Official Hallmark card issued during the 1963 holiday
season, featuring an image of a nativity scene on the front, measuring 4.5 x
6.5 closed, signed inside in bold ink as president, “John Kennedy,” and as
first lady, “Jacqueline Kennedy.” The image on the front is identified as
“Creche in East Room, The White House,” and a gilt-embossed presidential seal
and engraved holiday greeting appear above the signatures, reading: “With best
wishes for a Happy New Year.” In fine condition.
According to Mary Evans Seeley’s book Season’s Greetings
from the White House, Hallmark published over 2,200 White House holiday cards
bearing the printed sentiment ‘With our wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a
Happy New Year,’ 1,500 of which featured facsimile signatures of President
and Mrs. Kennedy, with another 700 ordered without signatures. A letter dated
November 14, 1963, from Hallmark V. P. Jeannette Lee, informed Maj. Gen. C.V.
Clifton, Jr., Kennedy’s military aide, that 500 of the unsigned cards would be
shipped directly to the White House, awaiting the President upon his return.
After attending a test launch of a Polaris missile at Cape
Canaveral and then flying south to Palm Beach on November 16th, President
Kennedy made speeches in Tampa and Miami and returned to Washington around
midnight two days later on November 18th; the 500 blank cards having already
arrived and awaiting his signature. With its noticeable lack of a Christmas
mention, this scarce variant of the holiday card was either signed November
19th or November 20th, just days before the Kennedys made their fateful trip to
Dallas.
Research indicates that there are a mere five other known
Kennedy-signed 1963 holiday cards in existence, and this is the only
non-denominational example experts have encountered. A truly rare card
further enhanced by the presence of both the President and First Lady.