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Hi, new to the site, but i think this forum is probably the most appropriate place for me...  I have an old baseball signed by multiple presidents and other notable people of the 20th century. 

 

As far as I know the signatures are authentic - but I would love to hear any opinion...

also, any idea of value would be great too

 

and here's the just about the whole list :  Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Edward Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Jacqueline Kennedy, Elenor Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Nelson Rockefeller, Duke of Windsor, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Roy Rodgers, Lillian Carter, General Douglas McArthur, Jack Dempsey, Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Cardinal Spellman.

 

obviously there is a lot going on this ball - would love any help

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Wow... pretty interesting.

 

What is the story behind this ball?

The ball was passed down from my great great grandfather - directly to my mother around 1980, not long before he passed away.    He was a devout collector of autographs  (starting in the late 20's) and actually left behind several baseballs, but the whole collection was split up amongst different family members.  He was into multi signed baseballs - some of the other ones include a late 20's or early 30's Yankee team ball, a Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio ball - each one COVERED with autographs.  

 

This ball though was his prized possession.  He started it (I think) in the early 50's with Eisenhower and the ball went from there, on an odyssey that spanned about a quarter of century.  Some of the names seem a bit out of place on the ball but have greater significance to my great great grandfather. Roy Rogers, Jack Dempsey, George Meany -  his connection to these people each have their own meaning.

 

I also have several letters that came with the ball.  Several are from Ann Whitman (Eisenhower's secretary) dated 1953, 1976 and 1977.  I think he may have known her personally....

 

Most of the signatures still have a nice appearance, although some are quite faded,  probably due to the lacquer applied to the ball.  I guess this was the general practice of the time though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great story. Can you take more pics of the other panels?

Sorry, but these are the only other pictures I currently have.  I actually took them a while ago.  I moved to NYC a few years back and left the ball in Upstate NY ( In good hands) so it would be a bit before I could take new ones.
I checked to see if had anymore pics on my home computer but these 5 are all I could come up with.....

Really cool.

 

I was trying to get a look at the Armstrong. You can see the top of it to the left of Jimmy Carter and the bottom of it to the left of Harry Truman.

 

Thanks again for sharing this great item. I have no idea as to value.

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