Henry James ALS to Prominent Boston Architect's Wife, Just A Few Weeks Before "A Passionate Pilgrim" Was Published in Book Form

A 2pp autograph letter boldly signed by novelist Henry James (1843-1916) as "Henry James jr:" on the second page. December 31, [n.y.] but 1874. New York, New York. On cream bifold stationery. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds, isolated minor edge toning, and isolated pencil inscriptions from a previous collector, else near fine. 4.5" x 7." Accompanied by its original transmittal envelope also engrossed by James, bearing his "HJ" embossed red wax seal verso. Docketed in pencil along the top recto, and letter-opened at top. 4.875" x 3.625." Comes with an invoice from Dennis Holzman, Antiques, Rare Books, Ephemera (Albany, New York) listing a purchase price of nearly $800 in March 1999.

Henry James wrote this letter to "Mrs. Van Brunt," or Alice S. Osborn Van Brunt (1846-1932), the wife of prominent Boston-based architect Henry Van Brunt (1832-1903). Van Brunt was a partner in the architectural firm of Ware and Van Brunt, active between the 1860s-1880s, which was responsible for designing many university campus and municipal buildings in the Boston metropolitan area. In addition to designing, Van Brunt was also a dedicated architectural critic. This same year, 1874, his English translation of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's "Discourses on Architecture" was published.

James wrote in full:

"My dear Mrs. Van Brunt:
Your letter has come to me to day from Cambridge + I am condemned only to think ruefully of the pleasure you offer me this evening. I shall hope however to see you on my return. Miss Oakey, I believe, lives in New York, where I trust that fortune has in store for me the privilege of also making her acquaintance. I beg you to give my kind regards to your husband whom I was prevented by the hurry of departure from seeing before I left home, + to believe me with many regrets
Yours very truly
Henry James jr:
111 East 25th St.
New York. Dec. 31st."

The itinerant James lived only a short six-month-long period at 111 East 25th Street, from late December 1874 through June 1875, at which point he returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Just a weeks after declining Mrs. Van Brunt's invitation, on January 31, 1875, James would publish his "A Passionate Pilgrim and Other Tales" (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1875). The title novella recounted the travails of an unhappy American expatriate named Clement Searle in England.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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