A FERDINAND DE LESSEPS LETTER ABOUT THE SUEZ CANAL
 

FERDINAND MARIE, COUNT DE LESSEPS (1805-1894). Lesseps was a French diplomat who was involved in the creation of the Suez Canal.

LS. 1pg. October 28, 1867. Paris. A letter signed “Ferd. de Lesseps” as Secretary General of the Universal Company of the Maritime Suez Canal, written on the company’s letterhead. Lesseps wrote in French, and the translation is as follows: “Dear Sir, I hasten to inform you, in response to the letter you wrote me on the 21^st of this month, that the Company Administration can put at your disposal as many maps as you may wish to peruse, a specimen of which is enclosed herewith. The cost of this map is 5 centimes. Very truly yours, The Secretary General Ferd. De Lesseps”. It is in fine condition.

AN EDGAR DEGAS AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED

EDGAR DEGAS (1834-1917). Degas was a French impressionist painter best known for his oil paintings and his sculptures of dancers.

ALS. 1pg. 4 ½” x 7”. Thursday evening. No place. An autograph letter signed “Degas” to an unidentified correspondent: “Thursday evening, Dear friend I won’t be coming tomorrow, not by the train, which you know.  So when are the new games going to begin?  Even with all possible good will, I find myself taken off the list for Friday. Best wishes, Degas”.  There is light mat burn around the edges and the writing gets lighter as the letter concludes. There are also two folds and two moutning remnants on the verso that affect nothing.

THE FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER DUBOSCQ WRITES TO THE AMERICAN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER EDWIN HOUSTON

JULES DUBOSCQ (1817-1886).  Duboscq was a French photographer and engineer; he created many special effects in the mid-Nineteenth Century.

LS. 1pg. 8” x 9”. December 9, 1874. Paris.  A letter signed “J Duboscq” on his printed stationery.  He wrote to Edwin Houston of Philadelphia:  “I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of your favor of the preceding 12 November, enclosing a letter of credit drawn on our city bank for the sum of six hundred twenty-six francs, the balance of my invoice of 27 October last.  In anticipation of your forthcoming orders, please be assured of my sincere best wishes.  J. Duboscq”.  Edwin Houston was an American inventor and electrical engineer; he designed an early arc lamp.  The letter has a French revenue stamp in the lower left corner and a couple small holes that affect nothing.  It is written on graph paper and the ink is dark.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON WRITES TO “SWEDISH NIGHTINGALE” JENNY LIND’S BRITISH MANAGER ABOUT HER BRITISH ITINERARY

ARTHUR WELLESLEY, 1^ST DUKE OF WELLINGTON (1769-1852). A British soldier, Wellington is best remembered for defeating Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.  He later served as the Tory Prime Minister.

JENNY LIND (GOLDSCHMIDT) (1820-1887). Lind was the world-famous Swedish singer often called “The Swedish Nightingale”.

ALS. 2pgs. 4 ½” x 7”. December 23, 1848. Sheffield Saye, Hartfordshire, United Kingdom. An autograph letter signed “Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington” at the start of the text. The Duke of Wellington wrote to Benjamin Lumley, British manager of Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887), also known as “The Swedish Nightingale”. The Duke inquires about Lind’s upcoming itinerary, seemingly so that he might invite her to visit him.  “Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington presents his compliments to Mr. Lumley. He returned here from Hatfield House on the 11^th instant. But being aware the Mlle. Jenny Lind was engaged in one of her benevolent professional advocations at Exeter Hall on the 15^th; and that she must as usual desire to attend the rehearsals of the performance, he did not propose to her to visit here at this place. He then heard of a similar professional avocation at Leeds for the 22^nd and one of a third benevolent professional advocation at Birmingham on the 28^th. But it does not appear whether she returns from thence to London, or at what period of time or by what route. In this state of uncertainty The Duke writes this communication for a statement of circumstances which have induced he to refrain from writing to Mr. Lumley till this moment, and he requests Mr. Lumley will let him know what her movements are likely to be after quitting Birmingham?” The letter is in very good condition with slight toning.

ALEXANDRE DUMAS FILS, SON OF FAMOUS NAMESAKE FATHER, WRITES AND SIGNS CONDOLENCE CARD

ALEXANDRE DUMAS FILS (1824-1895). Dumas was a French author and playwright, best known for the romantic novel La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias).

AQS. 1 pg. 2” x 3”. N.d. N.p. An autograph quotation signed “A Dumas fils” in French on a small calling card.  Dumas wrote in pencil (this is the translation): “When we lose those whom we have loved, they are no longer where they were but they are where we are”. This card is a hand-written quotation written on a condolence card belonging to “Mr. Jacob A. Loeb”, whose name is printed on the card. On one side, the quote is given in French, and on the other side has the English translation in an unknown hand. Both sides are written in pencil. The source of the quote is unknown. It is in fine condition.

JACOB DUPONT, DISGRACED FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY POLITICIAN, WRITES FRENCH-LANGUAGE LETTER TO PUBLIC ASKING FOR HELP IN PUTTING ON PUBLIC LECTURES

JACQUES LOUIS DUPONT (1755-1823). Dupont was a French cleric and lecturer, turned revolutionary politician. He served as a member of Parliament between 1791 and 1794.

ALS. 3 pg. 8” x 12”. February 1798. Indre et Loire. An autographed letter signed “Jacob Dupont” “To the Administrators of the Department of the Seine” written in French: “I have the honor of letting you know of a request I made of the Executive Directory in order to have free disposal of the Salle de Manage which is occupied right now by the Council of Five Hundred to give there free public courses in agriculture, business, the art of logic according to Condillac, the elements of morals taken from the philosophical elements of Alembert, pure Math, physical-mathematical science, which I have taught successfully at Bordeaux and in Chaumont in Haute Marne, and finally Botany, natural history, chemistry, experimental physics, anatomy, and the progress of the human mind according to the historical table of Condorcet. The Minister of Finances presented my request to the Directoire-Executif, and you’ll see in his answer which I included here, that I can’t have disposal of the Salle de Manage. In introduced myself to the ministers of the Catholic worship who practice the faith conforming to the law of the church of Notre-Dame. I asked them if I could give my lectures on agriculture, business, arts and sciences, at free hours. They answered that this permission depended on you, citizen administrators. So, I present myself to you, citizens with the utmost confidence in order to get this permission. The good I intend to give to Paris, the Republic, Europe, and perhaps to both worlds, is immeasurable. You’ll feel citizens, all the importance if you’re kind enough to glance ay the brochure which I published for this purpose…It is entitled ‘The Opening of a New Instructive Course about the Role of Revolution’ by Jacob Dupont. Please, citizens-administrators, take my request into consideration. I will come myself to get your answer as soon as possible. If only I could be lucky enough to have it favorable”. This letter not only reveals the language of the late French Revolution (citizen-administrators, Council of Five Hundred, etc.), but also the deluded mental state of Jacob Dupont. Once a prominent lecturer and “Red Priest,” a Catholic clerical supporter of the Revolution, Dupont was slowly, but surely, driven insane by his internal conflict between his support for the Revolution and his faith, ultimately renouncing the latter. In 1797, he was imprisoned after an arrest for sexual assault, making it difficult to believe that just the next year he would have support for resuming his teaching. The letter is written in French, but a typed English-language translation is provided. The original letter is in fine shape with some minor stains and folds.