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MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT. Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley, image 1
MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT. Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley, image 2
MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT. Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley, image 3
MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT. Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley, image 4
MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT. Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley, image 5
Lot 48¤

MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.
HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT.
Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley,

21 – 29 April 2025, 12:00 EDT
Online, New York

Sold for US$140.80 inc. premium

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MARY HOWITT AND HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.

HOWITT, ANNA. AND MARY HOWITT. Autograph Letter Signed ("A Howitt") mentioning Hans Christian Andersen, "the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated," to a Miss Woolley, 4 pp, written over in sections, 186 x 115 mm, London, "Friday Night," likely 1847, soiling, old folds.
WITH: partial Autograph letter signed ("Mary Howitt") also to Miss Woolley, a trimmed closing with corresponding text to the recto, 108 x 112 mm, old folds.

Mary Howitt was the first translator of Andersen's fairy tales into English, having "learned Danish so that she might translate the stories of her friend Hans Andersen" (Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books: 1566-1910, p 17). Anna (Mary) Howitt writes, "Andersen the Danish poet and Romance writer, whose works Mamma has translated you know, is now in London — we saw him the other day and it was a great happiness to us — we have loved his name and books so long — we hope to have him with us for several days before long...." The Howitts met Andersen on his trip to London in July-August 1847, and Mary Howitt gives an account of Andersen's more churlish side in her Autobiography, "Unfortunately, the over-sensitive and egotistical nature of this great Danish poet marred our intercourse." Mary Howitt was also the author of her own classic tale, "The Spider and the Fly," first printed in 1828.

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