Perkins, Frances

The Roosevelt I Knew

New York, NY: The Viking Press, 1946. First Edition, Third Printing. Hardcover. "Franklin Roosevelt was not a simple man...He was the most complicated human being I ever knew; and out of this complicated nature there sprang much of the drive which brought achievement, much of the sympathy which made him like, and liked by, such oddly different types of people, much of the detachment which enabled him to forget his problems in play or rest, and much of the apparent contradiction which so exasperated those associates of his who expected "crystal clear" and unwavering decisions. But this very complication of his nature made it possible for him to have insight and imagination into the most varied human experiences, and this he applied to the...circumstances thrust upon him as responsibilities by his time." (from Preamble, pg. 3) The classic memoir by Frances Perkins (1880-1965), the first-ever woman to serve in the cabinet of an American President as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor throughout his administration during 1933-1945. Published the year after FDR's death, Perkins here recounts her interactions with & impressions of the great President who lead his nation through the Great Depression & World War II. With several sections of captioned historical photographs. Hardcover without scarce dust jacket, first edition, third printing of December 1946 as noted on copyright page- only a month after the first & second printings of November 1946. This copy is formerly from the Lamont Library at Harvard University as noted on vintage stickers affixed to blank front paste-down. From the collection of George V. Buehler (1933-2020), who was a prominent real estate developer & collector in Massachusetts & Arizona. We found & have retained, between pages 236-237, the upper portion of a postcard postmarked in1954 at Cambridge, MA with Buehler's name hand-written on recto (partially missing where torn from bottom portion), & typed notes regarding a "Tutorial Meeting" about another FDR-related work on verso. It therefore appears that Buehler may have been a student at Harvard, as was FDR. We also have retained, between blank rear endpaper & paste-down, several printed-out documents relating to Buehler's purchase of this item during 2012 & subsequent research in 2015, twice-folded horizontally; all of the above in near-fine to fine condition, postcard torn as noted. A most acclaimed & insightful work of American biography, history & memoir written as its iconic subject was fresh in the brilliant mind of its distinguished author; with significant association & provenance. In good-to-near-fine condition with mild-to-moderate rubbing, scratching & spotting to front, back covers & spine; moderate wear at edges & corners of same incl. some loss of grey surface color; small library sticker indicating topic of "Economics" affixed to blank area at lower spine; moderate browning, scratching, fading & occasional spotting to edges of text block. Interior near-fine with moderate browning, staining & occasional spotting to blank paste-downs & endpapers (esp. rear); stickers at front paste-down as noted above as well as partially erased pencil signature near upper left edge & corner of same; library pouch with stamp & hand-number affixed to rear paste-down, same number written in pencil near upper right corner of same; light browning mostly at blank margins of page leaves; tiny bumps, creases to corners of a few of same. Good- Near Fine. [Item #4974]

Price: $40.00