Original color 6.25 x 4 admission ticket to President John F. Kennedy’s birthday party at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 1962, signed and inscribed in ballpoint, “To Charles, Best wishes from John Kennedy.” The ticket is accompanied by 14 candid snapshots, (nine 5 x 3.5, and five additional trimmed images) of Kennedy in New York City, as well as a number of performers at the party, including Jack Benny, Ella Fitzgerald, Maria Callas, and Jimmy Durante. Also included is a program cover from the event, as well as a trimmed engraved invitation to a White House reception on December 13, 1962. The items were originally gathered by a member of the management of the Carlyle Hotel, where Kennedy stayed during his visit to New York. The highlight of the party was Marilyn Monroe’s unforgettable rendition of “Happy Birthday,” one of the star’s last significant public appearances before her death a few months later, on August 5. The skintight Jean Louis dress that Monroe wore to the event—so form-fitting that she had to be sewn into it—sold in 1999 for $1.26 million, establishing a new auction record for a piece of clothing. The ticket is in fine condition, with mounting remnants to reverse and moderate contrast to two words of inscription. A fabulous souvenir from one of the best-remembered events of JFK’s presidency! Auction LOA John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
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