British nurse and businesswoman (1805–1881) known for providing assistance to sick and wounded military personnel during Crimean War, establishing a 'British Hotel' close to the battlefields for convalescent officers; in 2004, Seacole was voted the 'Greatest Black Briton' in a campaign held in response to the lack of diversity in the BBC's list of '100 Greatest Britons.' Exceedingly rare ALS, three pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7.25, March 31, 1869. Handwritten letter to Miss Matilda Challen, concerning a family visit and apologizing for not having come before due to a cold and the bad weather. In full: "I received your kind letter and many thanks to your Mamma for enquiring after my cold which I am glad to say is a little better. I shall be more than glad to see you on Friday morning…I should have to come out to see you all before but the weather has been so bad for the last week I have not been able to get out. But I hope if it will be a fine day for you to come, but I will not be able to stay the whole day only for a few hours. I hope Albert will be successful in getting the Painting in the Academy." In fine condition, with minor edge splits to folds.
Matilda Challen (1844-1943) was the sister of Albert Charles Challen (1847-1881), a British artist. He is best known as the painter of a portrait of Mary Seacole in 1869, when she was around 65 years old and he was 22. Challen’s portrait of Seacole passed to his niece Dora Challen (died 1967) after his death. The rediscovery of the portrait was announced by Helen Rappaport in January 2005, and it is now on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The NPG subsequently acquired a plaster bust of Mary Seacole by the sculptor Count Victor Gleichen.
This letter is discussed in the article 'Mary Seacole’s Lost Letter' by Tom Beaumont James, published in the BBC History Magazine, October 2010, pp. 53-55. In the article, it is described as the only surviving letter in Seacole’s hand; however, another handwritten letter came to light in 2013, which became the subject of another article, ‘New Light on Seacole’ published in Nursing Standard, August 14, 2013, pp. 22-23.
An exceedingly rare autograph, with a poignant connection to her now-famous portrait and which confirms that Albert Challen submitted it to the first Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, held the year it was painted, 1869.
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