Every day Sophie Dupre presents two items from her large stock of signed photographs, autograph letters, autographs for sale, royal memoralbilia and antiquarian manuscripts.
The photographs are presented with the catalogue descriptions.
On this day... see what happened on your special day
December 24
ON THIS DAY
On this day in 1822 Matthew Arnold was born. He was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School.
In 1980 Karl Dönitz died at the age of 89. He was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II. Dönitz succeeded Adolf Hitler as the head of state of Germany.
“A QUARTO CAN NEVER COME INTO COMMON USE”
ARNOLD (Matthew, 1822-1888, Poet)
Autograph Letter Signed to Morell thanking him for his “very handsome, very interesting and very useful volume. Its only fault is that for a volume so useful, it it too handsome; a quarto can never come into common use, and this book ought to come into common use, it meets so real a want ... no doubt ... you and Longman know your own business better than I do, and perhaps the work will appear as a schoolbook when it has succeeded and pleased, as it well deserves ... in its present form. Nothing is more interesting than the transition from the ancient world to modern history, and nothing is more neglected by English teachers of history. The great Italian Renaissance was entirely hidden from English sight, when I was a boy, by the German Reformation, and it is too much hidden from English sight still ...”, he continue with best wishes and saying that he doesn’t “forget my pleasant intercourse with you in the old days ...”, 3 sides 8vo., together with a print by the NPG, Education Department, Whitehall stamped paper, Cobham, Surrey, 24th January no year but circa 1880 slight mark around the edge of the second and third sides from former mounting
38573
DÖNITZ (Karl, 1891-1980, German Grand Admiral who succeeded Hitler)
Postcard photo signed and dated, showing him head and shoulders in uniform, 5¾” x 4¼”, no place, 11th February 1967
38620
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