Wagner, Cosima

1) to her half-sister Claire, signed ("Cosima Liszt"), DESCRIBING A VISIT TO HER FATHER FRANZ LISZT IN WEIMAR, whose household routine has been turned upside down as a result, providing an account of the events of a typical day, and expressing her delight at discovering her father's talent for reading aloud ("...l'autre jour nous l'avons prié de nous lire une pièce de Molière et j'ai été stupéfaite de son animation, de son entrain..."); also in the letter she describes the Weimar Park and the Belvedere, provides rapturous accounts of the musical life of the city, which has stirred her emotions so deeply that she is almost ill ("...Mon emotion m'emporte dans je ne sais quelles régions...le lendemain de ces visions je suis souvent souffrante, c'est le choc continuel de mon âme contre mon corps..."), and gives a long account of the paintings she has seen, 8 pages, 8vo, [Weimar], 19 August 1855, some scattered spotting
2) to her mother Marie d'Agoult, signed ("votre Cosima"), referring to Ludwig II of Bavaria ("un roi de conte de fées, bon, beau, intelligent, jeune et énergique"), Hans von Bülow, Countess Karolyi, Baron Angusy and others, and discussing articles by her mother about Saint Lupicin, and the political situation in Hungary ("Il ya chez ce peuple opprimé comme peut-être nul autre une vitalité incroyable"), 4 pages, 8vo, no place, 16 November 1865, some spotting and browning
3) to Countess Charnacé, written while Cosima was still married to the conductor Hans von Bülow, signed ("Cosima"), about the serious illness of her mother, also concerning Gottfried Semper, and her titanic efforts to dispel her sadness, noting that the arrival of her things from Munich and the [first] performance of Das Rheingold against the composer's wishes give her the feeling sometimes of drowning, 4 pages, 8vo, [Tribschen, 24 September 1869]

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."

All three letters predate Cosima's marriage to Richard Wagner in August 1870.