John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy 1963 Presidential Christmas Card Signed...

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Oct 4, 2012 for:

Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy 1963 Presidential Christmas Card Signed just days before making their fateful trip to Dallas, Texas. Measuring 8.5" x 6" (sight), the cover art of the official 1963 Presidential Christmas card features a photograph of the crèche, or nativity scene, which was located in the East Room of the White House. On the inside is found the gold embossed Seal of the President of the United States, below which is printed: "With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year."

According to Mary Evans Seeley in her book, "Season's Greetings from the White House," 1,500 cards reading "With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year" were printed with facsimile signatures of the couple and a further 700 were ordered without. An additional 100 cards were ordered, also with facsimile signatures, but with "Blessed Christmas" omitted and another 50 ordered minus the signatures. Of the 750 total cards that were ordered without signatures, only 500 were received and what has become of the remaining 250 is unknown. General Chester V. Clifton, Jr., Kennedy's senior military aide, was informed by a letter from Jeannette Lee, dated November 14, that the 500 blank cards would be shipped directly to him.

President Kennedy returned to Washington on the evening of November 18 from a trip to Florida. Sometime between his return and the evening of the 20th, both the president and first lady began to sign the cards at their leisure, Jack in black ink and Jackie in blue. The first couple signed no more than thirty of the blank cards, approximately half of which contained the words "Blessed Christmas," making this item even more uncommon.

On the morning of November 21, they boarded a plane and left for San Antonio, Texas, with plans to arrive in Dallas on November 22. There the president would be assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. The cards were never sent. The dual-signed cards remained relatively unknown, even to the Kennedy Library, until 1985.

Elegantly matted with a color photograph of the Kennedys to an overall size of 14.5" x 18".