FIRST LADY BESS W. TRUMAN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 217798

BESS TRUMAN
Bess Truman sends an autograph letter of thanks for the book and calendar and to say that she is looking forward to visiting with friends.
Autograph Letter Signed: "Bess T", 2p, 5x4, trimmed slightly and joined with clear tape on verso to form a single page. Second page is reinforced on verso with blue 5x4 card. No place, no date. On her personal letterhead to "Dear Georgia and Andy". In full: "I am already to go to Washington now with your delightful gift of Miss Dior! You were so good to send it to me and I shall enjoy it greatly. I am counting on seeing both of you in W. We Democrats are on top of the world again and it feels mighty good. Your calendar is most attractive and most useful. I am so glad to have it. Can keep track of my favorite recipes now. Thank you, loads, for being so good to me. Fondly". In 1919, 35-year-old Harry S Truman married 34-year-old Elizabeth "Bess" Wallace, whom he had known since the fifth grade. On her first day in the White House, First Lady Bess Truman made breakfast, made the bed, washed dishes, dusted, vacuumed and then read a detective novel, The Crimson Claw. Unlike her predecessor, Eleanor Roosevelt, she gave no press conferences and usually responded to any questions with a terse: "No comment". She tried to curb her husband's salty, blunt language. When one society matron complained that the President had used the word "manure" in public, Bess replied that it had taken her 20 years to get him to say "manure". At her death in 1982 at 97, she had lived longer than any other First Lady. Moisture stain on first page has caused five words of text to run slightly. Mounting adhesive on second page has caused some rippling. Overall, fine condition.