C. Ed Alley Photo. J. Edgar Hoover Signed Letter to Mrs. Alley. Interesting Tale For Sale
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C. Ed Alley Photo. J. Edgar Hoover Signed Letter to Mrs. Alley. Interesting Tale:
$149.99
C. Ed Alley Photograph and J. Edgar Hoover Letter.A nice pairing of ephemera linking them through Bobby Baker and LBJ.
Robert (\"Bobby\") Gene Baker was a political adviser (i.e., fixer) to Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1963, he resigned during an investigation by the US Senate into his business and political activities. The investigation included allegations ofbriberyand arranging sexual favors in exchange for Congressional votes and government contracts. The investigation also looked into the intertwined financial activities of Baker and Johnson, going back to the 1950s. The Senate investigation of Johnson\'s finances was suddenly dropped after the Kennedy assassinationwhenJohnson ascended to the presidency; but, there is little doubt that the Justice Department, the FBI, and J. Edgar Hoover in particular, continued their own investigations.Enter C. Edward Alley, a photographer, known for an aggressive and confrontational style when approaching his intended subjects. On November 25, 1964 he was on UPI duty at the Senate Office Building where Donald B. Reynolds, an associate of Baker, was being questioned by the Senate Rules Committee.
While on a break in the hallway, Alley and Reynolds crossed paths. An irritable Reynolds knocked Alley down with a single punch and broke his camera. The photo being sold at this sale is one taken a few seconds later by another UPI photographer showing a stunned Alley holding his broken camera. The incident immediately raised Alley\'s profile, and he became an instant hero (or villain) to many of Washington\'s elites.Reynolds was soon forgotten, but years later was quoted (in Esquire Magazine) as claimingBobby Bakerhad told him that Kennedy \"would never live out his term and that he would die a violent death.\" and that \"the FBI knew that Johnson was behind the assassination\".
The FBI\'s confidential investigations of Johnson would continue through the balance of his term as President, during which Hoover was believed to be in communication with Alley, who he deemed a reliable source of information, photos, and gossip. No doubt Hoover never intended to bring criminal charges, only to gather information that might come in handy if needed to exact a favor or to keep his job. When Johnson announced his surprise decision not to run for president in 1968, Hoover put the matter on a back burner, but Alley remained a useful contact.
Alley died in May, 1971. Also for sale is Hoover\'s hand signed letter to his widow, dated May, 25 1971, asking her to take comfort from his \"friends in the FBI.\" Yet, there is no reason to believe that Hoover ever met Mrs. Alley, and there is no record of any specific information officially exchanged by Alley with Hoover, nor with anyone else affiliated with the FBI.
Both the photo and the letter are about 7\" x 9\", and in excellent condition, and authentic, with Hoover having signed his letter on FBI stationery, and the photo of Alley marked with UPI stamps and file data from 1964.
Have fun with this and be well.c.nlgfltbx