Lady Emma Stanley's Autograph Albums

An exceptional autograph album featuring letters by several prominent 19^th century figures, including: Queen Victoria (two letters, one unsigned and saying that The Queen agrees with Lord Stanley that certain officers should be rewarded as he proposes, 14 October 1841; the other, signed with her initials “VRI”, thanks Lady Stanley “for your writing to me on the occasion of my son Alfred’s engagement to the Grand duchess Maria of Russia. All I hear of the young lady is most favourable and I have therefore every reason to hope that the marriage will be happy one”, 4 August 1873); Princess Helena; Princess Victoria; Princess Beatrice; Alexandra of Denmark, Princess of Wales; Prince Albert (“I have received your letter and beg you will not delay going out of town. As it is, the Queen is very much distressed that people in office should on her account be prevented from taking advantage of the only holidays they have”, 18 April 1843); Edward VII as Prince of Wales; Alice, Countess of Athlone; Princess Alice; Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh; George Duke of Cambridge; Edward Duke of Kent; King George III (partially printed document signed at the top, 22 May 1804); Victoria Duchess of Kent (letter asking the recipient to find a better position for her former butler, 20 October 1852); Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge; Mary, daughter of George III; Queen Adelaine (clipped signature);George IV as Prince of Wales; William IV (signed ticket to his coronation, 8 September 1831); Leopold, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and 1^st King of Belgium (letter to Lord Derby, sending his condolences on the death of Derby’s father, 25 November 1825); Frederick Duke of York; Augustus, Duke of Sussex; William Pitt (envelope panel); George Canning (unsigned fragment from an autograph letter); Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth; Willima Ewart Gladstone; Lord Grey; Lord Melbourne; Robert Peel; Lord Palmerston; William Huskisson; Daniel O’Connell; Arthus James Balfour; Herbert Henry Asquith; Lord Salisbury; Michael Davitt (“The Daily Independent…has told its readers that the sketch of me which precedes the article in the Revue was written by myself!..The Tory papers have copied this as they are endeavouring to make merry at my expense over this malicious act of the Independent!” 7 September 1892); Giuseppe Garibaldi (autograph letter in Italian, written before the Italian Unification, saying he will soon leave for Nizza and asking the recipient to inform the English he won’t allow them to take control of his country, Caprera, 25 March 1960); Alexander Humboldt; William Dapple Pepple King of Bonny (signed letter written in secretarial hand, asking the Earl of Derby to grant him an interview, 5 March 1857); the Rajah of Coorg (asking the Earl of Derby to grant him an interview, n.d.); Massimo d’Azeglio; General Robert E. Lee (clipped signature); Emile Zola; Louis Philippe D’Orleans; Jefferson Davis (letter to Reverend Arthur Talbot reading in part “In our last interview you asked me whether I thought the independence of the clergy in the matter of reproving sin would be diminished by dependence on their congregations for support. My reply was complete from the standpoint at which I have been accustomed to seeing the subject; but in connection with the discussions now prevalent in this country, I might have properly have added that from ‘disestablishment’ I should fear little for the Church but much for the Government of England”, 19 September 1868); Horace Walpole (letter to a female recipient “I hear you have been at Tunbridge and are returned, I hope with great benefit. I would come, and see, but I have the gout flying about me and am piteously lame”, 20 July 1785); Thomas Campbell; Maria Edgeworth; Thomas Carlysle; Washington Irving (accepting a dinner invitation); William M. Thackeray; Henry W. Longfellow (“I find that I gave you last evening an imperfect copy of the pome for you sister. Please substitute this in its place”, 31 January 1865); Oliver Wendell Holmes; John Franklin (letter to Lord Stanley, informing him he is now back in the country, 14 June 1844); Sven Hedin; Edward Lear (brief note “I will come toy you and colonel Talbot on Thursday at 7.30”, n.d., with a few ink sketches attributed to Lear); George Cruikshank; Gaetano Donizetti (letter in Italian, discussing some payments and mentioning Loïsa Puget’s works, which he finds touching, 1 July, n.d. [c.1841]); Arthur Sullivan; Luigi Arditi; Piero Mascagni (requesting some funds as he is about to leave); Ruggero Leoncavallo; Henry Irving; William Wilberforce; the Duke of Wellington and many others; dark red morocco, tooled boards, some handling wear, folio; together with an other album featuring a few clipped signatures by George IV, Williams IV and Queen Victoria (2)

PROVENANCE: Lady Emma Stanley, daughter of Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, leader of the Tory party in Parliament and Prime Minister three times in the 1850s and 1860s; thence by descent