Description:

Astor John

Cream inlaid paper dated from New York on February 10, 1841. This letter was addressed to Secretary of State Daniel Webster (1782-1852) by eight prominent New York City businessmen who endorsed “Mr. Alfred Seton” as a foreign consul candidate. The first signee John Jacob Astor appeared at the top of the list as “J.J. Astor” with his characteristic looping underline in black ink. The signees testify to Seton’s candidature citing his previous consulship at Angostura, Bolivia during the Monroe Administration. Trimmed at left to fit in the Farwell book (see provenance below). In very fine condition, with light toning, 7” x 10.5”.


John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) was a German immigrant who made a fortune in the fur trade and real estate. At his death seven years after signing this letter, Astor was the wealthiest man in the United States, with an estimated gross valuation of 20 million dollars.



Provenance: This item was recently discovered in an extra illustrated volume of “History of the City of New York” by Mary L. Booth, New York W. R. C. Clark, 1867. Originally two volumes, the monumental task of expanding the work to 21 volumes was done by none other than Emery E. Childs esquire of New York City. In volume 1 of this work exists a lovely india ink drawing of Mary L. Booth along with a notation: ”presented by her to E E C” in pencil. Next to the title page we find an original letter of Booth to Childs dated April 4, 1872: “I am in receipt of your favor of the 4th inst., and am grateful to hear that you are taking the trouble to illustrate my History of the City of New York in the manner you describe. I shall be happy to see you, should you favor me with a call as I am usually in my office during business hours and should be pleased to facilitate your Enterprise by any means in my power”.



It is assumed that the book took several years to assemble at which point, assumedly through Childs, it made its way to Senator Charles B. Farwell of Chicago who took the seat of John A. Logan in 1887. Farwell had an extensive library that fortunately survived the great Chicago fire in 1871 having been housed in his Lakeside home. In the American Bibliopolist of November 1871 there is an article about the devastation to libraries caused by the tragedy. “Mr C. B. Farwell’s library is also fortunately far out from the city, at his country house, and is safe”. The same remark will also apply to the extensive collection of books and curiosities belonging to Mr. E. E. Childs.” This establishes the Chicago connection between Childs and Farwell.



That these letters were preserved for over 140 years and have never been on the market for that period is remarkable on many levels. It is the state of being wedged in these volumes that also account for what is mostly the pristine state of preservation.



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