President Harding’s personally-owned and -worn pince-nez eyeglasses with circular prescription lenses, featuring tortoiseshell frames with molded nosepieces attached by a flexible metal band. There is a very small edge crack above the chain loop on the right eyepiece, not affecting the integrity of the glasses. Includes a detailed letter of provenance on White House letterhead from Lillian Rogers Parks, who was a best selling author as well as housekeeper and seamstress at the White House for over 30 years, from President Hoover through President Eisenhower. In part: “These eyeglasses (Pince nez) were owned and used by President Warren G. Harding…Florence Harding gave them to my Mama, Maggie Rogers, First Maid of the White House. This was during the few days Mrs. Harding was packing so that President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge could move in…My mother was close to Mrs. Harding, especially during the First Lady’s serious illness in September of 1922. She did not want my Mama to leave her side…The Pince Nez Eyeglasses with a black ribbon were owned and worn by the President…There are photographs of President Harding in books showing him wearing these glasses or a companion pair.” Also accompanied by two vintage photos of Warren G. Harding wearing this style of glasses. An exceptional and stylish piece of presidential history of exemplary quality.
