Description:

Maugham William

1pp TLS signed by celebrated English novelist W. Somerset Maugham as “Yours sincerely, W.S. Maugham” in dark blue ink at center of cream stationery with “Villa Mauresque, St. Jean, Cap Ferrat, A.M.” letterhead. In near fine condition with expected central paper folds, measuring 5.25” x 8.25”. A typo in the word “care” has been carefully corrected in pencil by an unknown hand. The January 31, 1961 letter is addressed to one Mrs. Lavergne E. Williams of Melbourne Beach, FL, who had recently contacted the elderly writer. “Thank you for your charming letter and all the nice things you say. It was extremely kind of you to write to me; I was touched and much pleased”, Maugham wrote.

Also accompanied by a companion air mail envelope addressed to “Mrs. Lavergne E. Williams, 175 Miami Avenue, Indialantic, Florida, Etats Unis”, postmarked from “Saint Jean Cap Ferrat, Alpes-Mmes, and bearing four French stamps. The envelope is also inscribed with a postal marking indicating that it originally weighed 25 grams, as the author had enclosed a photograph of himself taken on his eightieth birthday (this photo is not included with this lot). There is a small tear on the right side of the envelope where it was partly opened with a letter knife.

W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) enjoyed an incredibly long and successful literary career set into motion with his semi-autobiographical masterpiece Of Human Bondage (1915). Like other “Literary Ambulance Drivers” such as Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos, Maugham served under the Red Cross during World War I. He was dispatched as a secret agent to Russia during the 1917 Revolution, and then traveled throughout southeast Asia completing other intelligence work. Maugham incorporated some of his real-life experiences into his many short stories, plays, essays, screenplays, travel accounts, and novels. Between 1926 and his death in December 1965, Maugham primarily resided at Villa Mauresque, or “Moorish Villa” in the Alpes-Maritimes, and it was here that he hosted a literary salon during the 1920s and 1930s. Maugham’s partner Alan Searle inherited the villa after the writer’s death in 1965, despite his daughter’s attempt to circumvent it. In 1962, Maugham publicly disowned his daughter after losing a £230,000 lawsuit to her over some paintings.

“Mrs. Lavergne E. Williams”, Maugham’s correspondent, was Eleanor Dahl Williams (1917-2009). Williams took a degree in English from the University of Connecticut; this probably explains her interest in contacting Maugham, one of the greatest twentieth-century English language writers still living. While in college, she met her husband of seventy-two years, LaVergne Edward Williams (1918-2010), who earned a degree in Engineering. The two moved to Melbourne Beach, FL in 1956.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

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

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% 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