"[Lot of 2 - Franklin D. Roosevelt Typed Letter Signed and Photograph]",

A nice lot of two FDR items. The first is a signed letter (8.0 x 10.4") on official White House stationary from Roosevelt to the Honorable Howard S. Cullman. Dated January 30, 1935. The letter states that minimum prices were to be continued through March 30, 1935 for both retail and wholesale cigarettes. At the time, large stores like Macy's and A&P used tobacco as a loss leader for their core businesses and drove independent tobacco retailers out of business. Roosevelt wrote that the "NRA (National Recovery Administration) is well aware of this problem and has constantly been seeking the best method of dealing with it." Cullman came from a successful family-owned tobacco business, and was treasurer for Roosevelt's election campaigns.

Accompanying the signed letter is a photograph (9.7 x 7.8") of FDR sitting with Professor Raymond Moley of Columbia University. Moley was an early supporter of Roosevelt and was a key member of the "Brain Trust" during FDR's presidential campaign of 1932. He moved to Washington to write speeches for the President and was an important figure in the New Deal. While Moley continued to write speeches for Roosevelt through 1936, he eventually turned conservative and wrote for both The Freeeman and National Review.

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Condition:

The letter is issued on United States seal watermarked paper with some adhesive reside on verso along the top sheet edge, otherwise fine (A). The photo has moderate to heavy dampstains in the lower third of the image (C+).