Description:

Kennedy John 1917 - 1963 John F. Kennedy A & F well loved and worn sailing/boating pants, with impeccable provenance


Abercrombie and Fitch tan khaki button down boating pants, well loved and worn by President Kennedy. Waist size of 33. Lightly worn with small opening along a seam, and one tiny stain, otherwise in great condition and freshly pressed and cleaned. These pants come with a LOA from Mary Barelli Gallagher, the secretary for Senator John F. Kennedy from 1953-1956 and the personal secretary for Jacqueline Kennedy from 1956-1964. Please Note: This lot includes the pants and LOA and any other images are present for reference only.


One of the few constants in the life of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was sailing. Whether it was summers spent as a child off the shores of Nantucket, or operating a Naval Patrol Boat near the Solomon Islands, President Kennedy was constantly near the sea. It became one of his safe spaces, a refuge from the pressures of leading America in the Cold War.

Young Jack started sailing small boats as a child, and even won some events - including the Nantucket Sound Star Class Championship Cup in 1936, and the MacMillan Cup and East Coast Collegiate Championships in 1938 (with his brother Joe). John F. Kennedy was a good sailor, and he loved to sail big yachts such as the Manitou, but he favored small boats throughout his life, appreciating the simplicity, intimacy and ease of handling that a good little sailboat provides. Thus, in hindsight, it's not surprising that the 26 foot Wianno Senior sailboat Victura - a gift from his parents for his 15th birthday - remained his favorite, and it was the boat that captured and held his imagination throughout his life.

Many of JFK's friends have been known to have said that he was never happier than when he was sailing Victura off Hyannis Port. This is all supported by numerous JFK's private documents (now public record) that the President's cherished little boat was never far from his mind. Our childhood experiences are often held closest to our hearts, whether they existed as positive or negative forces in our lives. For JFK sailing was such an important strong, positive childhood passion, that sailing on his childhood boat remained foremost in his mind, and was perhaps his mental escape from stress even well into his adult years and even during his presidency.

Take for example the Cuban Missile Crisis. Though the future of the free world may have been at stake, JFK's thoughts were of Victura, as is evidenced by doodles he had made on some historic documents as the events of that time unfolded.

And with incredible poignancy, even on the very last night of his life, this little boat was still forefront in the President's mind. While John F. Kennedy was in Houston, returning from his last supper, JFK retired to his room at the Rice Hotel to rest up for a busy schedule ahead in Dallas. As the hotel staff was cleaning the President's suite the next day, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker: The President of the United States had been assassinated. With tears in their eyes, the personnel continued to strip the President's hotel room, and a piece of hotel stationary was found near Kennedy's bedside. On the paper was JFK's last doodle - an image he scribbled out as he drifted off to sleep that night. It was a simple little sailboat, which bore no small resemblance to his beloved Victura.

These JFK well loved boating pants are accompanied by a black and white print of JFK aboard the Victura while wearing the pants, and will come with impeccable provenance including a signed LOA from Mary Barelli Gallagher, the secretary for Senator John F. Kennedy from 1953-1956 and the personal secretary for Jacqueline Kennedy from 1956-1964 who states within her LOA that "the property has remained solely in my possession since originally receiving it'.

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Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 14, 2017 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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