Kern, Jerome. (1885–1945) Signed Letter to his Publisher1 page TLS, June 14, 1945, from the highly regarded American songwriter best known for the musical Showboat and for such standards as Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Addressed to his music editor publisher, Albert Sirmay, concerning a letter he had received from Johannesburg, South Africa: " Perhaps it would be nice for you to communicate with these people yourself, thereby saving wear and tear on the old bean and the old type writer and the old postage