Lot 388

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

Henry James ALS to Prominent Boston Architect's Wife, Just A Few Weeks Before "A Passionate Pilgrim" Was Published in Book Form

A 2pp autograph letter boldly signed by novelist Henry James (1843-1916) as "Henry James jr:" on the second page. December 31, [n.y.] but 1874. New York, New York. On cream bifold stationery. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds, isolated minor edge toning, and isolated pencil inscriptions from a previous collector, else near fine. 4.5" x 7." Accompanied by its original transmittal envelope also engrossed by James, bearing his "HJ" embossed red wax seal verso. Docketed in pencil along the top recto, and letter-opened at top. 4.875" x 3.625." Comes with an invoice from Dennis Holzman, Antiques, Rare Books, Ephemera (Albany, New York) listing a purchase price of nearly $800 in March 1999.

Henry James wrote this letter to "Mrs. Van Brunt," or Alice S. Osborn Van Brunt (1846-1932), the wife of prominent Boston-based architect Henry Van Brunt (1832-1903). Van Brunt was a partner in the architectural firm of Ware and Van Brunt, active between the 1860s-1880s, which was responsible for designing many university campus and municipal buildings in the Boston metropolitan area. In addition to designing, Van Brunt was also a dedicated architectural critic. This same year, 1874, his English translation of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's "Discourses on Architecture" was published.

James wrote in full:

"My dear Mrs. Van Brunt:
Your letter has come to me to day from Cambridge + I am condemned only to think ruefully of the pleasure you offer me this evening. I shall hope however to see you on my return. Miss Oakey, I believe, lives in New York, where I trust that fortune has in store for me the privilege of also making her acquaintance. I beg you to give my kind regards to your husband whom I was prevented by the hurry of departure from seeing before I left home, + to believe me with many regrets
Yours very truly
Henry James jr:
111 East 25th St.
New York. Dec. 31st."

The itinerant James lived only a short six-month-long period at 111 East 25th Street, from late December 1874 through June 1875, at which point he returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Just a weeks after declining Mrs. Van Brunt's invitation, on January 31, 1875, James would publish his "A Passionate Pilgrim and Other Tales" (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1875). The title novella recounted the travails of an unhappy American expatriate named Clement Searle in England.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

February 21, 2024 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000