Oh, that Mrs. Kennedy. Between the Covers Rare Books is understandably circumspect about asserting that this copy of The Penguin Ronald Searle belonged to the First Lady of the United States. I've decided to go out on the limb that the bookseller won't. The date of the inscription is fewer than four months into John F. Kennedy's presidency. Much of the country, and indeed the world, was enchanted with Jackie Kennedy. Was Ronald Searle under her spell as well?
The book's inscription is an unusual one for him. The story behind how it was obtained is lost, apparently. The cartoon collection seems to have been signed without a face-to-face meeting. The British edition of the paperback was sent; there was no hardback edition. Searle adds a bit of pomp with "Signed specially For Mrs. Kennedy." He is giving her his best handwriting here, with For atypically capitalized and an extra bit of flourish on the word from. Searle's American agent, John Locke, might well have been an intermediary, but who requested the book in the first place? Was it requested?
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| Ronald Searle AbeBooks listing accessed April 21, 2023 |
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| Ronald Searle AbeBooks item description |
Cartoon books found in the libraries of luminaries is of interest to this blogger. Tell me what you know. Name names.
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