Description:

European Notables
various, ca. 1710s-1980s
18th-20th Century European Notables 15pc. Dealer's Lot: Military Officials, Artists, Musicians, & More!
Archive

A diverse archive of letters and autographs signed by 15 European notables, mainly from England, France, and Germany. Ranging in date ca. 1710s to 1980s, with subjects ranging from military officials, nobility, writers, artists and musicians. Highlighted signatures include: Max Ernst, Frederick Sleigh Roberts, Thomas Beecham, Maxime Weygand, and Thomas Macauley, among others. Exhibits varying degrees of age toning, soiling, and general handling wear throughout. Areas of negligible paper loss to some, not affecting signatures. Overall, very good. Please refer to images for further condition information.

The lot includes, in alphabetical order:

- Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961), conductor of the London and Royal Philharmonics. 2pp autograph letter signed "Thomas Beecham, 5.5" x 7", Manchester, Saturday [ca. 1925].

- Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984), British poet laureate from 1972 until his death. 1p typed letter signed "John Betjeman", 8" x 6.5", London, April 14 [no year].

- Jean-Baptiste Biot (1774-1862), French physicist. 3pp autograph letter untranslated in French signed "J.B.B.", 4.25" x 6.5", no place, May 31, 1858.

- Arthur Diósy (1856–1923), founder of the Japan Society of London. 2pp letter signed "Arthur Diósy" regarding funds for Japanese widows and orphans, plus aid for the wounded. 4.75" x 6", London, February 16, 1904.

- Max Ernst (1891-1976), German painter and sculptor. 1p autographed letter untranslated in French signed "Max Ernst", 8.5" x 4.5, n.p., undated.

- George de Lacy Evans (1787-1870), British Army officer during Napoleonic Wars. 1p autograph letter signed "De Lacy Evans", 4.5" x 7.25", Bryant Square, Tuesday [no year].

- Hesing (aka Xi Cheng or Xi Sheng), first Chinese captain to sail up the Thames. Clipped signatured signed "Hesing", 3.75" x 2".

- Thomas Macauley (1800-1859), British Secretary of War from 1839 to 1841. Free Frank signed in the lower right as "Macauley", 5" x 3", London, November 4, 1839.

- Henry Moore (1898-1986), visual artist and sculptor. 1p autograph letter signed "Henry", 4.5" x 7", Much Hadham, undated.

- Frederick Sleigh Roberts (1832-1914), British Field Marshal. 3pp autograph letter signed "Roberts", 4.5" x 7", Liverpool, August 22, 1889.

- Tomioka Sadayasu (1854-1917), Vice Admiral of the Imperial Japanese Navy. 1p autograph letter signed "S. Tomioka/ I. J. Navy", 4.5" x 6.75", Brisbane, April 15, 1907.

- Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet (1644-1729). 1p clipped signature signed "Thanet", 4.5" x 1.75", ca. 1714.

- Maxime Weygand (1867-1965), French commander during WWI and WWII. 1p autograph letter untranslated in French and signed "Weygand", 4.5" x 3.5", Paris, May 29, 1932.

- [World War II]. ALS from British Major General W. F. Lukis, Royal Marines regarding a missile attack and the war effort. 2p (front and back), 4.5" x 7", Plymouth, June 26, 1944.

Please see our Terms and Conditions regarding lots of 5 items or more.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 6" x 8.5" (largest)
  • Medium: Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 7, 2026 10:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000