Early and exceptional circa mid-1880s original 3 x 4.5 albumen portrait of the young Theodore Roosevelt, affixed to its original 4.25 x 6.5 Charles L. Ritzmann mount, signed on the mount in ink, "Theodore Roosevelt." Archivally mounted, matted, and framed under Tru-Vue UV Glas to an overall size of 11.5 x 13.75. In fine condition, with a faint stain to the left edge, and a slight crease to the lower right corner. Ritzmann was active in New York City as a seller of celebrity photographs from circa 1870s-1890s.
Roosevelt first came to prominence with the publication of The Naval War of 1812 in 1882, which established him as a serious historian. Elected to the New York State Assembly in 1882, 1883, and 1884, he earned a reputation as an ardent fighter of corruption and became known for his exhilarating hunting excursions in the Dakotas. He returned to public life in the 1890s, serving as a member of the United States Civil Service Commission, Police Commissioner of New York City, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy, before resigning to lead the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War. Returning from Cuba as a war hero, he was elected to the vice presidency on the McKinley-Roosevelt ticket, and ascended to the presidency upon McKinley's death. A superb, ultra-early portrait of a great American.
From The Michael Allen Collection.
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