Sale 22SC02 | Lot 1

[ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY] Early manuscript copies of letters sent from John Quincy Adams to his son, George Washington Adams, written as Ambassador to Russia from 1811 onward.

Catalogue: Selections from the Private Collection of Barbara and Ira Lipman

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Lot 1
[ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY] Early manuscript copies of letters sent from John Quincy Adams to his son, George Washington Adams, written as Ambassador to Russia from 1811 onward.
[N.p.: circa 1815 or later]. A 48 pp. manuscript in various secretarial hands written on the recto and verso of the sheets of a stitched wove paper letter book in plain wrappers, possibly assembled later, the album compiling copies of nine letters from John Quincy Adams to his son George Washington Adams, the first dated from "St. Petersburgh Sept. 8th 1814." Each letter is headed with a Roman numeral and ending with Adams' secretarial signature (either in initials or full name). 8 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches (22 x 17 cm); the letter book housed in a fine full red morocco clamshell case. Light staining to covers, the letter book likely assembled after the copies were made as the lower edge is trimmed with loss of text to several pages.

An interesting near-contemporary letter book compiling long sections of biblical teachings offered from John Quincy Adams to his son George Washington Adams. On the first page of the manuscript, John Quincy is pleased to hear his son has been reading passages of the good book as "so great is my veneration for the Bible, so strong my belief that when daily read and meditated upon it is of all books in the world that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy." Adams though warns his son to be cautious with the power that comes from biblical study and offers in closing of the last letter: "Be careful not to let your readings make you a pedant or a bigot nor to puff you up with a conceited opinion of your own knowledge or make you intolerant of the opinion which others draw from the same source... from your affectionate Father, (signed) John Quincy Adams."


C Private Collection of Barbara and Ira Lipman

Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500

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Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500

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Catalogue Info

Selections from the Private Collection of Barbara and Ira Lipman

Wed, Nov 16, 2022 at 10am EST

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