Description:

Jackie Kennedy
[Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT], n.d. but ca. 1946-1947
Jacqueline Bouvier Early ALS: "wish some new cavalier with curling mustachios would sweep me off my feet"
ALS

A 4pp autograph letter signed by future First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (1929-1994), then a high school student, as "Lots of Love / Jackie" at the bottom of the fourth page. N.d. but ca. 1946-1947. [Farmington, Connecticut.] Written on watermarked bifold stationery with "Miss Porter's School / Farmington, Connecticut" letterhead, with several original edits and a postscript. The letter is displayed in a double-sided floating mount in a matted frame below a high-quality photo reproduction showing Jackie in a horse-drawn sled on the Miss Porter's School campus. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds. Even toning, with negligible ink bleed-through, else near fine. Not examined out of the frame. The actual letter measures 10.625" x 6.875" while the overall frame measures 16.5" x 19.25" x 1."

As this witty and voluble letter to a girlfriend demonstrates, Jacqueline Bouvier was a typical adolescent. Like all teenager girls, Jackie was apparently obsessed with friendship, romantic love, school work, entertainment, and food. She inquired after her friend's romantic prospects, assessed her own romantic potential, opined about mutual acquaintances, talked about movie theatres, and fantasized about chocolate cake. The letter paints an effervescent portrait of the teenaged Jackie, scribbling away in her room at school, barely able to control a dizzying variety of high-spirited emotions: frivolity, anticipation, stress, anger, disappointment, boredom, and loneliness.

Jackie attended Miss Porter's School, an all-girls college preparatory day and boarding school located in Farmington, Connecticut, between 1944-1947. The school was conveniently located in central Connecticut between Boston, New Haven, and New York City, but Jackie describes Farmington in less than flattering terms as a "dismal little town." At the end of the letter, Jackie explains her visiting privileges have been revoked because she was caught in the unladylike act of throwing water at the table. She fumes in frustration, "Damn Damn damn… God I'm mad at this dumb school." This was clearly not a good moment in Jackie's Miss Porter's experience. Yet the record proved that she also thrived in its strenuous academic environment, reaching the top of her class and winning awards. Jackie also worked on the newspaper staff and participated in theater. Her Miss Porter's yearbook profile lists her defining attribute as "wit."

Jackie wrote this chatty letter to her friend "Woodley" - a close friend of Jackie's, possibly met while summering at Newport, Rhode Island, since the letter discusses mutual acquaintances from there. Not much is known about Woodley, but it is commonly believed that she was a school friend who moved to England and then Ireland during World War II. Jackie's letter mentions several individuals - the majority of them male - including a love interest named "Bev." This almost certainly referred to R. Beverley Corbin, Jr. (1925-2004), a Harvard student whom Jackie had met in Newport and with whom she had a long-distance relationship in high school until dumping him in 1947.

Jackie wrote in full (with original usage):

"Dear Woodley -

I would have answered this sooner but I've really had to slave as your fall term marks this year count most towards getting into college - I just hate the constant feeling that you have to be tearing off + doing something - I'm writing this with one eye on the clock hoping I can be through in 10 min + knowing darn well I'll go on for hours once I get started.

About your coming up here - This weekend is no good as we have to go on

[page break]

2) a Hist of Art trip - but if you could come next the 26th it would be fine - I think I ought to warn you that it will probably be horrid for you in a dismal little town - no movies etc. we cant go out for meals - + you'd have to eat with a great mob of us for breakfast - we can go out to a little teashop + get moldy sandwiches I just remembered. How long would you plan to come for? Spend Sat nite - or breeze in Sunday or what? Wire me when you get this if you can come + you'll spend the nite so I can get you a room - If you can come I'll send you a large sum of money which you must spend on the most delicious food you can think of - chocolate bars, cake etc + bring for me to gorge on + you can have

[page break]

3) a few bites -

I cant wait till Dick comes to know if you are going to join the young married set or not - Dont you dare Woodley - We have to break the bank at Monte Carlo first + unless everythings changed - I really dont think you're terribly in love with him - but I guess I wouldnt know -

I loved what you said about Bev + Peter - + tore to the dictionary to find out what callow meant - I've always heard of 'callow youths' + sort of thought it meant 'sallow' + pictured these sickly yellow creatures running around - Anyway I'm glad you dont think they are sallow - I like them both + that's all - Bev best I guess - because Peter has sulkily backed

[page break]

4) out of the picture - but I really dont like Bev terribly + wish some new cavalier with curling mustachios would sweep me off my feet - The weekend of the Harvard Yale game sounds wonderful though. Did you know John is having Bow up + that they really are in love + want to get married when he gets out of college? Somehow I cant see that -

Write me very soon + full of news + tell me when I can stop sending letters to Mr Dominguez of the Union Club - The mere thought of it makes me blush with horror + I try to make the 1st paragraph very boring so if by any freak of chance he should happen to glance at it, he wont go any farther -

Lots of love

Jackie

P.S. This is being written 3 hours later - I've just been put on bounds + cant have any visitors for this or next weekend Damn Damn damn

I hope you couldnt come anyway as I'd hate to think you could have + I ruined it. God I'm mad at this dumb school

All I did was misbehave at the table + throw water in the house."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: framed: 16.5" x 19.25" x 1"
  • Medium: ALS

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