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1911 George W. Perkins Signed Letter – J.P. Morgan Partner, Theodore Roosevelt Ally & Palisades Park Conservationist
Original September 29, 1911 typed letter signed by George Walbridge Perkins (1862–1920), one of the most important American financiers, insurance executives, political organizers, and conservation advocates of the Progressive Era.
The letter is typed on Perkins’s personal stationery headed:
GEO. W. PERKINS
71 BROADWAY
It is addressed to:
Mr. Albert H. Walker
1022 Park Row Bldg.
New York City
and concludes with Perkins’s authentic handwritten ink signature.
The letter has been preserved as part of an early scrapbook page devoted to Perkins and his work with the Palisades Interstate Park, including several period photographs, portraits, and newspaper or magazine clippings relating directly to his career and conservation activities.
Full Transcription
September 29th, 1911.
Mr. Albert H. Walker,
1022 Park Row Bldg.,
New York City.
My dear Sir:—
I have yours of the 28th. I shall be out of the city most of next week, but on my return will get you on the phone and see if we cannot get together for a talk.
Sincerely yours,
George W. Perkins
George Walbridge Perkins
George Walbridge Perkins (1862–1920) was a major figure in American finance, business, politics, philanthropy, and conservation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Perkins began his career with the New York Life Insurance Company, eventually becoming one of the company’s senior executives. He later became a partner in J. P. Morgan & Co., placing him at the center of some of the largest financial and industrial combinations of the era.
During his Wall Street career, Perkins was associated with major corporate enterprises including United States Steel and International Harvester and became a prominent advocate for new approaches to corporate organization and regulation during the Progressive Era.
He was also a close political associate and financial supporter of President Theodore Roosevelt. Perkins became one of the leading organizers and financial backers of Roosevelt’s Progressive Party, popularly known as the Bull Moose Party, during Roosevelt’s historic 1912 presidential campaign.
This letter was written in September 1911, less than a year before that extraordinary political campaign, placing it at an important moment in Perkins’s public career.
Palisades Interstate Park and Conservation
Perkins was equally significant in the history of American conservation.
He served as a leading member and later president of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, helping preserve the dramatic cliffs and landscapes of the Hudson River Palisades from quarrying and development.
His efforts contributed substantially to the expansion of the Palisades park system and the development of what became the Bear Mountain and Harriman State Park region.
The scrapbook material accompanying this letter is especially desirable because it directly relates to this aspect of Perkins’s life.
One clipping is headed “Planning for the Park” and discusses Perkins alongside Major William A. Welch, the influential engineer and park administrator who became closely associated with the development of the Palisades Interstate Park system.
The mounted material also includes:
A large period portrait of George W. Perkins
An earlier portrait identifying him as Second Vice-President of the New York Life Insurance Company
A photograph depicting Perkins in connection with the park project
A scenic automobile view of the Palisades region
Period explanatory text concerning the park
A printed or facsimile Perkins signature beneath the large portrait
Please note: the handwritten signature on the 1911 letter is the original autograph. The larger signature beneath the portrait appears to be printed/facsimile and is included only as part of the original scrapbook presentation.
Historical Significance
This is considerably more interesting than an isolated Perkins autograph because the signed letter survives together with period material illustrating several major chapters of his life.
Perkins stood at the intersection of:
Wall Street and J. P. Morgan
New York Life Insurance
U.S. Steel-era corporate finance
Theodore Roosevelt and Progressive politics
The Bull Moose Party
Early American conservation
The Palisades Interstate Park movement
Bear Mountain and Harriman State Park development
The scrapbook page appears to have been assembled specifically as a contemporary biographical record of Perkins and his conservation work, giving the letter unusual visual and historical context.
Condition
Original period scrapbook assemblage with expected age-related wear.
The signed letter remains clear and legible with a strong ink signature. There is toning, minor spotting, edge wear, mounting evidence, and other normal signs of age and scrapbook preservation.
The surrounding portraits and clippings remain visually attractive and retain considerable historical character.
Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition, dimensions, mounting, and completeness.
An excellent original item for collectors of George W. Perkins, Theodore Roosevelt, J. P. Morgan, Progressive Era politics, Wall Street history, American conservation, Palisades Interstate Park, Bear Mountain, Harriman State Park, New York history, or presidential-era autographs.
