Lot 163

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

Melvin Purvis Love Letter to His Wife During WWII "I adore you"

2pp, measuring 7.75" x 10.5", New York, dated April 9, 1944. Signed three different times as "Melvin", "Melvin Purvis", and "Lt Col Melvin Purvis." Addressed to his wife, Rosanne. A homesick Purvis writes a loving letter to his wife while they are separated by the war. At the time, he was serving as a colonel and intelligence officer in the U.S. Army during WWII, but would soon be made deputy provost marshal general of the European Theater of Operation. The letter has flattened mail folds and light toning throughout. With a minor indentation at the top left from the paperclip. Boldly signed, the letter reads in part:

"…it is early in the morning and I am thinking of you and what you will be doing today - and of the time seven months ago tonight. It has seemed like years to me. I have ached every moment since then and I shall always till I can come back to you and never go away again. Nothing can ever be right away from you. I love you, my Rosanne, more than anybody could ever love anybody else. You are my whole world…I hope the two little boys are well and won't be sick anymore. Tell them I love them and miss them all the time…I'll write you more as soon as I can. I adore you."

Melvin Horace Purvis II (1903-1960) joined the FBI as a field agent in 1927 and was appointed head of Chicago FBI offices in 1932. Under Purvis's leadership, the FBI captured three of the city's most notorious gangsters: Baby Face Nelson, John Dillinger, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Purvis resigned from the bureau in 1935, possibly because of a conflict with J. Edgar Hoover. He married Marie Rosanne Willcox in 1938 and the couple had three sons together. When the Second World War broke out, Purvis joined the Army as a captain. Near the end of the war he was made deputy director of the War Crimes Office, and following V-E day, was sent to Germany to investigate the suicide of Adolf Hitler.

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

Unless otherwise indicated, 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. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

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 10 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 Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 4, 2022 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