President Roosevelt’s personally-owned and -used large and heavy metal ashtray, featuring three cigarette-holder indentations around the edges, engraved on top of the thick rim, “Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commander in Chief, United States Navy.” The circular ashtray is constructed of a substantial, high quality silver-colored metal, weighing 2.5 pounds and measuring 7″ in diameter on top, 5.75″ in diameter at the base, and 2″ tall. It demonstrates frequent use, with a few nicotine stains and rubbing wear near the cigarette rests; there is also some general mild tarnishing from age. Includes an important, detailed letter of provenance on White House letterhead from the wife of Arthur S. Prettyman, who had served as Roosevelt’s valet from 1939 until his death in 1945, and continued to work for President Truman as his valet until he left office, in 1953. In part: “It gives me pleasure to present to you an ashtray owned and used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It was given to my husband, Arthur S. Prettyman sometime after D-Day 1944, by the President…The ashtray is made of a silver type of metal. It is inscribed on top in block letters, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commander in Chief, United States Navy. This ashtray sat on the President’s desk during the War. The nicotine stains from the President’s cigarettes still show on the three places so designated for cigarettes.” An imperative FDR relic directly from the table of the chain smoking president.
