THE CREIGHTON C. HART COLLECTION
of Free Franks and Letters
The Property of
The CREIGHTON C. HART TRUST
The late Creighton C. Hart, a lifelong resident of Kansas City, became a collector in the field of American postal history while still a student at Dartmouth College. A dedicated student of philatelic history, he wrote widely on the subject and was co-author of a pioneering monograph on and census of the surviving Ten-Cent 1847 covers. He held high posts in the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and received awards of distinction from that group and others. At an early date, he also began to assemble a collection of free franks and became, perhaps to his surprise initially, a collector of American manuscripts. The letters were assembled with an eye for content, like Martha Washington's letter on general Washington's return to Mount Vernon (lot ), or his exceptional Teddy Roosevelt letter (lot ) about the cannon from Bunker Hill. Concentrating on the American Revolution, Presidents and First Ladies, his collection consistently won major awards including large gold medals at INTERPHIL '76, ITALIA '76 and AMERIPEX '86. Creighton died the first of this year, survived by his wife Virginia, with whom he shared a love of art and antiques. In dispersing his collection at auction, his wish was that after his death others might experience the same pleasure he had had in acquiring these marvelous artifacts of American history.
ADAMS, ABIGAIL, First Lady. Autograph letter signed ("A. Adams") to "My Dear Granddaughter" (Catherine Smith), "Quincy, [Mass.], 14 April 1813. 1 full page, 4to, integral address leaf with recipient's name in another hand, small patch to address leaf, otherwise in fine condition.
細節
ADAMS, ABIGAIL, First Lady. Autograph letter signed ("A. Adams") to "My Dear Granddaughter" (Catherine Smith), "Quincy, [Mass.], 14 April 1813. 1 full page, 4to, integral address leaf with recipient's name in another hand, small patch to address leaf, otherwise in fine condition.
IN THE MIDST OF WAR WITH BRITAIN, ABIGAIL MOURNS A SISTER AND GREETS A GREAT GRAND-DAUGHTER
A fine newsy family letter. "I will not let my Dear Boys [John Quincy and Thomas Boyleston Adams?] leave me without taking a few lines to you. My heart and hands have been full, the parting with the Children, I set as a weight upon my Heart. Added to this, I am called to weep over a dear beloved, only sister, suddenly taken from the world; without one sad adieu to a fond doating [sic] husband, a darling daughter, and beloved son. You did not know her, but your husband has experienced, with many others, her maternal tenderness, her watchfull care, her parental advise -- he will mourn her loss. You must excuse this mournful strain -- I could not have written you at all, if I could not have passed out my griefs. Alas old wounds are opened anew."
"I thank you dear Kitty for your letter; and I long to see my great granddaughter, whom I learn you have named for my dear Caroline. There is but one other name I could have wished her to borne, not because it is my own, but that of one, whose memory is very dear to me....I find from high authority that Mr. Smith will have it as his option to go to England as Secretary of Legation, or return to America. I am not competent to judge what is best for him, he knows best, I presume. I shall rejoice to hear that you are once more a collected family. I forward you some letters from your friends at Washington, and shall always rejoice to hear of your welfare....."
IN THE MIDST OF WAR WITH BRITAIN, ABIGAIL MOURNS A SISTER AND GREETS A GREAT GRAND-DAUGHTER
A fine newsy family letter. "I will not let my Dear Boys [John Quincy and Thomas Boyleston Adams?] leave me without taking a few lines to you. My heart and hands have been full, the parting with the Children, I set as a weight upon my Heart. Added to this, I am called to weep over a dear beloved, only sister, suddenly taken from the world; without one sad adieu to a fond doating [sic] husband, a darling daughter, and beloved son. You did not know her, but your husband has experienced, with many others, her maternal tenderness, her watchfull care, her parental advise -- he will mourn her loss. You must excuse this mournful strain -- I could not have written you at all, if I could not have passed out my griefs. Alas old wounds are opened anew."
"I thank you dear Kitty for your letter; and I long to see my great granddaughter, whom I learn you have named for my dear Caroline. There is but one other name I could have wished her to borne, not because it is my own, but that of one, whose memory is very dear to me....I find from high authority that Mr. Smith will have it as his option to go to England as Secretary of Legation, or return to America. I am not competent to judge what is best for him, he knows best, I presume. I shall rejoice to hear that you are once more a collected family. I forward you some letters from your friends at Washington, and shall always rejoice to hear of your welfare....."