Lot 82
Grant Ulysses 1822 - 1885 Grant's bold franking signature on an envelope addressed to his friend, newspaperman George W. Childs, who helped fund Grant's Jersey Shore vacation cottage
His franking signature, "U.S. Grant," as President accomplished on a 5.75" x 3.25" with "Executive Mansion" engraved at the top right corner, addressed in his hand to "Mr. Geo W. Childs Cor 22d & Walnut St. Philadelphia, Pa." With a black Washington, October 17 cancellation. From the Edward Stern Collection. Offered with copies of the description and image of the frank as published in Stern's 1936 volume, History of the 'Free Franking' of Mail in the United States. Light to moderate soiling, several small tears along top margin do not affect text, else very good. Offered together with a large mounted albumen photograph, 10" x 8", by Pach Bros., New York, 1873, titled "GEN. GRANT at GEO. W. CHILDS COTTAGE / LONG BRANCH 1873". The image depicts Grant seated with his wife Julia and their friend, George W. Childs, at his cottage in Long Branch, New Jersey. Back layer of mount removed, photo service stamps and inked notations on verso, creased at corners, horizontal crease and small tear at bottom margin do little to detract from the overall presentation.
Ulysses Grant was the last sitting President to enjoy the franking privilege. Due to rampant abuse, Congress outlawed the practice for all federal officials in 1873 (only to reinstate it for themselves soon afterwards). However sitting executives were never again bestowed this privilege.
In 1864, together with Anthony Drexel, for $20,000, the Baltimore-born Childs (1829-1894) purchased the ailing Philadelphia Public Ledger which had seen its circulation drop over its Copperhead leanings. Childs changed the editorial policy to wholehearted support for the Union and he soon grew the paper into one of the most influential papers in the country. Childs was also widely known for his philanthropy. In 1884, he loaned Walt Whitman $500 to help him purchase his home in Camden, New Jersey. Childs also funded numerous monuments including a memorial fountain for William Shakespeare in Stratford-on-Avon as well as a monument to Edgar Allen Poe in Baltimore.
Childs was also a close friend of Ulysses Grant. In 1869, he, together with Drexel, George Pullman, and Moses Taylor pooled their money to purchase a summer cottage for the Grant family in Long Branch, New Jersey in 1869. Grant's cottage was located directly next to Childs' and the pair enjoyed numerous summers together at the Jersey Shore.
The franking signature comes from the esteemed collection of Edward Stern. Offered with copies of the description and image of the frank as published in Stern's 1936 volume, History of the 'Free Franking' of Mail in the United States.
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