14 and 17 May 1869 • Hartford, Conn. (Swann, lot 299, and Merwin-Clayton, lot 129, UCCL 09755)
The newspaper notices ... do not seem to amount to anything, & so I give up trying to make a circular out of them. I have never taken any pains to preserve notices ... I wish you would have your office boy get up the circular the way you want it—& have them printed & send me a copy or two & the bill ... I haven’t had any experience like this & you have ... I haven’t any photographs, but I have a negative ... & will order some & send one ...
Upon Ⓐemendation second thought, I have made an attempt. Maybe ... it will do. Ⓐemendation 2explanatory note
Clemens probably began this letter shortly after receiving some lecture reviews from Olivia Langdon on the morning of 14 May, then held it for completion until Monday, 17 May, pending receipt of at least one additional review (see the next letter).
Neither Clemens’s “attempt” at an advertising circular nor any of the lecture reviews he enclosed with it are known to survive. Even discounting these enclosures, as much as half of the letter text may be missing.
P1 is sole copy-text for most of the letter. The dateline only is based on P1 and P2, each of which derives independently from the MS.
L3 , 227; none known other than P1 and P2.
The present location of the MS, sold in 1906 by the Merwin-Clayton Sales Company and in 1990 by Swann Galleries, is unknown.
More information on provenance may be found in Description of Provenanceclick to open link.
The Merwin-Clayton catalog, which does not identify the addressee, describes the MS as an “A. L. S. 2 pages, 8vo. May 14, 1869. ... on very thin paper and in poor condition.” According to the 1990 Swann catalog, the paper is “browned and slightly light from prior framing; expert tissue restoration and slight loss of text on both leaves.” The paper and ink are doubtless the same as those Clemens used in his first letter of 15 May to Olivia Langdon (see p. 635).