Theodore Roosevelt Signed Photograph

Early and exceptional circa mid-1880s original 3 x 4.5 albumen portrait of the young Theodore Roosevelt, affixed to its original 4.25 x 6.5 Charles L. Ritzmann mount, signed on the mount in ink, "Theodore Roosevelt." Archivally mounted, matted, and framed under Tru-Vue UV Glas to an overall size of 11.5 x 13.75. In fine condition, with a faint stain to the left edge, and a slight crease to the lower right corner. Ritzmann was active in New York City as a seller of celebrity photographs from circa 1870s"“1890s.

Roosevelt first came to prominence with the publication of The Naval War of 1812 in 1882, which established him as a serious historian. Elected to the New York State Assembly in 1882, 1883, and 1884, he earned a reputation as an ardent fighter of corruption and became known for his exhilarating hunting excursions in the Dakotas. He returned to public life in the 1890s, serving as a member of the United States Civil Service Commission, Police Commissioner of New York City, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy, before resigning to lead the Rough Riders during the Spanish"“American War. Returning from Cuba as a war hero, he was elected to the vice presidency on the McKinley-Roosevelt ticket, and ascended to the presidency upon McKinley's death. A superb, ultra-early portrait of a great American.