Original Manuscripts | Shapell Manuscript Foundation

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Typed Manuscript Signed

1 page

SMC 1209

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Chaim Weizmann on the Assassination of Russian Pogrom Organizer Plehve: A Pity He Didn't Die Years Ago

August 4, 1904

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1585

Russian Interior Minister Vyacheslav Plehve, a notorious pogrom organizer and tormentor of the Jews, had been killed the week before by a bomb. Upon hearing of his death, Chaim Weizmann only wished it had happened sooner.

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March 3, 1825

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 935

James Monroe’s Major Accomplishments, What He’s Known For, & His Last Day In Office

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Kennedy and the Arts: His Unprecedented Invitation of Scholars, Artists, Writers, and Thinkers to His Inauguration

September 8, 1961

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1444

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A Rueful Harry Truman on the 3rd Anniversary of his Presidency: “I don't know whether I need congratulations or commiseration”

April 15, 1948

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 256

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Grover Cleveland Worries He Cannot Bring His Baby Into Recently Quarantined White House After His Inauguration

February 20, 1893

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 1967

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Grover & Frances Cleveland: Cleveland Writes To His Bride-To-Be About Their Wedding

April 26, 1886

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 1163

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Mark Twain and Olivia Langdon: Twain Writes Ecstatically On The Pursuit Of His Future Wife

December 12, 1868

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 1852

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George Washington And Thomas Jefferson Signed Document: Trilingual Ships Papers

December 7, 1793

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Document Signed

2 pages

SMC 1807

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Abraham Lincoln's Prayer To "The Almighty" For Himself And The Nation - A Singular Letter

May 21, 1860

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 2509

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April 10, 1914

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1286

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Lincoln's Jewish Friend from Springfield, Julius Hammerslough, Appeals to Rabbi Leeser to Help Fundraise for a Lincoln Memorial

May 30, 1865

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Broadside

1 page

SMC 226

Lincoln's personal friend, Julian Hammerslough, asks Rabbi Leeser to raise funds in his synagogue for a memorial to the late President Lincoln.

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On the Eve of Rebellion, Pierce Still Defends the Kansas-Nebraska Act

October 13, 1860

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Autograph Letter Signed

4 pages

SMC 964

Franklin Pierce, who signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act while president, thus enabling the spread of slavery, and pitting the North against the South, doubles down on his decision six years later, on the eve of the Civil War.

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Pierce Defends the Democratic Party as Non-Sectional, Wonders About the Outcome of the 1860 Election

April 18, 1860

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Autograph Letter Signed

4 pages

SMC 1809

Pierce insists that the Democratic party is united over the issue of slavery months before the presidential election of 1860 causes the party to split into Northern and Southern Democrats, respectively.

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March 5, 1898

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 919

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Original 1900 Cook's Travel Poster - Nile & Palestine, with Sphinx

1900

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Ephemera

1 page

SMC 2434

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Ephemera

1 page

SMC 2291

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May 9, 1948

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 646

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An Invitation to hear the Israel Declaration of Independence, May 14 1948

May 13, 1948

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Typed Letter

1 page

SMC 219

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White House Card

1 page

SMC 1269

President Theodore Roosevelt renamed the Executive Mansion "The White House," and wastes no time ordering and signing the new White House stationery.

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January 8, 1956

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 765

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David Ben-Gurion Compares, Favorably, the Fledgling IDF to George Washington's Revolutionary Army

January 27, 1956

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 766

At a critical juncture, when Israel was vastly outnumbered, Ben-Gurion compares the fledgling IDF to "an army that had been established by the owner of an estate in Virginia." Though Ben-Gurion compares the IDF to George Washington's Revolutionary Army and wishes to learn from it, he also claims that the Jewish people's situation is "different from any other nation."

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JFK’s Drafted Letter to Medgar Evers' Widow, Myrlie, on Evers' Assassination

June 12, 1963

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 712

John F. Kennedy writes a condolence letter to Medgar Evers's widow. Four hours before Evers was shot in front of his wife and children, Kennedy had given a televised speech calling for an end to racial discrimination.

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After His "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" Speech, JFK Thanks the Overseas Military for Making His Visit a Success

July 8, 1963

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 715

President Kennedy thanks General Landon, the Commander in Chief of the United States Air Force in Europe for the "magnificent way" in which the General ensured that Kennedy's visit to Germany was a success.

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President John F. Kennedy on the Death of His Infant Son, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy

August 14, 1963

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 716

President John F. Kennedy's infant son Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born prematurely and lived for 39 hours. Five days later, the president thanks his sister-in-law and husband for their support during this difficult time.

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Jack London on "Call of the Wild" and Alleged Jewish Ancestry

August 8, 1905

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 719

Jack London tells a fan and possible relative that London is a common Jewish surname and he has often been approached by Jewish people inquiring if he is related to the Jewish contingent.

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Frank Lloyd Wright on "Rampant" Hitlerism and Stalinism

September 14, 1951

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 725

Frank Lloyd Wright ostensibly responds to Lewis Mumford's book, The Conduct of Life, recently sent to him – and refers, obliquely, to Mumford's criticism of the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

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Frank Lloyd Wright, Infuriated by His "Obituaries," Declares a Comeback

May 3, 1928

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 726

Frank Lloyd Wright, infuriated by "obituaries" of his work, and deeply resentful of the "European invasion" of ideas, vows to make a comeback for the sake of architecture itself.

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Orville Wright Sets the Record Straight About the First Flight

February 28, 1930

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 728

Twenty seven years after making history at Kitty Hawk, Orville Wright sets the record straight about three questions surrounding the first flight.

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Eisenhower & Kennedy: Eisenhower Writes JFK a Chilly Letter After Losing the 1960 Election

December 16, 1960

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Typed Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 703

Eisenhower coldly, yet cordially, confirms that his friend and Defense Liaison Officer, General Andrew Goodpaster, will be staying, as per Kennedy's request, with the President until February or March.

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President-Elect Eisenhower Thanks Mary Lincoln's Niece for the Gift of a "Truly Historic Memento"

November 28, 1952

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 704

President-Elect Eisenhower thanks the grandniece of Mary Lincoln for a gift of a pen holder made from the original wood of the Lincoln Homestead.

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Harry Truman Writes General Hap Arnold About FDR's Death, Two and a Half Weeks Before, as "The Greatest Blow"

April 30, 1945

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 694

Two weeks after Franklin Delano Roosevelt's death, Harry Truman is still reeling from the shock and his new role with all its responsibilities.

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Harry Truman Presents Supreme Court Chief Justice Vinson With a Gavel Having "Historical Connections"

October 5, 1948

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 680

Harry Truman presents the Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Vinson with a gavel made from the Jefferson Tree at Fulton Missouri. Here, Truman tells the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri, "Tip" Tipton how pleased both he and Vinson are with the gavel and its "historical connections."

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Harry Truman Tells How He Learned He Became the President: FDR's Death, He Says, Was a Complete Surprise

October 18, 1963

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 684

In this letter to Louis Reed (an administrative assistant to a West Virginia senator), Harry Truman reassures him that at the time they met, Truman had no idea that Roosevelt had died, and that he'd be ascending the presidency. It was as much of a surprise to Truman as to anyone else.

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Passport for the Early Explorer of Jerusalem, the Reverend Eli Smith, Signed by James Buchanan

October 23, 1846

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Document Signed

1 page

SMC 2068

Reverend Eli Smith, who had joined Reverend Edward Robinson as an Arabic-speaker during the latter's exploration of Biblical Jerusalem, travels to the Holy Land yet again, this time with a passport signed by then Secretary of State, James Buchanan.

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Early Carte-de-Visite Photo of Longtime U.S. Consul to Jerusalem, Selah Merrill

1864

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Carte de Visite

1 page

SMC 2230

Selah Merrill, known primarily as the longtime U.S. Consul to Jerusalem, famous for his antipathy for the Jewish people there, as well as anyone outside of mainstream Protestantism, was also, ironically, a chaplain with the 49th Colored Infantry during the Civil War. This rare carte-de-visite photo dates from his year's service in that capacity.

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Abraham Lincoln Carte-de-Visite Photo By Mathew Brady of Which Lincoln Said "I Look Most Like That One"

January 8, 1864

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Carte de Visite

1 page

SMC 1694

Lincoln sat for his portrait more than forty times, but he said that if he had to pick an image that looked most like him, it would be this one.

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Mark Twain Signed Photo by Abdullah Frères in Constantinople

1867

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Carte de Visite

1 page

SMC 1683

Photo signed as Samuel Clemens, taken in 1867 in Constantinople by Abdullah Frères. Clemens was in the midst of his trip on "The Quaker City," which also took him to the Holy Land.

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Carte-de-Visite of Abolitionist Crusader Rabbi David Einhorn

1855

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Carte de Visite

1 page

SMC 1764

This photograph was taken in Baltimore, where the German rabbi had his first American congregation, and where he eventually had to flee for his life due to his outspoken opposition to slavery. He would never return.

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At the End of His Life, Albert Einstein Writes Check to His Beloved Hebrew University

January 13, 1955

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 1814

The Hebrew University was a dream towards which Einstein devoted a considerable amount of time, including serving on its board, speaking at its inauguration, and bequeathing all of his papers to it. Nearing the end of his life, he wrote this check, in 1955 for $10 (equivalent to $90 in today's money) to the American Friends of the Hebrew University.

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Check of Jewish-Owned Cochise County Bank in Tombstone Sends Money to and from Jewish Merchants

March 14, 1885

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 1924

Interesting artifact of Jewish life in the American West: a transaction from a Jewish owned bank in Tombstone to a Jewish tobacconists in San Francisco.

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Excessively Rare Presidential Check Signed by Zachary Taylor

December 4, 1827

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 1612

Taylor, a career soldier, wrote this check to himself while stationed in Louisiana. Likely the only surviving check written by Taylor.

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Very Rare Printed Presidential Check Signed by Franklin Pierce: He Purchases Coal for the White House

September 19, 1854

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 1074

With this, one of the rarest surviving presidential checks, Franklin Pierce purchased coal for the White House in September of 1854.

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One of Benjamin Harrison's First Personal Checks as President

March 9, 1889

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 1177

This, one of the first personal checks signed by Benjamin Harrison as president, was written to the Treasurer of the American Bar Association, Francis Rawle of Philadelphia.

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A Very Rare President Warren G. Harding Signed Check

January 9, 1922

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 1325

Exceedingly rare check signed by Warren G. Harding as President.

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Abraham Lincoln's Check to His Son, Robert Lincoln, to Equip Him For Service Under Grant

February 20, 1865

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Check Signed

1 page

SMC 456

Check from Abraham Lincoln to his son, Robert Todd Lincoln. The president had finally allowed his son to serve in the war, and made sure he was sent to General Grant. This check was to ensure that his son was properly kitted out for war.

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President Harry Truman Defends Atomic Bombing of Japan as "the Only Language" a "Beast" Can Understand

August 11, 1945

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 367

Harry Truman defends his use of the atomic bomb, reasoning that the only language the Japanese understand is that of extreme force.

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FDR's 1938 Plan to Settle Jewish and "White" Refugees in the Unexplored Highlands of Venezuela

June 3, 1938

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 473

In 1938, Franklin Delano Roosevelt remarks, in the strictest privacy, that "in the crowded state of affairs in some nations in Europe and in certain areas of the United States, existing situations could be relieved by a small but fairly constant stream of emigrants to the unoccupied parts of the world." FDR is referring here to not only "white" refugees, but to European Jews as well.

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Theodore Roosevelt Decries the Deprivations Suffered by His Rough Riders After Battle of San Juan Hill

July 19, 1898

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 465

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt writes to the father of one of his soldiers who was taken ill with typhoid fever. He thanks the father for his offer to send some food to the soldiers but condemns the government for not providing enough food, supplies, and medical treatment to his cavalry.

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An Early and Rare Account by Orville Wright of the First Flight at Kitty Hawk

January 8, 1904

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 431

Three weeks after the first flight at Kitty Hawk, Orville Wright dives into a detailed and technical explanation of what went right in the flight, and what went wrong.

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Theodore Roosevelt Expresses His Dislike of the Motor Car

October 8, 1905

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 423

Though he was the first president to ride in an automobile, President Theodore Roosevelt had a profound dislike for them. He does, concede, however, that once their use is regulated, they will likely be less objectionable.

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Theodore Roosevelt Arranges a Dramatic Presentation About the Rough Riders

September 29, 1898

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 424

Roosevelt arranges to meet Mason Mitchell, whom he deems "the only Rough Rider with dramatic and literary capacity," in order to discuss their dramatic presentation about the Rough Riders.

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Life's Lessons: John F. Kennedy Advises a College Student What Classes to Take for a Life in Politics

August 2, 1954

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 522

John F. Kennedy, then a senator, is asked what he recommends as a course of study for a young person wishing to enter politics. In addition to recommending joining a campaign for practical knowledge, Kennedy says he feels that a "thorough knowledge of English is most essential," followed by the obvious choice of law for postgraduate studies.

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John F. Kennedy: National Security and Future of the Space Program Depend on Ending Labor Strife Delays

May 16, 1961

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 523

John F. Kennedy views the delays with the labor unions as a threat to not only the space program, but to national security. He urges Arthur Goldberg, the Secretary of Labor, to come to a swift arrangement with union leaders in order to resume the space race against the Soviets.

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Early John F. Kennedy Letter About the Death of His Brother Joe, Which Would Propel Him Into Politics

September 1, 1944

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 524

This letter thanking Miss Forbush for her condolences and prayers on the occasion of Joe Jr.'s death in World War II marks the beginning of John F. Kennedy's shouldering the mantle of his father's political aspirations.

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Harry Truman Letter Written as Vice-President But Signed as President with "Terrible Responsibilities"

April 12, 1945

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 585

A letter from Harry Truman written as Vice President, then amended by hand as President, mentioning the "terrible responsibilities" that are now his. Truman had started this letter in the morning, as vice president, but by the evening, had ascended the presidency, following President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death that day.

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Theodore Roosevelt Writes "Bully For You"

September 27, 1907

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 547

Here, in print, Theodore Roosevelt appropriates the word "bully" to use as a commendation.

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Theodore Roosevelt on Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: "One of the Great Classics of Human Eloquence"

December 29, 1908

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 548

Theodore Roosevelt accepts compliments on his address for the upcoming cornerstone ceremonies of the Lincoln birthplace, and is grateful that his words are not printed alongside the immortal Gettysburg address.

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With World War I Still Raging, Theodore Roosevelt Mourns His Fallen Son

July 27, 1918

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 550

Writing a fortnight after the death of his favorite son, Quentin, Theodore Roosevelt admits his difficulty, and remarks that "the old should not live when the young die."

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Former President Theodore Roosevelt Writes About Taking Books on His Upcoming Safari to Africa

March 11, 1909

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1274

Former President Theodore Roosevelt tells Samuel Crothers that he has limited space for books while on safari, but is bringing Crothers's A Gentle Reader.

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Theodore Roosevelt: "My Great Hero is Abraham Lincoln"

June 13, 1906

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1276

Theodore Roosevelt expresses his admiration for Abraham Lincoln and wishes to emulate him in championing the cause of the common people.

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Theodore Roosevelt on the sinking of the Lusitania

June 21, 1915

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1278

Theodore Roosevelt resented Woodrow Wilson's weak position on German naval aggression. Here, he unequivocally states that had Wilson shown some strong leadership and stood up to Germany, over 1000 civilians would not have lost their lives at sea.

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Taft, Running for President Against Theodore Roosevelt, Calls Him a "General Menace" To the Country

October 31, 1912

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1290

Taft says he wouldn't mind losing the election against Roosevelt, if only to have thwarted Roosevelt from gaining a third term in the White House. He calls Roosevelt "a genuine menace to the welfare of our country."

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William Howard Taft Confesses He's "Struggling to Get into a New Trade… Fading Away into Obscurity"

April 6, 1913

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1291

A deflated Taft, who had recently finished third in the elections as a sitting President, appreciates the invitation to a specific event, but regretfully must decline this, and all others, at the moment, until he settles into his new role as a university lecturer. He especially regrets it, as he fears that these invitations will cease as he fades "away into obscurity."

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President-Elect Howard Taft Qualifies the Thought of a Four Year Term: "If I Live"

November 30, 1908

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1292

President-Elect William H. Taft informs an acquaintance that since he is about to assume the presidency, he must remain in the United States for at least four years, if he lives.

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Theodore Roosevelt Writes From "The Canal Zone" to Panama's President Amador

November 16, 1906

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1255

Before departing Panama, Theodore Roosevelt writes to Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero who, as the first President of Panama, received Roosevelt when he visited the Canal Zone in November, 1906. Roosevelt and Amador had worked together on creating the Panama Canal, and here Roosevelt thanks Amador for his thoughtful gifts.

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A Final Roar: In One of His Last Letters, Theodore Roosevelt Blasts Woodrow Wilson

January 3, 1919

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1256

Three days before he died, Theodore Roosevelt, by then unable to rise from the sofa and write, dictated this letter. In it, he finds the strength to lambast Woodrow Wilson for erring "in intellectual honesty and moral straight-forwardness," as well as finding fault in his own "single error," which was to support Wilson for the first sixty days of World War I.

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Theodore Roosevelt on the "Treacherous Injustice at Chicago" and His New Bull Moose Party

July 2, 1912

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1257

Theodore Roosevelt, who had recently created the Progressive party when he lost the Republican party nomination to Taft, takes stock.

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Theodore Roosevelt Bitterly Regrets Being Forced to Sit Through WWI At Home "In Comfort and Safety"

August 14, 1918

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1253

Roosevelt has lost one son to the Great War, and two have been badly injured in it. He can't stand the idea that his sons have been put in harm's way, whilst he remains at home, and finds it terrible that the war takes the young. Roosevelt also finds it "more terrible, of course, if the young fear to face death in a great crisis for a great cause."

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Secretary of Navy Long: President William McKinley, "Acute and Wise," Will Not Seek Third Term

June 11, 1901

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1186

In this private note to his daughter, in which he discusses, amongst other things, a birthday present for his daughter, Naval Secretary John Long reveals that President William McKinley will absolutely not be seeking a third term.

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Carl Sandburg: Walt Whitman "Strolls In and Out of the Pages Regularly" of His Lincoln Biography

October 12, 1938

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1110

Carl Sandburg, a poet who won acclaim for his four-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, tells Morris Lychenheim,one of Whitman’s last surviving friends, that Walt Whitman "strolls in and out of the pages regularly."

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Chief Justice William Howard Taft: "The Fame of Lincoln Has Spread to Every Land"

April 29, 1925

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1030

Chief Justice Taft looks forward to reading Emmanuel Hertz’s Lincoln addresses, noting that "The fame of Lincoln has spread to every land, and details in respect to his personality will certainly prove to be of interest and usefulness."

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Chief Justice William Howard Taft Comments on an Abraham Lincoln Address by Emanuel Hertz

March 26, 1926

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1031

William Howard Taft, the only man to be both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court here comments, obliquely, on an address about Lincoln, in which Emanuel Hertz has "noted a reference to a suggestion of mine."

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President William McKinley Writes to the Widow of His Vice President and Dear Friend, Mrs. Hobart

March 8, 1900

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 915

In this letter, written four months after the death of his vice-president and dear friend, Garret Hobart, President McKinley thanks Mrs. Tuttle-Hobart for the gift of fruit, and for the wonderful time spent together with her and her son.

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Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Looks Forward to Receiving Books on Judaism

March 16, 1927

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 925

After lunching with Lincoln biographer and Jewish activist Emmanuel Hertz, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. tells Hertz that he looks forward to receiving the latter's brother's book on Judaism, as well as the Jewish Publication Society's latest translation of the Bible.

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Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Has Received Jewish Books and is Reading Them With "the Greatest of Interest."

March 23, 1927

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 926

Having received the Jewish books from Emmanuel Hertz, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. follows up and tells him that he's already set to reading them with "the greatest of interest."

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Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Lists Favorite Parts from "A Book of Jewish Thought"

April 11, 1927

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 927

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. avidly read Joseph Hertz's book about Jewish thought, and lists for Hertz's brother Emanuel, his favorite passages.

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Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Tells Emanuel Hertz He Will Always Try to Justify His Good Opinion

January 14, 1932

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 929

Having lunched together and corresponded for some half dozen years, Roosevelt tells Hertz it will always be his earnest endeavor to justify his good opinion.

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Newly Sworn-in Theodore Roosevelt Reacts with Foreboding: a Heavy and Painful Task Has Fallen Upon Him

September 14, 1901

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1541

Grief-stricken over the death of President William McKinley just hours before, newly sworn-in Theodore Roosevelt describes the task before him as both "heavy" and "painful."

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Extraordinary Orville Wright Letter Discussing the Birth of Manned Flight at Kitty Hawk

December 4, 1919

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Typed Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 382

Lawrence L. Driggs, who later went on to write extensively about early aviation, wrote a letter to Orville Wright asking him what was "the most interesting or significant episode in the birth of flying at Kitty Hawk." This long letter is Wright's response, primarily describing unusual soaring experiences during various test-flights.

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Sen. John F. Kennedy Declines McCarthyite Alvin Owsley's Invitation to Visit Texas; Invites Him to Lunch

November 11, 1953

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 340

Kennedy’s letter to Alvin Owsley, addressed to him in Dallas, is dated almost ten years to the day on which he would make his ill-fated trip to that city as president. In a sad twist, Kennedy concludes the letter with the hope that he will be able to see Owsley during "one of my visits to Texas on another occasion."

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President John F. Kennedy Plans a Pleasure Trip to His Ancestral Home, Ireland

April 23, 1963

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 341

Ahead of his trip to Ireland, President Kennedy reassures his close friend Dot Tubridy that she will be included in all presidential functions.

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President John F. Kennedy On His Historic Trip to Ireland: "It Couldn't Have Been Better. We Loved It."

July 9, 1963

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 342

John F. Kennedy writes to his close friend Dot Tubridy to tell her how much he enjoyed his trip to Ireland and seeing her.

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In 1942, Ensign J.F. Kennedy Requests Sea Duty on a PT Vessel: "Recommendation Approved"

June 26, 1942

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 343

This document sent John F. Kennedy to sea during World War II, where he would become a celebrated hero after his boat sunk, and he swam three miles to shore dragging a shipmate to safety with his lifejacket between his teeth.

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President Kennedy Sends General Maxwell Taylor to South Vietnam to Appraise the Situation

October 13, 1961

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 344

Under pressure to send US ground troops to Vietnam, President John F. Kennedy plays for time by sending General Maxwell Taylor to South Vietnam to appraise the situation. Kennedy reminds Taylor that the "initial responsibility for the effective maintenance of the independence of South Viet-Nam rests with the people and government of that country."

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President Harding, About to Leave on the Trip During Which He'll Die, Makes Plans to Meet a King

June 7, 1923

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Typed Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1326

President Warren Harding writes to arrange a royal visit from King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy upon his return from the trip he was embarking on. The meeting would never happen, as Harding would die on the trip.

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President Warren G. Harding: Possibly the Last Letter He Wrote from the White House

June 20, 1923

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1327

In this eerie letter, in all probability the last that Harding wrote from the White House, he discusses a memorial proposed to be erected south of the cemetery in Marion, OH. A few weeks later, Harding would be dead, and the memorial erected to him would be in the precise location of the monument he discusses here.

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President Warren G. Harding Acclaims Abraham Lincoln the Apogee of the Golden Age of American Statesmanship

February 20, 1923

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1331

President Warren G. Harding, whose administration would be marred by scandal and corruption, reflects on the Edenic, Lincolnian age of politics, in which all men were giants owing to the "moral intensity of this one man," Abraham Lincoln.

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President Warren G. Harding: He Won’t "Overdo" It on What Would Be His Last Trip

June 11, 1923

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1336

President Warren Harding promises his Solicitor General, James Montgomery Beck, that he would not "overdo it" on a trip across the continent, the stress of which would ultimately kill him.

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Woodrow Wilson Explains That He Wouldn't, and Couldn't, Pardon Atlantic City Boss Kuehnle

February 25, 1914

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1319

As Governor of New Jersey, Woodrow Wilson brought down crime boss Louis Kuehne. When asked if he would pardon him, Wilson replied that he couldn't, and even if he could, he would not.

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Woodrow Wilson on How the Bodies of America's WWI Dead Are Handled Prior to Eventual Re-Burial in the US

October 9, 1918

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1320

President Woodrow Wilson explains the process by which every fallen soldier is tagged and temporarily buried until their bodies can be brought to their final resting place in the United States.

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Woodrow Wilson on the Emotional Impact WWI Has Had on Him - Which Led to His Devastating Stroke

July 6, 1922

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1321

Woodrow Wilson confides that he doesn't read anything pertaining to World War One that "renews too deeply the emotions of wartime," as he is "too much affected and too upset by it."

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Important People, Hoover Explains, Don't Have Time to Write Longhand - Or Like Their Letters Being Sold

April 3, 1959

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1352

Herbert Hoover explains that important men neither have the time to write letters by longhand, nor do they like the "trafficking" of their letters.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt, as President-Elect, Recognizes the "Grave Responsibility" He is About to Undertake

November 19, 1932

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1359

Franklin D. Roosevelt acknowledges not only the "grave responsibility," but the "great opportunities" in his new role as President.

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Former President Herbert Hoover, at Seventy-Five, Confesses His Hope to Make Ninety - Which He Did

September 25, 1949

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1345

Former President Herbert Hoover congratulates F.A. Seiberling - the founder of Goodyear Tire - on his ninetieth birthday, and hopes that he, too, will be as fortunate to make it to ninety.

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Woodrow Wilson Lobbies for Ratification of the Treaty of Versailles - A Matter of Gravest Consequence

July 19, 1919

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Typed Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1313

This letter is an example of Woodrow Wilson's attempt to court Republican senators to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, of which he was one of the chief negotiators; Congress refused to ratify it.

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Lincoln Assassination Eyewitness Recalls Running to Fetch Dr. Liebermann Who Attended Lincoln's Deathbed

April 24, 1865

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Autograph Letter Signed

8 pages

SMC 2388

Samuel Koontz ran to fetch the Russian-born Jewish Dr. Charles Henry Liebermann, who lived a scant two blocks from Ford's Theatre. The news that Liebermann was the first "important" doctor to attend Lincoln - discounting the gaggle of doctors (seven in all) from Ford's theatre - is significant. He was the first to treat him, owing to the distance between his house and the theatre.

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Preview

Historical artifacts

1 page

SMC 2242

This Civil War Sutler token, at 50 cents, is the largest denomination of sutler currency issued during the war. This token was issued by Henry Rice, a Jewish immigrant from Germany, who would come to endorse Abraham Lincoln as a young lawyer, remain friends with Lincoln throughout his career, and even to offer to make his inaugural suit.

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Rabbi Isaac Leeser's Review of Convert and Early American Zionist Warder Cresson's "The Key of David"

May, 1852

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Autograph Manuscript

4 pages

SMC 1921

Rabbi Isaac Leeser reviews the American Zionist Warder Cresson's book The Key of David. Leeser explictly states that he does not "wish to be considered as endorsing all Mr. C. advances." Nor does he regularly read his work. However, he continues, it makes for enjoyable reading to those who are "fond of high-seasoned polemical writings."

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Abraham Lincoln’s Final Hours, Death, and Autopsy Report Documented by Dr. Robert Stone

April 15, 1865

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Autograph Manuscript

7 pages

SMC 1844

An account of Lincoln's death, written by his personal physician, Dr. Robert K. Stone. This seven-page narrative details Dr. Stone’s dramatic rush to the stricken president’s side, and, some eight hours later, Lincoln’s final minutes, decline, death, and autopsy. The report is stained with human blood; it is, very likely, Lincoln’s.

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Mark Twain Excoriates Theodore Roosevelt as a Butcher, a Ruffian and a Bully

January 5, 1909

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Autograph Manuscript

4 pages

SMC 1706

In an unpublished article, Mark Twain excoriates Theodore Roosevelt for bullying a fifteen-year-old girl and for promoting a man who, it was well known, was "brutal" to a woman in a waiting room.

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Lincoln Requests a "Map or Two" For His Youngest Son, Tad

March 7, 1865

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Autograph Note Signed

1 page

SMC 2038

Lincoln, who always liked to give his son Tad special gifts, asks here for two maps for his son.

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Lincoln Card: "Submitted to the Sec. of War"

April 20, 1863

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Autograph Note Signed

1 page

SMC 1602

A Lincoln card, submitted to his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton on April 20, 1863. This was a busy day for Lincoln, as he was dealing with admitting West Virginia into the Union, fighting in many southern states, and a large force patrolling central Tennessee. This is a small portion of what Lincoln had on his desk that day, and any number of these issues could have concerned Stanton.

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Autograph Note

1 page

SMC 744

Max Nordau expresses his gratitude for "an interesting article.

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Max Nordau Sends New Years Greetings to Viennese Writer and Translator Paul Tausig

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Autograph Note

1 page

SMC 745

Max Nordau sends New Year's greetings on his own calling card to the Viennese writer and translator Paul Tausig.

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Mark Twain's Autograph Notes Regarding People, Places, and Recalling an Incident

1907

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Autograph Note

6 pages

SMC 125

Mark Twain's notes from 1907, in two sections. One, in the manner of a questionnaire, matches names to places (Joe Goodman's, for instance, with "San Francisco, and Alameda") and indicates where Clemens had not been (Los Angeles & Palmyra); the other section mostly concerns an incident, and includes dialogue.

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Herbert Hoover's Handwritten List of His Autograph Collection

Preview

Autograph Note

5 pages

SMC 329

Herbert Hoover knew the value of his handwritten letters, as he himself was a collector of autographs. Amongst his collection was Mark Twain, Queen Victoria, and, most valuable, according to Hoover, a letter of Bayard Taylor – the poet, travel writer, and great chronicler of Palestine and the Levant.

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Manuscript from Mark Twain's Missing 1867 Notebook, Announcing His Intention to Travel Abroad

1867

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Autograph Note

2 pages

SMC 911

In this leaf from one of Mark Twain's missing notebooks, the young author writes of his upcoming journey to Europe and the Levant. Twain would chronicle the trip in The Innocents Abroad, a book that which would launch his career as a writer.

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"His Accidency," President John Tyler, Says He is a Creature of Accidents, "Being an Accident Himself"

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Autograph Note

2 pages

SMC 955

President John Tyler accepts an engagement on the condition that no presidential duties get in the way. Since he ascended the presidency merely upon the death of President William Henry Harrison, he was referred to by his detractors as "His Accidency." Here Tyler demonstrates his sense of humor and refers to himself as "an accident," explaining that things might occur which would cause him to break the engagement.

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1858 Senate Report Regarding the "Outrages at Jaffa" - The Rape and Murder of the Dickson Family Colony

May 1, 1858

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Typed Manuscript

30 pages

SMC 1012

The 1858 Senate report, which details the murder and rape of the Dickson family in their agricultural colony. The author, Jonathan Steinbeck was a descendent of members of the colony, and the "Outrages at Jaffa" is alluded to in his East of Eden. Herman Melville, inspired by the tragic events, wrote his epic poem Clarel.

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Autograph Manuscript Signed

1 page

SMC 994

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Preview

Signed Book

1 page

SMC 2384

A rare inscribed reprint of Innocents Abroad inscribed by Twain to his wife, Livy. In the past thirty years, only one other book transcribed by Twain to his wife has appeared. This double-volume edition is premium; bound in morocco and gilt.

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Lincoln-Douglas Debates Book Inscribed By Abraham Lincoln in Ink to His Old Law Partner Logan: A Rarity

1860

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Signed Book

1 page

SMC 638

The Lincoln-Douglas debates over slavery occasioned, in Lincoln, the most audacious rise from obscurity to political prominence in American history. The printing of the debates ensured the ongoing discussion, as well as ensconced them firmly in the American consciousness of the nineteenth century.

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One of the Last Things Signed by William McKinley: A Souvenir Booklet from the Pan-American Exposition

September, 1901

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Signed Book

16 pages

SMC 233

President William McKinley was assassinated on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo; it's very possible this souvenir booklet was the very last thing he signed.

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Abraham Lincoln's Family Physician, Robert K. Stone, Signed 1842 Book About a Miraculous Cure

1842

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Signed Book

1 page

SMC 1113

The pro-slavery, prestigious ophthalmologist, Dr. Robert K. Stone, served as the Lincoln's family doctor. Here, Stone affixes his signature to a book detailing the miraculous recovery of an ailing woman, cured by taking communion.

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Lawyer Abraham Lincoln Defends Farmer in Dispute Over Hogs

1856

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Autograph Document Signed

1 page

SMC 1089

Legal brief from a case in which Abraham Lincoln, in his time known as one of the top lawyers in the country, unsuccessfully defends a farmer in a dispute over a verbal agreement about the price of hogs.

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An Early Civil War Treatise on Gunshot Wounds By Surgeon General P.J. Horowitz

January, 1862

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Autograph Document Signed

6 pages

SMC 1639

P.J. Horwitz, a Baltimore Jew appointed Surgeon General of the Navy, describes in detail the variety of gunshot wounds, and their treatment, early in the Civil War, as most surgeons had not yet encountered gunshot wounds.

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Mordecai Manuel Noah and Isaac Leeser Propose Relief for the Poor Jews of Palestine

August 21, 1849

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Autograph Document Signed

1 page

SMC 237

Mordecai Manuel Noah and Isaac Leeser propose relief for the poor Jews of Palestine, albeit through different channels. This typifies their differences of opinion and approach where the restoration of the Jews to the Holy Land was concerned.

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Abraham Lincoln: A December 8 Oath of Allegiance

March 2, 1865

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Autograph Document Signed

1 page

SMC 352

The Oath of December 8 was announced by Lincoln, on that day, in his annual message to congress in 1863. He would offer a pardon to any man who would swear, without coercion, his allegiance to the Union.

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Gideon Welles is Summoned to Abraham Lincoln's Last, and Prophetic, Cabinet Meeting

April 14, 1865

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Autograph Document

1 page

SMC 1739

Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, is summoned to President Lincoln's last cabinet meeting, held hours before Lincoln's assassination.

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Rare Signed Copy of Lincoln's Jewish Chiropodist and Spy, Dr. Issachar Zacharie's Book

June 25, 1864

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Signed Book Inscribed

3 pages

SMC 676

Rare signed copy of Dr. Issachar Zacharie's book "Surgical and Practical Observations on the Diseases of the Human Foot." His book, was most likely plagiarized, and his credentials, equally as likely to be false.

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Vice President Theodore Roosevelt, On Hearing that McKinley Has Been Shot, Wires For News

September, 1901

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Autograph Telegram Signed

2 pages

SMC 1939

On the back of a railway timetable, Roosevelt writes the wire instructing the head of the facility in which McKinley was taken after being shot to keep Roosevelt appraised of the president's condition. On the other side of the page, a historian wrote Roosevelt's reaction to the news of McKinley's shooting, as well as his reaction to being told McKinley would survive.

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McKinley is Comforted to Learn That His Gravely-Ill Vice President is Improving - 5 Days Before Hobart Dies

November 16, 1899

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Autograph Telegram Signed

1 page

SMC 916

This letter, in which President McKinley expresses his relief that Garret Hobart-his vice-president and dear friend-is on the mend, was written a mere five days before Hobart's health took a turn for the worse and he died.

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President William McKinley Wires Ailing Vice President Garret Hobart

September 2, 1899

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Autograph Telegram Signed

1 page

SMC 917

Immediately after returning to Washington from visiting the ailing Garret Hobart in New Jersey, McKinley wires him to inquire after his health. Less than three months later, heart disease would finally claim Hobart's life.

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Lincoln's Second Testimonial for Issachar Zacharie, His Mysterious Jewish Chiropodist - And Personal Spy

September 22, 1862

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Autograph Testimonial Signed

1 page

SMC 1906

In the midst of a hectic schedule, President Lincoln finds the time to endorse Issachar Zacharie, his Jewish chiropodist and spy: the same week as the bloody Battle of Antietam, and the same day Lincoln read his Emancipation Proclamation to his cabinet.

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A Rare Artifact Associated With 1862 Battlefield Passover Seder: A G.W. Forbes Civil War Sutler's Token

1863

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Historical artifacts

1 page

SMC 1529

Token of the Jewish sutler G.W. Forbes, who brought matzahs for his coreligionists of the Ohio 23rd regiment to celebrate the seder in 1862.

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Excessively Rare "Rice and Byers" One Dollar Sutler Token from Fort Sill in the Indian Territory

1870

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Historical artifacts

1 page

SMC 864

Possibly the only surviving sutler token from the trading post at Fort Sill.

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Alexander Hart's Civil War Sword and Scabbard, Presented Upon His Promotion to Captain

February 22, 1862

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Historical artifacts

3 pages

SMC 255

Sword and Scabbard of Alexander Hart, a religious Jewish haberdasher who led the 5th Louisiana Infantry.

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Civil War 25-Cent Sutler Token From L. Goldheim of J.E.B Stuart's 1st Virginia Cavalry

Preview

Historical artifacts

1 page

SMC 2234

Lazarus Goldheim 25-cent token: Goldheim, hailing from Baltimore, was the sutler for the 1st Virginia Cavalry, one of the Confederacy's most celebrated fighting units.

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Golda Meir: Her "Golda Myerson" Calling Card Signed in Hebrew

1949

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Calling Card

2 pages

SMC 540

Here, future Prime Minister Golda Meir, then Labor Minister Golda Myerson, signs her name, in Hebrew, on her Calling Card, sometime between 1949 and 1956 – before, that is, Ben-Gurion ordered her to Hebraicize her name.

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Preview

Calling Card

2 pages

SMC 519

Thomas Jefferson's calling card; ornately decorated, yet inscribed with the simple "Mr. Jefferson."

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1961

Preview

Autograph Quotation Signed

1 page

SMC 442

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Preview

Signature

2 pages

SMC 674

Signature of Second Lieutenant Henry Moore Harrington, who was killed with Custer at Little Bighorn. His was one of three bodies to not have been identified.

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1510

Dick Scobee writes that he hopes to be selected as a space shuttle astronaut. He eventually would become the commander of the ill-fated Challenger.

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Abraham Lincoln: "The Government is About to Fall Into Our Hands"

October 12, 1860

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1552

Though Lincoln had almost no experience in government, his new Republican party swept to victory in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana in the Congressional elections of October 9th, and it looked, almost for a certainty, Lincoln writes here, "as if the Government is about to fall into our hands."

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Abraham Lincoln's Scarce Reference to Deaths of Mother and Sister, With Accompanying Poem About Memory

April 18, 1846

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Autograph Letter Signed

4 pages

SMC 1553

In all of Abraham Lincoln's surviving letters, he only mentions the death of his mother twice, and the loss of his sister once; both are mentioned here. Lincoln also includes a poem he wrote on the occasion of returning to his home state twenty years after he departed it.

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Lincoln is "Not in a Sentimental Mood" Having Heard Reports of the Bloody Battle of the Wilderness

May 7, 1864

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1554

After just having heard that the union lost 1776 men in the Battle of the Wilderness, amongst other bad news, Lincoln was asked to give a sentiment for an autograph collector, Lincoln replied "I would give a sentiment, but just now I am not in a sentimental mood."

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Richard Nixon, Loathed by Harry Truman, Speaks Well of Him

September 5, 1986

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1462

Though Harry Truman called Richard Nixon a lying bastard, Nixon writes to Truman's nephew (and namesake) and tells him their differences were not personal, and that he should be proud of his heritage.

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Reagan Promises To Work for Foe Nixon in '68 : "We Haven't Too Many More Chances in This Land of Ours"

August 22, 1968

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1473

Ronald Reagan, who lost the Republican nomination to Nixon, promises to "beat his brains out" in supporting his former foe; the Republican party doesn't have "too many more chances."

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Ronald Reagan Describes Himself as a "Crier of Doom"– And Claims Not to Aspire To the Presidency

August 4, 1967

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1474

Ronald Reagan contends that America cannot survive another four years of Lyndon B. Johnson's administration's "aimlessness." He therefore calls himself a "crier of doom," as he vows to help enact political change.

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Reagan Stirringly Defends His Decision Not to Stop a Cop-Killer's Execution

May 3, 1967

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1475

Governor Reagan responds to a man who sharply condemns his unwillingness to prevent the execution of a man convicted for killing a policeman. Despite the combative nature of the man's letter (also transcribed here), Reagan willingly engages the man in discussing the function and protocol of the judicial system in the context of capital punishment.

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Ronald Reagan Writes About Vietnam in 1968: A Change of Policy is Needed

September 23, 1968

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1476

Ronald Reagan's draft of a letter to a Vietnam serviceman expressing his gratitude for his and other soldiers' service. Reagan calls for both a policy and leadership change, alluding to Johnson's handling of the war.

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Reagan, Arguing for Capital Punishment, Discusses the Rabbinic Interpretation of the Sixth Commandment

April 20, 1967

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1477

Reagan corrects protestors of the death penalty who quote the Bible saying "Thou Shalt Not Kill," referring to capital punishment. According to the original Hebrew, Regan argues, the Bible commands one not to murder - the convicted was, himself, charged with murdering a police officer in the first degree. The Bible also calls for reciprocal justice, ie, "an eye for an eye."

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Ronald Reagan Declares that JFK Was Much More "Intelligent and Perceptive" Than President Johnson

June 2, 1967

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1478

Ronald Reagan admits that he doesn't know exactly what President Kennedy would have done with regards to the Vietnam War, though he is certain that JFK was more "intelligent and perceptive" than Johnson, whom he doesn't name directly.

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Taft Declares That Denying Roosevelt the Presidency Again is Victory Enough

June 23, 1912

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1298

After being betrayed by his mentor, Theodore Roosevelt, who tried to secure the Republican nomination for himself, Taft, having recently won the nomination, lets schadenfreude wash over him as Roosevelt is defeated.

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Vice President Calvin Coolidge: His New Job is of Little Responsibility But He's Kept Busy All the Same

November 8, 1921

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 1339

Vice President Calvin Coolidge tells the Archbishop of Boston that though his job carries little responsibility, the demands on his time are enormous.

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Scarce President Calvin Coolidge Autographed Letter Signed as President

January 30, 1925

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1342

A scarce autograph letter from Coolidge's presidency, thanking a retiring Republican congressman for his service, and wishing him well.

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Rare Herbert Hoover Letter as President: "One Per Annum"

December 19, 1932

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1347

One of six or seven autographed handwritten letters by Herbert Hoover as President. Here, he is conscious of the rarity of his letters, and playfully writes this one, his quota for the year, he jokes.

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President Franklin D. Roosevelt Fires His Isolationist Secretary of War During WWII

June 19, 1940

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 1373

After forgiving his old and dear friend many missteps, Franklin Roosevelt finally fires Harry Woodring as Secretary of War.

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He's "Young, Inexperienced and Hopeful. Let's Hope the Hopeful Works." - Truman on Kennedy

September 25, 1961

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1406

Truman initially regarded Kennedy as as young, inexperienced, and up for office because his father bought him the vote. Here, Truman supports Kennedy's handling of the Berlin crisis, which saw the city divided between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies. Rather than seeing Kennedy's actions as weak, he praised the President's leadership in buying time with the Soviets in order to retain control of half the city.

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Former President Rutherford Hayes Expresses Satisfaction with Himself, His Successor, and John Sherman

March 6, 1881

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1213

Two days after leaving office, Rutherford B. Hayes writes to John Sherman, his Secretary of the Treasury, to thank him for his help. Hayes also adds that he's happy with his successor, and that he read Sherman's farewell speech to the Treasury, which did much to dispel the notion that Sherman was "too cold in temperament."

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An Eerie Prescience: James Garfield Finds a "Streak of Sadness" in His Nomination as President

July 3, 1880

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1216

President James Garfield, who would be assassinated, or mortally wounded nearly a year to the day he wrote this letter, eerily finds a "streak of sadness" in his nomination for the Presidency. Garfield was shot less than four months into his term; he lingered for seventy-nine days before finally succumbing to his wounds.

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President Benjamin Harrison Discusses a Letter Written by his Grandfather, William Henry Harrison

May 25, 1892

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1235

President Benjamin Harrison thanks Curtis Guild, Sr., a collector, for sending him a copy of a letter written by his grandfather, William Henry Harrison. The President is pleased to have obtained a letter of "great family interest."

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Young Benjamin Harrison Writes President Lincoln About "Spoils" Due Indiana

March 6, 1861

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1236

Young Benjamin Harrison, who had made stump speeches for President Lincoln's campaign calls in a favor just two days into Lincoln's administration: he endorses Senatorial Elector and Lincoln canvasser Will Cumback as worthy of "a mark of Administrative favor." Lincoln appoints Cumback paymaster.

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President Rutherford B. Hayes Salutes Service of U.S. Commissioner of Education John Eaton

July 26, 1877

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1198

Hayes salutes the service of his Civil War comrade-in-arms in "the old 23rd," Brigadier General John Eaton Jr., as the United States Commissioner of Education.

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Rutherford B. Hayes Discusses, At Length, the Disputed Election of 1876

April 22, 1888

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Autograph Letter Signed

4 pages

SMC 1204

The election of Rutherford B. Hayes hung, precariously, on disputed returns from four states -- chief among them, Louisiana. Here, long after the fact, Hayes reviews with one of his chief lieutenants, John Sherman, what happened there, and why.

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President Rutherford B. Hayes Gives Recipe for Allegedly "Non-Alcoholic" Punch

December 30, 1880

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1206

President Rutherford B. Hayes claims that the Roman punch served in his White House contains no alcohol.

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President Benjamin Harrison is "Lonesome" in the White House

July 16, 1892

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1238

President Benjamin Harrison writes to his aunt, and tells her that with not a soul in the White House but himself, it is "very lonesome."

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Former President Benjamin Harrison Explains That Former Presidents Should Be Seen and Not Heard

September 4, 1900

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1244

Appalled by William McKinley's imperialism, Benjamin Harrison declines to endorse and speak on his behalf, insisting that former presidents should be "seen and not heard."

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Theodore Roosevelt: a Condolence Letter on the Death of a Friend's Father

July 24, 1904

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1250

Roosevelt writes to his friend and family physician Dr. Alexander Lambert, whose father had recently passed away.

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Theodore Roosevelt Pens Congratulatory Letter on White House Card: Lauds Utica Public Library

December 15, 1908

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1251

President Theodore Roosevelt salutes Utica philanthropist Frederick T. Proctor and the Public Library he supported, on the excellent work it is doing, and wishes it good luck.

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Edith Roosevelt on Her Husband's Recovery from an Assassination Attempt and the Bullet Left Inside Him

February 3, 1913

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 1254

Edith Roosevelt writes to a friend who had asked the Roosevelts for medical as well as financial guidance. Mrs. Roosevelt answers that the medical advice should be left to their family physician; Theodore will dispense with the financial advice after the medical issue is resolved. She mentions in passing that the surgeon has deemed it safer to leave the bullet in Theodore's chest, which makes her anxious.

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General Benjamin Butler: The Jews "Betrayed Their Savior & Also Have Betrayed Us"

October 23, 1862

Preview

Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 2182

General Butler, discussing the arrest of two Jewish blockade-runners, displays his notorious anti-Semitism.

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Writing to Gideon Welles, Abraham Lincoln Attends to a Request From Jewish Congressman Leonard Myers

September 9, 1864

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 2340

Republican Congressman Leonard Myers of Pennsylvania, renowned for his dedication to civil rights, wrote to President Abraham Lincoln not infrequently on behalf of those seeking an introduction, an appointment, or something to do with the machinations of war. Here, Lincoln writes to the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, that he wishes to accommodate Myers's request to appoint Charles R. Wilson to the Naval School.

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Republican Nominee Abraham Lincoln Mentions His Childhood Friends of Spencer County to Former Employer William Jones

June 18, 1860

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 2342

Abraham Lincoln, returning to Indiana, says it would be rather nice to see his "old Spencer County friends."

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Mary Surratt's Daughter Petitions Andrew Johnson for the Return of Her Mother's Remains

February 5, 1869

Preview

Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 2033

Mary Surratt was hanged as a conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. She was also the first woman executed by the United States government. Here, her daughter, Anna, successfully petitions President Andrew Johnson for the return of her body.

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General Custer Wants Brother Who Would Die With Him at Little Bighorn Appointed a Second Lieutenant

March 14, 1872

Preview

Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 2054

General Custer unsuccessfully requests that his youngest brother, Boston, be appointed second lieutenant in the Seventh Cavalry. Boston was not even admitted to the US army, due to his frail health. Custer ensured his brother was with him, and ultimately died with him, by appointing him as a scout.

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Grover Cleveland, Recovering From Secret Cancer Surgery, Reports He is "Getting to be Quite a Drunkard"

December 17, 1893

Preview

Autograph Letter Signed

6 pages

SMC 1970

Recovering from his secret cancer surgery aboard a yacht a few months prior, Grover Cleveland reports to his physician and dear friend that he is having "a couple of drinks of whiskey a day, with very good results; and I smoke a cigar every day too."

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Former First Lady Frances Cleveland Reports Ailing Grover Cleveland is "Breaking Up Generally"

December 4, 1901

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Autograph Letter Signed

3 pages

SMC 2018

Although Grover Cleveland seems to be on the mend, with his "temperature, pulse & respiration" now normal, Frances Cleveland is still a bit distraught over her husband's slow recovery. He still has "trouble with his gut" and is perturbed that he's not gaining strength. It appears he's "breaking up generally." Cleveland would live for another seven years.

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Incredibly Rare Czolgosz Letter – 5 Weeks Before He Assassinated McKinley – as "Fred Nobody"

July 30, 1901

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Autograph Letter Signed

2 pages

SMC 1817

A rare and disjointed letter from Leon Czolgosz, ominously written in red ink, approximately five weeks before he would assassinate President William McKinley, signed as his alias, Fred C. Nieman.

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While "Driving Out" Indians From Little Bighorn, Custer Envisions the Mining Fortunes to be Made There

May 13, 1876

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2 pages

SMC 1822

General Custer writes to his old classmates from Hopedale Normal College - which he attended before West Point - to tell them of the potential of a serious fortune made from their collaboration in mining in the Bighorn country.

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Ulysses S. Grant Comments on the Refugees Who Have Fled to Constantinople

March 9, 1878

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6 pages

SMC 1849

In Istanbul, Grant was struck by scenes of the refugees – many of them, Bulgarian Jews – who had fled the notoriously anti-Semitic Russian invaders during the just-concluded Russo-Turkish War. Grant also discusses the gift of an Arabian horse from the sultan and the logistics involved in shipping it back to the United States.

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Titanic Postcard: Rare Postcard From the Titanic - Sent at Beginning of Voyage; Ship "A Peach," In NY "Next Tuesday"

April 11, 1912

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1 page

SMC 1893

Charlie Shorney writes to his father from the Titanic, telling him that the sea is calm, the ship is a "peach," and that he will be in New York next week. Charlie went down with the ship, and his body was never recovered.

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Camille Pissarro Protests Alfred Dreyfus's Conviction

January 18, 1898

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1 page

SMC 1895

Just five days after Zola published “J’accuse!” in the French newspaper L’Aurore, Pissarro writes to say that he wishes his name added to “the protestation against the awful judgment of the court-martial” to be published, apparently, in that crusading paper.

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President James Garfield's Assassin, Charles Guiteau, Convicted and in Jail, Declares He is Not a Lunatic

April 11, 1882

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1 page

SMC 1907

Here the disagreeable, disputatious, and insane assassin of President Garfield, Charles Guiteau, declares he is not a lunatic, and that the woman, his sister who raised him, and the brother-in-law who acted as his lawyer at his trial, are nuisances, with whom he, a convicted assassin awaiting execution in jail, wants nothing to do.

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Millard Fillmore in Defeat: "I Would Rather be Right Than President"

July 23, 1852

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1 page

SMC 1914

Millard Fillmore loses the nomination but his party maintains the Compromise measures done in his term, which he considers a greater personal victory than the presidency.

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William Henry Harrison's Secretary Announces Harrison's Impending Death

April 4, 1841

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1 page

SMC 1928

President William Henry Harrison's secretary, Henry Harrison, writes to his father, Benjamin Harrison, to inform him of the impending death of the President.

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William T. Sherman Recalls His Trip to the Levant, and Teases His Lady Friend About Harem Life

January 20, 1890

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4 pages

SMC 1587

William T. Sherman writes to Mary Audenried, teasingly warning her that travelling in the Middle East is especially hazardous to women, and that she could find herself in a harem. Sherman insists that western women are treated more as equals than women in the Levant.

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Abraham Lincoln's Celebrated "Wanting to Work" Letter

October 17, 1861

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Autograph Letter Signed

1 page

SMC 1544

President Lincoln asks Major Ramsey on behalf of a widowed woman to find work for her two sons. "Wanting to work is so rare a merit, that it should be encouraged," Lincoln continued, echoing his own famous work ethic.

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Fresh From His Capture of Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant Reports From Gettysburg: "Meade Whipped Lee Badly"

July 10, 1863

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4 pages

SMC 1545

General Ulysses S. Grant assures Major General Banks-whose army lay in siege around the Mississippi-with two pieces of news. The first is that he is sending reinforcements. The second is that Major General George Meade defeated General Lee, and was pursuing him.

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Lincoln Asks General Grant as a Friend, for a Favor: Find a Place for His Son, Robert, on His Staff

January 19, 1865

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1 page

SMC 1548

In order to broker a compromise between his wife, who had already buried two sons, and Robert Todd, who desperately wished to experience the war, Lincoln writes to Grant, not as President, but as a friend, asking him to find a place on his staff for Robert to serve. Lincoln asks merely for his son to be given a nominal rank and that Lincoln himself, and not the public, would furnish his necessary means.

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Benjamin Harrison Names Solomon Hirsch Minister to Turkey, the Third Jew to Hold That Diplomatic Rank

May 15, 1889

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2 pages

SMC 1531

Solomon Hirsch tops President Benjamin Harrison's list of diplomatic appointees. Harrison was indebted to the German-born Hirsch, who carried his home-state of Oregon as Republican.

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President William Howard Taft Praises President Grover Cleveland To Mrs. Cleveland

March 23, 1909

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2 pages

SMC 1615

Replying to Mrs. Cleveland's letter thanking him for his stirring eulogies of her husband, President William Howard Taft reiterates his genuine respect for President Grover Cleveland as a man of courage and public duty.

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Grover Cleveland Complains of an Avalanche of Unwelcome Invitations, As He Plans a Pleasure Trip Out of Town

August 18, 1887

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4 pages

SMC 1622

Grover Cleveland expresses his exasperation for the niceties and public appearances necessitated by being the President of the United States, and says he's as "cross as a bear."

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Benjamin Cardozo Expresses His "Sure Interest" In Essays Written About Lincoln

October 13, 1929

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1 page

SMC 1648

Justice Benjamin Cardozo thanks Emanuel Hertz for his pamphlets on Lincoln, "which are sure to interest" him.

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William McKinley Invites Old Friend to Go with Him to His Gubernatorial Inauguration: "Don't fail me."

January 5, 1892

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1 page

SMC 1666

William McKinley urges his friend John Taylor and his wife to join him and his wife to travel together to McKinley's induction ceremony as Governor of Ohio. He would later call upon the same friends to accompany him to his inauguration as president.

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November 6, 1866

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Hundreds of Historic Manuscripts. Thousands More Being Digitized.

Collection

Topic

Human Aspect

Type

Attribute

Manuscripts (642)