Description
The Cruise of President Franklin D. Roosevelt To South America, onboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis, inscribed by President Roosevelt to his Secret Service agent, Paul Hart.
Octavo, x, 63pp, [1], [map]. Blue cloth, naval device in gilt on front cover. Frontispiece of the U.S.S. Indianapolis. Includes the publisher’s scarce wax paper dust jacket, featuring a spider web design. Includes fold-out map of South America. This copy is from the estate of Roosevelt Secret Service Agent Paul M. Hart, who accompanied Roosevelt on the cruise to South America. While these were printed by the Government Printing Office, all expenses were covered by the Roosevelt family. None were offered for public sale. (Halter, 191)
This copy is one of three known examples, including an unsigned signed copy from the Paul Hart collection and a copy in the Library of Congress. Includes a Secret Service business card from Paul M. Hart.
Inscribed on the front free endpaper: “For Paul Hart / from / Franklin D. Roosevelt.”
The “Good Neighbor” mission to South America set sail on November 18, 1936 from Charleston aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolis (CA-35). The cruise took Roosevelt to Trinidad, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. During the visit, he attended the Pan-American Conference in Buenos Aires and returned to the United States on December 15, 1936. The USS Indianapolis served with distinction during World War II, delivering the first nuclear weapon, “Little Boy,” to the Tinian Naval Base. Only days later, the Indianapolis would be sunk by Japanese torpedoes, resulting in the greatest loss of life in United States naval history.
This copy is from the private estate of Paul M. Hart, Missouri City, Texas, February 2021.
