17

John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy’s Set of Three Owned and Worn Presidential-Era Glasses

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA
John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy’s Set of Three Owned and Worn Presidential-Era Glasses

Bidding Over

The auction is over for this lot.
The auctioneer wasn't accepting online bids for this lot.

Contact the auctioneer for information on the auction results.

Search for other lots to bid on...
Auction Date:2013 Oct 24 @ 12:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:60 School Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Three sets of personally-owned and -worn eyeglasses from John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy.

A pair of prescription eyeglasses used by John F. Kennedy during his presidency, originally acquired by Inspector Floyd Boring, the Secret Service agent in charge of the White House detail, at the time of President Kennedy’s assassination. Boring often accompanied the president and had Kennedy’s glasses in his possession when he traveled to Tampa, Florida with him just three days before the assassination. The brown horn-rimmed prescription glasses are marked “Universal” inside the frame along with several numbers. The ends of both ear stems also bear teeth marks of Kennedy from having been chewed on by JFK. Impressively framed with hand-wrapped blue suede matting, an informational plaque, and a color portrait of Kennedy sailing, to an overall size of 22 x 14. Accompanied by a handwritten letter of provenance from Inspector Floyd Boring to noted collector Raleigh DeGeer Amyx, dated November 22, 1982 and written on Secret Service stationery, which reads, in part: “It pleases me to present to you the personal glasses owned and worn by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. These are brown horn-rimmed glasses with…teeth marks on both ends of the ear stems…It was normal for him to remove his glasses during serious conversations and bite the ends…Many times I would have been in the company of the President. It was his nature not to carry personal items in his pockets. The President knew that he would be photographed frequently and did not like to be photographed wearing glasses or having his pockets full or hands encumbered. Accordingly, I was asked to carry his glasses, some cash, and his speeches…At the time of the President’s death the glasses were in my possession. No one ever asked about them. I have kept and cared for them over these years.” Letter additionally covers JFK’s appropriate eyeglass prescription. Also included are two photos of Kennedy with these glasses, a photo of Secret Service Agent Boring holding the JFK glasses before presenting them to Amyx, and a letter to Amyx from Dr. John Lattimer, renowned JFK and Lincoln assassination historian, requesting a pair of JFK glasses with teethmarks.

Robert F. Kennedy’s personally-owned and -worn eyeglasses. Light brown frame prescription reading eyeglasses, marked “Universal” on the frame, originally acquired by an upstairs maid from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and later given to optician Dr. Gerald Steinberg. The glasses are handsomely framed with rust-colored hand-wrapped suede matting, a portrait of Kennedy at work, while wearing the glasses, and a small name plaque to an overall size of 22 x 14. The right eyewire may be cracked at the upper right temple. Accompanied by a letter of provenance from Steinberg to Amyx, dated November 20, 1982, which reads, in part: “I am very happy that you now own…the glasses owned and worn by Robert Francis Kennedy while he was Attorney General of the United States…The white glass lenses according to the optometrist have the following prescription: OD+1.25—0.50 x 150 and 05 + 1.00 sphere 3/4 prismdiopter base down. This prescription would indicate the glasses were needed for reading…The right eyewire is cracked…I was the Curator of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Museum…The glasses, owned and used by the Attorney General came into my hands after they were cracked…They were presented to me as Curator in 1975 by Mrs. Sullivan (indirectly), the Kennedy Compound Upstairs maid…Because the Attorney General had the eyeglasses replaced with an updated pair, these were thrown out in the trash and Mrs. Sullivan was kind enough to preserve them for posterity.” Also included is a letter of provenance from Amyx, dated September 20, 1982, which states: “These eyeglasses were owned and worn by Robert Francis Kennedy while he was Attorney General of the United States…I purchased the RFK eyeglasses from Dr. Gerald J. Steinberg…he was the Curator from 1964-1977 of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Museum. The RFK glasses were presented to Dr. Steinberg, in 1975, while he was Curator, by Mrs. Sullivan (indirectly).”

A pair of Senator Ted Kennedy’s personally-owned and -worn prescription eyeglasses. These brown framed half-glasses were presented directly to Amyx by Senator Kennedy himself, with the help of his Press Secretary, Melody Miller, to assist in completing this set of glasses from all three Kennedy brothers. Handsomely framed with tan-colored hand-wrapped suede matting, a color portrait of Kennedy, and a small plaque to an overall size of 22 x 14. In fine condition. Accompanied by three letters of provenance about the glasses, each on United States Senate Memorandum letterhead. The first is a memo to Senator Kennedy from Melody Miller, press secretary, which requests, “The attached is an appeal by a Mr. Raleigh Amyx…The article in the Star is similar to what you and Teddy went though except in reverse…He is very well thought of, and could be trusted to take ‘reverential’ care of anything you might choose to give him…Joanna suggested some old cufflinks if there are no old glasses that you would care to give him.” On the memo, Kennedy has written, “Patty—Do we have any old glasses.” A second letter from Miller reads, in part: “I certify that these half glasses…belonged to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He used them at his home and at his office…After reading my memorandum, and the story about the father and son team of Raleigh and Shane Amyx who defeated cancer, he decided to contribute his extra pair of glasses to the Amyx collection. He got them at Carr & Busch Opticians, Inc. of 1815 N Street, N.W., Washington, D. C.” The last letter, dated February 4, 1983, is from Amyx and corroborates the story. An incredibly well-documented grouping, and, undoubtedly, the only complete set of Kennedy eyeglasses assembled into one collection. Provenance: The Raleigh DeGeer Amyx Collection.