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Lot #198
Lexicographers and Journalists

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Estimate: $200+
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Description

Group lot of five items signed by a notable journalist or lexicographer, including: an ALS in French from Jules Barthélemy-Saint-Hilaire, signed “B. S’ Hilaire,” one page both sides, October 12 1862, addressed to lexicographer and historian Louis-Marie Quicherat, in part (translated): “Please accept this copy of Aristotle’s ‘Physics.’ It’s a great book, too little known…I hope my translation will popularize it a bit. Thank you for your dictionary…It’s a fine complement to those you’ve already done”; a vintage matte-finish 4 x 5.5 photo of Isaac K. Funk by Alman & Co. of New York, affixed to the original studio mount, signed on the mount in fountain pen, “with compliments, I. K. Funk”; a fourth edition of H. L. Mencken’s The American Language, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1937, signed on the first free end page in black ink, “H. L. Mencken”; and two ALSs in French from Emile Littre, both signed “E. Littre,” four total pages, dated July 1 and December 24, 1858, both addressed to Quicherat. One letter reads, in part (translated): “I turn to you in such questions because you are the master in matters of that sort. I’ve already used your dictionary quite a bit and I’m extremely satisfied…I’m neither lazy nor negligent…swamped with work”; and a selection from the other: “I’ve written an article about your ‘Thesaurus’ in ‘Le National’…I don’t remember if I wrote one on your Latin Dictionary.” In overall very good to fine condition, with a crack to lower left corner area of the Funk mount.

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: August
  • Dates: #527 - Ended May 09, 2018