Letters and notes - photo 1

Letters and notes

Lot 698
14.09.2022 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 1 764
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 797337
Lot 698 | Letters and notes
Estimate value
$ 2 000 – 3 000
KENT, Rockwell (1882-1971). Archive of Rockwell Kent manuscript material, plus other manuscripts relating to Kent's widow, Sally (Johnston) Kent Gorton.

Sally served as Rockwell Kent's secretary both before and after their marriage in 1940. After Kent's death, she established and became the Director of Rockwell Kent Legacies. Papers include: Autograph draft letter, 4 1/2 pages, circa 1911. Kent seeks assistance: "Society frequently fails to meet men's individual requirements and one must have recourse to the kindness of individuals ... I am a young American painter age 29, one of the very few who [has] felt the promise of great American art." * Autograph draft of a letter to Mr. Kaufman as Secretary of State, 2 pages, circa 1916. Kent seeks assistance as he was charged with a crime in Newfoundland and needs the protection of his rights as a U.S. citizen, which were thrown into doubt by Kent's radical politics. "I present this matter again to the Department of State because it is intolerable to me to live under suspicion and I want now to finally to know what the relationship between my country and myself shall be." * Autograph draft of a letter, circa 1918. Kent proposes that the current owner of the land on which he was born (outside Tarrytown, NY) allow him to live in and restore the old house there in exchange for painting pictures. He cites the purchases of his work by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and by Mr. H.C. Frick as testimony. * Autograph manuscript fragment, beginning "Infinity lies heavy in God's hands. Imagine it!" On Egypt, Vermont letterhead, [1919-1925]. * About ten pages of undated notes, often autobiographical, written at different times, apparently from both early and late in life. * About 20 letters from and to Sally Gorton, and some manuscript transcriptions of Kent's notes.

Housed together in a custom clamshell box.
Auction house category:Letters, documents and manuscripts
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
01.09.2022 – 14.09.2022
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.