(Presidents of the United States) | An album with the autograph of every President from Washington to Truman

(Presidents of the United States)

Autographs of the Presidents of the United States, a finely bound collection from George Washington to Harry S. Truman

4to album (273 x 200 mm). Contains 32 presidential autographs, comprising 31 clipped signatures and 1 autograph note signed by Lincoln, laid down in custom folders, facing portraits of each president opposite the autographs, and with a central windowed leaf, the front covers of the folders are calligraphically titled and numbered, with a patriotic red and blue stripe; condition varies, with a few instances of light toning and pale spotting, generally quite minor and mostly affecting the earlier autographs, the folders with occasional light soiling, and one small pale stain. The folders housed in a custom red morocco-backed clamshell case, gilt; staining and wear, the front joint cracked but the hinge is holding, cracking, toning, and losses to the leather spine.

The collection includes:

• George Washington, signature clipped from a letter, annotation reading "at Pumpton" next to autograph, an archaic spelling of Pompton, NJ, thus evidently a Revolutionary War-era signature from July 1777 or March 1782, when Washington stayed in the town; light toning, old flattened folds, a few closed cracks in the paper.
• John Adams, a shaky signature on an envelope evidently from an aging Adams in Quincy, MA, to his Grandson, Cadet Thomas B. Adams, at Norwich Academy in Vermont, dated October 27th, [1822], franked "free" in the upper right corner; a few faint spots.
• Thomas Jefferson, signature clipped from on envelope, franked "Free"; lightly foxed.
• James Monroe, signature clipped from a partly printed document, dated 1818, thus signed during his presidency; foxing, an old flattened fold, and some dampstaining.
• James Madison, signature clipped from a letter, "with sincere esteem and respect"; lightly toned.
• John Quincy Adams, with "Department of State" annotation above the autograph; spotting.
• Andrew Jackson; light toning.
• Martin Van Buren, signature clipped from a letter, "very truly yours."
• William H. Harrison.
• John Tyler.
• James K. Polk, signature clipped from a letter, "I am very sincerely your friend," with writing on the verso showing through.
• Zachary Taylor, signature clipped from a letter, signed as "Col. 1st. Regt. U.S. Army, thus circa 1832 to 1846; trimmed close on the right edge.
• Millard Fillmore; clipped signature from an envelope, franked "free."
• Franklin Pierce, clipped signature from a letter, dated January 11, 1862, mailed from his home in Concord, N.H.
• James Buchanan, clipped signature from a document.
• Abraham Lincoln, an autograph note signed as president on a small piece of paper, dated March 17, 1865, regarding a confederate taking a loyalty pledge in return for amnesty - "Let the man take the oath of Dec. 8, 1863"; old flattened folds.
• Andrew Johnson, clipped signature apparently from an blue paper envelope printed "[T]ennessee" and "FREE," signed as "Gov"ernor, thus likely dating from 1862-1865, the period when he was Military Governor of Tennessee.
• Ulysses S. Grant, clipped signature annotated "Lt. Gen," thus likely dating from 1864-1866.
• Rutherford B. Hayes.
• James Garfield.
• Chester A. Arthur, clipped signature from a letter, signed as "Collector," while he was serving as Collector of the Port of New York from 1871 to 1878.
• Grover Cleveland, signature on card, dated "Febr. 24, 1890."
• Benjamin Harrison, dated February 11, 1891, thus signed during his presidency.
• William McKinley.
• Theodore Roosevelt.
• William Howard Taft.
• Woodrow Wilson, signature on White House stationery, dated 10 March, 1913.
• Warren G. Harding, signature on White House stationery.
• Calvin Coolidge, on Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts stationery.
• Herbert Hoover.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
• Harry Truman, signature on White House stationery; tipped in.