Magnificent vintage matte-finish 10.75 x 13.75 portrait of John F. Kennedy taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt after his nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate in August of 1960, boldly signed and inscribed in the lower border in fountain pen, "For Clark Clifford—a valued public citizen, in private life, with esteem and best wishes from his friend, John F. Kennedy.” Impressively cloth-matted and framed to an overall size of 23 x 26. In fine condition. Although taken in the summer of 1960, this was the preferred portrait Kennedy would sign and give out during the beginning of his presidential administration.
A revered political adviser in Democratic circles, Clark Clifford had served as White House Counsel under President Truman, and would go on to succeed Robert McNamara as Secretary of Defense under LBJ. Clifford was the head of the presidential transition for John F. Kennedy, a member of president-elect Kennedy's Committee on the Defense Establishment, and was appointed by Kennedy to the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. Moreover, he was highly influential in his role as an unofficial, informal presidential adviser to Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. In Clark Clifford: The Wise Man of Washington, biographer John Acacia describes Clifford as 'Kennedy's consigliere.' A remarkable, boldly signed portrait of JFK, presented to one of his key political confidantes.
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