[Sousa, John Philip. (1854-1932)] Bellis, Jane van Middlesworth. (1879-1944)
John Philip Sousa's Cigar Case with Letter of Provenance
Silver-plated cigar case, with registration mark of 1891, 2.5 x 12.5 cm, together with an autograph letter of provenance on black-bordered mourning stationery from the wife of the March King, to Rev. Robert C. Gillespie of Limestone, TN. 1 page, October 12, 1932. Port Washington, L.I., reading in full, "Some time ago you wrote asking for a souvenir of the late Mr. John Philip Sousa and I am sending you his cigar case which he carried. Yours very Sincerely, Jane van M. Sousa (Mrs. John Philip Sousa)". Letter in fine condition, sold together with the original postmarked transmissal envelope (Oct. 15, 1932) and also with a second postmarked envelope (Mar 30, 1932) containing a black-bordered mourning card with printed text "Mrs. John Philip Sousa and the members of her family will remember with grateful appreciation your kind expression of sympathy." Together with a ca. 1930s photograph of a newspaper article image of Sousa at the keyboard and two recently printed photographs of the composer smoking.John Philip Sousa married Jane van Middlesworth Bellis on December 30, 1879 and the couple had three children together. On March 6, 1932, at the age of 77, the composer and bandleader died of heart failure in Reading, Pennsylvania. Just the day before, he had led the ‘Ringgold Band’ in a rehearsal of ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever’. He was buried in the ‘Congressional Cemetery’, Washington, D.C. in his family plot.
The March King loved his cigars and had Fonseca "McKinleys" imported from Havana which he generally gave as gifts. The present case was meant to accommodate a different cigar, the "belicoso" variety which generally ran 5-5/5 inches, in line with the present case, and which he is shown smoking in a number of recorded images. "He had no use for cigarettes or pipe smoking, but he did find a solace in tobacco by smoking cigars after concerts. He never smoked in the morning, and when he did smoke, he indulged in expensive cigars that were custom made. He took pride in these and sued the P. Lorillard Company for $100,000 in May, 1925 when they introduced, without his knowledge, a cheap cigar with his picture on the label." (Paul E. Pierley, "John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon," p. 104) (20970)
AMQS Song