ELEANOR ROOSEVELT’S COPY
HAWKERS & WALKERS IN EARLY AMERICA

“Strolling Peddlers, Preachers, Lawyers, Doctors, Players, and Others, from the Beginning to the Civil War”

By Richardson Wright (editor of House and Garden), J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1927 Second Edition, 317 pages, very good with sections of original dust jacket laid in.
INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR:
For Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt – Richardson Wright – 6 April 1933

Laid in is the mailing label to Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, The White House, Washington, DC — from S. Reading Bertron – Bertron, Griscom & Co., Inc. 40 Wall Street, New York

Samuel Reading Bertron  (1865-1838) was a senior member of the banking house of Bertron, Griscom and Co.  Educated at Yale, he was a member of Skull and Bones.  In 1912, he helped peace negotiations between Italy and Turkey. In 1917, he was appointed to join the Root commission to Russia, led by Elihu Root. In addition, Bertron was a Vice-President of the War Relief Clearing House for France and her Allies. Theodore Roosevelt, Eleanor’s first cousin, from 1912-1914 was a bond salesman at Bertron, Griscom and Co. Possibly that was the connection between Bertron and FDR’s wife.

I have had the good fortune to make three visits so far to the Roosevelt properties in Hyde Park, New York. It will take me two more visits to accomplish the entire museum however. I also spent an afternoon exploring Eleanor’s home Val-Kill. I found it extremely interesting. As a bookseller, I was fascinated with the books in Eleanor’s study. Based upon photographs, the National Park Service was able to recreate what was on each shelf. I searched on line, and found the inventory that was made of her possessions upon her death in the home.  HAWKERS & WALKERS is not among the listings, BUT, I do not think this book was ever there. This book was in a dealer’s collection that I purchased. The majority of his collection was built when he resided in Washington, DC, and was buying well-healed collections and estates. The chances of this book of Mrs. Roosevelt ever being in Val-Kill are slim.

Below is the inscription form Richardson Wright to Mrs. Roosevelt on the front free endpaper. Note that there are some old tape repairs to this page.

here is the book as it is opened up to the inscription

and, two views of the book itself

and, finally the remnants of the dust jacket that have been tucked into the back of the book.

A fantastic addition to your FDR collection, First Lady Collection, or Eleanor Roosevelt collection. This book may have been in the Val-Kill Library.

PRICE – $150
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