- 200
# - Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan and Rudyard Kipling.
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Collection of letters addressed to the American journalist D. Thomas Curtin during the First World War, including two autograph letters by kipling about prisoners of war, and six autograph letters by doyle:
the first letter by Kipling responding to Curtin's reports in The Times about the treatment of British prisoners during the First World War, urging him to use his first-hand knowledge to inform the public about the "actualities of war", condemning the "reticence...on the part of our own authorities...which has done so much harm to the temper of our people" ("...we have been pap-fed...from the first and any attempt to describe in cold blood what was done in cold blood to English prisoners has been blocked..."), and asking about the existence of prisoners of whose capture no official notification has been made ("...I ask because I have a personal stake in this matter..."); his second letter explaining that there have been reports of imprisoned officers who are neither in hiding nor suffering from amnesia but who have never communicated with their families ("...These cases are difficult to account for..."); 4 pages, 8vo, headed "Private", on printed stationery of Bateman's Burwash, Sussex, 16 and 31 October 1916, rustmarks from paperclips
the letters by Doyle commenting on Curtin's book The Land of Deepening Shadow: Germany at War and on revelations about the extraction of glycerine from dead soldiers ("...it is the crowning horror and exceeds anything ever heard of in the world's history..."), encouraging him to "keep in touch with psychical Research" ("...It is the greatest thing in the world now. Avoid the vulgar seance...I am very distrustful of the paid medium..."), regretting its lack of support in America and complaining of "the frantic & ignorant outcry of houdini..."; 8 pages, chiefly 8vo, all on headed stationery, one autograph envelope, Windlesham, Sussex, 15 Buckingham Palace Mansions and Grosvenor Hotel, London, undated [c.1917-24], a few rustmarks from paperclips
[together with:] 5 letters to Curtin by Upton Sinclair, Arthur W. Page, James W. Gerard and George Creel, 29 October 1916 to 20 September 1918; a further letter by Walter H. Page as the wartime US ambassador in London, to Lord Northcliffe, about apologising to Curtin "for improper treatment "; and a small group of printed material inscribed by Lord Northcliffe to Curtin, "who dragged the truth out of Germany"
the letters by Doyle commenting on Curtin's book The Land of Deepening Shadow: Germany at War and on revelations about the extraction of glycerine from dead soldiers ("...it is the crowning horror and exceeds anything ever heard of in the world's history..."), encouraging him to "keep in touch with psychical Research" ("...It is the greatest thing in the world now. Avoid the vulgar seance...I am very distrustful of the paid medium..."), regretting its lack of support in America and complaining of "the frantic & ignorant outcry of houdini..."; 8 pages, chiefly 8vo, all on headed stationery, one autograph envelope, Windlesham, Sussex, 15 Buckingham Palace Mansions and Grosvenor Hotel, London, undated [c.1917-24], a few rustmarks from paperclips
[together with:] 5 letters to Curtin by Upton Sinclair, Arthur W. Page, James W. Gerard and George Creel, 29 October 1916 to 20 September 1918; a further letter by Walter H. Page as the wartime US ambassador in London, to Lord Northcliffe, about apologising to Curtin "for improper treatment "; and a small group of printed material inscribed by Lord Northcliffe to Curtin, "who dragged the truth out of Germany"
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate. If you require additional information we would recommend viewing the item during the exhibition or contacting one of the specialists for this sale.
"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."
"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."