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Lot #8021
John F. Kennedy Handwritten Letter to Mary Pinchot Meyer

Incredible four-page love letter to a secret mistress—the wife of a CIA agent, murdered in ’64

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Estimate: $30000+
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Description

Incredible four-page love letter to a secret mistress—the wife of a CIA agent, murdered in ’64

ALS as president signed “J.,” four pages, 5 x 6.5, no date but circa October 1963. Letter to Mary Pinchot Meyer, a family friend and one of JFK’s alleged lovers. In full: “Why don’t you leave suburbia for once—come and see me—either here—or at the Cape next week or in Boston the 19th. I know it is unwise, irrational, and that you may hate it—on the other hand you may not—and I will love it. You say that it is good for me not to get what I want. After all of these years—you should give me a more loving answer than that. Why don’t you just say yes.” In fine condition, with the tops of the White House stationery clipped off by Evelyn Lincoln; the faded presidential seal watermarks are visible under bright light. Accompanied by a full unused sheet of White House stationery. Provenance: Estate of Robert White.

After first meeting Kennedy while he was in high school at Choate, Meyer was reacquainted with him in 1954 when the Kennedys moved into a Georgetown home nearby. A socialite and painter, she became friends with Jackie; her husband was a CIA agent, which has piqued the interest of some conspiracy theorists. Once Kennedy was in office, Mary is said to have visited the White House frequently when Jackie was out of town. Nevertheless, they managed to keep the affair secret. This intimate letter—which went unsent but was retained by his secretary Evelyn Lincoln—reveals JFK’s personality and the somewhat cavalier manner in which he conducted his affairs. He would indeed be in Boston on October 19th, where he appeared at a Democratic Party Fundraiser, ‘New England's Salute to the President,’ at the Boston Armory. As Kennedy was killed the following month, this must be one of the last handwritten letters from his presidency. Mary Pinchot Meyer, too, was murdered under mysterious circumstances a year later, fueling the imaginations of investigators amateur and otherwise. An exceedingly rare Kennedy letter boasting revelatory content on his personal life during the presidency. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Pop Culture Auction Now
  • Dates: #478 - Ended June 23, 2016





This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for $150.00

*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.