Page 407 - 4091-BOOK2

the Giant Panda” with Theodore Jr. about their trip to Asia in 1925 and the Kelley-Roosevelts Asiatic Expedition in 1929. He also edited other books on exploration, contributed articles and book reviews, wrote chapters to other books, and wrote regularly for the Audubon society as the president of the organization in 1935-1937. He was also the vice president of the New York Zoological Society in 1937-1939.
The pocket flask and letter dates to World War II when Roosevelt used his connections with Winston Churchill to join the Royal Army and participated in the failed summer raid into Norway and performed admirably and was then sent to North Africa where he grew bored. Kermit had a lifelong battle with depression complicated by the loss of his father and younger brother, and, by the 1930s, he was an alcoholic and had taken on Herta Carla Peters as his mistress much to the distress of his family. In North Africa, the alcohol got the better of him and led to him suffering from an enlarged liver and a recurrent bout with malaria, and he was sent back to England in late 1940 and medically discharged against his protests early in 1941. He vanished when he returned to the States and was tracked down by the FBI on behalf of the family. His family had him committed multiple times to clean him up, but he kept returned to boozing and his affair with Peters upon being released. The FBI found him heavily drunk in California and quoting the poem “Richard Cory” by his friend Edwin Arlington Robinson which told of a man who “one calm summer night went home and put a bullet through his head.” The family arranged through
his cousin President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to have him re-appointed as an officer in the U.S. Army hoping it would give him purpose, and he was assigned as an intelligence officer with the rank of major at Fort Richardson in Alaska. Despite their efforts, Kermit’s mental and physical health continued to decline. He complained of being excluded from combat duty and was forced to go on leave to receive treatment for liver problems and internally bleeding. He continued drinking and tragically completed suicide by shooting himself at the fort on June 4, 1943. His death was reported to his mother and the public as from a heart attack. His family may have thought about how he had crossed over to “the happy hunting grounds” where his father Theodore Roosevelt and younger brother were already waiting. CONDITION: Fine overall, retaining 85% original blue finish with some rubbing near either muzzle, attractive smooth silver patina on the action with some traces of original case colors in the protected areas, a few light handling marks, and scattered minor spotting across the metal surfaces. The wood is also fine with a few light dings and scratches, some chattering at the front of the pistol grip, some areas of minor chipping at the wood to steel junctions, and overall crisp checkering. Mechanically excellent. The silver displays attractive aged patina. The items have some dings and dents, and the cup is more heavily dented and has a vertical split to the lip. This is an incredibly historic set of artifacts owned by Theodore Roosevelt’s beloved son Kermit Roosevelt, his hunting partner in Africa and savior on the River of Doubt. A true national treasure!
Provenance: Kermit Roosevelt; The Estate of Belle W. Roosevelt; The Herb Glass Collection; The Richard P. Mellon Collection; Property of a Gentleman.
Estimate: 50,000 - 75,000
405