Sale 2517 - Printed & Manuscript Americana, September 26, 2019

The speech is accompanied by several Steinem family letters and documents: A manuscript school essay by sister Susanne Steinem Patch (1925-2007) discusses her family and particularly her sister: “Gloria’s such a loving little sister. Last year I had a throat infection for two weeks. Gloria pretended she was my nurse and scarcely left me all day long in case I should want something.” 2 pages, 12 September 1941 * Letter Signed from “Gloria” to relatives “Janey and Bob”—possibly her aunt Jeannette Nuneviller Brand (1900-1964) and uncle Robert E. Brand of Toledo, OH. Discusses her breakup with fiancé Blair Chotzinoff “as of last month”: “The harder I tried to go ahead with plans, the more depressed and suffocated I felt until there was simply nothing else to do but say no.” She also discusses plans for a pending fellowship in India, and adds: “Good news, Janie. I’ve cut my hair . . . very short! It doesn’t even touch my collar and I feel shorn and defeminized but everybody else likes it so perhaps you would too!” Np, “Sunday a.m.” [late 1956] * Letter Signed from Gloria Steinem’s ex-fiancé Blair Chotzinoff to her mother Ruth Nuneviller Steinem. A farewell letter written shortly after the breakup: “I cannot understand what Gloria has done but neither can I fight it with any weapon at my disposal. I sincerely believe that we two possessed the rarest gift to be offered two human beings and I am desolate that she should wish to sacrifice it for something so abstract that she can’t even describe it to me adequately.” Includes a forwarding note in the margin, possibly by Ruth to her sister Jeannette, emphasizing its confidentiality: “And you certainly never saw this one. Remember to forget.” Np, 14 August 1956 * Letter Signed from father Leo Steinem to Gloria. Discusses his new contract to promote a singer named Scotty Romano, said to resemble Elvis Presley. Adds that in the event of his death, “I have a beautiful and intelligent daughter by the name of Gloria who can take over in my place.” It includes a forwarding note on verso signed “R” (apparently mother Ruth Steinem), possibly to her sister Jeannette: “What do you think of Gloria’s Indian venture? The more books I read the more interested I become.” [Marietta, GA], 4 October 1956 * Letter from the University of Toledo to Gloria Steinem, thanking her for a scholarship gift. Toledo, OH, 25 May 1962 * Smith College commencement program, 1971 * Smith College commencement concert program, 1977.