Item #4148 [Typed Letter Signed by Jackie Kennedy]. Jacqueline Kennedy.
[Typed Letter Signed by Jackie Kennedy].

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[Typed Letter Signed by Jackie Kennedy].

Washington, D.C.: 15 December, 1961. TLS, 8vo, 1 pp. mounted on paperboard, with original envelope.

A letter from Jackie Kennedy composed shortly after her husband’s election thanking the president of the Shelburne Museum for a gift.

In this letter typed on White House stationary, dated December 15, 1961, Jackie thanks J. Watson Webb, Jr., the president of the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, for “the handsome pair of candlesticks and lovely hat box, counterpane, and quilt,” noting that “small attractive ornaments are sometimes the most difficult to find.”

Jackie Kennedy initiated a major restoration project at the White House during her husband’s administration. Upon entering the White house, she was dismayed to find that much of the furniture original to the building had been lost or sold. Seeking to find 19th century furniture and decorative arts appropriate for the rooms, she established the White House Historical Association to help her locate suitable pieces.

Webb, a prominent film editor, was heir to both the Havemeyer and Vanderbilt families and son of the Shelburne Museum’s founder, noted folk art collector Electra Webb (née Havermeyer). He acted as the Museum’s president following Electra’s death in November, 1960, until assuming the role of Chairman of the Board in 1977.

A characteristically charming letter from Jackie Kennedy, reflecting her tasteful efforts to appoint the White House with period furnishings.

CONDITION: Good, mounted on paperboard.

Item #4148

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