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Item Specifics:Sport: Baseball
Player/Athlete: Fred Clarke (Pittsburgh Pirates HOF 1945)
President: Richard Nixon (Vice President Era)
Product: Signed Photo & Provenance Letter Lot
Original/Reproduction: Original Vintage
Year: 1959
Autograph Authentication: Unauthenticated (Family Estate Find)*Letter is affixed to back of photograph.
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Incredible Crossover History: 1959 Baseball Hall of Famer Fred Clarke Letter & Richard Nixon Signed Photo
This is an extraordinary, museum-quality lot connecting two titans of 20th-century American history: Baseball Hall of Fame legend Fred Clarke and Vice President (later President) Richard Nixon.
Dated February 24, 1959, this archive consists of the original typed letter written by Fred Clarke to Richard Nixon, which features an intimate handwritten addendum by Clarke at the bottom passing a signed Nixon portrait down to his grandson, Hank.
Fred Clarke passed away in August 1960, making this one of the final documented pieces of personal correspondence from the Hall of Famer’s life.
The Lot Includes:The Fred C. Clarke Letter (Feb 24, 1959):
A fascinating letter typed from Clarke to \"Dear Dick\" thanking the Vice President for sending a portrait for his birthday. Clarke writes about his grandson being a \"Nixon booster\" and praises Nixon\'s \"faithful, unselfish work.\"
Handwritten Content: The bottom features a precious ink addendum written and signed by Clarke to his grandson: \"Dear Hank, — When the picture comes and you have shown it around, use enclosed for a frame and keep it for me. Grandaddy Fred.\"
The Richard Nixon Signed Photograph:
A vintage black-and-white portrait from Nixon\'s Vice Presidential term.
Inscription: Inscribed in fountain pen, \"To [Fred] Clarke, every good wish from Dick Nixon\".Condition & Provenance:Provenance: Direct family descent. The letter explicitly names the owner\'s grandson, \"Hank Lindsley of Wichita, Kansas,\" which perfectly matches Fred Clarke\'s lifelong residence in Kansas.
Condition: The photo exhibits classic light vintage toning and minimal corner wear. The letter shows structural folding creases and age-toning typical of 1950s paper stock. Please review all high-resolution macro photos.Note: This lot is sold raw and uncertified from a private estate. The ironclad personal details within the letter offer spectacular circumstantial authenticity linking the Hall of Famer and the Vice President.
