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Lot 46
JOHN F. KENNEDY'S FINAL CALL. A pair of rotary telephones from the Presidential Suite of the Hotel Texas in Fort Wort
14 October 2020, 13:00 EDT
New YorkUS$20,000 - US$30,000
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JOHN F. KENNEDY'S FINAL CALL.
A pair of rotary telephones from the Presidential Suite of the Hotel Texas in Fort Wort last used for Kennedy's final phone call on the morning of November 22, 1963 before his fateful trip to Dallas: two cream-colored rotary telephones, Bell Systems Western Electric blind-stamped panel, White House emblems to rotary, scattered surface soil, hairline crack above the rotary on one phone, original four-prong plug at the end of the cord, while the end of the other cord has been severed and plug is absent.
Provenance: Southwestern Bell Manager; sold Camelot: 50 Years after Dallas, RR Auction, October 24, 2013, lot 128.
JFK'S FINAL PHONE CALL. When the Kennedys arrived at the Fort Worth Hotel Texas on the evening of November 21, 1963, they found a room extensively decorated with priceless artworks by Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Dufy, and others. According to William Manchester:
"In the fatigue of last night and the haste of this morning neither Kennedy had noticed that they were surrounded by a priceless art exhibition ... A catalogue, which had also been overlooked, disclosed that the exhibit was in their honor. 'Isn't this sweet, Jack?' she said ... 'They've just stripped their whole museum of all their treasures to brighten up this dingy hotel suite.' He knew it had been done for her, and taking the catalog he said, 'Let's see who did it.' There were several names at the end. The first was Mrs. J. Lee Johnson III. 'Why don't we call her?' he suggested. Thus Johnson ... became the surprised recipient of John Kennedy's last telephone call" (Death of a President: November 20 - 25, 1963, pp 120-121).
The phones with the White House emblem in the rotary were supplied by Southwest Bell. The events of November 22nd would overshadow the charming art exhibition; the art was unceremoniously returned to its owners and the phones to a Southwest Bell warehouse where a manager (and Kennedy supporter) purchased them as souvenirs.
Provenance: Southwestern Bell Manager; sold Camelot: 50 Years after Dallas, RR Auction, October 24, 2013, lot 128.
JFK'S FINAL PHONE CALL. When the Kennedys arrived at the Fort Worth Hotel Texas on the evening of November 21, 1963, they found a room extensively decorated with priceless artworks by Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Dufy, and others. According to William Manchester:
"In the fatigue of last night and the haste of this morning neither Kennedy had noticed that they were surrounded by a priceless art exhibition ... A catalogue, which had also been overlooked, disclosed that the exhibit was in their honor. 'Isn't this sweet, Jack?' she said ... 'They've just stripped their whole museum of all their treasures to brighten up this dingy hotel suite.' He knew it had been done for her, and taking the catalog he said, 'Let's see who did it.' There were several names at the end. The first was Mrs. J. Lee Johnson III. 'Why don't we call her?' he suggested. Thus Johnson ... became the surprised recipient of John Kennedy's last telephone call" (Death of a President: November 20 - 25, 1963, pp 120-121).
The phones with the White House emblem in the rotary were supplied by Southwest Bell. The events of November 22nd would overshadow the charming art exhibition; the art was unceremoniously returned to its owners and the phones to a Southwest Bell warehouse where a manager (and Kennedy supporter) purchased them as souvenirs.