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Offered here is an original, authenticsigned calling card of Jefferson Davis, which he signed with the notation thatit was done at “Beauvoir, Missi[ssippi]”—probably sometime between 1877 and 1889.
The card, which measures 4” x 93/8” (Height x Width), is cream-colored “laid” paper. (If you hold it up to alight source, you see a prominent grid of parallel vertical and horizontallines.) The paper held up to light also shows the watermark of a hand spinning thread and the words “LinenSpun” (referring to a linen finish that denotes high-quality personalcorrespondence paper). Such paper became popular in the late 19thcentury with the rise of machine-made commercial stationery.
Original signatures of Jefferson Davis regularly sell for from US$995 to US$1995. Ours is offered without reserve, except for the relatively modest starting price.
Jefferson Davis (1808 – 1889) wasthe only president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865, leading theConfederacy during the American Civil War. During the Civil War, Davis guidedthe Confederacy's policies and served as its commander in chief. When theConfederacy was defeated in 1865, he was captured, arrested for allegedcomplicity in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, accused of treason, andimprisoned at Fort Monroe. He was released without trial after two years. Afterhis release from prison, the Lost Cause of the Confederacy movement consideredhim to be a hero. In the late 19th and the 20th centuries, his legacy as aConfederate leader was celebrated in the South.
Jefferson Davis lived atthe Beauvoir estate near Biloxi, Mississippi, from 1877 until his death inDecember 1889. Davis first arrived at the property in early 1877 as a guest andrenter of a small library cottage on the estate, invited by owner Sarah Dorsey.He made arrangements to buy the coastal home from Dorsey in February 1879, andsubsequently inherited the estate after she passed. He lived permanently at theestate during his retirement years, writing works such as The Rise and Fall ofthe Confederate Government, until he died on December 6, 1889
Provenance: A. Dean Larsen& Jean M. Larsen Private Collection. Mr. Larsen, as director of CollectionDevelopment for a major library, was the architect over a 40-year career foradding almost 3,000,000 volumes to his university’s library holdings. Rare bookspecialists were drawn to him because of his profound appreciation for history,rare books, and historical printed artifacts. His deep understanding of bookand print culture was evident in his finding, networking, and negotiating withthe leading book dealers and collectors of the day, both nationally andinternationally. His devotion to his contacts allowed him to acquire items, forthe library and for his and his wife’s personal collection, that wouldotherwise have been unattainable. With his death and the recent passing of hiswidow, we have been entrusted with placing for sale some of their choicesthistorical treasures.
PLEASE SEE OUR “OTHER ITEMS” FORMANY MORE HISTORICAL OBJECTS, CURRENCY (INCLUDING CONFEDERATE AND “MORMON”BILLS), JEFFERSON DAVIS AND CIVIL WAR MEMORABILIA, RARE BOOKS AND PRINTS, AND A HOST OF GIFTIDEAS FOR THE DISCERNING SHOPPER OR SERIOUS COLLECTOR.
WE’VE BEEN DOING BUSINESS BUYINGAND SELLING FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS SINCE 2002. NOTE OUR 100% POSITIVEAPPROVAL AND offer WITH CONFIDENCE.
