THREE TYPED LETTERS, SIGNED by Benchley, Nathaniel - 1966

3 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated Bath Hotel, June 10, 1863. On letterhead with Pišek's small oval embossed monogram to upper left corner. In German (with translation). Pišek has had to cancel several concert engagements due to a family wedding, and send regrets that he will not be able to participate in Benedict's anniversary concert in London. He plans to return in April of 1864 for the season "in order to make up for what I could not fulfill this time." He wishes Benedict "all the best and great success" with his concert, and says "I would like to ask you to compose another scene for me when you feel like it, and to send it to me in Germany, so that next year I can perform it for the English concert goers." Slightly worn and browned; creased at folds with some short splits; small stain not affecting legibility; several small tears. A Bohemian baritone, "Pišek's voice was rich and expressive over a range of two octaves, and his use of the mezza voce and falsetto was particularly admired. Some… Read More

Exmouth, Eng, 1800. Very Good. 1 folded sheet creating 4 pages; handwritten letter on 2 pages (signed), 1 page blank, address on the 4th page. Teignmouth notes that "Lady Teignmouth has lately presented me with another son." The engraved portrait (drawn by J. Richmond, engraved by W. Walker) was published by Hatchard & Sons in 1843. John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth (1751-1834) was an official of the East India Co. and served as Governor General of Bengal from 1793 to 1797; the following year he was created Baron Teignmouth. He was also the first president of the British and Foreign Bible Society. In Very Good Condition: letter is lightly creased; lightly soiled; print is lightly soiled in margins; indentation at upper edge; image is clean and crisp.

1945. Near Fine. 1 typed letter, signed by President Herbert Hoover, on his personal stationery. Thanking Mrs. Joseph W. Jones of Bristol, Tennessee, who had sent a $10 donation to the Boys' Clubs of America in response to Hoover's appeal in the organization's behalf. Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933. After leaving the presidency, he and his wife had lived at Palo Alto, California. Following her death in 1944 he relocated to New York City; the address on this letter is 420 Lexington Ave., NYC. In Near Fine Condition: two horizontal folds; light additional creasing; clean and solid.

Washington, D.C.: Office of the Vice President, 1953. Near Fine. 1 typed letter on Office of the Vice President letterhead with eagl watermark, signed by Richard Nixon, dated 7 July 1953. Nixon was sending forms to Bryan F. LaPlante, Chief, Washington Area Security Operations, Atomic Energy Commission, to obtain a "Q" clearance for Christian A. Herter, Jr., who was to join Nixon's staff. Bears stamp of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission in lower corner. Christian A. Herter, Jr. (1919-2007), had served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives until his father, Christian A. Herter, Sr., was elected governor in 1953. Later that year he became an aide to Vice President Richard Nixon, travelling to Asia with him. In the 1960s he joined Mobil Oil, becoming Vice President in 1967. In 1970, then President Nixon appointed him deputy assistant secretary of state for environmental and population affairs. In Near Fine Condition: lightly creased; one small spot near left-hand edge; otherwise, clean and solid. Read More

1926. Very Good. 2 documents. The 1st is a typed letter, dated U. S. Naval Training Station, Hampton Roads, Va., 3 May 1926, signed "R. R. Belknap," informing Major Eben Putnam that he had received and would be happy to read Putnam's draft of an account of the North Sea Mine Barrage during World War One. The 2nd is a handwritten note from ? Rottingham, Military Historical Society of Massachusetts, about the account, noting that it is "going to Belknap." Major Eben Putnam (1868-1933) was a captain in the Quartermaster Corps from 1917 to 1919; following the war, he was an editor and author of genealogy and military history. Reginald Rowan Belknap (1871-1959) had a long and distinguished career in the U. S. Navy, including commanding Mine Squadron One, which laid the North Sea Mine Barrage during the First World War. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1927. In Very Good Condition: both letters have minor creasing and rust marks at upper edge; letter from Belknap is lightly soiled; smaller note… Read More

3 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated Bath Hotel, June 10, 1863. On letterhead with Pišek's small oval embossed monogram to upper left corner. In German (with translation). Pišek has had to cancel several concert engagements due to a family wedding, and send regrets that he will not be able to participate in Benedict's anniversary concert in London. He plans to return in April of 1864 for the season "in order to make up for what I could not fulfill this time." He wishes Benedict "all the best and great success" with his concert, and says "I would like to ask you to compose another scene for me when you feel like it, and to send it to me in Germany, so that next year I can perform it for the English concert goers." Slightly worn and browned; creased at folds with some short splits; small stain not affecting legibility; several small tears. A Bohemian baritone, "Pišek's voice was rich and expressive over a range of two octaves, and his use of the mezza voce and falsetto was particularly admired. Some… Read More

Exmouth, Eng, 1800. Very Good. 1 folded sheet creating 4 pages; handwritten letter on 2 pages (signed), 1 page blank, address on the 4th page. Teignmouth notes that "Lady Teignmouth has lately presented me with another son." The engraved portrait (drawn by J. Richmond, engraved by W. Walker) was published by Hatchard & Sons in 1843. John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth (1751-1834) was an official of the East India Co. and served as Governor General of Bengal from 1793 to 1797; the following year he was created Baron Teignmouth. He was also the first president of the British and Foreign Bible Society. In Very Good Condition: letter is lightly creased; lightly soiled; print is lightly soiled in margins; indentation at upper edge; image is clean and crisp.

1945. Near Fine. 1 typed letter, signed by President Herbert Hoover, on his personal stationery. Thanking Mrs. Joseph W. Jones of Bristol, Tennessee, who had sent a $10 donation to the Boys' Clubs of America in response to Hoover's appeal in the organization's behalf. Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933. After leaving the presidency, he and his wife had lived at Palo Alto, California. Following her death in 1944 he relocated to New York City; the address on this letter is 420 Lexington Ave., NYC. In Near Fine Condition: two horizontal folds; light additional creasing; clean and solid.

Washington, D.C.: Office of the Vice President, 1953. Near Fine. 1 typed letter on Office of the Vice President letterhead with eagl watermark, signed by Richard Nixon, dated 7 July 1953. Nixon was sending forms to Bryan F. LaPlante, Chief, Washington Area Security Operations, Atomic Energy Commission, to obtain a "Q" clearance for Christian A. Herter, Jr., who was to join Nixon's staff. Bears stamp of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission in lower corner. Christian A. Herter, Jr. (1919-2007), had served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives until his father, Christian A. Herter, Sr., was elected governor in 1953. Later that year he became an aide to Vice President Richard Nixon, travelling to Asia with him. In the 1960s he joined Mobil Oil, becoming Vice President in 1967. In 1970, then President Nixon appointed him deputy assistant secretary of state for environmental and population affairs. In Near Fine Condition: lightly creased; one small spot near left-hand edge; otherwise, clean and solid. Read More

1926. Very Good. 2 documents. The 1st is a typed letter, dated U. S. Naval Training Station, Hampton Roads, Va., 3 May 1926, signed "R. R. Belknap," informing Major Eben Putnam that he had received and would be happy to read Putnam's draft of an account of the North Sea Mine Barrage during World War One. The 2nd is a handwritten note from ? Rottingham, Military Historical Society of Massachusetts, about the account, noting that it is "going to Belknap." Major Eben Putnam (1868-1933) was a captain in the Quartermaster Corps from 1917 to 1919; following the war, he was an editor and author of genealogy and military history. Reginald Rowan Belknap (1871-1959) had a long and distinguished career in the U. S. Navy, including commanding Mine Squadron One, which laid the North Sea Mine Barrage during the First World War. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1927. In Very Good Condition: both letters have minor creasing and rust marks at upper edge; letter from Belknap is lightly soiled; smaller note… Read More