Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 47
image_0 image_1 image_2
D.D. Eisenhower, President and Artist, Ex-Forbes
D.D. Eisenhower, President and Artist, Ex-Forbes
image_0 image_1 image_2
Description:

D.D. Eisenhower, President and Artist, Ex-Forbes

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, Typed Letter Signed, to Harold W. Whicker, September 4, 1951, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe. 1 p., 7.125? x 10.375?. On “DDE” letterhead with five stars; with unrelated envelope addressed from Eisenhower to Whicker from the Brown Palace Hotel and postmarked Denver, Colorado, October 12, 1952. Very good.

Excerpts
“Swede Hazlett gave me the privilege of reading your latest letter to him. You have a faculty of leading a person into many unaccustomed channels of thought and contemplation; the contemplation of standards in beauty, in human behavior and conduct, and in human purposes. I find particular delight in reading your paragraphs on painting. While I am myself a dauber in oils, my own purpose is nothing deeper than sheer enjoyment of the moment. I find it far more intriguing than working a cross-word puzzle and even though the result is nine times out of ten consigned to destruction, the occasional one that I keep represents some kind of personal triumph. I suppose this is because I never had a lesson in art, and I just barely scraped through my West Point course in mechanical drawing.”

“Along with my appreciation of your approach to painting, I feel an even greater interest in your observations about the current American scene. I envy you your opportunities to think, and I certainly envy you your ability to express yourself.”

Historical Background
On August 22, 1951, “Swede” Hazlett sent a letter from Harold W. Whicker to Eizenhower. In an accompanying note, Hazlett wrote, “As I’ve told you before, Whick is a he-man—ex-professional wrestler, English prof, outstanding painter and essayist, outdoorsman—who is afflicted with a heart ailment but doesn’t let it get him down.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of several Presidents who enjoyed painting, though he always doubted that he had any talent. He began painting in 1948, while serving as President of Columbia University. During his two terms as president, he reportedly spent ten minutes painting every day before lunch. Eisenhower produced more than 260 paintings during his lifetime, mostly landscapes. He was particularly fond of scenes of his family farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He also painted several portraits, including ones of his wife Mamie, his granddaughter Anne, and a self-portrait, in addition to portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Two years before his death, Eisenhower wrote in At Ease, “After eighteen years, I am still messy; my hands are better suited to an ax handle than a tiny brush. I attempt only simple compositions. My frustration is complete when I try for anything delicate. Even yet I refuse to refer to my productions as paintings. They are daubs, born of my love of color and in my pleasure in experimenting, nothing else. I destroy two out of each three I start.”


Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) was born in Texas but grew up in Kanas. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1915. He served in the United States Army during World War I and was promoted to Major soon after the war. At the beginning of World War II, he joined the General Staff in Washington and quickly came to the attention of Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall. In November 1942, Eisenhower became Supreme Commander of Allied forces in North Africa, and in December 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe, and Eisenhower had primary responsibility for planning the D-Day invasion of Normandy in June 1944. In November 1945, he returned from Europe to replace Marshall as Chief of Staff of the Army. Three years later, he became President of Columbia University, where he served until 1953. In 1952 and again in 1956, he won landslide elections as a Republican candidate for President of the United States. He served as President from 1953 to 1961. He was the only general to serve as President in the twentieth century.

Harold W. Whicker (1895-1955) graduated from Indiana University before serving in the military in World War I. He was an author, artist, and professor who taught at the University of Montana, the University of Maine, and the United States Naval Academy. By 1936, Whicker and his wife had returned to the Pacific Northwest, where they lived in retirement on Guemes Island, near Anacortes, Washington.

Edward E. “Swede” Hazlett (1892-1958) was born and grew up in Abilene, Kansas, where he developed a life-long friendship with Eisenhower. Hazlett graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1915 and served aboard the USS Leonidas during World War I. He transferred to the submarine service in the 1920s and served in the Navy Department in Washington in the mid-1930s. Ill health ended his active duty naval career in 1939, but he was called back to duty as an instructor at the Naval Academy from 1939 to 1944. From 1944 to 1946, he was Professor of Military Science for the Navy at the University of North Carolina.

Ex. The Forbes Collection. Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), American owner-publisher of Forbes magazine, and consummate collector, amassed one of the most substantial and broad collections of such breadth and depth that it filled a half-dozen residences, and sat on three continents. Many of his manuscripts were sold in multi-million dollar sales by Christie's in the early 2000s. The Forbes name is considered to be the apex of provenance when attached to an item like the one above. We are honored to have been chosen by the family to sell at auction the substantial balance of the collection.


This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 24, 2020 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000