- 75
Byron, George Gordon Noel, Lord
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
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Description
- Byron, George Gordon Noel, Lord
- Autograph letter signed ("B"), to John Murray
- paper
giving instructions on the publication of The Corsair ("...let the Notes be at the end as in the other tale. I shall send some mottos from Dante for each Canto - & for the title page..."), 1 page, oblong 4to, integral autograph address panel, [c.5-6 January 1814], seal tears, tear not affecting text, fraying at edges
[with:] John Murray, autograph letter signed, to Thomas Moore, telling him that "Lord Byron, who is at my side, has just completed a poem in 3 Cantos entitled the Corsair" and asking permission to dedicate it to Moore, 2 pages, 8vo, [Albemarle Street, London], "Tuesday" [January 1814]; and John Cam Hobhouse, autograph letter signed, to John Murray, agreeing to look over Byron's manuscripts, 1 page, 8vo, Whitton Park, "Tuesday"; altogether three letters
[with:] John Murray, autograph letter signed, to Thomas Moore, telling him that "Lord Byron, who is at my side, has just completed a poem in 3 Cantos entitled the Corsair" and asking permission to dedicate it to Moore, 2 pages, 8vo, [Albemarle Street, London], "Tuesday" [January 1814]; and John Cam Hobhouse, autograph letter signed, to John Murray, agreeing to look over Byron's manuscripts, 1 page, 8vo, Whitton Park, "Tuesday"; altogether three letters
Provenance
(Byron letter) Purchased from Elkin Mathews, 30 November 1938, £16; (all three items) Halsted B. Vander Poel; sale of his collection, Christie's, 3 March 2004, lot 75
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when 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."
"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
The Corsair was published on 1 February 1815 with a dedicatory epistle to Moore and Italian epigraphs (in fact Byron chose a line from Tasso rather than Dante for the title page) discussed in these letters. It was a phenomenal success: the entire first edition of 10,000 copies sold out on the day of publication and within a fortnight the poem had gone into a 5th edition.