Signed Photograph of Gerald R. Ford, Inscribed to the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain

Charles H. Price was a Kansas City businessman who was actively involved in fund-raising for the Republican Party. When President Gerald R. Ford traveled to Missouri Republican Fundraiser Dinner on September 12, 1975, Price sat at the head table with the President. Price raised money for Ronald Reagan in 1980, and in 1981 he was named ambassador to Belgium, where he served until his appointment to Britain. He took over as ambassador to the Court of St. James’s in November 1983, a moment of unease between Britain and the U.S. Mrs. Thatcher was upset because she had not been notified before the American invasion of Grenada the previous month, and many British elected officials opposed a plan to station American cruise missiles in Britain. During his five years as ambassador, Price participated in talks between the British and the Irish Republican Army and helped Mrs. Thatcher defuse protests after the U.S. used British bases to carry out attacks on Libya in 1986. He also deployed his sense of humor and Midwestern humility to try easing the anti-American sentiment that Reagan’s policies had stoked among many Britons: he hosted elaborate receptions for members of government and the royal family, became a familiar face on television news and talk shows and, on occasion, made widely publicized visits to pubs to hear the viewpoints of working-class citizens.

An 11 by 14 inch color photograph of Ford, inscribed and signed, "To my very good friend Charlie Price, with admiration for your dedication to good government, and with congratulations on your fine assignment to represent our nation. Warmest best wishes, Gerald R. Ford."