Description:

Cleveland Frances 1864 - 1947 Superb unpublished collection including the 27-year-old Frances F. Cleveland's diary, over 15,000 illuminating and articulate words - several entries discuss Grover Cleveland's 1892 presidential campaign - 6 important ALsS to her mother, and related autographic material

Includes:

Her diary, in all, over 15,000 words in Mrs. Cleveland's hand. 80 pages of diary entries, 7.5" x 9.5", December 1890 - February 1891. With addition of two entries, March and July 1892, referring to G.C.'s presidential campaign. Front cover missing, first three sheets loose and chipped. Internally sound. Mentions Luncheons/Dinners with Astors, Whitneys, TR's sister Anna, Gen. Sherman, Steinway, many others; frequent mention of husband "G.C."; crossing the East River as she returned home from a wedding in Brooklyn: "the river was lovely from the Bridge." As G.C. was presented with a silver cup at a political banquet, Mr. Parker said he "saw him wipe tears from his eyes during applause..." Plus 37 pages in pencil by FFC of quotes from Shakespeare, Shelley, Lowell, Southey, Lamartine, and others. ALS of "Mama" to FFC. Six ALsS to her mother with three franked envelopes. Partial ANS "Frank" (the way she signed her letters to her mother) circa 1893, 1 page, 3.5" x 5.25", about Ruth (born 1891) "Ruth is wonderful! If you could see her - but I hope you will soon. The President & Pippa send love..." Second child Esther born Sept. 9, 1893. A child's drawing on the reverse of a handwritten poem, likely done by Ruth or Esther. A dried rose is pressed between the pages of the diary. Other related autographic material. 26 items in all. Collection must be personally inspected to be truly appreciated.

Diary excerpts:

December 3, 1890

"Did not go to the Stanley Reception at lunch. G.C. expressed quite clearly his skeptical views of Mr S. & said 'Well he will make lots of money - build a house to rival Geo Vanderbilts in N.C. and in a few years when somebody else goes to Africa and shows that his book is not true. What will it matter to him. He will have had all he expected from it.' - I think he is a little too severe - though I don't altogether like Mr S. way of trading on his experiences for popularity-" Explorer Henry M. Stanley was in NYC on his book tour.

December 8, 1890

"A.C. was charming - telling interesting stories in her family history - and of the war. The Northern Soldiers came to their house in Louisiana when she was 6 mo old demanding her father - her mother met them & said she did not know where he was. They threatened to fire on the house if he was not produced... Her mother had had a dream in which she was told by her husband that trouble was coming - & that if she were in distress she must use his name. Remembering this she asked the soldier in charge if he had ever heard of Joseph Charles & the man it happened owed him a great debt for having been kind to him was dumfounded to find his widow - & they were spared..."

December 9, 1890

"Music lesson. G.C. busy on introduction to Works of Jefferson..."

December 11, 1890

"Mrs. Richards came at one & Mrs Chapin, Miss Roosevelt[Anna Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's sister] & Miss Lockwood with Minnie & myself had luncheon..."

December 13, 1890

"Dined at the Dimocks with the Burton Harrisons... Mrs. B.H. [author Constance Cary Harrison] most interesting about the Anglomaniacs - said she felt like a butcher with a knife about to murder an innocent child - When she took her pen to finish the book - but there was no other possible ending - Mr. B.H. also interesting sat next him at dinner. I had forgotten he was Jefferson Davis Private Secretary..."

December 17, 1890

"Horribly rainy - Shopped all morning... G.C. anxious for his lunch... Drove to Brooklyn in the Evening for Mr C.H. Bangs Wedding... Coming home the river was lovely from the Bridge..." The Brooklyn Bridge had opened in 1883.

December 23, 1890

"Had a pleasant dinner & drove to the Banquet Hall of the Mad. Sq. Garden where the Reform dinner took place. Wonderful speaking Mr Carlisle. Mr Wm E. Russell new Gov. of Mass. Boies new Gov. of Iowa... Silver Cup of Jefferson's originally presented by 13 States to J. one of 13 - presented to G.C. G.C. had tremendous ovation. Mr. Parker said he saw him wipe tears from his eyes during applause. Bless him! Great occasion. Mr. Perrine [her stepfather] came before breakfast." FFC's father Oscar Folsom (1837-1875) had died when she was 11 years old. Her mother Emma (1841-1915) married Henry E. Perrine (1827-1901) in 1889; they were married until his death.

December 30, 1890

"N.Y. filling up with Snow banks. D.E. Kays like 'Gray Gables' for the new house so does R.W.G. ... prefers Sagawam Lodge - which G.C. thinks too Indian. & so the old name of the Point."

January 1, 1891

"Day very quiet mostly spent in writing Christmas notes - G.C. preparing speech for Philadelphia - Written an enormous amount of letters since Christmas. Am tired of the sight of a pen. Finished Christmas letters..."

January 3, 1891

"A nice musical talk with Mr Steinway - who asked if he could give something... said he was much interested in the college whose reputation musically he had heard of abroad..."

In the blank area on the February 15, 1891, page, FFC writes:

"Wednesday 2d Mch 1892." - double underlining the year

"G.C. says today that the present political muddle must react in one of two ways - Either Congress & the Legislature of N.Y. will legislate so badly and the Hill element will so disgust every body that by June they will turn to the good element of the party for a candidate - or the same conditions will result in the good element of the country leaving our party altogether." David B. Hill was Cleveland's Lieutenant Governor who succeeded him as Governor when Cleveland became President in 1885; he was reelected in 1885 and 1888 and entered the U.S. Senate when his term expired in January 1892. Hill was Cleveland's major opposition for the presidential nomination in 1892; G.C. was nominated on the first ballot 617 1/3 to 114

Continuing on the same page to the blank area on the next page, in a different ink:

"G.C. was notified of his nomination July 20th 1892 at Madison Sq. Garden - We arrived a little late at the Garden which was packed with a hurrahing hum of humanity - The speaking could not be heard - altogether it was much less impressive than the old dignifying way of notifying a man in his own home..." Cleveland was nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago while the family was at their summer home, Gray Gables, in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts; G.C. was notified by cable of his nomination. On July 20, 1892, before a crowd of over 30,000 at New York's Madison Square Garden, Cleveland and his running mate for Vice President, Adlai E. Stevenson, were "officially" notified on their nominations.

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