"Will out of the kindness of their hearts a few philosophers tell me" by CUMMINGS, E.E - ca. 1926

1902. September 22 [1902]. Written to Mr. [William V.] Alexander, editor of Ladies Home Journal, who had requested a series of articles from Keller that were later published as The Story of My Life. Keller humbly thanks Alexander for payment for the last article; in part: "I only wish I could have made the story of my life more worthy of the generous praise it has received...It has meant a great deal in my life, and in Miss Sullivan's too -- the thought of the happiness that she says my compliance with your request has brought her is sweeter even than the thought of the kindness shown me in the letters that come constantly from old friends long silent and new friends whose words go to the heart..." Two 5" x 8" pages, typed with blue ribbon and signed "Helen Keller." A very early letter by Keller, preceding her first book, with exceptionally good content. Fine. No Binding. Fine.

London: Constable and Company Ltd., 1943 and 1944. First Edition. Letter. Very Good to Near Fine in a custom slipcase. Laurence A246 for the printed book. This collection, all housed in a green cloth chemise within a half green morocco slipcase gilt-lettered on the spine and front cover, consists of seven items related to the book: a single page typed Manuscript Revised Contents Table dated 21 August 1943 with several corrections in Shaw's hand numbering about 30 words; three examples of proof pages for the title page with simple corrections by Shaw including the elimination of "Machiavelli Modernized" from the title (noted by Laurence as being eliminated by Shaw in the final page-proof); and three AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED by Shaw with his initials (two on postcards and one on both sides of a small sheet of paper), one letter in Pitman's Shorthand (with a typed transcript), all to John Wardrop regarding proofs and the index for the book as well as Shaw's wife's illness. Some excerpts: "I always sign… Read More

1983 - 1990. Letters. Folds from mailing. Near Fine. Superb archive of seven letters from the author of ANGELA'S ASHES to R'Lene Dahlberg, fellow teacher at Stuyvesant High School, friend, wife of author Edward Dahlberg, and muse. Mostly chatty correspondence, all but two pages handwritten by McCourt, complete with hand-addressed envelopes and mostly written in New York City. In one letter McCourt describes being at Rockaway Beach with his daughter Maggie who is searching for her lost hamster with a friend: "The little bugger won't come out. I've tempted him with everything from carrots to watercress. I've made assorted seductive noises. I've exposed mineself. I've even promised him a night out with a hamsteress. To no avail. Maggie & Clare are less interested in hamsters than in boys. It's all boys now. Boys, boys, boys. I'll break her face. She checks herself out in the mirror by the hour. I told her cut it out. She [sic] wearing out the mirror. Also, I'm getting an education in teeny bop mating… Read More

New York., 1/20/58. 7.5 x 10.5 Arena Bond Paper Rag Content by Ailing & Cory Co. Rochester, NY (1819-1999). Signed by Herbert Hoover in blue ink. Fine. "Dear Mrs. Laserte: I greatly dislike writing begging letters but I am as convinced of the great importance of the Boys' Clubs of America that I violate my rule in asking your consideration of a contribution among the many other calls upon you at this time. In this work there are 500 boys' Clubs with more thatn 425,000 boy members in the slum areas of 290 cities throughout the country where we definitely are reducing delinquency, improving health, morals and preparing them for the skilled trades. The are some 3,000,000 such boys and the country is in great need of expansion of this movement. We do no ask for much from any one individual and most gifts are from $10.00 to $25.00. They are, of course, tax deductible. I send you herewith a leaflet which explains the work. I hope it commends itself to you. Faithfully Herbert Hoover. P.S.… Read More

No Binding. Very Good. Printed letter, signed in ink, from H. Johnson, Governor of Louisiana, to the Governor of New York (DeWitt Clinton), dated February 16th, 1826, stating that the state of Louisiana rejects Ohio's plan for the gradual emancipation of slaves. 2 pages, 8 by 10 inches. The letter reads: In compliance with the request of the Legislature of this State, I have the honor to transmit to you a copy of a resolution of the said Legislature, passed at their present session, and to request that you will be pleased to lay the same before the Legislature of the State over which you preside . . . Your Excellencys Obedient servant, H. Johnson. The address leaf carries a New Orleans circular cancel with a 25 ms rate. Together with the resolution: Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana in General Assembly convened, That this legislature does not concur in certain resolutions adopted by the General Assembly of Ohio, at their session in the year one thousand… Read More

1902. September 22 [1902]. Written to Mr. [William V.] Alexander, editor of Ladies Home Journal, who had requested a series of articles from Keller that were later published as The Story of My Life. Keller humbly thanks Alexander for payment for the last article; in part: "I only wish I could have made the story of my life more worthy of the generous praise it has received...It has meant a great deal in my life, and in Miss Sullivan's too -- the thought of the happiness that she says my compliance with your request has brought her is sweeter even than the thought of the kindness shown me in the letters that come constantly from old friends long silent and new friends whose words go to the heart..." Two 5" x 8" pages, typed with blue ribbon and signed "Helen Keller." A very early letter by Keller, preceding her first book, with exceptionally good content. Fine. No Binding. Fine.

1983 - 1990. Letters. Folds from mailing. Near Fine. Superb archive of seven letters from the author of ANGELA'S ASHES to R'Lene Dahlberg, fellow teacher at Stuyvesant High School, friend, wife of author Edward Dahlberg, and muse. Mostly chatty correspondence, all but two pages handwritten by McCourt, complete with hand-addressed envelopes and mostly written in New York City. In one letter McCourt describes being at Rockaway Beach with his daughter Maggie who is searching for her lost hamster with a friend: "The little bugger won't come out. I've tempted him with everything from carrots to watercress. I've made assorted seductive noises. I've exposed mineself. I've even promised him a night out with a hamsteress. To no avail. Maggie & Clare are less interested in hamsters than in boys. It's all boys now. Boys, boys, boys. I'll break her face. She checks herself out in the mirror by the hour. I told her cut it out. She [sic] wearing out the mirror. Also, I'm getting an education in teeny bop mating… Read More

Small quarto, 2 pages, with a conjugate blank leaf. Thin strip of tissue-paper on the outside rear page, and minimal loss to this blank leaf near the centre of the hinge (both as a result of having been mounted in, then removed from, an album); light creases where folded in four for posting; in excellent condition. Humboldt writes to introduce the geologist Alexandre Brongniart, remembering with gratitude the assistance rendered by le Duc to himself and his friends and collaborators, [Louis Joseph] Gay-Lussac and [Christian Leopold von] Buch. He hopes that M. Brongniart, 'l'homme célèbre', who wishes to visit Vesuvius and the lava flows of Ischia, will be afforded similar kindnesses. Nicola Filomarino, duca della Torre and principe di Boiano, devoted much of his scientific career to the study of Vesuvius and the volcanology of Campania. In August 1805 he accompanied Humboldt to the crater of Vesuvius, with Humboldt's journal recording that his observations were made with the aid of the Duke's… Read More

1972. Near Fine. A warm, gracious 2 pg. ALS from the photographer Paul Strand, referencing --among other things-- an evening with Hart Crane. Strand is patiently responding (from France) to a Vietnam vet (whose 2 letters are here included) who asks if he and his wife might work for an aging Strand in any capacity. Strand's August 1972 8 1/4" x 10 1/2" letter in response is bright and clean and has held up nicely. His hand is strong and the ball-point ink completely legible. Also includes the original enevelope (addressed in Strand's hand and postmarked "Yvesines", France).

1 page. Octavo (ca. 168 x 122 mm). Dated Thursday evening. On mourning stationery. In French (with translation). "I have to attend [?Louis] Laloy's premiere; naturally that is tomorrow, on Friday ... Would you change the enclosed tickets for Saturday? Thanks again ..." Slightly worn and browned; creased at folds and upper outer corner of final blank folio; small rust stain from paper clip to inner margin of final folio, not affecting text. "One of the most important musicians of his time, [Debussy's] harmonic innovations had a profound influence on generations of composers. He made a decisive move away from Wagnerism in his only complete opera Pelléas et Mélisande, and in his works for piano and for orchestra he created new genres and revealed a range of timbre and colour which indicated a highly original musical aesthetic." François Lesure and Roy Howat in Grove Music Online. "Laloy [1874-1944] was a noted defender of contemporary French music and was a close friend of, and mediator between,… Read More