Search Results: Authors starting with A from Stuart Lutz Historic Documents, Inc.

AARON WOOD (1720-1791). Wood was a Massachusetts elected official, serving in the state House of Representatives and the General Court. AD. 1pg. 8 ¼” x 9”. June 26, 1787. In Senate [likely Boston]. An autograph manuscript in the handwriting of Massachusetts politician Aaron Wood. Written during the Constitutional Convention, the state was considering who they could send to the new Federal Congress. Wood wrote: “The Committee of both Houses Appointed to consider and report the Number of Persons which it will be expedient to Chuse [sic] as Delegates to represent the Commonwealth in Congress, and also to consider the Federal ability of those Gentlemen who have been Elected Delegates to Congress within Six Years last Past – Ask have to report as their opinion, That four persons will be a sufficient number to represent this Commonwealth in Congress: And that his Excellency John Hancock Esqr, The Honble Samuel Adams Esqr, Honl Artemas Ward, Honl James Lovell, Honl John Lovell, Honl Jona… Read More

A WEEK AFTER THE LINCOLN ASSASSINATION, FIVE BOSTONIANS CONTRIBUTE TO AN ABRAHAM LINCOLN MEMORIAL (ABRAHAM LINCOLN). DS. 1pg. April 21, 1865. Boston. A document pledging one dollar apiece to a Massachusetts memorial to President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln had been assassinated one week prior. “Enclosed please find the pledge of myself and family to the cause […] for our late Presidents memory….” Five signatures follow by T. Clement, Mary A. Clement, Clement O Jordan, Elisa M. Huston and one more. The document is in very good condition with some smudges. I am uncertain if the funds went to the controversial Boston statue of Lincoln that was removed in 2020.

(AMERICAN REVOLUTION PRISONERS OF WAR). ALS. 1pg. 8 ¼” x 12 ½”. July 12, 1781. Commissary of Prisnrs. Office [Phillipsburg, New York]. An autograph letter signed “Abm Skinner”, the American Commissary General of British prisoners of war. He wrote to an unidentified man: “Permit me my Dr. Colonel to hand you the inclosed Certificate of your Exchange. You will observe it Signed by our friend Joshua [Loring, British commissioner for prisoners] as well as your humble Servt., and tho as long since as Octobr. Last I cannot but Suppose it will be agreeable to you to receive it now. I participate in the happiness resulting from the transaction and I hope the ensuing Campaign may enable you as well as many others to feel sensibly the agreeable Change - make my Compts. if you please to the Gentlemen of your Regt. with whom I have the honor to be acquainted…”. The letter is docketed in an unknown hand on a stub remnant, most likely by the gratified Colonel. The letter is tanned, there are… Read More

ABRAHAM “JACK” LINCOLN II (1873-1890). Abraham “Jack” Lincoln was the only son of Robert Todd Lincoln. He died in London of blood poisoning, where his father was Ambassador, after unsuccessful surgery to repair a carbuncle; he was just sixteen. He is buried at Arlington in his father’s plot. SB. 303 pgs. No date. No place. A book, Brake Up from the Lake Shore Series, signed “A Lincoln A6” by the grandson and namesake of President Abraham Lincoln. He signed on the first free endpage. “A6” refers to the book catalog number in his private library. The book is bound in brown cloth with gilt stamping. It is in very good condition overall with very light wear to the spine. This volume originally came from Dr. Norman Boas at Seaport Autographs. Of all of the members of the Lincoln family, Jack Lincoln’s autograph is among the rarest due to his early death.

FRIEDERIKE VICTORIA “JOY” ADAMSON (1910-1980). Adamson was an Austrian naturalist, author, and wildlife conservationist. She is best known for Born Free, her book about her experiences raising an orphaned lion cub named Elsa, and its two sequels, Living Free and Forever Free. TLS. 2pgs. November 30, 1974. London. A typed letter signed “Joy Adamson” on the facing page. Adamson wrote to a couple who was considering naming their newborn daughter after Adamson. “Dear Mr & Mrs Colbert, Thank you so much for your note and the photograph of your beautiful baby on whose birth I send you my most sincere congratulations. As to your suggestion to call the dear baby, Joy Adamson Colbert, I feel that this might jeopardise her own identity in future life, or that she might resent having to grow up in the image of another person. Although I am deeply touched by your kind consideration to name your little daughter after me, I believe that it would be more appropriate to call her Joy Elsa or perhaps Elsa… Read More

FRIEDERIKE VICTORIA “JOY’ ADAMSON (1910-1980). Adamson was an Austrian naturalist, author, and wildlife conservationist. She is best known for Born Free, her book about her experiences raising an orphaned lion cub named Elsa, and its two sequels, Living Free and Forever Free. SB. 161pgs. N.d. N.p. An American first edition of Joy Adamson’s second book, Living Free: The Story of Elsa and Her Club, with a lengthy inscription and signature “Joy Adamson” on a free front page. The book is in good condition, with wear and tear to the dust jacket, some of which has been repaired with tape.

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON “ADIRONDACK” MURRAY (1840-1904). Murray was an author whose writings celebrated the Adirondack Mountains in New York and made them a popular tourist destination. He was also a minister. An archive of three items related to Adirondack Murray: a) ALS. 1pg. January 22, 1896. Grand Hotel, New York City. An autograph letter signed “Murray” to his daughter, Ruby. “My dear Ruby Will you kindly tell Mamma that I arrived here safely and that Mr. Harvey is here and that I shall (probably) not be able to come home before Saturday. It is now just the time when were I at home we should all be eating our supper together and I wish I might fly to you and be once more with us all. Kiss Mamma and Mandie and Gracie for me and take the one I send you right here – xx Your loving Father Murray”. The letter is in good condition with a thin hole in the center of the page that cuts through a few letters of the text. b) Photo. June 7, 1896. New Haven, Connecticut. A cabinet card… Read More

LOUIS-RENÉ MADELAINE LA VASSOR, COMTE DE LA TOUCHE-TRÉVILLE (1745-1804). The Count De la Touche was a French admiral who served in the American and French Revolutions, as well as the Napoleonic Wars. LS. 2pgs. December 14, 1786. Paris. A letter signed “De la Touche”. In French, the Admiral De la Touche wrote to the Marquis de Lotbinière regarding a Naval volunteer. The letter dates to the period between the American and French Revolutions. In translation, it reads: “Even though I have the greatest desire, dear Marquis, to do what is possible to make M. Laudrier Desbordes happy, it is impossible for him to embark as 1st class volunteer if he does not have the required three actual years of service at sea. In case that he cannot fulfill that requirement, issued last January 1, he will qualify as 2nd class volunteer, to which the two campaigns that he has already participated in entitle him. You have inspired my infinite interest in him, dear Marquis, and I will be happy to provide support for… Read More

(PORNOGRAPHIC WATERCOLORS). Album. 9pgs. 7” x 5”. No date [circa 1950s]. Cleveland. A scrapbook of nine pornographic watercolors, probably dating from the 1950s. On the back of the last page is a pencil note, “Drawn by an artist named Ganzman of Cleveland”. Without giving away too many details, the illustrations concern a “relationship” between Elsie May and Zeke, and the drawings get more obscene as the book progresses. Finally, Elsie May’s father, a farmer, shows up with a shotgun on the last page. Based on the misspellings, the artist either wasn’t a native English speaker or a poor speller. I do not believe this is the work of a teenage boy. The scrapbook is held together by two clasps and the edges have some wear and folds.

Engravings. 6pgs. No date. No place. A collection of six pages, with twelve illustrations, of African natives. They are from an unidentified book, probably from the 18th Century, and are in very fine condition overall. Some of the images show a mother breast feeding, a beheading, combat, and royalty. A fine assembly

JOHN Q.A. BALLOU. Ballou was a noted Californian arborist. Born in New England, Ballou eventually settled in San Jose, where he became known for cultivating fruit trees in particular.

AL JOLSON (1886-1950). Jolson, an actor, jazz singer, and Broadway star, frequently performed in blackface, most notably in the 1927 film The Jazz Singer, one of the first “talking” movies. PS. N.d. N.p. A black-and-white photograph inscribed and signed “To Meyer Davis, With best wishes Al Jolson”. Meyer Davis was an American bandleader. The photo is in very good condition; it backed to a board and two corners are chipped.

ADS. 1pg. 8” x 10”. June 24, 1865. Mobile, AL. A document signed “J.R. Groves” and “J. W. Keesco” regarding the opening of a grocery store in Mobile, AL, shortly after the end of the Civil War: “For and in consideration of services rendered, I mail the following agreement with J.R. Groves, to wit; I am to furnish a cash capital of not less than $10,000, ten thousand dollars, (to be increased as the business increases), to do a commission and grocery business in the City of Mobile, Alabama, Terms of business; I am neither to advance money nor accept bills unless the produce is in hand, or on its way with the bill of lading attached consigning it to me 2nd. After paying interest upon capital stock and expenses and losses, the profits, if any, are to be divided equally between myself and J. R. Groves. Signed in duplicate this 24th, June 1865 each retaining copy. This agreement may be set aside by either party.” The document is in good condition, with slight fold separations and… Read More

ALAN PATON (1902-1988). A South African author, Paton is best remembered for Cry, the Beloved Country. He was an outspoken opponent of apartheid. TLS. 1pg. 8” x 10”. November 5, 1962. South Africa. A typed letter signed “Alan Paton” on blue air mail stationery. He wrote to Mrs. Peter Scott of West Orange, New Jersey: “Thank you for your letter of October 23. At the moment THE LAND & PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA is being revised, and I do not have a copy of the earlier edition. I have translations, but do not suppose you would want any of these. However, if you were to approach the publishers, J.B. Lippincott, 521 Fifth Avenue, New York 17, and ask them when the revised edition is likely to be out. I would be glad to autograph a copy for your fund raising effort, if the book were sent to me in time.” The Land & People of South Africa was published in 1955. The letter has a rough right edge and is in very good condition.

(ALAKSA ARCHIVE). Archive. 10 pieces. 1921-1922. Fort Liscum, Alaska Territory. An archive of four letters signed “Alice” and written by Alice Donaldson in Alaska to her mother and aunt in Massachusetts. Donaldson, her husband, and their children lived on the Fort Liscum Army base from 1921 until the base’s closure in 1922. Written during the year that the Donaldsons lived on the base, Alice talks about adjusting to life in Alaska and then having to move again within a year. Along with her letters are six small photographs of Alaska. a) ALS. June 10, 1921. Fort Liscum, Alaska. “Dear Mother:- It is almost time for the brat to come back after mail for the south so I will tell you all we have been doing this week. Sunday was a wonderful day we took our lunch and walked out on the…Coming back we gathered seven kinds of wild flowers, daisies, buttercups, violets, wild sweet pea, a light purple flower similar to our columbine only smaller, a dark purple flower almost like our snap dragon and… Read More

(KODIAK, ALASKA HUNTING PHOTOGRAPH ARCHIVE). An archive of nearly 100 black and white photographs emanating from a men’s hunting trip to Kodiak, Alaska about 1950. There are images of men with fishing rods and rifles, and dead bears, crabs, fish, moose and seals. Some photographs show the men inside the cabin relaxing, reading, sleeping and cooking. There are also photographs of the early planes that brought tourists, Alaskan scenery and small Alaskan towns. The images are in three sizes, 5” x 7”, 5” x 3” and 2 ½” x 4, and all are in fine condition with minor faults such as chipped corners. A fine frontier photography archive.

ALBERT CAMUS (1913-1960). Camus was a Nobel Prize-winning French author best known for his absurdism and works like The Stranger and The Plague. TMS. 5pgs. 1945. N.p. A lengthy typescript, in French, by Albert Camus. It concerns the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939). This manuscript was Camus’s preface to the book L’Espagne Libre (Paris: Calman-Lévy, 1946). Writing just after World War II, in which he took an active role in the resistance against the Nazis, Camus muses back on the Spanish Civil War, often called a “dress rehearsal for World War II”. Camus felt personally connected to the Spanish Civil War, since his mother was Spanish. The English translation of his writing is as follows: “It has been nine years now that the men of my generation have carried Spain in their thoughts. Nine years that they carry like a serious wound. That experience has given them their first taste of defeat and the insight, really a surprise from which they have barely recovered, that you could be in the… Read More

ALBERT CAMUS (1913-1960). Camus was a Nobel Prize-winning French author best known for his absurdism and works like The Stranger and The Plague. TM. 1pgs. N.d. [1946]. N.p. One page of a typed draft of Albert Camus’s famous “The Crisis of Man” (or “The Human Crisis”) speech, with autograph corrections. Camus delivered this landmark speech at Columbia University on March 28, 1946, during his only trip to the United States. Asked to talk about the French sensibility, Camus delivered a compelling meditation about the Second World War and the crisis facing all humanity. The tone is both stirring and thought-provoking. Camus had been a resistance fighter during the war, and his experiences obviously color his speech, particularly in his descriptions of atrocities committed during the war. In 2016, Columbia held an event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Camus’s speech. There, actor Viggo Mortensen read Camus’s speech to a sold-out crowd in the Miller Theatre – the same venue where… Read More

(JAPAN). Diary. January 14, 1950 to late 1954. Various places [Philadelphia, Japan, Fort Meade]. A lengthy diary of an American officer, Lieutenant Louis T. Holtz, who was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. It was written on dozens of sheets of loose-leaf notebook pages, and it contains many black and white photographs with captions, as well as newspaper and magazine cutouts and brochures from places he visited. The diary begins on January 14, 1950 in Philadelphia, and he discuses seeing shows and such, but notes that “All in all, this constituted a very enjoyable ten days of leave prior to going overseas. Sometimes I wish I could stay at home and live a normal routine life like everyone else. Other times, I find myself eager to go…Almost two years ago, who could forecast a war in Korea and the manner in which it would rip everyone’s life to shreds?” He writes on January 2, 1951 from Kurume, Japan: “…perhaps 10 years from now, it [the diary] will be of interest – if any of… Read More

(GAY RIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHY ALBUM FROM CIRCA 1987). A vernacular photography album from circa 1987. There are 48 color snapshots, and many of them show a gay pride parade. There are large signs including “Fight Lesbian and Gay Oppression,” “Act Up (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power),” “Gay & Lesbian Italians,” early rainbow flags, a marching band, and such. There are also a few family photographs at the conclusion. A few images have light streaks and it is contained in an album with sticky pages and plastic covers. An unusual compilation of an important time in the history of gay America.