Roosevelt Family Photo Album, Grace & Ellen Champion Tennis Players

A Roosevelt Family photograph album with 104 tintype photographs, dating from 1867 to 1903, primarily of Grace W. Roosevelt, her sister Ellen Crosby Roosevelt, and their friends and family. Album has 25 loose-leaf pages, measuring 9" x 11"; individual tintypes range in size from 1" x 1.5" to 3.375" x 4.75". Very good. Some corner mounts are loose or missing but only one photograph appears to be missing. Ownership bookplate of Isaac Roosevelt.

This fascinating photographic album from the 1890s includes many photographs of Grace W. Roosevelt and her sister Ellen Crosby Roosevelt, first cousins of future President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The sisters began playing tennis in 1879 and won seven major tournaments and several championships between 1887 and 1893 in doubles matches. Ellen Roosevelt also won six important tournaments in singles matches.

The album begins with photographs of the Roosevelt sisters as infants and young children in the 1860s, some with their father John Aspinwall Roosevelt (1840-1909), or their mother Ellen Murray Crosby Roosevelt (1837-1928). Most of the photographs date from 1885 to 1894, when the Roosevelt sisters were young women. Reflecting their passion for tennis, fourteen of the images include tennis rackets. Other photographs in the album portray upper-class activities such as golf and horseback riding. Several captions indicate that the photographs were taken in Poughkeepsie or Murray Bay. Some later images include Grace Roosevelt’s husband Appleton Clark and their children, Russell and Roosevelt.

Grace Walton Roosevelt Clark (1867-1945) was born in Hyde Park, New York. She began playing tennis with her sister Ellen in 1879 when their father installed a tennis court at their mansion "Rosedale." In 1889, she won the Mixed Doubles title at the U.S. National Championship with A. E. Wright. The following year, she won the Women’s Doubles title with her sister Ellen. In 1891, she was the runner-up in both the Women’s Doubles (again with her sister) and the Mixed Doubles (with C. T. Lee). In 1895, she married lawyer Appleton LeSure Clark (1865-1930), and they had two sons, Roosevelt (1897-1928) and Russell (1900-1967). After her husband’s death, she returned to Rosedale. She was a first cousin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as their fathers were brothers.

Ellen Crosby Roosevelt (1868-1954) was born in Hyde Park, New York. She began playing tennis with her sister Grace in 1879 when their father installed a tennis court at their mansion "Rosedale." In 1890, she won the Women’s Singles title at the U.S. Championship by defeating the 1888 and 1889 champion Bertha Townsend. That year, she and her sister also won the Women’s Doubles title. In 1893, Ellen Roosevelt won the Mixed Doubles title (with Clarence Hobart). She was a first cousin of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as their fathers were brothers. In 1975, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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