Shakespeare, William. Signed by the President and his two long-serving secretaries - photo 1
Shakespeare, William. Signed by the President and his two long-serving secretaries - photo 1

Signed by the President and his two long-serving secretaries

Sold
$ 3 750
Auction dateClassic
15.10.2021 00:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 627697
Lot 206 | Signed by the President and his two long-serving secretaries
ROOSEVELT, Franklin. D. (1882-1945). Photograph signed ("Franklin D Roosevelt") as President, inscribed to Raymond T. Cahill, n.p., n.d. [Washington, c. 1939-1941]. Additionally signed by Marguerite "Missy" LEHAND (1896-1944) and Grace TULLY (1900-1984).

Photograph, 278 x 350mm (mild foxing at margins, mounted to a slightly warped board).

Franklin Roosevelt and his secretaries. A whimsical and unusual photograph of F.D.R. seated with the two women who served as his personal secretaries during his four terms in the White House. LeHand, who F.D.R. had employed since the 1920s, accompanied him to the White House in 1933 where she became the first woman to serve as a presidential secretary and by 1936 had become the de facto White House chief of staff. Grace Tully began working for Roosevelt during his tenure as governor of New York and followed him to the White House where she served as LeHand's assistant, . Raymond T. Cahill began his career in Washington with the Federal Housing Administration as a deputy commissioner in 1938—serving until 1943 when he resigned to join the F.D.I.C. where he remained well into the 1960s. The inscriptions concern presumably an inside joke between the three: F.D.R. writes "For 'Ray' – Sun, Moon, X or Violet?" LeHand adds-"'Sun,' of course," while Tully writes "I know your answer is 'Violet!'" While the precise nature of F.D.R.'s relationship with Cahill is not well-documented, Cahill had been rumored to have been in a romantic relationship with Grace Tully and the pair were planning marriage. This rumor, according to Walter Winchell, had been "debunked by intimates. Been pals for years…" (Winchell, "On Broadway," The Dayton Herald, 8 Feb. 1943). Provenance: Raymond T. Cahill – gifted to the consignor.

Artist:William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Applied technique:Pencil
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
01.10.2021 – 15.10.2021
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

Antiquities of Mexico
Antiquities of Mexico
$16 000
Verbiest's world map
Verbiest's world map
$12 000
A previously unknown invoice for furnishings
A previously unknown invoice for furnishings
$2 800
Iliad, in Latin
Iliad, in Latin
$1 500
New York City commissions a painting of Washington
New York City commissions a painting of Washington
$100
The East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere
The East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere
$1 000
Inscriptiones sacrosanctae vetustatis
Inscriptiones sacrosanctae vetustatis
$1 200
Huguan County, Lu’an Prefecture, Shanxi Province
Huguan County, Lu’an Prefecture, Shanxi Province
$1 600

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.