Kennedy, John F. & Jackie. Signed Handwritten Greeting Card, approximately 7 in. x 3 in., bi-fold, with a stylized Afgan hound drawn in line art.  The card opens to reveal two autograph notes written by John Kennedy & Jacqueline shortly after their honeymoon in 1953.  After the newlyweds left Acapulco they spent a week at Marion Davies’ mansion in Beverly Hills.  While in sunny Southern California, they were attended by Ingo Dauth, Davies’ housekeeper; these are notes of thanks to her.

JFK writes:

“Ingo, I’ll never forget our week together.  It has meant more to me than I can possibly say.  Let’s keep it our secret!  Jack K.”

Jackie continues:

“For Ingo - the best person in the world to spend a honeymoon with - Thank you SO much for being so wonderful to us - Love, Jackie”.

These notes appear side by side on the inside of the card.

The archive further includes:

1.  A typed promissory note for a loan of $80,000 to John Bouvier, father of Jacqueline and Lee.  The loan is from M.C. Bouvier, H.B. Baruch, and Phelan Beale (at 6% interest).  Signed by John G. Bouvier [“Jack”] to James Lee, the father of Bouvier’s wife, Janet.  Undated, the letter was probably written in late 1935 or early 1936 when Jack and Janet’s marriage began to fail.  The letter opens, “My Dear Mr. Lee, I am writing to ask you for aid and guidance in a situation that is so vital to Janet and myself and our two kiddies, that it has almost reached staggering proportions.” A fourth page contains the opening sentence of page three and was then abandoned.  On the verso of the third and fourth pages are notes in pencil such as,“Jacqueline and Lee suggest that we forgive and forget now that we’re practically all even and give them a little dual control for a change.”

2.  A 2 ½ pp ALS from Ingo Dauth to N.E. Stein dated Oct. 18 [no year].  It is written in reply to an inquiry about Dauth selling the previously mentioned honeymoon notes.  In it she says,“Of course I feel sorry to have parted with the notes from our late President and his wife, but money is something one needs especially when travelling, so it is too late to feel sorry now.” She goes on to reminisce about the time spent with the Kennedys and the notes they wrote to her.

The courtship of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier

John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Lee Bouvier began dating after they first met at the home of columnist Charles Bartlett, though there were frequent interruptions due to his campaign schedule for a seat in the U.S. Senate (Kennedy was to defeat Republican Henry Cabot Lodge - November 4, 1952).  They were finally engaged following her return from covering the coronation events of Queen Elizabeth II (February 8, 1952); she was employed as a news photographer for the Washington Times-Herald (as the paper's "Inquiring Camera Girl").  Their engagement announcement was delayed until after Jack's appearance on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in an article entitled "Jack Kennedy, the Senate's Gay Young Bachelor".  There were, of course, rumors that Kennedy was a playboy congressman and a womanizer.  Undaunted, Jacqueline felt that she would be "the luckiest girl in the world" if he would marry her.  There was no whirlwind courtship.  They were married on the morning of September 12, 1953, in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church (Newport, Rhode Island).

This superb handwritten note from America’s most famous Presidential couple is a true cornerstone piece for any collector of Kennediana.  Some slight smudging to ‘k’ in “Jack” signature on the card.  General creasing and mounting remnants on verso; on the whole, in fine condition with clear dark text and signatures.  Each supporting letter in very good to fine condition.