1940 White House Garden Party Invitation Set – Mrs. Roosevelt “At Home” with Envelope & East Entrance Pass
 
Three-piece White House invitation suite for a Garden Party hosted by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on Friday, May 3, 1940, at “half after four o’clock.” Includes: (1) engraved invitation card with raised gilt presidential seal reading “Mrs. Roosevelt At Home… Garden Party,” (2) printed “NOT TRANSFERABLE” East Entrance admittance card dated Friday afternoon, May 3, 1940, 4:30 o’clock, and (3) original “THE WHITE HOUSE” envelope, all addressed in ink to “Mrs. H. T. Courtney.” Lovely example of FDR-era presidential social ephemera—excellent crossover for political, social history, and White House collectors.
Visual Condition Report:
• Overall: Very Good for age
• Invitation card: light overall toning and scattered foxing; small spot near lower right; gilt seal crisp and bright; no tears or creases noted
• Admittance card: even toning with a few tiny foxing flecks; inked name “Mrs. H. T. Courtney”; corners sharp
• Envelope: age toning and handling marks; adhesive/album stains to flap on reverse; no major splits observed
• Versos: old adhesive/album residue and light abrasions consistent with prior mounting (see photos)
• Presents cleanly as a complete set with strong typography
Measurements:
• Invitation card approx. 4.5" x 3.5" (typical for these; please confirm)
 
Marks/Labels:
• Raised gilt presidential seal; engraved script “Mrs. Roosevelt At Home”
• Admittance card printed “NOT TRANSFERABLE… East Entrance… Friday afternoon, May 3, 1940… at four-thirty o’clock”
• Envelope printed “THE WHITE HOUSE” at upper left; recipient inked in hand
Estimated Age/Origin:
• 1940, Washington, D.C., White House (Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady, FDR administration).
 
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