Description:

Jacqueline Kennedy
New York, NY, April 16, 1969
Jacqueline Kennedy 5pp ALS to Cousin Little Edie of "Grey Gardens" Fame, PSA LOA
ALS

A remarkable letter from former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to her cousin Edith Bouvier Beale Jr., addressed to her nickname "Little Edie". 5pp, measuring 5.25" x 7.75", New York, NY, April 16, 1969. Signed affectionately at conclusion as "Jackie", she discusses the recent publication of their other cousin Jack's new familial biography, which showed evident bias and intent to profit off the Kennedy name. Together with its original mailing envelope, hand addressed by the former First Lady to "Miss Edith Beale Jr./ 'Gray [sic] Gardens'". Very good overall condition, with areas of light spot staining and handling creases throughout. Envelope exhibits heavy soiling near upper left, not affecting visibility of text. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from PSA.

Reading in full:

"I was so touched by your letter- you and Aunt Edie have always been so special to me- my favorites ever since I was a little girl- and even though we didn't see each other much in the last years- I always felt so close to you- and you always kept in touch- in the happy times and the sad ones. Thank you for all your wishes about Ari- you must meet him some day- he is so wise and kind- and I think he is so much like the Bouviers I love- a loner with a touch of sadness.
You mustn't worry about Jack Davis' book. At first I was so angry- I read the excerpts of it that he sold to magazines then I read the book- And what comes out of it is just the opposite of the impression he was trying to create.
The sensitive Bouviers- Aunt Edie, Daddy, Uncle Bud- you- are the ones who touch the heart.
And the prissy ones- the twins- who obviously dictated all the parts of their generation to him- they come out as such petty, spoiled, life-diminishing people- attaching importance to all the wrong things in life- vain and selfish- putting ceremony & position and status above all the deep things in life- and still mooning over the days when they were the lovely red headed twins.
And that's what people who read it will think- I was so dumbfounded by the description of your mother's wedding- then I was amused- as they were so stupid to dictate that to dumb old Jack Davis- Cordons of screaming admirers fainting over the little twins- you wouldn't have guessed there was a bride at the wedding.
You know what people will always think of Jack Davis as now?- As a boy who did nothing- who traded in President Kennedy's life & death to peddle a book about his relatives- & was disloyal to his family.
That is what was written about him in Europe- & that is what I get lots of mail about.
I'm glad he wrote the book now- because there is a poetry about the wonderful Bouviers in it that is beautiful- & when all the flap has died down- that is what will endure.
Please give so much love to Aunt Edie- If you ever come to NY let me know- & I hope I come back to East Hampton sometime- you two are the only people I care about there."

Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (1895-1977), known as "Big Edie", and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale (1917-2002), known as "Little Edie", were the aunt and first cousin, respectively, of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The two women lived together at the Grey Gardens estate in East Hampton for decades with limited funds and increasing squalor, which later became the subject of the 1975 documentary of the same name. Notably in 1972, with the Beale women facing eviction and the razing of their home, Jackie and her sister Lee Radziwill provided the necessary funds to repair the dilapidated residence so that it would meet town codes.

Jackie wrote this letter to Little Edie in response to the recent publication of the biographical book entitled "The Bouviers: Portrait of an American Family", authored by their first cousin John "Jack" Davis (1929-2012). Evident is their disappointment with its contents which, given the long and fascinating history of the Bouvier clan, was rife with private family anecdotes. Kennedy's description of the "prissy" red-headed twins refers to Big Edie's younger sisters, Maude and Michelle Bouvier, the former being Davis's mother. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the author chose to portray them in a more flattering light, which apparently overshadowed that of the elder Edie.

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: 5.25" x 7.75"
  • Medium: ALS

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