To his literary agent in London - photo 1
To his literary agent in London - photo 2

To his literary agent in London

Sold
$ 13 860
Auction dateClassic
15.06.2023 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 967640
Lot 118 | To his literary agent in London
To his literary agent in London

Herman Melville, 31 March 1847

MELVILLE, Herman (1819-1891). Autograph letter signed ("Herman Melville") to John Romeyn Brodhead, New York, 31 March 1847.



Three pages, bifolium, 248 x 199mm (rear leaf laid in).



"The precise pecuniary value of most unpublished works is so uncertain."



Herman Melville writes to his literary agent in London concerning his two most successful titles, Typee and Omoo. With the death of his older brother Gansevoort in May 1846, Herman Melville was left without an agent in England. Fortuitously, John Romeyn Brodhead (1814-73), Gansevoort's boyhood friend, was appointed to succeed him as Secretary of the U.S. Legation in London. At the beginning of 1847, Brodhead took on Gansevoort's role as Melville's literary representative as well. "Your letter... of the 3rd of March enclosing copies of notes between Mr. [John] Murray [his London publisher] and yourself and informing me of the sale of Omoo [Melville's second book, following Typee] was duly received. You authorize me to draw on you for £144-3-4 as the proceeds of the sale [of Omoo]. I have accordingly... The precise pecuniary value of most unpublished works is so uncertain & hard to be estimated (especially, under the circumstance, with respect to my new work) that I hardly (between you and me) know how liberal to consider Mr. Murray's offer [for Omoo] which you accepted after due consideration. At any rate, I have a high opinion of his general liberality in these matters; - and My Dear Sir, you may believe me, when I assure you, that I have no doubt you have done all that you could do... The book [the American edition of Omoo issued by Harper & Bros.] will be out here about the 10th or 12th of April. You may naturally suppose that I have much curiosity to see how Omoo will be received by the sagacious Critics of the English press... may I beg of you the favor, to have an eye occasionally, upon the Reviews, & to cause to be collected & sent me, in their original form, whatever notices may appear of the book... In a letter, which I am just about to address to Mr. Murray I am going to request him to put up a package for me of several copies of his edition of the book... Once more, permit me, My Dear Mr. Brodhead to tender you my hearty thanks for your friendly agency in my behalf- & to express the hope that I may hear from you whenever your diplomatic engagements admit of epistolary recreation." Published in Horth, Correspondence, 84-86. Provenance: H. Bradley Martin (his sale, Sotheby's, New York, 30-31 January 1990, lot 2167 (part)) – Christie's, New York, 17 May 1996, lot 98.

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
15.06.2023
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

The Piazza Tales
The Piazza Tales
$100
Israel Potter and Benito Cereno in Putnam's Monthly
Israel Potter and Benito Cereno in Putnam's Monthly
$3 000
Criticism on Art by William Hazlitt
Criticism on Art by William Hazlitt
$7 000
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy
Typee, inscribed, the Bradley Martin copy
$80 000
Narrative of a Four Months' Residence Among the Natives, a family copy
Narrative of a Four Months' Residence Among the Natives, a family copy
$100
The Piazza Tales, inscribed by Allan Melville
The Piazza Tales, inscribed by Allan Melville
$3 500
Moby-Dick
Moby-Dick
$25 000
Herman Melville
Herman Melville
$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.