‎CAMPERT (Remco) & CROUWEL (Wim)‎
‎de letter...n‎

‎Autograph letter, undated (1792), adressed to J.Drugman, Pensionnaire de la Ville de Bruxelles.‎

‎" Holograph letter, 2 pp in-4° , written in French, signed Elgin. Thomas Bruce Elgin had a diplomatic function in Brussels in 1792. His correspondent was a member of the Breda Committee, which under the presidency of Van der Noot organised the first overthrow of the Austrian Habsburg regime in the Southern Low Countries. In this undated letter Elgin tells of the different rumours in Flanders concerning the advance of the French troops. He speaks of the lifting of the siege of Ypres by the French. This lifting took place immediately after the capture of Courtrai by the French marshal Luckner (18th June 1792) so one can assume that the letter was written at the end of June 1792. Added is letter by the same in which he tries to organise a meeting with his correspondant. (the ink of this letter is very faded). Interesting letter from the man chiefly remembered for the Elgin Marbles which he brought over from Athens to the British Museum, written to a lawyer who took an active part in the Brabant Revolution and who is reported by Frenchs agents as protesting against the French occupation of Belgium after their victory at Jemappes (6th November 1792). (See E.Cruyplants; Dumouriez... pp.199; on Drugman see e.g. Polasky; Revolution in Brussels pp.229)."‎

‎The Scarlet Letter‎

‎Internationale Bibliothek-GmbH 1921 241 pages in12. 1921. reliure editeur pleine toile. 241 pages. La Lettre écarlate de Nathaniel Hawthorne publiée en 1850 raconte l'histoire d'Hester Prynne une jeune femme condamnée à porter la lettre écarlate 'A' pour adultère dans la société puritaine de la Nouvelle-Angleterre du 17ème siècle. Le roman explore les thèmes du péché de la culpabilité de la rédemption et de l'hypocrisie sociale à travers les destins entrelacés d'Hester de son amant tourmenté et de son mari vengeur‎

‎Bon état‎

‎Autograph signed letter from Laxness to Neiiendam concerning the Chinese writer Yeh Chun-chan (Ye Junjian), translator of H.C. Andersen. - [SIGNED LETTER FROM NOBEL PRICE WINNER HALLDOR LAXNESS]‎

‎Reykjavik, 26 February, 1958. Original typewritten letter (280 × 208 mm), 1 page, 20 lines, with corrections in ink, signed by Laxness. Fine and clean. Accompanied by the two photographs of Laxness and Yen Chung Chien mentioned in the letter. Enclosed in the original envelope.‎

‎A highly interesting letter from the Icelandic Nobel laureate Halldór Laxness to a certain Neiiendam (possibly Henrik Neiiendam (1924–1996), a prominent Danish journalist, literary critic and theater reviewer), concerning the identity and career of the Chinese writer Yeh Chun-chan (Ye Junjian, 1914–1999). Laxness confirms that the author Neiiendam had enquired about is indeed the same writer in Latin letters as Yen Chung Chien, Chung-Chan Yeh and Yeh Chun-chan. He identifies him as the author of The Mountain Village written in English and describes him as “a highly esteemed and strongly engaged” figure in China associated with the Chinese Writers’ Union and the editorship of major cultural journals. Laxness notes that Yeh had translated H.C. Andersen's fairy tales into Chinese and recalls having met him almost daily in Peking in December when Yeh was a guest of the Danish ambassador, Aage Gregersen. The letter concludes with Laxness giving Yeh's address at the Chinese Writers’ Union, Peking, and mentioning that he is enclosing four snapshots taken in Peking during their journey including one of Yeh alone and others showing Yeh together with his Chinese interpreter, Laxness and Frk. Bergs, his secretary. In 1955 Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature ""for his vivid epic power, which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland"".‎

‎Original type-written letter, signed ""Tanne"". - [A MOST INTERESTING LETTER BY KAREN BLIXEN REFLECTING ON ""SIDSTE FORTÆLLINGER""]‎

‎Rungstedlund, 8. Januar, 1958. Original typewritten letter (230 x 195 mm), 4 page, 80 lines. Signed ""Din / Tanne"" (i.e. ""Your / Tanne""). Horisontal fold, otherwise fine and clean. 2 ff. ‎

‎A most interesting and reflecting four-page typed and signed letter from Danish author Karen Blixen addressed to a unknown woman named Karen. Blixen here responds to the recipient's comments on her recently published “Sidste Fortællinger” (“Last Tales”) and discusses both literary interpretation and some of the criticism. Blixen begins by thanking Karen warmly for her letter and says she has been deeply touched by the generous praise of “Sidste Fortællinger”. She is particularly pleased that the recipient enjoyed ""Ib og Adelaïde."" She explains that the story was never intended as a literal account of real people, but rather as a fantasy inspired by earlier generations of the Dinesen, Galt, and Frijs families. She then discusses the historical figures behind the story. Contrary to what Karen apparently suggested, Blixen does not believe that Agnes Frijs was a calculating or cold beauty. Instead she argues that the Frijs, Blixen, and Dinesen families all inherited a certain brilliant eccentricity through the Haffner family while the more unsettling traits belonged to the other branch of the family. Toward the end she quotes a humorous passage from Shakespeare's “Henry IV” making the point that human nature comes in many forms. She concludes that she has no wish to persuade or convert anyone, only to remain true to her artistic conscience. The letter ends affectionately with New Year's wishes saying she often thinks of Karen and misses her. We have not been to determine who Karen, the recipient, were. “In “Last Tales” Karen Blixen chose to collect together some of the tales that were to have been included in the new collections. For this reason they are not as uniform in theme and content as the stories in “Seven Gothic Tales” and “Winter’s Tales”. Nevertheless, “Last Tales” sold an impressive thirty-five thousand copies in two months, and was published simultaneously in ten languages in November, 1957, selling in total half a million copies.” (Karen Blixen Museum, Blixen.dk) The legendary Karen Blixen-Finecke (1885-1962), who wrote under the male pseudonym Isak Dinesen, was a Danish baroness, who married her cousin, the Swedish Baron Bror Blixen-Finecke, in 1914. They soon moved to Africa, where they ran a coffee-farm near Nairobi, and the happiest years of Blixen's life were spent here (she used to say that ""Africa made me""). The farm in the Ngong Hills is the centre of this world famous novel. She divorced her husband, who was cheating on her and gave her syphilis, in 1922, and in 1932 she moved back to Denmark after the farm had gone bankrupt and her lover, Denys Finch-Hatton, had died in a plane-crash. She spent the remaining 30 years of her life in Denmark and died a legendary writer. She greatly influenced writers and cultural personas of the generations to come, and many authors recognize the direct impact she has had on their writings. Several of her novels have been filmatized, most famously ""out of Africa"" with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, she was nominated for the Nobel Prize twice, she was elected honorary member of ""The American Academy of Arts and Letters"" (1957), and her portrait is printed on the Danish 50 kr. notes.‎

‎A manuscript letter warning of desertion from Napoleonic ships ‎

‎Netherlands 1810 Lettre manuscrite, qui semble être une copie de secrétariat et non la lettre envoyée, portant la signature du duc de Reggio. La lettre explique comment un marin inconnu avait prévu d'escorter des déserteurs français des villages hollandais de Noordwyk et Katwyk (juste au nord de La Haye) jusqu'aux escadres anglaises. L'un des soldats les plus importants a été capturé et sera jugé, mais les recherches se poursuivent pour retrouver le marin qui aide les déserteurs. Entre-temps, les villages ont été placés sous embargo et aucun navire n'est autorisé à en sortir ! La lettre, d'une écriture soignée, est adressée à "Monseigneur" (Giraud ?). Elle est datée du 20/7, c'est-à-dire vraisemblablement du 20 juillet, sans que l'année ne soit indiquée. L'année est probablement 1810, car en avril de cette année, Oudinot a été élevé au rang de duc de Reggio, et chargé de gouverner la Hollande en remplacement de Louis Napoléon (le frère de l'empereur). Oudinot est le soldat le plus blessé des guerres napoléoniennes, ayant reçu 32 blessures, dont deux par balle et neuf par sabre. Malgré cela, il vécut jusqu'en 1847, année où il mourut à l'âge de 80 ans. Nous pensons qu'il s'agit de la signature du duc, en partie parce qu'un ancien propriétaire a écrit cette provenance au crayon sur la lettre - mais aussi par comparaison avec des copies en ligne de son autographe. Celles-ci varient considérablement, mais un exemple est montré dans les photos de cette pièce. 215 x 190 mm (8œ x 7œ pouces).‎

‎A manuscript letter, from the look of it a secretarial copy, rather than the letter sent, with the signature of the Duc de Reggio. The letter outlines how an unknown sailor had made plans to escort French deserters from the Dutch villages of Noordwyk and Katwyk (just north of the Hague) to the English squadrons. One of the most important soldiers had been captured, and would stand trial, but the search continued for the sailor assisting the deserters. In the meantime, the villages had been placed under embargo, and no ships allowed to leave! The letter, in a neat hand, is written to "Monseigneur" (Giraud ?). It is dated 20 / 7th which is presumably 20th July without the year recorded. The year is probably 1810, as in April of this year, Oudinot was elevated to the rank of Duc de Reggio, and made responsible for the governance of Holland in replacement of Louis Napoleon (the Emperor's brother). Oudinot was the most injured soldier of the Napoleonic wars, having received 32 wounds, including two bullet wounds and nine sabre wounds. Despite these, he lived until 1847 when he died at the age of 80. We believe this to be the signature of the Duc, partly as a previous owner has written this provenance in pencil to the letter - but also in comparison with online copies of his autograph. These varied widely, but an example is shown in the pictures of this piece. 215 x 190mm (8œ x 7œ inches). .‎