6

Ulysses S. Grant’s Cigar Holder

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:3,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
Ulysses S. Grant’s Cigar Holder

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:2014 Sep 17 @ 11:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, 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
President Grant’s personally-owned and -used wooden cigar case, measuring 3.25 x 6.5 x 1, featuring a brass plate on the front finely hand-engraved with his initials and date, “USG, 1862.” The case is hinged and held shut by a pull-out clasp, opening to reveal four slots to hold cigars within. Includes a letter of provenance on a White House card from Lillian Rogers Parks, who was a best selling author as well as housekeeper and seamstress at the White House for over 30 years, from President Hoover through President Eisenhower. In part: “The handsome wood cigar pocket holder case, with brass clasp, was owned and used by President U. S. Grant. It held four cigars and was handsomely identified on the outside with a date of 1862 and ornate initials. This piece came into the hands of Maggie Rogers, my Mother, who worked at the White House, as First Maid, from 1909 until 1939. She was particularly close to several First Ladies and sewed with Mrs. Grace Coolidge a number of times…I cannot recall if one of the First Ladies, Mrs. Taft, Wilson or Coolidge let my mother have it.” This marked an extremely important year in U. S. Grant’s career, as he was promoted to major general in the Union Army; he was also a well-known cigar aficionado, said to smoke anywhere from 12 to 20 per day. General Grant would confide to General Horace Porter that he ‘had been a light smoker previous to the attack on Donelson’ in February 1862, but after being described in the newspapers as smoking a cigar throughout the battle he received ten thousand as gifts from around the nation. He went on to say that due to ‘having such a quantity on hand I naturally smoked more than I would have done under ordinary circumstances, and I have continued the habit ever since.’ A handsome piece, absolutely iconic of General US Grant.