Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Wooden Box Kept on his Bedside Table

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s historic quality personally-owned and -used wooden box, kept on his bedside table at the White House. Beautiful wood inlaid box measures 9.5 x 7 x 3.5, with the President’s initials, “FDR,” handsomely inlaid in ebony on the cover. The box’s lock has been disabled and has no key, but easily opens and closes. Accompanied by a detailed 1990 letter of provenance on White House letterhead from the wife of White House valet and steward Irineo Esperancilla. Letter reads, in part: “The lovely wood inlay box…was kept in the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on his bedside table…In this box President Roosevelt kept his most personal correspondence. It was so personal that when the President passed away…my husband promptly picked up the locked box…and brought it home…The contents of FDR’s most personal correspondence was burned by my husband in our own kitchen sink—He did this act out of loyalty and respect for the President.” Also included is a second letter of provenance from Esperancilla’s wife on a White House card, a copy of a letter to Esperancilla from Naval Aide to the President Edward Leach, written on the occasion of Esperancilla’s retirement, thanking him for his loyal service to four presidents, as well as a photocopy of Esperancilla’s obituary. In very fine condition, with expected light wear, that does not detract from its aesthetic appeal. President Roosevelt once told his valets they were his ‘lifeline and keeper of his secrets,’ which was certainly the case with the disposition of the contents of this box. One could only wonder what secrets this box might have held at the time of Roosevelt’s death, with the truth known by only two men, the president and his loyal valet. An impressive FDR relic of the most personal order, deserving of a place in a distinguished collection.
Bidding for the Auction opens Sep 11, 2014 & ends Sep 17, 2014 

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Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Walnut Cane

President Roosevelt’s personally-owned and -used walnut cane with a white bone handle and tip, measuring 39.5″ long, featuring two black rings below the grip and a silver ring at the bottom of the handle. Includes a detailed letter of provenance on White House letterhead from Mildred Prettyman, a White House worker and the widow of Arthur S. Prettyman. Her husband had served as Roosevelt’s valet from 1939 until the president's death in 1945, and continued working for Harry S. Truman until he left office in 1953. In part: “It gives me pleasure to present to you one of the canes owned and used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was given to my husband, Arthur S. Prettyman shortly after the handle was cracked, by the President…This particular cane was used a great deal by the President until he cracked the ivory top. It has a curved handle for the hand grip and two black rings near the top. At the bottom of the handle is a silver ring. The bottom of the cane has an ivory tip nearly 3 1/2 inches long…This most personal possession of the President must be preserved for future generations.” Accompanied by multiple photos of President Roosevelt holding the cane at various events, including a visit with Winston Churchill, as well as a photo of Mildred Prettyman with the cane at the time she transferred it to the distinguished Amyx collection.

Bidding for the Auction opens Sep 11, 2014 & ends Sep 17, 2014 

http://www.rrauction.com/preview_itemdetail.cfm?IN=79

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 Inaugural Top Hat

President Roosevelt’s personally-owned and -worn top hat, size 7 3/8, worn for his first presidential inauguration on March 4, 1933. The impressive format top hat is made of high quality beaver fur with a white silk lining and leather inner band, with the president’s full name, “Franklin Delano Roosevelt,” embossed in gold lettering on the left side of the leather band and on the inner crown. Includes the original storage box, constructed of leather-wrapped wood with a dark green smooth satin lining, embossed on the front in gold lettering, “F. D. R.,” and stamped by the maker, “Cross.” Includes a detailed full-page letter of provenance on White House letterhead from Mildred Prettyman, a White House worker and the widow of Arthur S. Prettyman. Her husband had served as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s valet from 1939 until the president's death in 1945, and continued working for Harry S. Truman until he left office in 1953. Mrs. Prettyman describes the close relationship between her husband and FDR, in part: "President Roosevelt said of his Valets, 'You are my lifeline, the keeper of my keys.' The President did not mean real keys, but the keys to FDR's secrets." Discussing this specific piece, she writes: “It gives me pleasure to present to you a beautiful black Inaugural top hat, owned and used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Inaugural top hat with the original box came to my husband, Arthur S. Prettyman, along with other important F. D. R. personal items…In addition to the President’s Inauguration, he would wear his top hat to various occasions, such as formal dinners and receptions.”

Roosevelt wore top hats to his 1933, 1937, and 1941 inauguration ceremonies; the latter two hats are accounted for in institutional collections. This 1933 Inauguration top hat is in absolutely splendid condition. Franklin Pierce began the tradition by wearing a top hat for his presidential inauguration in 1853, with nearly every president thereafter following suit through Nixon, with Eisenhower and Johnson being notable exceptions. This FDR 1933 formal hat topped off the stylish ensemble worn by Roosevelt for his 1933 inauguration, which included striped trousers, fur-trimmed morning coat, cane, and pince-nez spectacles. FDR rode to the ceremony in an open-topped car alongside President Hoover, and is seen in numerous pictures with the hat—wearing it and animatedly waving it to the crowd gathered along the street—as they made their way to the East Portico of the Capitol, where he would receive the oath of office from Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Once sworn in, President Roosevelt delivered a speech that remains one of the most well-known in American political history, opening with the strong and oft-quoted assertion 'that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' With the nation embroiled in economic depression and the world facing the specter of fascism's rise, Roosevelt's inauguration marked a crucial turning point around the globe—and this iconic hat, FDR's most prominent article of clothing on that day, is a monumental relic of this critical moment in history
Bidding for the Auction opens Sep 11, 2014 & ends Sep 17, 2014 

http://www.rrauction.com/preview_itemdetail.cfm?IN=77

Franklin D. Roosevelt personally-owned Pipe

President Roosevelt’s personally-owned and -used smooth bowl meerschaum pipe with a .75″ diameter opening, measuring 4.5″ long, from his time at Harvard University. The pipe features a sterling silver mouthpiece collar and translucent brown plastic mouthpiece, which is loose. Pipe shows signs of use and includes a form-fitting case lined with plush green cloth. Pipe originates from the estate of Secret Service agent Charles W. Fredericks, by bequest of Eleanor Roosevelt. Fredericks served as FDR’s bodyguard from 1942 until the president’s death in 1945. A fascinating glimpse into the lifestyle of FDR—an inveterate smoker from his college years through to the end of his days. RR Auction COA.

http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=74

Franklin D. Roosevelt Personally Owned Stationery Rack

Roosevelt’s personally-owned stationery rack. Black-painted wooden rack measures 9.5 x 4.5 x 8.75. Rack was originally sold as Lot 813 in the November–December 1951 sale at Hammer Galleries in New York as “Miscellaneous Objects Belonging to the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.” Accompanied by a photocopy of a 1951 letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to Mr. Hammer which reads, in part: “The items which we have consigned to you for sale are all belongings which my husband and I had in our various houses over the years; but, as you know, in this present day one is not able to operate the large households which were part of a bygone era…So it is my hope that others will be able to find enjoyment in the possession of these things which have given much enjoyment to my husband, myself and the members of my family.” Also included is a photocopy of Hammer’s catalog listing for the rack. In fine condition, with a President and Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt auction sticker affixed to the back. RR Auction COA.

http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=62

Franklin D. Roosevelt Signed book Looking Forward

Signed book: Looking Forward. Later printing. NY: John Day Company, 1933. Hardcover with dust jacket, 5.5 x 7.5, 279 pages. Signed and inscribed as president on the first free end page, “To Dorothy M. Stanley with a Merry Christmas from Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933.” Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG+/VG-.

http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=63

RR Auction Franklin D. Roosevelt Signed White House Card

White House card boldly signed in fountain pen, “Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Encapsulated in a plastic PSA/DNA authentication holder, grading the autograph a “9.” In fine condition, with light pencil notations to reverse. RR Auction COA.

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RR Auctions Franklin D. Roosevelt Signed Book The Democratic Book

Signed book: The Democratic Book: 1936. Gilt-stamped leather (including “L. E. Dixon,” the original owner), 11.5 x 14.5, 384 pages. Limited edition (limitation unspecified; this copy is numbered 1179), signed by Roosevelt on the colophon beneath a watercolor vignette of the White House. Autographic condition: fine. Book condition: VG-/None. Brown leather-covered boards with gilt title, gilted upper textblock edge, and silk moiré endpapers. Edges worn, with small tears at corners and spine-ends; rubbing along spine-edges and few scratches/scuffs to front; slight discoloration to textblock edges (more noticeable along edges of moiré endpapers); insect damage to first two pages. A lavishly produced promotional ‘year book’ for the Democratic Party, the publication of The Democratic Book in the Spring of 1936 was assailed by Republicans as a violation of the Corrupt Practices Act which prohibits corporations from contributing to national campaigns. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.

http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=61

RR Auctions Franklin D. Roosevelt Signed Vintage Head-and-Shoulders Photo

Vintage glossy 7.75 x 10 double weight New York Times Studio head-and-shoulders photo, signed in fountain pen. In very good condition, with scattered creases and surface marks, a bit of light crazing to finish, and lightly trimmed vertical edges. RR Auction COA.

http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=77

RR Autograph Auctions Franklin D. Roosevelt Autograph manuscript

Autograph manuscript, in pencil, signed twice, “FDR,” one lightly-lined 8 x 10.25 yellow page. Roosevelt writes a list of names of Democratic Senators and others, including Key Pittman, Democratic Senator from Nevada (whose name is written and then crossed out); Kenneth Douglas McKellar, Democratic Senator from Tennessee (whose name is bracketed with Pittman's); Dennis Chavez, Democratic Senator from New Mexico, whose name is followed first by a question mark and then by FDR's initials; and Guy Gillette, Democratic Senator from Iowa, whose name is followed by notes and a check mark. Present also are four other names with notes beside them possibly indicating their voting position. Scattered creases and wrinkles, coffee ring to bottom edge, a couple small tears to top left, and brushing to one set of initials, otherwise very good condition. Provenance: From the estate of James Roosevelt. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.

http://www.rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=121