1970 Elvis Presley’s Personally Owned Copy of Physicians’ Desk Reference of Pharmaceutical Specialties and Biologicals

This red hardbound copy of the 1970 Physicians’ Desk Reference to Pharmaceutical Specialties and Biologicals was published by Medical Economics, Inc. This 24th edition is copyright 1969 and was kept at Graceland and personally used by Elvis and the Presley family. The front interior page contains the handwritten notations “3974427 / 3984882 / 3989722.” Physicians’ Desk Reference was a pharmaceutical dictionary popular at the time and available to the layman, so a copy could be found in many homes in the 1960s and ’70s. With the ever-changing pharmaceutical industry and list of medications available, the PDR was updated annually. This 1970 copy was owned and used by Elvis and the Presley family as noted in the accompanying letter from Pauline Nicholson, Elvis’ cook, which states in part:

I was hired by Mr. Presley in the mid-1960’s to work at Graceland as a cook. On occasion I also worked there as a babysitter and I often took care of Lisa Marie, Elvis’ daughter. Elvis was a very kind and generous man to work for. He would give things to just about everyone who worked for him. Some of these items were his personal possessions. This medical desk reference book was given to me by Vernon to get rid of in 1974 or 1975, as they no longer had use for it. So I kept it for all these years... until now.

The hardcover reference book measures 10 1/4 by 7 1/4 by 2 inches and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Graceland Authenticated (text above is quoted from that LOA). The tome presents with signs of use including a missing front end page and overall discoloration of pages. Excellent condition.