FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT'S THIRD INAUGURATION Oversize black and white photograph showing FDR being inaugurated for his third term, signed by the President, his Vice President and Secretary of State, Chief Supreme Court Justice Charles E. Hughes and Supreme Court Clerk Charles Elmore Cropley, who held the President's family bible while the oath was administered. Handsomely framed to 17½x15. Photograph signed: "Franklin D Roosevelt", "Charles E. Hughes, Jan. 20, 1941", "Charles Elmore Cropley/January 20, 1941.", "Cordell Hull" and "H.A. Wallace", B/w 13¼x10¼, framed to 17½x15. On Monday, January 20, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the nation's first and only president to be inaugurated to a third term in office. FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (1882-1945, born in Hyde Park, New York) is an American politician who served as president during two of the most difficult times in world history, the Great Depression and World War II. He also served as president for four terms (1933-1945), longer than any other president in history. read more...

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER As President of Columbia University, he signs a typed letter to Robert Cutler concerning University projects to be funded by the Harriman brothers, framed with an unsigned photo in the Gallery of History style. TLS: "Ike" as President of Columbia, with ALS: "DE" on first page of 1½ pages (separate sheets) typed letter, 7¼x9½. Columbia University, New York, 1950 December 13. To Robert Cutler, Old Colony Trust Company, Boston, about planning and financing The American Assembly, an affiliate of Columbia University founded by Eisenhower in 1950 "to illuminate issues of public policy". The ALS on the first typed page, in full: "Dear Bobby-This formal dissertation was, as is obvious, prepared by a staff assistant. If you knew how pressed I am, almost to the point of panic, you'd forgive me for not re-writing it. So far as meaning goes, it expresses my sentiments very well indeed!" The typed letter, in part: "Since our delightful Boston visit, we have gone ahead rapidly with the plans for The American Assembly…Mr. W. read more...

OMAR BRADLEY A bound copy of his Memorial Day Address (1948), inscribed and signed to his longtime secretary, Mary Pitcairn, by America's last five-star general Speech inscribed and signed: "To Miss Mary Pitcairn/With appreciation for/your loyal and/untiring assistance/Omar N. Bradley", 5p, 6x9. Leather-bound, soft cover copy of his Memorial Day Address, titled "That We Might Learn to Live as Bravely as They Died", Longmeadow, Massachusetts, 1948. Inscribed and signed on third free end page. Omar N. Bradley (1893-1981), a corps commander in North Africa and Sicily (1943), commanded of the U.S. First Army, which landed at Utah and Omaha beaches, Normandy, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. In August 1944, he became the Commander of the 12th Army Group, the largest force ever commanded on the field. He headed the new Veterans Administration (1945-1948). On September 20, 1950, Bradley was promoted to Five-Star General of the Army, and would be the last surviving general of 5-star rank. From 1950 to 1953, he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lacking the arrogance and ostentation of some other generals, Bradley became known as "the soldier's general. read more...

JOSEPH STALIN, KLIMENT VOROSHILOV, and KIRILL MERETSKOV With war looming in 1938, Stalin signs a key document reorganizing a Red Army recently beset by his devastating purges! Extremely rare! Document signed (in Cyrillic alphabet): "S", "K. Voroshilov", "K. Meretskov", 3 pages, 7½x12. Moscow, 1938 July 14. Initialed by Stalin on p1, countersigned by Voroshilov and Meretskov (as Secretary) on p3. Headed: "Top Secret Copy No 1 Protocol No 12 of the meeting of the Chief Council of War of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army". In Cyrillic script, with accompanying English translation. Decisions of a meeting held that day, attended by Stalin, Voroshilov, [Foreign Minister Vyacheslav] Molotov, and by five high-ranking army generals: [Efim] Shchadenko, [Boris] Shaposhnikov, [Aleksandr] Loktionov, [Dimitrii] Pavlov, and [Kirill] Meretskov (who also signed the document as Secretary). The document provides detailed instructions for reorganizing Soviet military commands in the Kiev Special read more...

CHESTER NIMITZ Photo of Nimitz signing the instrument of Japan's surrender in 1945, inscribed in the lower margin to friend and Bank of America founder John Mulvaney. Photograph inscribed and signed: "To John J. Mulvaney - with best wishes and great appreciation of/your many contributions to the welfare of our navy. C. W. Nimitz, Fleet Admiral, US Navy". B/w 14x11 overall, image 10x8, one surface. Shown aboard the Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945, signing the instrument of Japanese surrender. Behind the seated Nimitz stand General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Admiral William F. Halsey, and Rear Admiral Forrest Sherman. There is also a facsimile signature of Nimitz in the picture. Nimitz (1885-1966), Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet (1941-1945), was promoted to the newly created Five-Star rank of Admiral of the Fleet in December 1944. Assuming command immediately after Pearl Harbor, he led the successful naval, air and land campaign across the Pacific to assure Japan's defeat. Nimitz served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1945-1947. John J. 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...

HEINRICH HIMMLER This very rare piece is a letter written by Heinrich Himmler to his mistress Maria Podhorzer in 1940, the year that he separated from his wife Margarete Siegroth. It's written on the back of a b/w picture post card of Himmler with two children in Krakow, Poland, which German had conquered the year before. Autograph letter signed "*" in pencil. Pencil notations in unknown hand in top left corner. 1 page, 5¼x4 with scalloped edges. Written on the back of a picture post card of Himmler with two children in Krakow, Poland, which was conquered by Germany in 1939. Card by the Photo Department of the Krakow District. Jan. 28, 1940. Addressed to his mistress Maria Podhorzer. Written in German, translated: "I am very well. The trip was very interesting. I was very happy with both letters. All dear and good things to you". In 1940, Himmler separated from Margarete Siegroth, his wife since 1926. Himmler (1900-1945) became Chief of the Gestapo in 1936. He was second only to Hitler in power. Himmler was in charge of the establishment of concentration camps and the internment of Jews and others and directed Hitler's extermination campaign. read more...

ERWIN ROMMEL. TLS: "Rommel" as Major, in pencil, 1p, 8¼x7½. Dresden, 1933 April 3. In German with full English translation. To publishers Mittler & Sons, Berlin. In full: "Due to overwhelming work and my absence from the city, I am finally able to answer your letter from April 16 today. I thank you for forwarding the pre-war correspondences. For the final selection of Zug & Company correspondences, I have looked at your choices and will come to a final decision on which to use. I would be happy to receive a new copy of F.u.G. Even though I had worked with this in the beginning, the final version is not that familiar to me. The new F.u.G. brings many new things especially names, terms or possibly drawings. With our pre-discussed business contract, I am still in agreement. I doubt I can get to it before mid-June with my work set to begin. When would you like the final draft?" In World War I, Rommel distinguished himself as a great front-line leader. By the time of this letter, he was considered a fine teacher. Four years later, he published his respected work on training and military tactics, Infanterie Greiftan read more...

EMPEROR HIROHITO, CO-SIGNED BY: EISAKU SATO and SHIINA ETSUSABURO In this very rare and important 1965 document, Emperor Hirohito notified Bolivian President René Barrientos that he was recalling Japan's ambassador to Bolivia. Also signed by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and Foreign Minister Shiina Etsusaburo Document signed "Hirohito", "Eisaku Sato" and "Shiina Etsusaburo", with red ink seals. 2 pages, 9¾x13¼, 1 sheet folded, front and verso, on cardstock, with embossed Imperial Seal of Japan at top edge of page 1. With two binder holes at left edge. Dec. 21, 1965. Addressed to René Barrientos, President of Bolivia. In Japanese, partially translated: "The important mission of Mr. Eiji Kawasaki is at an end, the Japanese government having recalled him, whom it had accredited Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary…" Lightly toned. Light impressions on letter (do not touch sigangures). Show-through from seals on page 2. Otherwise in fine condition. Accompanied by: Untranslated Japanese language letter of transmittal. Lightly toned and creased. read more...