First Lady's Personal Photograph Collection; More Than 75 Original, Historical Photos
Panama, Hyde Park: November 1906. Included in this rare archive of photos are:
- 36 panoramic photos (12" x 3.5") taken during President Roosevelt's trip to Panama. Slightly bowed on the horizontal, otherwise fine.
- 31 sepia toned photographs (3.5" x 3.5") of scenes in and around Panama during that same trip to the canal
- 4 photographs of Eleanor (c. mid-1950's) in or near poolside in her modest bathing suit
- 3 Color Stereo Transparencies of Eleanor at various outdoor locations
- 1 Very rare boudoir style photo (8.5" x 5.25") of Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the age of nine with his family's St. Bernard. Small chip to border away from photo.
- 2 Individual photos of Eleanor's mother and father. Chipped and crinkled, the family confirms that these were the photos of her parents which she always kept in her bedroom. Elliott Bulloch Roosevelt (1860 – 1894) was the father of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and the younger brother of Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), the 26th president of the United States. Her mother, Anna Rebecca Hall (1863 – 1892) was a New York socialite who died at the very early age of 29. She was said to be a great beauty and you can see it in the eyes of this forlorn photo.
- A letter from the Roosevelt Library, December 13, 1949, confirming that some of these original photographs had been loaned for reproduction and preservation at Hyde Park.
The panoramic photographs of Panama are of great historical content. This was the first trip a U. S. President had taken taken outside of the U.S. Eleanor accompanied her uncle on this trip and can be seen in one photo at an outdoor banquet with the President, Secretary of War, Howard Taft and Canal builder Gen. George Goethals. Other photographs show the fleet of ships off the coast, locales around Panama City and members of the party strolling the dock and beaches. Several are of the Spanish fortress of Santiago, by the Caribbean Sea, built to protect the harbor of Portobelo against pirate incursions.
Provenance: From the legacy of Eleanor and FDR's third child, Elliot Roosevelt and deaccessioned through his heirs. Item #2420
"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility." - Eleanor Roosevelt.
Price: $2,500.00