Description:

Henry M. Stanley 2x Signed ALS From His U.S. / Canada Lecture Tour, Written Just After the Emin Pasha Expedition

An interesting collection of three items relating to Welsh-American explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley, comprised of an autograph letter signed by Stanley; a press-used photograph of Stanley; and an autograph letter signed by fellow Emin Pasha expedition member Arthur Mountenay Jephson. Accompanied by provenance material from Early American History Auctions, Inc. (Rancho Sante Fe, California) and IMS Vintage Photos (Reykjavik, Iceland).

The lot consists of:

1. A 1p autograph letter twice signed by Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), first as "Henry M Stanley" at lower right, and partially signed as "Stanley" while referring to his wife within the body of the text. Written in New York City on December 3, 1890 on a single leaf of formerly bifold stationery paper with "Everett House, / Union Square, New York. / John G. Weaver Jr. & Co." letterhead. Expected paper folds and isolated adhesive stains recto. Minor mounting traces verso, else very good. 4.875" x 7.875."

Stanley, probably declining an invitation, wrote in part:

"Dear Mr Quintard - Major Pond is absorbing me so thoroughly that there is not a grain left of me except what belongs by right divine to Mrs. Stanley. Do be generous, compassionate + forgiving…"

Stanley had just begun an intense six-month-long lecture tour of the United States and Canada. Between early November 1890 and early April 1891, Stanley was scheduled to deliver 120 lectures across the Continent, east to west from Rhode Island to California, and north to south from Quebec City to Louisiana. A digitized copy of Stanley's lecture tour program accessible online does indeed list Stanley's twentieth lecture in New York City on December 3rd. The next day, Stanley was slated to speak in Baltimore, Maryland. The grueling schedule was only possible because Stanley's party traveled in a private railroad carriage complete with kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and drawing room. The tour garnered $60,000 of income, $12,000 of which was earned at New York City venues alone.

Stanley’s lecture tour topics doubtlessly included details of his search and relief missions for Scottish missionary David Livingston, as well as regional governor Emin Pasha (1840-1892). Stanley's expedition to uncover the whereabouts of Pasha took over three years, in which an estimated two thirds of the team died. Pasha had succeeded Charles Gordon as Governor of Equatoria in northern Egypt in 1878. Political unrest had forced Pasha and his advisors to retreat to a geographically isolated part of the country in 1886. Stanley’s search for Pasha ended in 1889.

Major James B. Pond (1838-1903) became a celebrity lecture tour manager after serving with distinction during the Civil War. Pond was Stanley's agent, and also represented Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, P.T. Barnum, Booker T. Washington, Ellen Terry, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Frederick Douglass among others.

Stanley's correspondent was almost certainly Dr. Edward Quintard (1867-1936), a poet, physician, and friend of Mark Twain's.

2. A 7" x 10" black and white glossy press-used photograph of Stanley wearing a uniform and distinctive desert headgear. A newspaper clipped caption and stamp verso indicate that this photo appeared in the January 27, 1991 issue of the "Sunday Telegraph." Red wax crayon markings recto.

3. A 1p autograph letter signed in the third person by Arthur Mountenay Jephson (1859-1908) as "Mr. Mountenay Jephson" in the first line of the letter. Written in New York City on November 7, 1890 on a single leaf of formerly bifold stationery paper with "Everett House, / Union Square, New York. / John G. Weaver Jr. & Co." letterhead. Gentle paper folds and minor mounting traces verso. Jephson had accompanied Stanley on the Emin Pasha Expedition.

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.

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