JAMES GARFIELD The President signs a warrant authorizing the Secretary of State to place the US seal on a congratulatory message to the new Kingdom of Romania. Signatures by Garfield as President are extremely rare, this one penned less than two months before he was shot. Presidential Warrant signed: "James A. Garfield" as President, 8x10, matted with a photograph of Garfield (with facsimile signature) to an overall size of 18½x15. Washington, D.C., 1881 May 5. In full: "I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to an envelope containing my reply to the letter of King Charles of Romania, announcing the erection of Romania into a Kingdom &c, &c. dated this day, and signed by me; and for so doing this shall be his warrant." James Abram Garfield (1831-1881) rose to the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, participating in the battles of Shiloh and Chickamauga, before resigning his commission to take a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (1863-1880). read more...

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT As Governor of New York, he used this red, silver-tipped pen to sign a railroad bill creating the Board of Transit Control in 1931 Document Signed: "Franklin D Roosevelt", 1 page, 9x14½. Albany, New York. April 27, 1931. Certificate authenticating that FDR used the attached pen to sign Senate Bill 12, the railroad unification bill. In full: "THIS IS TO CERTIFY that the pen hereunto affixed was used by me in signing Senate Bill Introductory Number 12, Printed Number 2455, entitled: 'AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to the plan of readjustment provided for in article seven thereof, to authorize the creation of the board of transit control and subsidiary corporations, to prescribe its and their duties and powers, to exempt its and their properties, income and securities from taxation and to make such securities legal investments, and to authorize the acquisition and operation of railroads and other transportation facilities, and otherwise.' and which became a law by my signature April 23, 1931, being Chapter 689 of the Laws of 1931. read more...

JAMES GARFIELD The 20th President of the United States signed this 5¾x2¾ piece of paper less than two months before being assassinated in office. Signature: "James A. Garfield/May 21 1881" 5¾x2¾ piece of paper. James Abram Garfield (1831-1881) rose to the rank of Major General in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, participating in the battles of Shiloh and Chickamauga, before resigning his commission to take a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives (1863-1880). A political moderate, Garfield was the compromise choice of a deadlocked Republican Convention in 1880, nominated on the 36th ballot and elected President by a narrow margin. Garfield's assassination by a disappointed office seeker helped advance the cause of civil service reform which he had advocated. Shot on July 2 1881, Garfield died on September 19, only 200 days into his term. Signatures of Garfield as President, are thus extremely rare. Fine condition. Previously authenticated by PSA/DNA. read more...

RONALD REAGAN Handwritten letter to Lydia "Hup" MacArthur, the widow of Peter MacArthur, who gave Reagan his first job as a 21 year old Sports Announcer in Davenport, Iowa, signed "Dutch". Autograph Letter signed: "Dutch", 1 page, 6½x4¼. No place, 1991 April 2. To "Dear Hup" [Lydia MacArthur] on card printed with his name and Presidential seal. In full: "Thank you for sending the news story. Nancy & I both enjoyed it very much. Yes we would like to have been there but our travels and chores had us elsewhere. By the way if you are writing again sometime how about sending me Myrtles address? I've somehow lost it. Again thanks and out love to you." Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) had two careers: actor and politician. His first movie was Love is on the Air (1937) and his 53rd and last film was The Killers (1964). In 1965, he wrote his autobiography, Where's the Rest of Me?, a line from his role as Drake McHugh in King's Row (1942). read more...

NAVY SECRETARY GIDEON WELLES ORDERS THE NAVY TO TRANSPORT CAPTURED FUGITIVE JOHN SURATT BACK TO THE US TO STAND TRIAL FOR CONSPIRING TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT LINCOLN GIDEON WELLES Telegram, unsigned, 1 page, 8½x11. 1866 December 6. Telegram partly printed in Portuguese, received from Gideon Welles in Washington, D.C., for transmittal to Admiral Goldsborough, American Squadron at Lisbon, Portugal. Manuscript text of Welles' message (unknown hand): "Send steamer to Alexandria, Egypt to receive Surautt [sic] from Consul Hale and bring him to Washington." [Welles' name has also been misspelled by the telegraph office.] Docketed on verso: "Hon. G. Welles/Secy of the Navy/6th Dec. 1866/Send steamer to/Alexandria, Egypt". Gideon Welles (1812-1878), a Jacksonian Democrat who joined the new Republican Party in 1854 because he detested slavery, was Secretary of the Navy throughout the Presidencies of Abraham Lincoln (who called him "Neptune") and Andrew Johnson (1861-1869). John Suratt (1844-1916) was the son of Mary Suratt, convicted of conspiracy in the assassination of President Lincoln and the first woman executed (hanged) by the US government. read more...

JAMES EARL "JIMMY" CARTER Typed, unsigned speech with handwritten corrections read by Carter during his 1976 presidential bid in a predominantly black part of Los Angeles County. Typed speech unsigned, with handwritten corrections in black and blue ink. 8 pages, 8½x11. This speech was read during Carter's 1976 presidential run at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, now Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. The hospital is located an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County near the Watts neighborhood, site of the Watts Riots of 1965, and the city of Compton, which had one of the highest concentrations of blacks - over 90 percent - in the United States at the time. Needless to say, Carter focused on race relations in this speech, specifically the impact of the civil rights movement. Carter and his running mate Walter Mondale ran against Republican candidates Gerald Ford, the incumbent, and Bob Dole, in 1976. Ford been appointed president in 1974 after the resignations of president Richard Nixon during Watergate and vice president Spiro Agnew and was the first person appointed president under the 25th amendment, which had been ratified less than 10 years earlier. read more...

JOHN F. KENNEDY Presidential appointment to international atomic energy conference two days after U.S. ratifies Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Partly Printed DS: "John F. Kennedy" as 35th U.S. President and "George W. Ball" as Acting Secretary of State, 1p, 23x19. 3½-inch Presidential seal affixed to left of Ball's signature. Washington, 1963 September 24. In part: "Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the Integrity, Fidelity, and Ability of HENRY DeWOLF SMYTH, of New Jersey I have nominated, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint him an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Seventh Session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and do authorize and empower him to execute and fulfil the duties of that Office according to law...." Two days earlier, the U.S. Senate had ratified the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. HENRY DeWOLF SMYTH served as Representative to the International Atomic Energy Commission in Vienna, with the rank of Ambassador, from 1961-1970. read more...

ANDREW JOHNSON Attempting to fill Lincoln's shoes in the White House, President Johnson signed this tracing of his shoes, intended for making a new pair (1865). Shoe print signed twice: "Andrew Johnson", 2 pages, 9x14 ½. Washington City, District of Columbia, 1865 December 12. Page one is a tracing of a pair of shoe soles, signed inside each tracing by the President. Additional markings (unknown hand) are measurements, including an apparent overall she size (13½). Accompanied by 2-sided tracing of same dimensions, bearing the foot measurements of Major Andre K. Long of the Executive Mansion, dated December 12, 1865; and of Major R. Morrow, A. A. G. (Assistant Adjutant General), dated December 14. Andrew Johnson represented Tennessee in the U.S. House (1843-1853) and Senate (1857-1862, 1875) and served twice as that State's Governor (1853-1857, 1862-1865). His second term was as a Military Governor appointed by President Lincoln. A pro-war Democrat fiercely opposed to secession but also opposed to imposition of a stringent Reconstruction read more...

THOMAS JEFFERSON He extends a dinner invitation to friend and merchant William Huntington, signed in the text. Third Person Autograph Note signed in text: "Th: Jefferson asks the favor of Mr. Huntington to dine with him on Sunday the 8th. Apr. 6. 21", 1 page, 7¾x4. No place given [but probably Monticello], 1821 April 6. THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826) served as third U.S. President from 1801 to1809. A former delegate to the Continental Congress from Virginia (1775-1776, 1783-1784), Jefferson drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence (1776). He then served as Governor of Virginia (1779-1781) and as a member of Virginia's state legislature (1782). Named U.S. Minister to France in 1785, Jefferson remained abroad until 1789, when he was asked by George Washington to be his Secretary of State (1790-1793). Jefferson then served as Vice President under John Adams (1797-1801) until being elected President. A man of many talents, Jefferson has been called "the Sage of Monticello". read more...