History In Ink®  Historical Autographs


1419104

Benjamin N. Cardozo

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Cardozo sends a beautiful signed copy of his book Law and Literature

Benjamin Nathan Cardozo, 18701938.  Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court, 19321938.  Typed Letter Signed, Benjamin N. Cardozo, one page, 8" x 10½", on stationery of the Supreme Court of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., October 28, 1935, accompanied by a copy of Cardozo's book Law and Literature boldly signed Benjamin N. Cardozo

This is an outstanding pair of items.  Cardozo signs and returns a copy of his book Law and Literature, subtitled and Other Essays and Addresses, which he published in 1931.  He writes to Frank E. Rubenstein of Baltimore, Maryland, in full:  “I have taken the pleasure in inscribing the book which I am returning to you under separate cover.  /  With kind regards . . . ."

This book is exceptional.  For its age, it is in near fine condition in the subjective grading scale of used book sellers.  The pages are clean and bright, the binding is tight, and the black cloth cover has bright original gold foil stamping on the spine.  Only a tad bit of wear to the black coloration at the top and bottom of the spine, a small scuff on the edge of the spine, and a very small bump at the lower right corner of the cover keep us from describing this book as fine.  Cardozo has signed with a large 3¾" black fountain pen signature on the front free endpaper.

Cardozo, a picturesque wordsmith, published Law and Literature and Other Essays and Addresses to compile a number of his speeches and writings.  “The essays and addresses brought together in this book,” he wrote in the Preface, “may thus be rescued for a while from the oblivion that is the speedy fate of writings, worthy or unworthy, unless durably embalmed."  Some of the works had been printed in journals, he noted, and one other appeared in a volume with others' works.  Among others, this book contains works enticingly titled “Law and Literature,” “What Medicine Can Do for Law,” and “The Game of the Law and Its Prizes." 

Cardozo dedicated the book “to the sacred memory of my sister Ellen."  Ellen Ida Cardozo (1859-1929), who was 11 years older, essentially raised him after their mother died in 1879, when the future Justice was only nine years old. 

This letter is in very fine condition.  Only the two normal horizontal mailing folds, which do not touch the signature, and a couple of faint handling marks keep it from being extra fine.  Cardozo's black fountain pen signature is 3⅝" long.

Cardozo's autograph material is scarce, and his material as a Supreme Court Justice is scarcer yet because he served only six years on the Supreme Court.  Although this book was published in 1931, when Cardozo was a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, this letter dates the signature to Cardozoʼs short tenure as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  These pieces would be credits to any fine Supreme Court collection. 

 

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