Description
Presentation copy for President Calvin Coolidge, A Guide To The Black Hills by Paul E. Bellamy and G.D. Seymour, on the presidents visit to South Dakota. This copy is inscribed to President Calvin Coolidge, with his bookplate on the front endpaper.
Octavo, 38pp. Presentation binding in full green morocco, title and illustration in gilt, “Calvin Coolidge” on front cover in gilt. This copy is bound by The Torch Press. Marbled endpapers. Inscribed on the second free endpaper: “I have prepared this small token for you with the sincere appreciation of your coming to the Hills – and with the hope that it will be a pleasant reminder of your visit. Very Sincerely, Paul E. Bellamy.” Includes attached bookplate of Calvin Coolidge, engraved on wood by Timothy Cole.
In the summer of 1927, President Calvin Coolidge visited South Dakota for an extended stay. He spent three months in the Black Hills region, from June to September, primarily in Rapid City. This trip was part of a working vacation, during which he engaged in presidential duties from the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park, effectively making it the “Summer White House.” It was during this time that Coolidge officially announced he would not seek re-election in 1928. The visit also coincided with the early stages of construction of Mount Rushmore; Coolidge delivered a speech at the monument’s dedication ceremony on August 10, 1927. During his stay, Coolidge also traveled to the Lakota Reservation called Pine Ridge. Notably, this was the first time a sitting president visited Indian Country.
