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Joseph Baldwin, a Palo Alto resident since 1973, will display his collection of original letters, documents and signatures of all 44 U.S. presidents Feb. 17 and 18 in the parish hall at All Saints Episcopal Church, 555 Waverley St., Palo Alto.

Starting with President Obama, visitors can "step back in time" all the way to George Washington as they peruse original autographs, hand-written letters, notes and other assorted manuscripts on display between noon and 4 p.m. on both days.

The exhibition, which was also held in 2011 at the same venue, will include a 1799 letter from George Washington to a European military officer seeking an appointment in the U.S. Army (complete with writing errors and crossed-out lines), a letter James Madison wrote during his last days, a note from Ronald Reagan to his friend, and a 1969 Gerald Ford letter from his time as house minority leader.

Joseph Baldwin, whose passion for presidents began at a very young age, started his treasured collection bidding on an original George Washington letter at Sotheby's, the New York auction house. He aspires to share these memorabilia with as many people as possible while he is "still able to do so."

For additional information, please call Joe Baldwin at 650-323-3496.

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