A Brief Survey of JFK Signed Historical Documents Collectors Can Look For on the Market
For generations of Americans, John F. Kennedy was the ultimate American hero, a decorated World War II veteran who returned to serve his country in the political arena, working his way up from Congressman to Senator to President. Although JFK’s life was cut short, his brief presidency became synonymous with youth, hope, energy, innovation, and idealism. Many, but not all, of the Kennedy signed documents on the market derive from this inspiring era.
JFK as Congressman
Upon his return from the Navy, Kennedy ran for Congress in Massachusetts’ eleventh congressional district, where he won in 1946. This was the beginning of his storied career in politics, and he served three terms (six years) in the House of Representatives.
It was during this time that Kennedy attended a political rally in South Boston. A student in the crowd requested his autograph on a copy of the Constitution, and Kennedy assented. The Constitution had long been a subject of intense interest to Kennedy, and he often spoke of its power at events. That document remained with that family until we acquired it. It is the only copy of the Constitution signed by JFK that we have ever seen.
JFK as Senator
In 1952 Kennedy was elected to the US Senate. While there, his work focused primarily in the foreign affairs and labor fields, however, civil rights, pollution, and housing were among his legislative interests.
This rare letter (pictured above) touches upon one of those subjects: Kennedy’s letter to the United Negro College Fund, after his speech at the organziation’s annual convocation in 1959, reveals his great admiration for the Fund. He praises “the outstanding job the Fund is doing in the fields of education and human relations.” Letters of JFK on issues of race are rare. This is offered for sale for the first time at Raab.
JFK as President
In July of 1960, the Democratic party nominated Kennedy as its candidate for President. Kennedy asked Lyndon B. Johnson to stand as Vice President, and the Kennedy-Johnson ticket won the general election that year, making JFK, at the age of 43, the youngest man elected president and the first Catholic. He was sworn in on January 20, 1961 and served nearly three years until his assassination in November of 1963.
Signed material from Kennedy’s presidency often falls into three main categories: signed letters, signed photos, and signed appointments.
Signed Letters
In a signed letter of 1963 that echoed his inaugural address, Kennedy writes to the widow of a Methodist bishop who helped reconcile Americans to a Catholic president: “It can truthfully be said that he left this world a better place than he found it.” This touching letter came to us via a friend of the bishop’s descendants and has never before been offered for sale.
Signed Photographs
As signed photos of Kennedy go, there may be none better than this: a signed photograph of the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy, showing him taking the Oath of Office on the triumphant day when he made his clarion call to his fellow Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.”
This is the only signed photograph of Kennedy’s inauguration known to have ever reached the market. It was once in the famed collections of Philip and Elsie Sang and Dr. David Light.
Also desirable are signed portrait photos of Kennedy. The one pictured above was taken by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt during a photoshoot for Time magazine. Kennedy appeared on the cover of the November 16, 1960 issue, and he liked the image so much he used the photograph to sign and present to notables after he entered the Oval Office. In this case, JFK inscribed the photo to Norman Paul, his Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.
Larger signed photographs of Kennedy can also be found on the market, such as a 10” x 14” photo inscribed by the president in 1961 to the woman who was responsible for restoring and reopening Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was assassinated.
Signed Appointments
Presidential signed appointments are impressive documents.Their value is largely determined by the person being appointed and the position they will fill. In the framed appointment pictured above, JFK names a veteran U.S. diplomat Ambassador to Peru. Documents of President Kennedy granting full ambassadorships are rare, this being the first one we have ever carried.
Another fine example is an appointment signed by John F. Kennedy on June 29, 1961, appointing Edmund G. Brown of California as a Member of the Civil Defense Advisory Council, a consultative body that advises on best practices for protecting civilians during emergencies.
Signed Ephemera
In addition to letters, photos, and appointments, occasionally one can find ephemera, such as Christmas cards and prints, signed by Kennedy. In the example above, Kennedy signed and inscribed an historical engraving of the White House to a chief aide in the office of Ted Sorenson, JFK’s speechwriter.
The Kennedy Family
For collectors of JFK material, documents signed by members of the prominent Kennedy clan including First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and JFK’s brother, Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, are of related interest.
A letter of Jackie Kennedy as she redesigns the White House library (pictured above) is a prime example. Mrs. Kennedy led to the most influential redecoration in White House history, and won enthusiastic national support. It is increasingly uncommon to find letters of Mrs. Kennedy relating to the White House renovation.
John F. Kennedy relied on his younger brother Robert F. Kennedy’s judgment as a political adviser, foreign affairs counselor, and trusted confidant. He also appointed RFK Attorney General, and in that role, in late 1963, RFK sent to President Kennedy a memo informing him of FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover’s efforts to link communists to the first major Northern city race riot of the 1960s. Our research discloses no other memo from RFK to JFK ever having reached the market, let alone one detailing the inner workings of Hoover’s FBI, and how he communicated with the Attorney General and President.
Collecting John F. Kennedy Signed Documents
Kennedy autographs are valued for the spirit that his Presidency brought to the country. To learn more about buying or selling JFK documents, visit our dedicated John F. Kennedy page.
