LOT #42178 |
Starting Bid: $4,000
Benjamin Harrison Autograph Letter Signed...
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Description
Benjamin Harrison Appeals to His Son Over His Second Marriage: "It is natural that a man's grown children should not be pleased with a second marriage...[but] a home is life's essential to me."
Benjamin Harrison Autograph Letter Signed ("Benj
Harrison"). Three pages of a bifolium, 4 x 6 1/4 inches;
[Indianapolis, Indiana]; December 3, 1895. Includes the original
transmittal cover, addressed and marked "personal" in
Harrison's hand.A fascinating and deeply personal letter from Benjamin Harrison to his son Russell, in which the former President seeks his understanding and approval of his intended marriage to Mary Lord Dimmick, the widowed niece of his late wife. In large part:
"My dear Russell,
I was very sorry not to see you in New York. When you called I was in my room but the desk had seen me go out and told every one I was not in...In the afternoon I called at the Imperial but found you and May out. If I had seen you I would have told you what I now must more fully tell you in writing.
I have proposed marriage to Mrs. Dimmick, and we have come to an understanding. It is natural that a man's grown children should not be pleased with a second marriage. It would not have been possible for me to marry one I did not very highly respect and very warmly love. But my life now, and made more as I grow older, is and will be a very lonely one and I cannot go on as now. A home is life's essential to me...Mary is a good warm hearted fine woman and I am sure will make me a devoted wife. She loves you all, and if you will permit it will be a friend and helper. You may tell all this to May - but for the present to no one else. You and she will greatly serve and please me if you will show Mame that you love her and will give her a chance to love you.
Give my love to May
Your affectionate father,
Benj Harrison."
Written just over a year after the death of his wife Caroline Harrison, who died at the White House in October 1892 after nearly forty years of marriage, the letter reveals Harrison's loneliness and his desire to rebuild a sense of domestic stability. On April 6, 1896, Harrison married Mary Lord Dimmick-his children's first cousin, twenty-five years his junior. The marriage proved deeply controversial within his household. His children, Russell and Mary ("Mame"), were scandalized by the union and refused to attend the wedding, creating a lasting rift. This letter, written before that rupture fully materialized, shows Harrison attempting to prevent such a break and save his relationship with his existing family.
Despite the strain that followed, Harrison continued to seek reconciliation with his children in the years thereafter. The present letter stands as an unusually candid expression of his private life, offering a rare glimpse into the 23rd President's most intimate struggles.
Condition: Very fine, with expected toning and mailing folds; an exceptionally clean and bright example.
Auction Info
2026 June 19 The John H. Freund Americana Collection Signature® Auction #6331 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
June
19th
Friday
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Auction Dates
June
19th
Friday
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