Om genstanden
Brev fra Joseph Durham til H.C. Andersen ved afrejsen fra London i 1847:
"6 North Crescent
Bedford Sqr
London
August 28/47
My dear Friend,
- for such I must call you - allow me before you leave our land to thank you most sincerely for the great kindness I have recieved at your hands, not only the giving to me your own valuable time, but also, the kind reception I received from the delightful Jenny Lind for that also, belongs to you, without you I believe I never should have been so honoured and whatever the result may be to me, to you I ever must remain a debtor,
I know your own goodness for much my countrymen open their kindly hearts, and for my poor part, I shall ever recur to the time I had Christian Andersen, by me as a companion, and hold it one of the higest spots of my existance, - believing you to have before you a brilliant path, for you have genius for your guide, with all my heart I'll pray it may be so, and after a long course of prosperous good retire when late to rest, - but - I cannot write, I can only feel all that should be vain - so pardon me and believe me, my dear friend - sincerly yours - Joseph Durham.
[Udskrift:]
To
Hans Christian Andersen
from
Joseph Durham
Et ark papir, brevfoldet og skrevet på to sider. Købt for 750 € af antikvarboghandler Eberhard Köstler. Den tidligere ejer var J.K. Riess, hvis røde stempel er sat på brevet. Han købte brevet i Leo Liepmannssohns (1840-1915) antikvariat i Bernburgerstrasse 14 i Berlin, den 7. december 1918 for "3.60 K". Brevet blev købt med støtte fra H.C. Andersens Fond
