JOHN DENISON CHAMPLIN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 10/17/1887 - HFSID 273116
Sale Price $135.00
Reg. $160.00
JOHN D. CHAMPLIN. ALS: "John D. Champlin, Sr.", 2p, 5½x8¼,
front and verso. New York City, 1887 October 17. On letterhead of Charles
Scribner's Sons, Publishers to "Mrs. Martha Todd Hill". Begins:
"Dear Madam". In full: "I fear that you may think, from my
neglect to answer your communication of the 30th ult., that I have already
forgotten the interest which I expressed to Mrs. Babcock in relation to the
Stonington Library; but I assure you, notwithstanding my long absence
from the place of my birth, that I have not yet joined the noble (?) army of
those who are content to look back complacently upon it as a good place to
emigrate from. I always felt an interest in the original library, which I
believe had its beginnings in my day, and I was truly glad to hear from Mrs.
Babcock that it is now experiencing a sort of revival - through the
transfusion perhaps of new blood! I have been trying to find time, ever since
the receipt of your letter, to go to my publishers - I mean Henry Holt &
Co., the publishers of my first series of books - to send you the
promised volumes, but something has continually prevented. If I do not get time
to go this week, I will order them by letter - though I prefer to do it
personally so as to write suitable inscriptions in them. I should be very
glad to contribute all my works, including the Art Cyclopedias, but as
they cost now $150, I can scarcely afford to send them. Please let me know some
time how many of Mr. Andrew Carnegie's works you have, as I have control over
them. Trusting that your visions of a 'Stonington alcove' may take
tangible form some day, I remain, Yours very Respectfully". Champlin had
been born in Stonington, Connecticut. His association with Andrew Carnegie
included a trip with the industrialist through southern England, which Champlin
detailed in Chronicle of the Coach (1886), published the year before he
wrote this letter. In 1886, Champlin also began editing the Cyclopedia of
Painters and Paintings for Scribners. John Denison Champlin (1834-1915)
had begun his career as an attorney, practicing with Hollister, Cross &
Champlin in New York City before beginning a weekly newspaper in 1865. He
wrote for several periodicals through 1873, when he edited Fox's
Mission to Russia. Two years later, Champlin became the associate
editor of the American Cyclopaedia, having special charge of maps and
engravings. He later authored a number of works in the "Young Folks"
series, from Young Folks' Cyclopaedia of Common Things (1879) to
Young Folks' History of the War for the Union (1881). Lightly creased
with folds, not at signature. Slightly soiled. Minor show through of ink. Pencil
note (unknown hand) at lower left margin of signature side. Fine
condition.
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