Lot 366

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

William Dean Howells, 2 ALSs Incl. 1 on "Atlantic Monthly" Letterhead

Two autograph letters signed by important literary figure William Dean Howells (1837-1920), both signed by him as "W.D. Howells." The first letter dates from 1868 and features literary content related to the "Atlantic Monthly" magazine which Howells edited, while the second dates from 1912. Expected superficial wear consistent with age, else near fine. The larger of the two letters measures 5" x 8."

The lot consists of:

1. A 1p autograph letter signed by Howells written in Boston, Massachusetts on February 6, 1868 on a leaf of paper with pre-printed letterhead reading, "Office of the Atlantic Monthly, / No. 124 Tremont Street. / Boston…" Neatly docketed by the recipient verso. Flattened transmittal folds and isolated pencil marks by a former collector, else near fine. 5" x 8."

Howells had served as assistant editor at the "Atlantic Monthly" under James T. Fields since 1866, and would serve as the magazine's editor from 1871-1881. Howells addressed this letter to "Col. Higginson." This was Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1823-1911), a dedicated abolitionist who had commanded one of the first federally authorized all-black regiments of escaped slaves during the Civil War.

Howells wrote in part: "We should be very glad of a short notice of George Channing's Recollections of Newport, if you could make it for us within the next three weeks…The book came to me, but I felt that you had made Newport so much your own, that I had no business to talk of it. Mr. Fields says to get the book at one of your own bookseller's."

Higginson was a resident of Newport, Rhode Island, and was also the husband of Mary Elizabeth Channing, whose surname suggests she was related to George G. Channing, author of the aforementioned book, "Early Recollections of Newport, R.I., From the Year 1793 to 1811" (Newport, RI: A.J. Ward; Charles E. Hammett, Jr., 1868).

2. A 1p autograph letter signed by Howells written at 12 East 58th Street, New York City, on February 24, 1912. Addressed to one "Mr. Thomas," Howells wrote in part, "As you were kind to Mr. Rile before, will not you be kind to him again and look up his Institute affair, and write him just how the matter stands?" On blue flocked stationery with expected paper folds and isolated pencil marks. A tiny pinhole is located in the upper left corner, else near fine. 4.875" x 7.75."

William Dean Howells was a playwright, novelist, editor, and literary critic. His cultivation of up-and-coming new American writers, as well as his openness to and admiration for international writers like Henrik Ibsen, Emile Zola, and Leo Tolstoy, legitimized their work in the United States.

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:

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.

December 14, 2022 11:00 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