Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

ROOSEVELT, Franklin D. – Joseph P. LASH. Eleanor & Franklin. London: Andre Deutsch, 1972. First U.K. edition, includes a loosely-inserted 6-line a.l.s. from Franklin D. Roosevelt and another 7-line a.l.s. from Eleanor Roosevelt, 8vo (232 x 149mm.) Photographic illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original red cloth, dust-jacket. Note: the letter from Franklin Roosevelt is dated November 9th, 1931, and is on the ‘State of New York Executive Chamber’ letterhead when Roosevelt was Governor of New York. He became president sixteen months later, in March 1933 and served until his death in 1945. The letter is addressed to Richard S. Childs, a civic and social reformer. It reads: ‘Dear Mr. Childs: Please be assured that your letter of October 27th will be given thoughtful and considerate attention when we pass upon the request of the State Department of Education for the inclusion in its annual budget of an appropriation of $50,000 to conduct a study of New York City Schools. Very sincerely yours, Franklin Roosevelt’. The letter from Eleanor Roosevelt is dated 14th April, 1959. She was seventy-five at the time of writing and had been widowed for fourteen years. The letter reads: ‘Dear Miss Nachamie: I want to thank you very much for your kind invitation. Unfortunately, I cannot come to you in May as my calendar is completely filled. In any case, all my engagements for lectures must go through my agent, Mr. W. Colston Leigh, 521 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Very sincerely yours, Eleanor Roosevelt’. In the 1950’s Eleanor was averaging around a hundred and fifty lectures a year, both in America and abroad, often devoted to her civil rights work and her activism on behalf of the United Nations. Provenance: from the estate of the late David Sadler.