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
February 13
On this day in 1858 Sir Richard Burton & John Speake were exploring Lake Tanganyika in Africa. Also on this day in 1754 Charles Maurice de Talleyrand was born. His career spanned the regimes of Louis XVI, the French Revolution, Napoleon, Louis XVIII, and Louis-Philippe. Those he served often distrusted him but, like Napoleon, found him extremely useful. The name "Talleyrand" has become a byword for crafty, cynical diplomacy.
BURTON (Sir Richard Francis, 1821-1890, Traveller, Explorer and Linguist)
Fine Autograph Letter signed to Professor D. Oliver (Arabian traveller and writer) 1860
THE CISALPINE REPUBLIC IN TROUBLE
TALLEYRAND (Charles Maurice, Prince de Benevento, 1754-1838, French Statesman under Napoleon)
Document Signed ‘Ch. Mau. Talleyrand’ to F. SERBELLONI as Ambassador in Paris of the Cisalpine Republic (sic, Gian Galeazzo SERBELLONI, 1744-1802, First President of the Cisalpine Executive Directory, July 1797, Ambassador, November 1797 - June 1800), in French with translation, informing him that “on learning of the retreat to Chambéry of several members of the Executive Directory and Public Officers of the Cisalpine Republic”, the French Directory “has given immediate orders that the National Treasury place 50,000 francs at their disposal ... payable at Chambéry itself to the Cisalpine Directory or to one of its members”, with inserted a copy, inscribed “Copy. FS”, of a document addressed to Serbelloni, that needs to be presented to the cashier at Chambéry, and with Serbelloni’s copy note, that it will be presented by “Citizen Marescalchi”, 1 side 4to., Paris, 16th and 18th Prairial, the main document 1 side 4to. and conjugate address leaf, Paris, 16th Prairial Year 7, 4th June 1799, small portion of address leaf caught on opening seal, dividing an ‘External Affairs’ stamp, and with short closed tear to central fold, all without loss
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