink.  Some handwritten letters and numbers are darker than others.  It is difficult to imagine a better TR image.

SECRETARY OF WAR TAFT APPOINTS A WEST POINT CADET

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT (1857-1930).  Taft was the Twenty-Seventh President, serving from 1909 to 1913, and Supreme Court Chief Justice, from 1921 to 1930. 

DS. 1pg. 8” x 10”. March 11, 1908. Washington.  A West Point appointment signed “Wm. H. Taft” as Secretary of War.  Taft appointed Pearl Lee Thomas a cadet.  The vellum document has a couple of folds and wrinkling, but is in very good condition with a relatively dark autograph.

A WILLIAM TAFT LETTER WRITTEN AS SECRETARY OF WAR

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT (1857-1930). Taft was the Twenty-Seventh President.

TLS. 1pg. December 28, 1907. War Department, Washington. A typed letter signed “Wm H Taft” as Secretary of War. He wrote to Representative from Ohio Theodore Burton: “My dear Mr. Burton: I have your note of the 27^th instant in respect to Colonel Kingman. I suppose his is one of a number of cases I shall not consider until the President returns which involve the discussion of a matter of broad policy. Very sincerely yours, Wm H Taft”. There have been several Colonel Kingmans. The letter is in good condition. The signature is faint, and there is waterstaining.

TAFT, IN AUGUSTA, GEORGIA PREPARING TO ASSUME THE PRESIDENCY, DECLINES A LOCAL INVITATION

WILLIAM TAFT (1857-1930).  Taft was the Twenty-Seventh President, serving from 1909 to 1913, and Supreme Court Chief Justice, from 1921 to 1930. 

TLS. 1pg. 6” x 8”. January 18, 1909. Augusta, Georgia.  A typed letter signed “Wm H Taft” as President-elect on his personal letterhead.  He wrote to M.H. Redwood of Augusta, Georgia.  As Taft was just a few weeks away from being inaugurated, he took his family to their home in Augusta to prepare for the Presidency.  Taft wrote: “I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of January 14^th, together with the enclosures which you were good enough to send and for which I thank you very much.  I regret that the demands upon my time during the remainder of my stay in Augusta are so heavy that it will be impossible for me to make an appointment.”  The letter has a dark signature and even browning, along with mailing folds.  The original envelope in included.