James Herbert Morse Signed Letter 1889 NY Author Poet Educator Century Club ALS
$ 10.54
Description
James Herbert Morse Signed Letter 1889 NY Author Poet Educator Century Club ALS. The letter is written in ink on his printed personal letterhead —“J. H. Morse, 423 Madison Avenue, New York” — and datedFeb. It is signed“J. H. Morse.”. A genuine 19th-century letter, not a reproduction. Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) — James Herbert Morse, New York Author, Poet & Educator (1889) Offered here is an original, handwritten autograph letter signed by James Herbert Morse (1841–1923), the New York author, poet, classical scholar, and educator. The letter is written in ink on his printed personal letterhead — “J. H. Morse, 423 Madison Avenue, New York” — and dated Feb. 4, 1889. It is signed “J. H. Morse.” A genuine 19th-century letter, not a reproduction. The Content Addressed to “My dear Mr. Lay,” the letter is a warm note of congratulation on a portrait that the recipient — evidently an artist — had painted. Morse writes that he could not help pausing to say how much he liked the portrait shown “at the Club Saturday night,” noting that “it was the center of attraction, and I heard many warm eulogies of it from artists,” and concluding that the recipient “is to be congratulated on a fine success.” A charming, encouraging glimpse of the New York art-and-letters club world of the 1880s, in which a portrait by Lay was the toast of a club gathering. About James Herbert Morse James Herbert Morse (1841–1923) was a prominent figure in New York literary and educational life. Born in Hubbardston, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard (B.A. 1863, M.A. 1866) and in 1868 founded the Morse and Rogers Classical School in New York City, where he taught Greek and Roman literature and history. A respected poet and essayist, he contributed articles, poems, and essays to leading periodicals including Century Magazine, Harper’s Monthly, and The Atlantic, and published a volume of verse, Summer Haven Songs (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1886). Morse was an active and well-connected member of New York’s foremost literary and social organizations — the Century Club, the Greek Club, and the Authors Club — placing him at the heart of the city’s cultural establishment in the Gilded Age. (The “Club” he refers to in this letter reflects exactly that world.) His poetry manuscripts and papers are today preserved in the collections of the New-York Historical Society. This letter — written by one cultivated New Yorker to an artist friend, praising his work — is a delightful piece of Gilded Age New York literary and artistic Americana. About the Recipient The recipient, “Mr. Lay,” appears as an artist in this same correspondence archive; this letter independently confirms his standing as a portrait painter whose work drew praise from fellow artists. Condition Single-leaf autograph letter in ink on Morse’s printed letterhead, with an old collection number penciled at the top. Age toning and mailing folds; clean and legible. Please see photos, which form part of the description. Authenticity Guaranteed authentic original, hand-written and hand-signed period letter (ALS) Date / Place 423 Madison Avenue, New York — February 4, 1889 Shipping FREE shipping — carefully packaged flat against bending and moisture
