Franklin D. Roosevelt: Inscribed Photographic Portrait....

Description

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Photographic Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt signed: "For Helen Allen from Franklin D. Roosevelt."FDR's signature is very bold and the photograph measures 9 x 13." Accompanying this signed photograph is an original program from FDR's 1941 Inaugural Gala dated January 19, 1941, which measures 8½ x 10½" and has 16 pages, complete with a list of the Box Holders, including the President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as the Honorable and Mrs. (Helen) Allen! Also accompanying this signed photograph is an original Inaugural Ceremonies Program dated January 20, 1941, which measures 6 x 9," with Mrs. Allen's name inked on top. Helen Allen was the wife of George E. Allen, who was born on February 29, 1896 in Booneville, Mississippi. Mr. Allen earned a law degree at Cumberland University in Tennessee and then practiced law in Mississippi and Indiana, afterwards engaging in various business ventures. In the 1920s Mr. Allen managed hotel properties in Washington, D.C., eventually drifting into politics and serving FDR and the Democratic Party. On behalf of the Red Cross, Allen made a number of trips to England and Europe where in the 1940s he began a relationship with Dwight Eisenhower that grew in intimacy over the ensuing years. Allen also had a close relationship with President Harry Truman, serving as manager of his Vice-Presidential campaign and accepting an appointment as director of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation in 1946. Based on his experiences as a White House intimate, George E. Allen wrote Presidents Who Have Known Me in 1950, and then wrote a revised edition in1960. Though lawyer, businessman, and public servant, Allen was foremost known as a raconteur. This, along with mutual interests in golf, bridge, and farming probably formed the basis of the friendship between Allen and Eisenhower. The relationship was largely social and according to Eisenhower associates it was valuable to the President as an antidote to the stresses of the office. A wonderful FDR autographed photograph and accompanying inauguration items in 1941 from the family of George E. Allen.