L12404

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Lot 130
  • 130

Dodgson, Charles Lutwidge ("Lewis Carroll").

Estimate
2,000 - 3,000 GBP
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Description

  • Three autograph letters signed ("C.L. Dodgson") to Mrs [Constance Emily] Burch
  • PAPER
giving four 'propositions that cannot be disputed' about travelling with little luggage ('...Though on pleasure I am bent, I have a frugal mind...') and proposing an expedition to 'include pictures (either R.A. or New) and a matinée of the Merchant of Venice' during June; writing to express his concern over 'the serious cause which made you postpone my call' and hoping that it is not 'so grave a case as it evidently seemed when you wrote'; and to castigate the recipient for making reference to the author's intended performance of a story ('...you are so evidently not aware how intensely I dislike having anything of my writing made the subject of conversation in the presence of strangers... Did you not wonder a little at my introducing each time that you returned to the subject of the Snark, a new topic? It was done in the hope of getting away from the subject I disliked!') and explaining that his performance would now 'be told under great disadvantages', 8vo and oblong 8vo, 6 pages, Christ Church Oxford, 20 May 1893 – 3 May 1896, some creases and light soiling

Condition

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

An insight into the author's relationship with an adult: Cohen notes that 'this is one instance where his friendship with the mother surpassed that with the daughters' (see ed. Morton N. Cohen, The Letters of Lewis Carroll, London, 1979, p. 955).

Constance Burch (née Jeffries) (1855-1937) was married to George James Burch (1852-1914), a professor of physics. Their children were Irene, Raymond and Dorothy.

These letters are accompanied by a three-page 'Recollections of Lewis Carroll' written in 1971 by Dorothy Burch. This document reveals that Dodgson had promised to tell a story to an assembled party of children and that Mrs Burch had let people know this would occur. The author's criticism of her indiscretion states that 'expectation' would be 'raised to a high pitch, quite unattainable by the actual performance' and therefore result in 'consequent disappointment'.

The Lewis Carroll diaries record that his cousin, May Wilcox, joined Dodgson on 10 June 1893 rather than Mrs Burch. Nevertheless, there are frequent references throughout the diaries to Mrs Burch and her children, especially Irene.

The first letter and third letters are published by Cohen, the other is apparently unpublished.