John and Jacqueline Kennedy Signed 1963 Holiday "Hanuka" Card Days Before Dallas

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John and Jacqueline Kennedy Signed 1963 Holiday "Hanuka" Card Days Before Dallas:
$26000.00

Official Hallmark card issued during the 1963 holidayseason, featuring an image of a nativity scene on the front, measuring 4.5 x6.5 closed, signed inside in bold ink as president, “John Kennedy,” and asfirst lady, “Jacqueline Kennedy.” The image on the front is identified as“Creche in East Room, The White House,” and a gilt-embossed presidential sealand engraved holiday greeting appear above the signatures, reading: “With bestwishes for a Happy New Year.” In fine condition.

According to Mary Evans Seeley’s book Season’s Greetingsfrom the White House, Hallmark published over 2,200 White House holiday cardsbearing the printed sentiment ‘With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and aHappy New Year,’ 1,500 of which featured facsimile signatures of Presidentand Mrs. Kennedy, with another 700 ordered without signatures. A letter datedNovember 14, 1963, from Hallmark V. P. Jeannette Lee, informed Maj. Gen. C.V.Clifton, Jr., Kennedy’s military aide, that 500 of the unsigned cards would beshipped directly to the White House, awaiting the President upon his return.

After attending a test launch of a Polaris missile at CapeCanaveral and then flying south to Palm Beach on November 16th, PresidentKennedy made speeches in Tampa and Miami and returned to Washington aroundmidnight two days later on November 18th; the 500 blank cards having alreadyarrived and awaiting his signature. With its noticeable lack of a Christmasmention, this scarce variant of the holiday card was either signed November19th or November 20th, just days before the Kennedys made their fateful trip toDallas.

Research indicates that there are a mere five other knownKennedy-signed 1963 holiday cards in existence, and this is the onlynon-denominational example experts have encountered. A truly rare cardfurther enhanced by the presence of both the President and First Lady.