Sell or Auction Your James Boswell Signed Letter Re Samuel Johnson for up to Nearly $25,000 or More at Nate D. Sanders Auctions
FREE VALUATION. To buy, auction, sell or consign your James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson that is for sale, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (http://www.NateDSanders.com).
Free Appraisal, Auction or Sell Your James Boswell Signed Letter Re Samuel Johnson
Below is a recent realized price for a James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson. We at Nate D. Sanders Auctions can obtain up to this amount or more for you:
James Boswell Signed Letter Re Samuel Johnson. Sold for Nearly $25,000.
The following are some related items we have sold:
Edgar Allan Poe autograph letter signed, with dramatic content regarding his famous feud with poet and playwright Thomas Dunn English. Poe writes to John Bisco, publisher of the defunct ”Broadway Journal”, which Poe had once edited. Poe asks Bisco to call upon an attorney in relation to ”attacks made upon me” by Mr. English. This is the first time since 1941, when it was sold by Parke-Bernet, that this letter has been at auction.
Although the public feuding between Poe and English was not new – with both men trading veiled barbs in various publications over the years, English raised the stakes when he wrote a letter published in the 23 June 1846 edition of the ”New York Evening Mirror.” Not only did English accuse Poe by name of being a forger, drunk, deadbeat, and scoundrel for besmirching a lady’s honor, but also, perhaps most unforgivable, a serial plagiarist. Poe likely got advance notice of the article as this letter is dated 17 July 1846, only six days before the publication. However, although Poe couldn’t stop the article from running, he was successful in suing the ”Mirror” for libel, collecting $225.06 in damages a year later, likely more than Poe made during his lifetime from writing. Letter reads,
”My Dear Mr. Bisco / You will confer a very great favor on me by stepping in, when you have leisure, at the office of E.L. Fancher, Attorney-at-Law, 33 John St. Please mention to him that I requested you to call in relation to Mr. English. He will, also, show you my Reply to some attacks lately made upon me by this gentleman. / Cordially yours. / Poe”.
Single page letter on pale blue stationery measures 7.875” x 7”, framed with a CDV of Poe to a size of 21.25” x 16”. Not examined out of frame. Folds, tape repair, faint discoloration and small areas of paper missing along edges. Irregular lower border. Overall in very good condition with bold handwriting and excellent legibility. A scarce letter by Poe with excellent association, backed by an intriguing story worthy of the famous author. With provenance from the 19th Century Shop, and exhibition history at The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. Sold for $73,693.
F. Scott Fitzgerald Lot of Two Extraordinary, Unpublished & Handwritten Poems: “…Tenderest evidence, thumb-print of lust…”
Incredible grouping of F. Scott Fitzgerald original prose, written for Helen Hayes’ daughter Mary MacArthur, who died of polio at the young age of 19. Here, the already famous author pens two lyrical poems, dated 1931 and 1937. At the time he writes the first poem, Fitzgerald was completing “Tender is the Night” while caring for his ailing wife, Zelda, whose mental illness had left her hospitalized in 1930. Fitzgerald handwrites the first, shorter poem in green ink. Inscribed “For Mary MacArthur”, it reads in full: “‘Oh Papa — / My Papa — / Say Papa’ / So! / ‘Is Papa / Your Papa / My Papa?’ / No! / So Spoke You / Why Joke You? Just For To-day / Our Word Is / (Like Birdie’s) / Plenty To Say”. Signed, “F. Scott Fitzgerald / Feb. 13th 1931”. The second, lengthier poem appears on the verso of the same sheet, titled, “Addenda (seven years later)”. Reads in full, “What shall I do with this bundle of stuff / Mass of ingredients, handful of grist / Tenderest evidence, thumb-print of lust / Kindly advise me, O psychologist / She shall have music — we pray for the kiss / of the god’s on her forehead, the necking of fate / How in the hell shall we guide her to this / ‘- Just name her Mary and age her till eight.’ / What of the books? Do we feed her our bread / of the dead, that was left in their tombs long ago / Or should all the fervor and freshness be wed / To next year’s inventions? Can anyone know? / How shall we give her that je ne sais quoi – / Portions of mama that seem to be right / Salted with dashes of questionable pa? / ‘- Age her till eight and then save me a bite.’ / Solve me this dither, O wisest of lamas, / Pediatrician – beneficent buddy / Tell me the name of a madhouse for mammas / Or give me the nursery – let her have the study / How can I pay back this heavenly loan / Answer my question and name your own fee / Plan me a mixture of Eve and St. Joan / ‘- Put her in pigtails and give her to me.'” Signed, “F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nyack 1937”. Sheet measures 7″ x 8″ with poem to front and longer prose poem to verso. From the estate of Helen Hayes. An extraordinary collection, adding to the catalogue raisonne of Fitzgerald’s known works. Sold for $30,875.
Exceptional Ernest Hemingway autograph letter and signed envelope, one day after catching the 500 lb. marlin in Bimini that inspired ”The Old Man and the Sea”, apocryphal until this letter which documents for the first time in Hemingway’s own words not only the size of the marlin, but also its attack by sharks, similar to the plot of Hemingway’s novel. Letter is accompanied by a photo of Hemingway and his friend, Henry Strater, with the half-eaten marlin. Dated 8 May (identified as 1935 by the “Hemingway Letters Project”), Hemingway writes to Erl Roman, the fishing editor of the ”Miami Herald”, describing the catch in detail, the attack by the sharks, and also mentioning that he is sending some photos to Roman. Letter in pencil reads in part,
”Will make this very short on acct. Bill Fagen leaving May 8 / Dear Erl: Yesterday May 7 Henry H. STRATER, widely known painter of OGUNQUIT Maine, Pres. Maine Tuna Club, fishing with me on Pilar landed Blue Marlin which weighed 500 lbs on tested scales after all of meat below anal fin had been torn away by sharks when fish was brought to gaff– Had him ready to take in when sharks hit him– Fish 12 feet 8 1/2 inches– Tail 48 inch spread–girth 62 in. (will send all other exact measurements when have chance to use Steel tape on him). Fish hooked off Bimini, hooked in corner of mouth, never layted, jumped 18 times clear, brought to boat in an hour such a heavy fish jumped hell out of himself. We worked him fast our system. Had him at boat when shark hit him. Strater has football knee, went out of joint, had hell with it, we wouldnt handline fish, he got him up himself, in one hour 40 minutes, we got him over the roller after Some lifting boy, all blood drained, meat gone below anal fin to tail, but fish completely intact, Fred Parke is mounting it–“
Two page autograph letter is accompanied by an envelope signed in pencil, addressed in Hemingway’s hand to ”Erl Roman Esq. / Miami Herald / Miami / Fla.” and signed by Hemingway on the verso, ”E. Hemingway / Yacht Pilar / Bimini / B.W.I.”
Importantly, Hemingway’s account of the marlin catch differs from other anecdotal stories of it, one of which describes Hemingway using a ”machine gun” on the shark, which purportedly attracted more sharks to the feeding frenzy. It’s likely Hemingway left out this detail, as Strater would blame its use on attracting more sharks to the marlin, depriving Strater of a world record marlin catch. “Old Man and the Sea” has been noted by Hemingway scholars as most likely inspired by this particular 7 May 1935 trip, including Michael Culver in his biography “Sparring in the Dark: Hemingway, Strater and The Old Man and the Sea”.
Letter measures 8.5” x 11”, envelope measures approximately 6.25” x 3.625” and photo, which is a modern reproduction, measures 7.75” x 9.75”. Letter is uniformly toned with some chipping along edges, and small piece of tape at very top. Envelope has some foxing and torn edge from opening. Both items are in very good condition. A remarkable letter in Hemingway’s own words of a legendary fishing adventure that inspired one of his most popular, Pulitzer-Prize winning novels. Sold for $28,000.
Scarce Jonathan Swift autograph letter signed as Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The satirist datelines his letter from the Deanry-house in Dublin, 14 October 1736, just two years before becoming debilitated by mental illness. He writes to Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset, in full: ”My Lord, In a former Letter to Your Grace, I taxed you with a Debt of 110 lb a year in church Livings, being by Arithmetic an Arrear of 150 lb a year which Your Grace was pleased to promise me for a Friend, and of which I onely received 40 lb a year. I often did my self the Honor of being so bold (which – is no great Honor) of telling you that a very worthy Clergyman had been long a weight upon my Shoulders to get him some addition, and that his circumstances were such that the addition I desired must consist with the small Preferment he hath already. There is now a Prebendary vacant, which will answer my Wish. One Mr. Williamson dyed about 36 hours ago; He was Treasurer of Christ-church in Dublin, the Place is worth between ninety and a hundred pounds a year, and no more; The Person whom I desire may have it is Mr John Jackson, Minister of Santry three miles from Dublin, and a Relation of the Grattans, he hath been often and earnestly recommended by me to Your Grace, and your answers have been favorable; I have added severall times that you would by such a favor oblige this whole City, and the most honest gentlemen in the Kingdom, and I hope such a consideration will have weight with you. I do therefore hope and expect that Your Grace will by the next Post, send an Order to have a Patent made out for Mr. John Jackson Vicar of Santry Rector (which ever he be) to confer on him the Treasurership of Christ-church, Dublin; and at the same time (which is now near the twentyth) that my chief Regard is to Your Grace’s honor, that you will reward a most deserving Gentleman of this Kingdom, who had the misfortune to be born in it, with one mark of Your Favor. Otherwise, I shall think it very hard, that as I am of some station, and perhaps of some little Distinction, beside the Honor of being so long known to your Grace and family, I could never have the least Power of prevayling on you to reward Merit, for which no Party will repine…Jonath: Swift”. Dean Swift and the date are handwritten on a panel to verso. 2pp. on card-style stationery measures 7.5” x 9”. Light toning, some show through and a small tear to the right edge, else near fine. Sold for $19,103.
Lewis Carroll Autograph Poem Signed in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” — Carroll Cleverly Composes an Acrostic Poem Where the First Letter of Each Line Reveals a Message
Original autograph poem signed by Lewis Carroll, dedicated to the sister of an “Alice” who died in infancy. Carroll composes the tender poem inside a presentation copy of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (London: MacMillan and Co., 1874), inscribed on the half-title page in Carroll’s signature purple ink, “Presented to Jessie Howard Clark, in remembrance of her sister Alice, by the Author / July 15, 1875”. Young Jessie lived in Australia which served as the basis for the poem, alongside the themes of death and the connected experience of childhood across the world. The poem is additionally constructed so that the letters of the first words of each line form the recipient’s name, “Jessie Howard Clark”. Written on the page opposite the table of contents, poem reads in full, “Just half a world to travel o’er, E’re this may reach its Southern home: Such waters wide between us roare So many a league of barren foam. In vain the trackless interspace – England’s white ships can cleave the flood, Hailing as brethren every race Of English speech & English blood. Wherever English childhood dwells ‘Alice’ may hope to find a band Ready to listen while she tells Dreams of the shadowy ‘Wonderland.’ Child-friend, whom I shall never see! Let me in fancy feel thee nigh, And trust in other lands to be Remembered as the years go by – Kind thoughts will live, though we may die. Lewis Carroll. July 15, 1875.” Jessie’s father was author John Howard Clark, who originally wrote Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, regarding his own book “Bertie and the Bullfrogs”, inspired by “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Upon learning that Clark had a daughter Alice who died in infancy, Carroll kindly composed this poem and gifted it to Clark’s other daughter Jessie. Book measures 5″ x 7.25″, bound in publisher’s red boards with gilt titling. With original black endpapers and all edges gilt. Separation starting to front and rear joints, and scuffing to boards. Interior is clean, including manuscript pages. Overall in very good condition, with a dramatic presentation. Sold for $16,800.
Incredible F. Scott Fitzgerald Typed Letter Signed on His Top 3 Influences as a Writer
Rare F. Scott Fitzgerald typed letter signed, devoted entirely to Fitzgerald’s revealing the people who impacted his writing. Dated 7 January 1934, in the final years of his life, letter to a Mr. Egbert S. Oliver at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon reads in part, ”Dear Mr. Oliver, The first help I ever had in writing in my life was from my father who read an utterly imitative Sherlock Holmes story of mine and pretended to like it. But after that I received the most invaluable aid from Mr. C.N.B. Wheeler then headmaster of the St. Paul Academy now the St. Paul Country Day School in St. Paul, Minnesota. 2. From Mr. Hume, then co-headmaster of the Newman School and now headmaster of the Canterbury School. 3. From Courtland Van Winkle in freshman year at Princeton – now professor of literature at Yale (he gave us the book of Job to read and I don’t think any of our preceptorial group ever quite recovered from it.) After that comes a lapse. Most of the professors seemed to me old and uninspired, or perhaps it was just that I was getting under way in my own field. I think this answers your question. This is also my permission to make full use of it with or without my name. Sorry I am unable from circumstances of time and pressure to go into it further. Sincerely, [signed] F. Scott Fitzgerald”. Fitzgerald added a few hand corrections in ink throughout the letter. 2pp. letter on 2 sheets of plain stationery, measuring 8.5” x 11” are quite attractively matted and framed alongside a photo of Fitzgerald to an overall size of 32” x 17.5”. Light toning, creasing and paperclip imprint to letter, else near fine. Sold for $13,045.
Lot of 38 letters signed by ”To Kill a Mockingbird” novelist Harper Lee, many with exceptional content, including Barack Obama’s presidency, Eudora Welty’s criticism of Lee for only writing one book, defense of ”To Kill a Mockingbird”, Lee’s Southern heritage, recollections of her father, Christianity and her apparent atheism, a funny story of Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier & Helen Keller, and even making fun of Hitler. Lot includes 26 autograph letters signed ”Harper”, six autograph letters signed with the initial ”H”, four autograph notes signed ”Harper”, a Christmas card signed ”Harper”, and one autograph note unsigned. Most letters are on her personal stationery and all but one include the original envelope in Lee’s hand. Lee writes the letters to her friend Felice Itzkoff of New York, whom Lee affectionately calls ”Clipper” as in Yankee Clipper. The letters span from December 2005 to May 2010, with unique content excerpted below:
In a lovely letter dated 20 January 2009, the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, Lee writes, ”On this Inauguration Day I count my blessings…I’m also thinking of another friend, Greg Peck, who was a good friend of LBJ. Greg said to him, ‘Do you suppose we will live to see a black President?’ LBJ said, ‘No, but I wish her well’…Harper”. In a letter dated 18 April 2009, Lee writes of her affection for Eudora Welty, even though Welty obliquely criticized her: ”…alas, I never had the privilege of meeting Miss Welty – You know I’m not a ‘tuft hunter,’ ie, seek out ‘names’ to meet – it’s one of the downers of life that N never got to meet her. She was the only person I ever ‘wanted to meet.’ I once heard her say something about ‘Harper Lee’s case’ – talking about one-novel writers. I could have told her: as it turned out, I didn’t need to write another one – much xxx, H.” In a letter dated 13 May 2009, Lee recounts a funny story of her friend Vivien Leigh and Leigh’s ex-husband Laurence Olivier who inadvertently insulted Helen Keller: ”My Helen Keller story is second-hand, but it comes from good authority. I was acquainted with Vivien Leigh – long divorced from Lord Olivier. Nevertheless her chief topic of conversation was ‘Larry.’ (She had a mine of good stories.) He was ‘on’ one night and was considerably annoyed by the ‘noise’ coming from two people in the audience. ‘Somebody making slapping sounds-can’t the management put a stop to it?’ / ‘If you want to put a stop to Helen Keller’s enjoyment of your program, have her interpreter be quiet,’ he was told. ‘It is sometimes rather noisy, when things go as they should.’ Of course, Olivier melted, begged Miss Keller’s pardon, and gave the rest of his performance in her honor, seemingly unaware of the ‘noise.’ / Vivien was a character and I loved her. She, after he left her, ‘adored Larry,’ but I understand was not very nice to him beforehand – it was so like her! Much love, H.” In a letter dated 14 May 2009 (”I think”), Lee writes of her friend Horton Foote, the Academy Award winning screenwriter for ”To Kill a Mockingbird”, who had just died. She compares Foote to her own father, in part, ”…The service seemed to catch Horton in full. If he was your friend, it meant you had another ‘best friend.’ I am so proud to say that he was my friend. I loved him with all my heart and shall miss him for as long as I am aware of anything. I never knew anybody like him except for my father, they had many traits in common. He was a great gentleman, and he did look like God! / The Foote children will have a lot to live up to. Their mother was as influential in their growing up as their father…There is so much evil in the world today that I guess people don’t recognize plain goodness. I wish ‘heaven’ were true. Much love, Harper”. Sold for $12,500.
Franz Kafka addresses an envelope, dated 23 June 1913, to his fiancee, Fraulein Felice Bauer, in Berlin. On the verso, he signs ”F. Kafka” and writes his address in Prague. Kafka, the acclaimed existentialist writer of novels and short stories, had proposed to Bauer a few days earlier and she had accepted; however, Kafka now cancelled their engagement. Bauer saved her letters from Kafka, which were published in ”Letters to Felice.” According to the book, in this envelope, Kafka sent a letter listing all the reasons why he couldn’t marry Bauer. Their courtship lasted from 1912-1917, with two engagements, but it did not end in marriage. Kafka died from tuberculosis in 1924, at the age of 40. Most of his work, including the novel, ”Metamorphosis,” was published posthumously, making his signature incredibly scarce. Minor soiling and creasing to 6” x 4” envelope bearing Austro-Hungarian postage stamps and Berlin postmark. Overall very good. A very scarce signature by Kafka. Sold for $9,582.
J.D. Salinger typed letter, clearly signed “J.D. Salinger” in blue ink, dated 14 May 1966 and written while on a trip to Bermuda. Addressed to a Carrol Roderick in Hampshire, England, 3pp. letter — in typical Salinger style with much tongue-in-cheek content — begins with a list of made up headlines about local town goings-on in Bermuda, and then continues in small part, “…They asked me to justify American policy in Vietnam and were rather shocked when I told them this I could not do because our VN policy stinks…” On page two, Salinger writes 10 lengthy stories about the “headlines” from page one, calling it a “six-penny edition”. The letter then reflects upon the saying that “we have the government we deserve” with Salinger writing, “…It would appear that the British and Americans have been very naughty indeed to have the governments they currently have…[signed] J.D. Salinger”. Letter measures 8.5″ x 11″ on three separate sheets. Folds from mailing, staple holes and paper loss at the upper left corners; overall in very good plus condition. Photo has been intentionally blurred. Sold for $9,424.
Oscar Wilde Autograph Letter Signed — “…I have been writing, and I have an idea that some of my letters have gone astray…”
Oscar Wilde autograph letter signed, undated though circa 1890, on letterhead bearing his “16, Tite Street” address. Wilde writes to John Knowles, editor of “The Nineteenth Century: “…I do not know if you have yet sent me a cheque for my last article, as I have been writing, and I have an idea that some of my letters have gone astray. Kindly let me know if it has been sent, and I will make enquiries…Oscar Wilde.” 2pp. on card-style stationery measuring 4.75″ x 6.5″. Heavily toned on first page; in good condition with dark writing. Sold for $3,600.
FREE VALUATION. To buy, auction, sell or consign your James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson that is for sale, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (http://www.NateDSanders.com).
We offer the following services for your James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson:
- Appraise James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson.
- Auction James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson.
- Consign James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson.
- Estimate James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson.
- Sell James Boswell signed letter re Samuel Johnson.