Secret History; or, The Horrors of St. Domingo - photo 1
Secret History; or, The Horrors of St. Domingo - photo 2

Secret History; or, The Horrors of St. Domingo

Lot 226
16.06.2023 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 5 292
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967422
Lot 226 | Secret History; or, The Horrors of St. Domingo
Estimate value
$ 1 000 – 2 000
[SANSAY, Leonora (1773-1821).] Secret History; or, The Horrors of St. Domingo, in a Series of Letters, written by a Lady at Cape Francois to Colonel Burr, Late Vice-President of the United States, principally during the Command of General Rochambeau. Philadelphia: R. Carr for Bradford & Inskeep, 1808.

Intriguing semi-fictional epistolary narrative by a Federalist-era femme-fatale, documenting the final days of French rule in Haiti and her subsequent travels through the Caribbean. Leonora, also known as Honora, Clara, Nora, Mary Hassal, and "Madame D'Auvergne," was a close confidant of Aaron Burr. This book comprises fictionalized letters written by her to him during her disastrous trip to Haiti on the eve of the revolution with her boorish husband, from whom she later had flee in Cuba, escaping to Jamaica before returning to Philadelphia. She was afterwards implicated in the Burr conspiracy, appearing in documents of the time under several aliases. The present work was published after his acquittal, perhaps capitalizing on Burr's notoriety at the time.

According to Joan Dayan, "no other writer recording those apocalyptic days provides as intense or so narrowly focused a representation." Her account describes the cruelty of French rule and its effects particularly on women, complicated by the strict racial hierarchies of the French colony. "A white woman from Philadelphia, immured in a world construed as white, she nonetheless describes from her 'prison' a society in such detail that readers can begin to understand the contradictions, rendered even more blatant by unprecedented events, that brought an end to the 'Pearl of the Antilles'" (Dayan). Leonora was also the author of several other novels, including one based on the experiences documented here: Zelica: the Creole, which is perhaps the first American novel with a non-white heroine. A remarkable book, documenting the life and observations of a fascinating woman in a tumultous time. The last copy recorded by RBH at auction was in the 1990s. Wright 2279; Sabin 30807. See Joan Dayan, Haiti, History, and the Gods (1996).

12mo (178 x 105mm). (A few chips to blank margins, some repaired; browning.) Contemporary calf (rebacked, preserving original pastedowns). Provenance: Richard Humphryes (inscription) – Lucretia Hartt, Setauket (numerous inscriptions) – Maria Gerome (inscription).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
16.06.2023
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

More from Creator

Laura
Laura
$100

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.