TLS, one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, October 10, 1939. Ford writes to a donor to the Edison Institute. In full: “I wish personally to acknowledge and thank you for the Covert automobile which you so kindly presented to me. This early car is a welcome addition to our collection of vehicles at The Edison Institute, and I am grateful to you for your kindness in making this contribution.” James Melton (1904–1961) was a popular tenor who performed at the New York Metropolitan Opera and in radio, film, and television productions. An avid collector of antique cars, Melton specialized in automobiles of the “Brass Era,” so named for the distinctive radiator shell, lamps, and horns from the period 1900–1910. It was also Melton introduced the tradition of singing “Back Home Again in Indiana” at the start of the Indianapolis 500 auto race. The 1904 Covert was a touring car that could seat two passengers; at $750, it was one of the least expensive conventional touring cars on the market. The Edison Institute, named for Ford’s longtime friend, was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover in 1929, the fiftieth anniversary of Edison’s incandescent light bulb. Among the hundreds of attendees were such notablers as Marie Curie, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, Will Rogers, and Orville Wright. In fine condition, with an extremely mild shade of toning from previous display, and a horizontal mailing fold through Ford’s signature. Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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