Lot 101

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Description:

Ledbetter Huddie 1885 - 1949
Lead Belly sends Christmas and New Year's greetings to his managers and proposes a concert at the National Press Club in Washington




Autograph Letter Signed, "H Ledbetter," 1 page, 7" x 7.5", [New York, December 29, 1948] to Austin Fairbanks, one of his managers. The letter is accomplished on the second page of a four page bifolium on which his wife, Martha Promise Ledbetter (1904-1968) Autograph Letter Signed, 2 pages, 7" x 7.5", New York, December 29, 1948, also writes to Austin Fairbanks. Expected folds, very light toning at margins, else fine condition.



He writes in full (with his idiosyncratic spellings preserved): "Hello my Dear Friend How do you do merry xomass - Happy new year to you why Don you call me up sometime i would love to Here from you is so slow im Thinking That i will do a concert in washing ton at the nati[on]al Press Club seats 1500 Peoples there and roug[h] it I will Do the interductory and we will Do another one in Chicago Let me [kn]ow How you feel about it So Long H Ledbetter" While we have been unable to determine if Ledbetter performed at the National Press Club in 1949, however there are extant photographs of him playing at the club housed at the Library of Congress taken by photographer William P. Gottlieb and dated c. 1938-1948.



Martha's letter which appears on pages one and three of the folded sheet (with her idiosyncratic spellings preserved): "Dear Auston How are you and how are you enjoying Xmas well I am Sure you had a lots of Snow for Xmas as we did Well We Sure would like to here from you and where you are and what you are doing for your self we are just Sitting around Nuthing to do and no place to go if you are in New York during the Halodays Drop in to See us You will all ways find us I call Mrs Malchan[?] and she had not Heard from you either So Long (Martha)"



Letters written by Huddie Ledbetter are prohibitively rare. Only one other letter not from this source from Ledbetter (unsigned) has appeared on the market, and was sold privately some years ago. The only other Ledbetter autographic material that has appeared for sale are a precious few signed programs and a photograph, and assessing authenticity on these items would be an issue. This letter has the unique combination of his beloved wife Martha, the first to be offered. The only other known body of correspondence from Ledbetter is part of the John A. Lomax and Alan Lomax Papers at the Library of Congress and contains only twelve letters (AFC 1933/001).

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