[Autograph Letter, Signed ("SL Clemens"), to Richard Watson Gilder] by Clemens, Samuel L - 31 "Janiwary [sic]" 1887

2 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated Monday morning. Postmarked [?]January 12, 1835. With "Weynen Superfin" blindstamped to upper portions of leaves. Integral address panel with the recipient's name and the address of the Austrian Embassy in Paris to final page. With fully intact red wax seal. In Italian and French (with translation). Bellini tries to secure the Count a place at the première of his latest opera and invites the Count's wife to one of its dress rehearsals. "... I met your cousin at Madame Graham's and I begged him to tell you that I had gone to the Bureau des Italiens to try to grant your wish ... therefore, if the day of the first performance falls on a day when the halls are occupied almost entirely by subscribers, you'll get priority ... Tell [the Countess] I am sorry I am not yet able to leave my desk, since I'm always working on the opera. I hope she will want to honor me by coming to some dress rehearsal, to give me advice with her delicate musical taste ... " Slightly worn and… Read More

Paris, 1953. One and one half page pen and ink letter (26.5 x 21.5 cm.) on single sheet of pale blue Paul Cushing Child stationery, with ink date stamp ("May 18 1953"), addressed, "USIS. 5 Place de Rome, Marseille (B du Rh)". ~ An early letter from Julia Child, written while she was living in Paris with her husband Paul and working on her first book, the seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Child writes to a Mrs. Fairbanks: "What a nice hour we spent with you the other afternoon. I only wish it could be repeated, as I would love to hear more about Thomas Wolfe and all you know about him. It would also be fascinating for me to hear much much more about your culinary experiences. Mrs. de Santillana [Child's editor] says you are the best cooks she knows, and I can well believe it from the interest you take. It is indeed a fascinating subject and a beau métier. Had a nice talk about friture de cheval pour les frites [possibly french fries cooked in horse fat] with your chauffeur on the way home… Read More

BOUGAINVILLE, LOUIS-ANTOINE. (1729-1811). French navigator who led the first French voyage around the world in 1766-1769, making significant geographical observations; the South American climbing plant Bougainvillea is named in his honor. ADS. ("De Bougainville"). ½p. Tall 4to. Versailles, September 5, 1764. To the French Minister of Foreign Affairs ÉTIENNE FRANÇOIS, DUC DE CHOISEUL (1719-1785). In French with translation.
"Memorandum

Mr de Bougainville begs Monseigneur the Duke de Choiseul to be good enough to grant Sir de Romainville an appointment of infantry lieutenant. This young man embarks with him and must be employed in the colony both for detachments and for the reconnaissance of the island. He's already participated to the campaigns of 1759 and 1760 and 1761 as volunteer in the chasseurs of Conflans and that of 1762 as aide-de-camp of Mr. Dennery chief of the Condé army general staff..."
A French army officer who worked in London's French embassy, Bougainville served as General… Read More

Frontispiece portrait of the author by Richard Cosway; two folding plates : "The English balloon and appendages in which Mr. Lunardi ascended into the Atmosphere..." and "Apparatus for filling Mr. Lunardi's balloon." Original sturdy full gilt ruled red morocco. Large gilt "A" to head of spine followed by title; gilt inner dentelles, gilt tooled edges. Tasteful bookplate of Revernd Richard Dickson to front pastedown together with small circular plate of Frances L. Dickson. Sixty-six oddly paginated pages (pp. 25-32 numbered 33-40, without loss & with proper catchwords) followed by Explanation of the Plates and one page of publisher's advertisements . A nicely bound copy without the usual losses. ; 12 mo; 67,[i] pages; 13 x 20.5 cm.; Signed by Author; All shipments through USPS insured Priority Mail.

2 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated "31 Juillet," no year. To an unidentified male correspondent. On lined paper. In French (with translation). Berlioz apologizes for not being able to edit his article on Bortnyansky, with which he hopes his correspondent will be satisfied. "The fragment of musical criticism which I wanted to add to the item on Bortnianski is in the hands of Mr. M. Levy's printer who is at present bringing out a book which contains this article. It is impossible for me - since the printer is not in Paris - to rework my manuscript. Therefore be good enough to be satisfied with the Russian article; it is accurate, on the whole, and it would be difficult for me to redo a study on Bortnianski and Emperor of Russia's singers that is already done." The composer/critic goes on say that he would be happy for extracts of the article to appear in L'Illustration and, in a postscript, asks his correspondent to send him a copy of the periodical in which his article appears. Slightly worn;… Read More

2 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated Monday morning. Postmarked [?]January 12, 1835. With "Weynen Superfin" blindstamped to upper portions of leaves. Integral address panel with the recipient's name and the address of the Austrian Embassy in Paris to final page. With fully intact red wax seal. In Italian and French (with translation). Bellini tries to secure the Count a place at the première of his latest opera and invites the Count's wife to one of its dress rehearsals. "... I met your cousin at Madame Graham's and I begged him to tell you that I had gone to the Bureau des Italiens to try to grant your wish ... therefore, if the day of the first performance falls on a day when the halls are occupied almost entirely by subscribers, you'll get priority ... Tell [the Countess] I am sorry I am not yet able to leave my desk, since I'm always working on the opera. I hope she will want to honor me by coming to some dress rehearsal, to give me advice with her delicate musical taste ... " Slightly worn and… Read More

Paris, 1953. One and one half page pen and ink letter (26.5 x 21.5 cm.) on single sheet of pale blue Paul Cushing Child stationery, with ink date stamp ("May 18 1953"), addressed, "USIS. 5 Place de Rome, Marseille (B du Rh)". ~ An early letter from Julia Child, written while she was living in Paris with her husband Paul and working on her first book, the seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Child writes to a Mrs. Fairbanks: "What a nice hour we spent with you the other afternoon. I only wish it could be repeated, as I would love to hear more about Thomas Wolfe and all you know about him. It would also be fascinating for me to hear much much more about your culinary experiences. Mrs. de Santillana [Child's editor] says you are the best cooks she knows, and I can well believe it from the interest you take. It is indeed a fascinating subject and a beau métier. Had a nice talk about friture de cheval pour les frites [possibly french fries cooked in horse fat] with your chauffeur on the way home… Read More

BOUGAINVILLE, LOUIS-ANTOINE. (1729-1811). French navigator who led the first French voyage around the world in 1766-1769, making significant geographical observations; the South American climbing plant Bougainvillea is named in his honor. ADS. ("De Bougainville"). ½p. Tall 4to. Versailles, September 5, 1764. To the French Minister of Foreign Affairs ÉTIENNE FRANÇOIS, DUC DE CHOISEUL (1719-1785). In French with translation.
"Memorandum

Mr de Bougainville begs Monseigneur the Duke de Choiseul to be good enough to grant Sir de Romainville an appointment of infantry lieutenant. This young man embarks with him and must be employed in the colony both for detachments and for the reconnaissance of the island. He's already participated to the campaigns of 1759 and 1760 and 1761 as volunteer in the chasseurs of Conflans and that of 1762 as aide-de-camp of Mr. Dennery chief of the Condé army general staff..."
A French army officer who worked in London's French embassy, Bougainville served as General… Read More

Frontispiece portrait of the author by Richard Cosway; two folding plates : "The English balloon and appendages in which Mr. Lunardi ascended into the Atmosphere..." and "Apparatus for filling Mr. Lunardi's balloon." Original sturdy full gilt ruled red morocco. Large gilt "A" to head of spine followed by title; gilt inner dentelles, gilt tooled edges. Tasteful bookplate of Revernd Richard Dickson to front pastedown together with small circular plate of Frances L. Dickson. Sixty-six oddly paginated pages (pp. 25-32 numbered 33-40, without loss & with proper catchwords) followed by Explanation of the Plates and one page of publisher's advertisements . A nicely bound copy without the usual losses. ; 12 mo; 67,[i] pages; 13 x 20.5 cm.; Signed by Author; All shipments through USPS insured Priority Mail.

2 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated "31 Juillet," no year. To an unidentified male correspondent. On lined paper. In French (with translation). Berlioz apologizes for not being able to edit his article on Bortnyansky, with which he hopes his correspondent will be satisfied. "The fragment of musical criticism which I wanted to add to the item on Bortnianski is in the hands of Mr. M. Levy's printer who is at present bringing out a book which contains this article. It is impossible for me - since the printer is not in Paris - to rework my manuscript. Therefore be good enough to be satisfied with the Russian article; it is accurate, on the whole, and it would be difficult for me to redo a study on Bortnianski and Emperor of Russia's singers that is already done." The composer/critic goes on say that he would be happy for extracts of the article to appear in L'Illustration and, in a postscript, asks his correspondent to send him a copy of the periodical in which his article appears. Slightly worn;… Read More