Washington Social Press History Barbara Bush Typed Letter to Betty Beale on White House Stationery in 1989

Barbara Bush

Manuscript & Autographs

Bush, Barbara. Typed letter signed to Betty Beale, 1989, documents White House social communication during the opening months of Barbara Bush’s tenure as First Lady, supporting research into presidential image-making, elite Washington journalism, and the informal networks linking the executive mansion to the capital’s social press. Bush served as First Lady from January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993, after eight years as Second Lady, while Beale was a long-serving Washington society columnist whose work placed her in sustained contact with presidents, first ladies, diplomats, and political households.

Bush, Barbara. April 6, 1989. 1 page. Small quarto. Typed letter signed on “The White House” stationery to Betty Beale. The letter thanks Beale for her “thoughtful message and kind words of support and friendship,” adding that “George and I are both grateful,” language that reveals how personal acknowledgments helped maintain relationships between the new First Lady’s office and established Washington observers during the early Bush administration.

Single page with original typed text and ink signature “Barbara.” Light handling wear presumed from use; very good. Direct White House correspondence linking Barbara Bush to Betty Beale, documenting the social and press relationships surrounding the First Lady’s public role in 1989.

Item #2836

Price: $100.00