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there are three autograph letters in the book:
1.) autograph letter signed (‘William h. rideing’) to l.g. DuBois agreeing to provide a manuscript copy of a page of the book if DuBois provides a sheet of the correct size of paper, Editorial Room, Youth’s Companion, Boston, Mass., 2 February 1888, 8vo, two pages on one leaf watermarked ‘hh carter, Boston’, folded for posting and now mounted at large, with original envelope postmarked Boston, Mass, 2 February 1888.
as part of the additional content for this book DuBois wrote to rideing asking him for a manuscript transcription of one of the pages. the copy is opposite page 7. rideing happily agrees to provide the copy and asks to see the final book when completed as ‘he has been thinking about expanding his own copy.’ rideing apparently had ‘Japan proofs’ of many illustrations, including those from the Century.
2.) autograph letter signed (‘anne ritchie’) to ‘Dear sir’ (?l.g. DuBois) sending her appreciation that he liked the manuscript items of her father’s that she sent him, 36a Rosemary Gardens, Hereford Square, S.W., 3 March 1886, 16mo, 3 pages on bifolium and now mounted at large.
anne isabella, lady ritchie, née thackeray (9 June 1837 – 26 February 1919) was thackeray’s eldest daughter and she seems to have sent items of her father’s to DuBois for his collection. it is possible that material mentioned in the Times article came from her. the date of 1886 (one year after publication) shows that the process of extra-illustration was not rushed, and that DuBois was willing to wait until everything possible could be included rather than have it done as soon as he could purchase the original text.
3.) autograph letter signed (‘WM thackeray’) to Mr [octavian] Blewitt asking for ‘Mrs reach’s’ address with one manuscript addition in pencil ‘sect. literary Fund’, 36 Onslow Square, 16 January [?late 1850s], 12mo, one page on bifolium and now mounted at large.
octavian Blewitt (1803 – 1884) was for many years secretary of the royal literary Fund. he was also a government advisor on Pensions awarded to literary figures via the civil list. he was awarded a Knighthood in the order of leopold by leopold ii of Belgium. thackeray is writing to him to ask for a contact address for one ‘Mrs reach’. this may well be the wife of angus Bethune reach (1821 – 1856), a scottish journalist who moved to london in 1842 where he worked with thackeray at the Morning Chronicle. on their first meeting, thackeray reportedly pronounced reach’s name to rhyme with “beach”, and the latter informed him that the correct rendering was “ree-ack”. thackeray apologised for his mistake but later, when offering reach dessert from a bowl of peaches, asked him “Mr re-ak, will you take a pe-ak?” reach also wrote dramatic farces and novels.
in 1855 he was incapacitated by what edmund Yates described as ‘an attack of softening of the brain’. a grant were obtained for him from the royal literary Fund and the Fielding club staged a benefit pantomime to raise money for him and his wife: the audience included Dickens and thackeray, and a repeat performance was given at Drury lane theatre before the queen, the prince consort, and the prince of Wales. after reach’s death in 1856 thackeray contributed to a monument in his memory. if the Mrs reach was angus’ wife it is likely that this letter was written after the writer’s death. thackeray would have been more likely to write to Mr reach until after his death and would likely have had an address for him. Blewitt would have been the ideal person to write to for her address as he would have had contact with her given his advisory role on pensions and the literary Fund’s grants. this letter cannot be traced in gordon n. ray’s collection of thackeray’s letters, nor in the Pickering and chatto or smith, elder and company editions. Demonstrating DuBois’ care, the letter sits between pages referring to thackeray’s residences, mentioning his time at onslow square where he lived between 1853 and 1860.
all of the additional plates and letters highlight the careful planning which went into preparing this book: DuBois used his contacts in Boston to get unique items and to acquire the services of a fine binder and he took time to plan, as shown by the date of anne ritchie’s letter. the thackeray letter is short but involves interesting figures in his life; the plates’ locations have been carefully selected to enhance the text they face; the binding is handsome and executed to a bibliophile standard. taken altogether this is an excellent example of an extra-illustrated book put together with devotion and intelligence by one of the foremost early american collectors of thackeray.
Von Duzer, p.194 (12mo edition).
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