Description:

Exceedingly Rare 1963 Kennedy Christmas Card boldly signed "John Kennedy" as President and "Jacqueline Kennedy" as First Lady. Hallmark card, 4.5" x 6.5" closed. Color photograph on front captioned "Creche in East Room, The White House." Engraved message beneath gilt-embossed presidential seal: "With our wishes / for a / Blessed Christmas / and a / Happy New Year." Barely visible mounting remnants at upper edges on verso. Fine condition.

According to Mary Evans Seeley in her book, "Season's Greetings from the White House," 1,500 cards reading "With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year" were printed by Hallmark with facsimile signatures of President and Mrs. Kennedy, and an additional 700 were ordered without signatures.

Maj. Gen. C.V. Clifton, Jr., Kennedy's military aide, was informed by a letter dated Nov. 14, 1963, from Jeannette Lee, a Hallmark V.P., that 500 of the unsigned cards would be shipped directly to him. Pres. Kennedy was at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Nov. 16th to watch a test launch of a Polaris missile, then flew to Palm Beach. After speeches in Tampa and Miami on Nov. 18th, he returned to Washington close to midnight that evening. The 500 blank cards had arrived while the President was in Florida. He must have signed this card on Nov. 19th or Nov. 20th. On the morning of Nov. 21st, President and Mrs. Kennedy left for Texas.

Seeley writes that the President and First Lady had signed 30 cards, 15 of them with just the New Years greetings and 15 with the Christmas and New Years greeting.

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Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive, 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 and USPS to P.O. Boxes only. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT and may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile 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.

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December 15, 2015 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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