Autographs

Authors

Lot 53
Blasco-Ibáñez, Vincente (1867-1928) Spanish author best known for his World War I novels, most notably The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1916). Politically active, he exiled himself from Spain in 1923.

Autograph Letter Signed ("Vincente Blasco Ibañez"). In Spanish. One page, small quarto, Paris, March 26, 1914. On a cream-colored album page. Two other inscriptions (one is verso), but Ibáñez takes up most of the page. Fine.
Estimated Value $225-300.

Lot 54
Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1875-1950) American novelist and science fiction author, known the world over as the creator of "Tarzan."

Typed Letter Signed ("Edgar Rice Burroughs"). One page, large octavo, Reseda, California, July 31, 1928. On Edgar Rice Burroughs letterhead. To Ida Corey. Transmittal envelope included, as is a small printed pamphlet "The Novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs". Two horizontal folds, very minor surface soil, minor adhesive residue on verso. Very good to fine condition.

As is the case in a few of this collector's items, the addressee has to correct some of her mistakes and we wonder if Burroughs got the chuckle out of this that we did. "Your letter addressed to John Burroughs, Tarzana Ranch, Reseda California, was opened by my son, John Burroughs, when it was intended for the late John Burroughs, the naturalist...John Burroughs did not write the Tarzan stories. I am returning your letter herewith."
Estimated Value $125-150.

Lot 55
Butler, Nicholas Murray (1862-1947). American educator and political figure, he shared the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize with Jane Addams.

Typed Letter Signed ("Nicholas Murray Butler"). Two pages, quarto, New York, October 1, 1920. On personal letterhead. To The American Ambassador to Italy. Paper clip stain at left top corner of both pages, signature ink is faded, mailing folds and minor age toning. Good to very good condition.

A champion of international understanding, Butler helped establish the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, serving first as trustee and then president. It is in his capacity (as trustee) that he writes the letter offered here, as he informs the Ambassador of the Endowment's plans to donate books to the Library of American Studies in Rome.
Estimated Value $250-300.

Lot 56
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne (1835-1910). American novelist. Under the pseudonym Mark Twain (riverboat slang for "Two Fathoms", meaning safe clearance), the humorous wordsmith was made famous by his autobiographical tales of life on the Mississippi River such as Tom Sawyer, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Manuscript Letter Signed ("SL Clemens"). One page with integral blanks, octavo, n.p., June 28, 1866. On "Dublin / New Hampshire" stationery. To August Gurlitz. In black ink. One vertical fold, a minor crease at upper left and light toning at edges. Otherwise in fine to very fine condition.

Here the author writes a note to his lawyer, who at the time was representing him in a case against a publishing company that was using Clemens' works without his authority. He states: "My dear mr. Gurliz -- your letter has just been received. I shall not be in town for the next few months; but if you consider the matters discussed therein should be brought to the attention of Harper's -- will you be kind enough to let them know at once and inform me of the result of you interview." Though the letter was actually written in the hand of Alfred Bigelow Paine, his secretary, Clemens adds his characteristic "Truly Yours" to his signature.
Estimated Value $1,700-1,900.

Lot 57
Clemens, Samuel Langhorne. Signature ("Mark Twain"). One page, 6 x 3½", n.p., n.d. On a cream album page. Three vertical folds with minor separation at top of one, tiny album corners adhere to three corners and the remaining corner is stained with residue, toning. Very good condition.
Estimated Value $400-450.

Lot 58
Gorky, Maxim (1868-1936) Russian author and revolutionary; real name Alexei Maximovich Peshkov. Gorky's works, featuring vital, almost idealized portrayals of the Russian common people and deeply poetic sensibility, are the foundation of the Socialist Realism school of art and literature. Notable works include the play The Lower Depths (1901).

Autograph Letter Signed ("A. Peshkov" - Gorky). One page, 8½ x 8", n.p., June 7, 1921. To "Melin". Mailing folds with minor edge separation at ends and intersections, adhesive residue on verso, paper is somewhat toned. Good to very good condition.

Concerned with his library, Gorky writes "...I have not received those books to this day...they answered that there were no books of any kind for me..." The contents of an author's library are always cause for speculation and we wish we had a few more details!
Estimated Value $1,100-1,200.

Lot 59
Grey, Zane (1875-1939) Dentist turned author, Grey's 54 novels created the image of the American West many people still hold today. Almost 100 movies have been made from Grey's stories and he is one of the most translated 20th century authors in the world.

Signed Photographic Postcard ("Zane Grey."). One page, 3½ x 6", n.p., n.d. Sepia toned, signed in margin in blue ink. One very faint corner abrasion at top right corner, another at bottom left. Fine condition.

A striking portrait with a strong signature, perfect for display.
Estimated Value $75-125.

Lot 60
Hale, Edward Everett (1822-1909). American teacher, clergyman and author. Best remembered for his novel Man Without A Country, written to stir patriotic feeling during the Civil War.

Typed Letter Signed ("Edward E. Hale"). Two pages, large octavo, Roxbury, Massachusetts, October 24, 1904. On personalized stationery. Two hand corrections, age toning, minor creases and wrinkling. Good to very good condition.

In this interesting combination of business and personal matters, Hale worries about his family: "...whether we authors have not a common law right to our property whether we have taken out a copyright or not....I replied that was pretty strong, that certainly the Longfellow copyrights had been very carefully protected...This seems encouraging to a man who would like to leave a little property of this kind to his children..."
Estimated Value $200-250.

Lot 61
Hemingway, Ernest (1899-1961). American novelist. Hemingway began his writing career in high school working for his school newspaper and, following graduation, writing for a local reporter. At the onset of World War I, Hemingway dutifully tried to enter the army but was deferred due to poor vision. Determined, the journalist volunteered with the Red Cross -- a decision which would influence his later writings. He returned home, full of shrapnel no less, and continued his career where he left off -- writing for a newspaper. During the 1920s, he produced four of his most famous works including The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms. Hemingway continued his writings, drawing inspiration from not only his war experiences, but also from his extensive travels. Finally, in 1954 he won the Nobel Prize. With his health failing and his writing losing clarity, Hemingway fell into deep depression and, like his father, took his own life.

Typed Letter Signed ("EH"). One page, quarto, Cuba, June 28, 1949. On "Finca Vigia, San Francisco De Paula Cuba" onion skin paper. To Clarence Wadsworth. Transmittal folds, pencil notations verso, minor surface soil. Very good to fine.

From Cuba, Hemingway requests books and the status of his NY Times Book Review and Herald Tribune subscriptions.
Estimated Value $2,000-3,000.

Lot 62
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Sr (1809-1894) American physician and writer. Dean of Harvard Medical School, Holmes was also deeply interested in poetry and literature. Old Ironsides, his most famous poem, was written while he was still in medical school. One of the founders of Atlantic Monthly (in 1857), Holmes' columns and essays for the magazine helped to ensure its success. Holmes' son, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., was one of the most famous and influential judges of the 20th century.

Autograph Quotation Signed ("Oliver Wendell Holmes"). One page, small oblong octavo, Boston, February 19, 1876. Moderate age-toning at edges, faint water stain at lower left corner (text and signature not affected). Very good to fine condition.

Holmes pens seven lines from one of his most famous works, The Chambered Nautilus (1858):
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length are free,
Leaving tine outgrown shell by life's unresting sea!
Estimated Value $500-750.

Lot 63
Hugo, Victor (1802-1885). Famed French poet and novelist. Works include the ever-popular Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. The sheer volume of Hugo's writings is quite impressive -- each morning the author would compose 100 lines of verse or 20 pages of prose.

Autograph Letter Signed ("Victor Hugo"). In French. One page, small quarto, postmarked "December 12, 1872", n.p. To Madame V. Seguin (?), addressed on verso in Hugo's hand. Toning at five folds, haloing to much of text (which remains legible), scattered foxing and wrinkles, diagonal creases at bottom right. Good to very good condition.

"I am, Madam, a little [illegible] at this time, which to my great regret, forces me to abstain. Today I feel that the virus is sometimes weighing me down. I would have loved being useful to you. I hope that another opportunity...will be better for me next time..."
Estimated Value $650-700.

Lot 64
Huxley, Aldous (1894-1963). English novelist notable for the celebrated tale, Brave New World, published in 1932.

Autograph Letter Signed ("A.L.H."). One page, recto and verso, n.p., February 16, 1932. On "La Gourgette" stationery onionskin. To "Richard" (probably author/poet Richard Thoma). Transmittal folds, minor crumpling at bottom edge. Very good to fine condition.

Literary content, as well as personal observations. "...I keep putting letters off & off...sometimes they fall into the ewigkeit and are for ever forgotten...I hope you make it clear in your G. de Rais novel that Joan of Arc was really his disciple..."
Estimated Value $400-500.

Lot 65
Keller, Helen (1880-1968) Author and lecturer. Keller's struggles to overcome her physical disabilities with the help of Anne Sullivan, recounted in The Story of My Life, made her one of the most popular figures on the early 20th century lecture circuit. An advocate for the disabled her whole life.

Signature ("Helen Keller"). One page, 5¾ x 3¼", n.d., n.d. Clipped signature, pencil on cream stationery. Inscribed "Cordially Yours". One small smudge at "ller", else fine.
Estimated Value $75-125.

Lot 66
Kipling, Rudyard (1865-1936) English author, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. Kipling's poetry and stories about India remain incredibly popular and present a fascinating, if romanticized, view of the early 20th century British Indian Empire.

Signature ("Rudyard Kipling"). One page, 5½ x 1¾", n.p., 1913 (?). Clipped signature accompanied by note from Kipling's secretary indicating he was instructed to mail said autograph to a Miss Feigenbaum. Vertical mailing crease through "pl", four pinholes at top of signature page match pinholes at top of secretary's note, faint stain at pinholes. Very good condition and a very nice provenance.
Estimated Value $200-300.

Lot 67
Lindsay, Nicholas Vachel (1879-1931). American poet noted for writing "The Congo." Lindsay spent much of his life traveling the country and "performing" his poems with recitation. His popularity waned and Lindsay became severely depressed, a situation which eventually resulted in his suicide.

Autograph Letter Signed ("Nicholas Vachel Lindsay"). One page, 10¾ x 7", Glacier National Park, July 10, 1924. Written on the verso of a souvenir photograph of Going to the Sun Lodge. To "Mr. Williams". Minor toning, small scuff at top right corner. Very good to fine.

Outstanding content from one of America's most popular poets. Lindsay sought to re-connect his readers with the joys of nature, and open their eyes to the beauty around them. Writing from the Lodge at Glacier National Park, Lindsay's lust for life and the joy he took in other's appreciation of nature are evident: "...I want to hear the tourists that pass through here discuss the park and the mountain ad infinitum by the big firesides. I want to soak in this one spot month after month...I want to get this whole dream meanwhile assuming there is Aladdin's secret in this mountain."
Estimated Value $350-400.

Lot 68
London, Charmaine [and Jack]. Lot of two. 1). Typed letter signed ("Charmian London"). One page, oblong large octavo, California, October 18, 1928. To Ida Corey. One vertical fold, bottom right corner is chipped. Very good condition. 2). Bookplate from Jack London's library, 4 x 5". (see item above for authentication). One tiny chip at top edge. Very good to fine condition.

A wonderful bookplate with impeccable provenance and an entertaining letter: "My dear Ida G. Corey: If you will take the pains to get from a public library The Book of Jack London, written by myself...you will learn among many other things that I feel would greatly interest you, that my husband Jack London died twelve years ago...Since I cannot send you his autograph, I am inclosing [sic] his book-plate, which I am glad to let you have if you wish it..."
Estimated Value $50-75.

Lot 69
London, Jack and Edwin Markham. 1. London, Jack. Signature ("Jack London"). One page, 3¾ x ¾", n.p., n.d. On the signature line from a check from the Merchant's National Bank. In black ink. Affixed to a handwritten page of pencil notations of a story idea, 6 x 8¼", n.p., n.d. Accompanied by a black and white photo of the writer with stamped signature, as well as an Autographed Note Signed by Charmain London, the writer's wife. Signature is bold; the sheet of pencil notations is brittle and yellowed from age, with paper losses; photo is a bit faded at edges. 2. Markham, Edwin. Signed Photo ("Edwin Markham"). Black and white printed photo, 8¼ x 9", Stanton Island, N. Y., n.d. Inscribed in black ink, "Your friend". In fine condition. Accompanied by a copy of his poem "The Man with the Hoe", inscribed identically to the photo in blue ink. Poem has two horizontal folds, several splits, paper loss at lower edge. Overall, the lot is in poor to fair condition.

Included in this lot with an Edwin Markham signed photo, is an interesting notebook page with handwritten notations by Jack London. It appears that the American novelist was contemplating a story entitled "The Burglar Story". His notes read in full: "The Butlar [sic] who inveigles a man to inveigle & shoots him...gets suitably rewarded & name in papers, etc..."
Estimated Value $200-300.

Lot 70
Mann, Thomas (1875-1955) German novelist and critic, one of the foremost figures in 20th century literature, he won the Nobel Prize in 1929.

Typed Letter Signed ("Thomas Mann"). One page, quarto, Princeton, New Jersey, February 4, 1939. On Thomas Mann letterhead. To Ida Corey. One vertical and two horizontal folds. Very good to fine condition.

A brief note to a fan: "Thank you very much for your kind words. I am grateful for your interest in my work, and I am very pleased that it means something to you."
Estimated Value $200-250.