JUST WEEKS AFTER PRESIDENT GARFIELD DIED, HIS GRIEVING WIDOW SENDS AN AUTOGRAPH OF THE PRESIDENT (NOT INCLUDED)

LUCRETIA GARFIELD (1832-1918).  Lucretia, the wife of President James A. Garfield, was First Lady from March 4, 1881 until her husband's death on Sept. 19, 1881 at the hands of assassin Charles Guiteau. 

ALS. 1pg. 5” x 7”. November 16, 1881. Cleveland, O.  An autograph letter signed “Lucretia R. Garfield” on black bordered mourning stationery.  Writing two months after the President died of his gunshot wounds, the First Lady wrote: “Dear Sir, I have only a few autographs of this kind to distribute.  It has this value that it is one of the last of General Garfield’s signatures having been written July 1^st 1881. Very truly yours Lucretia R. Garfield”.  The President was shot on July 2, so the signature Mrs. Garfield sent was one of the final ones he ever wrote.  The letter has mailing folds and a mounting remnant to the last page that affects nothing.

A RARE JULIA GRANT SIGNED CHECK

JULIA GRANT (1826-1902).  The wife of Ulysses, Julia was First Lady from 1869 to 1877.

DS. 1pg. July 28, 1890. New York.  A check signed “Mrs. Julia D. Grant”, paying Thomas Bagot $78 and charging it “to Special Account”.  Bagot endorsed it on the back.  The check has light wrinkling and other minor faults.  RareBookHub shows no Julia Grant checks ever selling.

A CAROLINE HARRISON SIGNED PORTRAIT

CAROLINE HARRISON (1832-1892). Harrison was First Lady of the United States from 1889-1892.

PS. 3” x 4 ½”. N.d. N.p. An engraving signed “Caroline Scott Harrison” on the lower border. An annotation in another hand below her signature lists her years as First Lady, but the signature itself is undated. The print depicts Harrison in profile. It is in very good condition with some foxing.  Since she died while her husband was in office, her signature is uncommon, and signed images are rare.

PRESIDENT HAYES SIGNS A VERY LARGE PHOTOGRAPH OF HIS WIFE

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES (1822-1893).  Hayes was the Nineteenth President and a Union general during the Civil War.  During his Presidency, he ended Reconstruction, began civil service reform, and restored financial confidence after the Panic of 1873. 

PS. 7 ½” x 13”. No date [circa 1877]. No place [likely Washington, DC].  A very large photograph of First Lady Lucy Hayes inscribed on the lower margin by the President, “To Miss Alberta Manning Houghton, with kindest regards, Rutherford B. Hayes”.  The photograph has an 1877 imprinted date and a Sarony imprint; based on the 1877 date, it was probably signed as President.  Houghton was, like Lucy Hayes, likely involved in the women’s suffrage and temperance movements.  Hayes signed with his full name (not his usual “R.B. Hayes”) and the purple ink is light but legible.  The overall condition is fine.

A JOSEPH HELLER SIGNED CATCH-22

JOSEPH HELLER (1923-1999). An American novelist, Heller is best remembered for his 1961 novel, Catch-22. He also wrote We Bombed in New Haven, Something Happened, Good As Gold, God Knows and Picture This. SB. 568pp. No date. No place. A Catch-22 signed “Joseph Heller” in blue ballpoint ink on the endpage page. This classic novel is an Everyman’s Library edition printed in 1995. Light wear to the top and bottom of the dustjacket, but in fine condition.

PHOTOGRAPH SIGNED BY FIRST LADY LOU HOOVER TO MOUNT UNION COLLEGE

LOU HENRY HOOVER (1874-1944). Hoover was the First Lady from 1929 to 1933.

PS. 1 pg. 8” x 10”. November 3, 1932. N.p. A photograph signed “Lou Henry Hoover”: “With all good wishes to the Students of Mount Union College”. The black-and-white photograph shows Lou Henry Hoover smiling and looking away from the camera to the right. Mount Union College was a private liberal college in Alliance, Ohio affiliated with the Methodist Church. Today, it is now the University of Mt. Union and not religiously affiliated. A notable former student was President William McKinley, though ill health and the Civil War prevented his graduation. In another hand, the date of the photograph is given as November 3, 1932, which would have been less a week before her husband, President Herbert Hoover, was defeated for re-election. Lou Hoover was accomplished in her own right, including leading the Girl Scouts from 1922 to 1925 and from 1935 to 1937.The photograph is on thick cardstock and in excellent condition.