Scarce, splendid matte-finish 3.5 x 5.5 Italian postcard photo of Roosevelt from circa 1897, signed in bold fountain pen as president, “Sincerely yours, Theodore Roosevelt, Sept 23d 1904.” In fine condition, with a light diagonal bend to the upper left background area. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder. This portrait was originally taken by B. J. Falk in New York City, circa 1897, and depicts Roosevelt as the new Assistant Secretary of the Navy. A year later, at the onset of the Spanish-American War, he resigned and actively participated in combat as Lieutenant Colonel of the Army's First Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, a group soon to be forever known as the 'Rough Riders.'
