WARMLY INSCRIBED BY WILL ROGERS TO NEW YORK POLITICIAN'S DAUGHTER AND SOCIALITE VERA BLOOM, "DAUGHTER OF A REAL DAD," AND ACCOMPANIED BY A HUMOROUS SIGNED TYPED LETTER TO HIS CLOSE FRIEND AND OKLAHOMA WOMEN'S ACTIVIST ROBERTA CAMPBELL LAWSON

ROGERS, Will. Letters of a Self-Made Diplomat to His President. New York: Albert & Charles Boni, 1926. Octavo, original brown cloth, original dust jacket. WITH: Single sheet of Will Rogers' personalized gray stationary (typed letter signed), measuring 7-1/2 by 8 inches, partially mounted on cardstock. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

First edition, illustrated by Herbert Johnson, inscribed to the daughter of New York entertainment entrepreneur and politician: "To Vera Bloom, Daughter of a Real Dad from Will Rogers your friend," accompanied by a lengthy and humorous typed letter to his close friend, Tulsa women's activist Roberta Campbell Lawson—containing a requested blurb—thanking the "Womens Clubs" for taking up children's health as a cause, also signed by Will Rogers.

An established journalist as well as entertainer, Rogers' humorous works were so popular that his daily column in 1926 had a readership of over 40 million. He also worked as a contributor for the Saturday Evening Post, where his articles were "garnished, as always, with fanciful illustrations by Herbert Johnson," with whom he also collaborated on this work (ANB). Although the title page refers to this book as "Volume I," Rogers intended that to be a spoof of other long-winded books that required multiple volumes and, accordingly, there is no Volume II. This copy is inscribed to Vera Bloom, the daughter of the American politician Sol Bloom. Sol Bloom was a minor celebrity before he ever entered politics, recruiting and booking entertainment acts. In fact, Bloom was so successful that he was entrusted with overseeing the entertainment at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. There, he booked an assortment of Middle Eastern acts he had previously organized into a touring group following the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris which had an Algerian Village. The highlights included "A Street in Cairo," with snake charmers and camel rides, and "Little Egypt"—an outrageous hit that introduced belly-dancing to America. After he stepped away from his more vaudevillian ventures and found success in the music business, Tammany Hall came courting, recognizing his geniality, his independent wealth, and his electability in a largely Jewish district. Bloom served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1923 to 1949, becoming one of eight delegates to found the United Nations. Vera, his beloved daughter, was one of his most faithful supporters. She was a witty, gossipy socialite, who was doted on by her father and allowed entry into male-only spaces as a result. She used this access to chronicle her family's experiences in Washington, evolving into a rather talented amateur journalist.

Accompanying this book is a typed signed letter by Will Rogers to his close friend Roberta Campbell Lawson, evidently written in response to a request for a celebrity blurb about a women's charity benefiting children—possibly the Oklahoma State Federation of Women's Clubs, of which she was president (in part due to Rogers actively campaigning for her). Lawson was Lenape-Scots-Irish and known in Tulsa as a community organizer and activist on women's issues such as divorce and birth control; her work brought her the notice of Eleanor Roosevelt, who selected her for the National Committee for the Mobilization for Human Needs (1933-1934). Typed on Rogers' personal stationery with a few colored pencil secretarial notes at the top margin, Rogers' letter to Lawson reads in full: "My Dear Mrs Lawson, Thanks for your letter, Now I dont know what to write for that, All those things always look like an Add [sic] to me, and I cant write what she would want, If the below junk is any good why use it and if not throw it out. Women are the people to write that not some Guy like me, How are you anyway, Best to you and yours, I am mighty glad the Womens Clubs are taking up the children work. I used to think there might be some chance of getting our Government interested in it, but that was hoping too much, Being a Ranchman and Farmer and also a child owner, I have often wished that when one of my children got sick I could wire or call up some Government expert and have him come look after them, Like I can do if one of my cows, or Pigs get some disease, If your fertilizer is not agreeing with your land the Government will send a specialist, But if the food is not agreeing with the Baby why we have to find out whats the matter ourselvs, and lots of time parents mean well but they dont know much. So I am glad that you Women are getting interested in Children, Course they are a lot of trouble but we just dont seem to be smart enough to find something that would be less trouble that would replace them, Thats the only thing we are shy now is synthetic Children. its not a bad idea whoever thought of doing something for the children. If it works and you improve them, I will send you mine, Yours, [signed] Will Rogers." Clipping affixed to half title.

Small closed tear to corner of endpaper, toning from clippings and slight creasing to preliminaries, only light rubbing to extremities; rare original dust jacket with a few shallow chips and tears, a bit of soiling. Near-fine condition.