Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: 21066 - Historical Documents, Postal History and Autographs
Lot: 255

(x) France
Napoleon III
1845 (4 Aug.) A.L.S. of Napoleon III from Ham to Giuseppe Orsi in London. The stationery has the blind-embossed crown stamp of a British stationer in Bath at the upper left. Napoleon was serving life imprisonment in the fortress town of Ham and was writing to his friend on the subject of artillery and gunpowder, in part, "... The drawings which you promise me will, no doubt, be very useful to me at this time, but do not forget to inform me of the exact number of the manuscript, so thus I believe that the drawing you sent me is from the Chronicle of St. Denis, Sloan No. 2433, because I was already familiar with it, but the drawing that I had of it was very inaccurately copied. Today I received a reply from Sir Robert Ellis who gives me an account of the origin of gun powder which is very curious... see if you cannot find some designes of English artillery of the time of Henry VIII. There should certainly be something either earlier or later, but I warn you that I possess the Military Antiquities of Grose which, however, contain little interesting matter. Perhaps there are at the British Museum French manuscripts especially concerning artillery which are not to be found in Paris..."; signed "L.N.B.". The letter with integral address panel includes the red wax seal, Ham, Paris and London c.d.s., boxed "pd" and rated "10"; filing creases and some ink stains on edges of the address panel. A fine and interesting letter.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£1,000 to £1,500

Starting price
£800