Naval Sketches of the War in California

Inscribed to Eleanor Roosevelt by FDR

Roosevelt, Franklin D., Introduction. Naval Sketches of the War in California. Reproducing Twenty-Eight Drawings made in 1846-1847 by William H. Myers, Gunner on U.S. Sloop-of-War Dale. Descriptive text by Capt. Dudley W. Knox, U.S.N. Introduction by Franklin D. Roosevelt. New York: Random House, 1939.

Folio; marble paper-covered boards; white morocco spine; maroon spine label; an exceptionally fine copy.

First edition, 1,000 copies printed by the Grabhorn Press, the entire edition.

A presentation copy, inscribed: For E.R. with my love, Christmas 1939. This book, the original sketches of which you saw many years ago, is the first of my prospective historical monographs, when we go back to Hyde Park. Franklin Roosevelt. The marbled covers of this book are unstamped; left without the usual navigational guides, FDR mistook stern for bow and inscribed the book on the rear endpaper.

Stamps and American naval iconography towered above all else in FDR’s collecting cosmology. The $900 he spent to acquire the original of Gunner Myers’s sketchbook represented the biggest price he ever paid for an item for his naval collection; it was also, fittingly, his first purchase following the election of 1932. Compelled to publish the “picture record” because of “its historical value,” FDR convinced Random House of its importance, commissioned naval historian Dudley Knox to write the text, and volunteered to supply an introduction. Printed by the Grabhorn brothers in San Francisco (fine printers of deluxe books whom many well-to-do book collectors used at the time to produce private editions), Naval Sketches appeared in November 1939, priced at $25 a copy, and, much to the President’s delight, was chosen one of the fifty finest books of the year.

The Franklin-to-Eleanor presentation in our copy is both historically significant and emotionally affecting. Roosevelt’s mind was reaching back to the start of his Presidency while simultaneously envisioning its completion. On a number of occasions throughout his second term FDR seriously contemplated leaving office – all precedent mandated he must – but world events in 1939 and 1940 made him postpone a retirement that would never come.

The most striking book he had a hand in making, FDR rejoiced in presenting copies of this in the last months of 1939. One hesitates to label The Naval Sketches a vanity publication (Random House did in fact foot the production costs), but it does seem that FDR either received or purchased a substantial number of copies. His children all received a copy, as did members of the secretariat; we have even handled a copy inscribed to Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York. But none can compare to this one –simply the finest copy extant.

(#2931)

Item ID#: 2931

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