American history, cataloged one object at a time.

Provenance: Estate of Chita Rivera

2009 Barack and Michelle Obama Signed Presidential Medal of Freedom Invitation

The White House invitation to the reception on the occasion of the presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Wednesday 12 August 2009 at three o'clock, engraved on heavy stock with a raised gilt presidential seal at the head and East Entrance at the foot. Both the President and the First Lady have signed it in black ink on the face of the card. Barack Obama signed across the lower right of the engraved text; Michelle Obama signed up the left-hand margin, her signature turned ninety degrees to the text. This was Chita Rivera's own invitation to the ceremony at which she received the medal, signed and kept. An unsigned example of the same invitation is listed separately in this group. The reverse is plain, with no White House notice or label of any kind - unlike the official photographs from the same estate, which all carry one. Measures 7 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches. From the estate of Chita Rivera. Not submitted to a third-party authentication service. Condition: please see the photographs.