Blanche Willis Howard 2 ALS Lot (1870s–1880s) Literary Letters to James R Osgood

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Blanche Willis Howard 2 ALS Lot (1870s–1880s) Literary Letters to James R Osgood:
$750.00

Two Autograph Letters Signed by Blanche Willis Howard — Rare 19th c. Novelist — Includes Sharp Satirical Letter Rebuking Publisher James R. Osgood + Literary Business ALS (Manuscripts & Proofs)

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Highlights

Lot of Two Original Autograph Letters Signed (ALS) by Blanche Willis Howard (1847–1898), American novelist best known for One Summer (1875) and Guenn (1884).

Includes an exceptional, witty letter parodying the famous Marblehead ballad of Floyd Ireson — aimed at none other than James Ripley Osgood, one of the most important publishers of the 19th century (connected with Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and others).

Also includes a professional manuscript-related letter from Wiscasset, Maine, discussing her work, copyist, mailing schedules, and proofs — offering insight into her working life as an author.

Together, these provide a dual portrait of Blanche Willis Howard: the serious working writer and the playful, satirical wit within the literary circles of her day.

Both signed in full, very scarce on the market, and highly desirable for collectors of women’s literature, publishing history, and American literary autographs.

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About Blanche Willis Howard (1847–1898)

Born in Bangor, Maine, Blanche Willis Howard was among the few American women novelists of the 19th century to achieve major success in both the United States and Europe. She settled in Germany in 1872 and built an international reputation with her popular novel One Summer (1875), a bestseller in both America and England. Later works, such as Guenn (1884) and Aulnay Tower (1885), solidified her as an important literary voice of the period.

Howard later married German banker Julius von Schierbrand, becoming part of an influential social and literary circle abroad. Her works frequently explored themes of love, morality, and women’s roles in society, and her correspondence, like the letters offered here, shows both her sharp intellect and her humor.

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About James Ripley Osgood (1836–1892)

James R. Osgood was one of the leading American publishers of the 19th century. He worked with luminaries such as Charles Dickens, Henry James, Bret Harte, and Mark Twain, bringing some of the greatest literary works of the period into print. Howard’s witty rebuke to Osgood shows her intimate connections within this publishing network, as well as her readiness to parody and satirize even the most powerful figures in her world.

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The Letters

Letter 1 — Wiscasset, Sept. 30 (Business/Manuscript Letter)

Howard reports that her portion of a manuscript is finished, but her copyist will not be ready until Saturday. She promises to send the remainder Monday morning (since there is no Sunday mail in her “primitive hamlet”), notes she has received proofs, and promises to forward corrections. She closes with the remark: “Have been waiting for rather important advice.”

This letter gives a clear glimpse of Howard’s process as a professional author, coordinating manuscripts and proofs with her publisher.

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Letter 2 — Literary Satire Directed at James R. Osgood

In this long, humorous, and highly entertaining letter, Howard rewrites the old Marblehead rhyme of Floyd Ireson (the fisherman who was tarred and feathered for refusing to help shipwrecked sailors) — except now her “villain” is publisher James R. Osgood:

> “Old James Osgood, for his hard heart — well, we have not quite decided upon the punishment; but — to leave us all in the lurch in this manner is a crime which the perpetrator must expiate here or dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">She teases him for abandoning friends, calls it a “crime,” and compares his neglect to being tarred and feathered in a cart. She adds:

> “As for you Mr. James Ripley Osgood — I have my opinion of your conduct, and only truly great natural reserve prevents me from expressing it. Such as it is, it is shared by the entire Barrett family.”

The letter closes with a playful “Afterthought”:

> “Is Miss N—e in Paris? If so we forgive you. Our blessings!”

This is an outstanding literary letter, showcasing Howard’s wit and her direct connection to one of the most famous publishers of her age.

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Condition

Both letters are well-preserved, written in a neat, legible hand on paper bearing her monogram “BWH.” Light age toning at edges, otherwise excellent. Each is signed clearly in full, “Blanche Willis Howard.”

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Letter 1 (Sept. 30, Wiscasset)

Dear Mr. Boyd:

My part of the work was finished Wednesday. My copyist however will not be through before Saturday night. I shall therefore send the remaining ms. Monday morning, there being no Sunday mail in this primitive hamlet.

I have received proofs of all ms. yet sent to you. Shall forward corrections directly. Have been waiting for rather important advice.

Sincerely,

Blanche W. Howard

Letter 2 (to James R. Osgood)

“Old Floyd Ireson, for his hard heart,

Was tarried and feathered and carried in a cart,

By the women of Marblehead.”

Old James Osgood, for his hard heart — well, we have not quite decided upon the punishment; but — to leave us all in the lurch in this manner is a crime which the perpetrator must expiate here or hereafter — we all hope here, and that on easy terms to see.

Seventeen hours journey, and a good sleeping-car, and people, whom in your amiable intervals you call friends, waiting for you at the other end, with eagerness and anxiety!

…As for you Mr. James Ripley Osgood — I have my opinion of your conduct, and only truly great natural reserve prevents me from expressing it. Such as it is, it is shared by the entire Barrett family.

N.B. There is many a true word spoken in jest.

P.S. We expect you Wednesday.

With, from force of habit some regard, tempered by extreme disapproval,

Blanche Willis Howard.

Afterthought. Is Miss N—e in Paris? If so we forgive you. Our blessings!

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Keywords for Collectors

Blanche Willis Howard • American Women Writers • James Ripley Osgood • 19th Century Publishing • Marblehead Ballad • Floyd Ireson • ALS Autograph Letter Signed • Literary History • Women Authors • Manuscripts and Proofs • Humor and Satire • Antiquarian Letters • American Novelist • Literary Autographs

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📦 Offered here together for the first time in decades: Two original Blanche Willis Howard autograph letters, blending business and satire, manuscript and parody, and connecting directly to one of the leading publishers of the 19th century. A rare literary pair.