A trove of old letters
Gotta love a book that begins,
“Years ago I found a trove of old letters. I found them in a broken-down steamer trunk buried under moldy blankets in a dilapidated shed attached to a decrepit row house.”
These words open the 2014 book Nina Sankovitch entitled, Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Celebrating the Joys of Letter Writing.
Although I’ve heard of her Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, it was a blog post about LETTERS that brought me to this later book. For the Love of Bookshops wrote about the genesis of Sankovitch’s “next” book:
Like Erin (the bookstore-loving blogger), I too cannot believe the “luck” of such a treasure trove. And, it’s addictive! The more I find on my Smiths & Goslings, the more I want to find.
Sankovitch’s “find” rather reminds me of the beginning of Célestine. Although Gillian Tindall’s trove was a handful of letters, the fascinating history of young Célestine, a French woman, made for a stupendous read and an enthralling untangling of someone’s past. Nina Sankovitch’s stash turned out to be early 20th century: a mother & son correspondence. Thanks goodness the letters found a home!
I’m Curious: The Connoisseur
I’m curious to find out if any Two Teens readers know of ANY publication comparable to an old journal called The Connoisseur. This magazine ceased publication in 1992, but throughout much of the twentieth century it catered to an audience interested in art, portraiture, heraldry, genealogy, antiques, furniture, lace, books – and Notes & Queries from readers!
I have a copy (online) from 1915. It is absolutely FASCINATING!
- February 1915 features “Some Unpublished Lawrence Portraits”
- two unidentified portraits in a private collection, wanting to be ID’ed
- “Notes on Wincanton Delft”
- answers to earlier unidentified paintings
- and “notes” on Rowlandson drawings
I’d be interested to learn if ANYTHING even remotely similar is out there, in print or online. It must indeed have offered a unique “given-and-take” for collectors, as well as those (like me) who just have an interest — or a burning desire to uncover things currently shrouded in mystery. Like more letters, diaries, or portraits of my dear Smiths & Goslings!
Between it’s articles and its queries, The Connoisseur: a magazine for Collectors must indeed have been a “crowd-sourced” pleasure to see on the newsstand or in your mailbox.
Here’s what I’ve quickly found, and hope you derive as much pleasure perusing their pages as I have:
- volume 1: Sept-Dec 1901
- volume 10: Sept-Dec 1904
- volume 13: Sept-Dec 1905
- volume 20: Jan-June 1908
- volume 54: May-August 1919
- volume 57: May-August 1920
- a complete index 1901-1905
- more editions and my copy of 1915 and more 1915
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“Things of beauty“: a 2014 blogger discusses the lure of the Connoisseur.
Naval Journal, 1858-1859
As always, finding an item LONG after it’s been sold at auction. Today’s find was this journal, written by Harry Holdsworth Rawson, aboard HMS Calcutta. Of interest to ME because young Rawson (only fourteen years old) was under Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, Richard Seymour’s brother. Richard’s diary, of course, has mention of his seafaring brother (and the wife & children left behind in England) – but, like mentions of his father (also Sir Michael Seymour), they are mainly of leaves or letters.
I’ve heard a little about Michael on shipboard, mainly because some of the children of Richard Seymour and John Culme-Seymour were aboard with him. How thrilling to hear of such a precious relic.
Would be interested to hear if anyone knows the present whereabouts of this journal, sold at Bonham’s on 19 March 2014.
Two Teens in the Time of Austen 