1870.09.09 English
- Professor Carl Valentin Holten, 1818-1886, chairman of the Polytechnical Society and director of the Polytechnical Educational Institution. He was present when the writing ball was first presented to the press in Denmark. Photo: The Royal Library in Copenhagen
- "Etatsraad" Christian Gotfried Hummel, 1811-1872, director of the Industrial School and teacher at the Polytechnical Educational Institution. According to Malling-Hansen he wrote very favourably about the writing ball. Photo: The Royal Library in Copenhagen
Transcript of the third letter written on the writing ball[1], on the 9.th of september 1870
dear brothers
look here, the first ball-letter. really it is the third. that is, i have written the first to mother in law on the occasion of her birthday, and the second a short while ago to etatsråd [2] hummel to thank him for a brilliant opinion about the ball, which he sent to me a short while ago. the imperfections that still stick to the ball could luckily easily be corrected. an insignificant alteration to it will mean, that all the letters will come within the right distance of each other.
yesterday the ball was inspected by the representatives of the press. proff holten was also present. everbody were surprised. dagstelegrafen[3] has an article about it today. folkets avis[4] also, and it is very well written and very long. dagens nyheder og dagbladet[5] announce articles about the writing ball tomorrow.
but now enough about the ball for this time. my heartfelt thanks for your loving letters for my birthday. well, so now i am half-old. yes, this cannot be denied, but you, dear john, are after all worse than brother iørgen, when you say, that i am the old son of mother, while you two are the younger. mother has this night had a sleepless night, but apart from that, our dear and patient mother has been feeling quite well with us, considering the circumstances. i surely dont have to tell you, that we are so very happy to have our blessed mother with us.
(handwritten:)
the most heartwarm greetings to you from all of us
Mother thanks you many times for your dear letters
Copenhagen september 9th 1870
your devoted brother
R. Malling Hansen
[1] The original is without commas and full stop - but inserted here on translators judgement
this first witing ball only had small characters - and this is respected in this translation
[2] A very fine title
[3] A Danish newspaper
[4] Another Danish newspaper
[5] Two other Danish newspapers
- Rasmus Malling-Hansen wrote the first letter on his writing ball to his mother in law, Emma Heiberg, born Rørdam(1812-1897). She was in fact the stepmother and aunt of Malling-Hansen's wife, because the father, when his first wife, Engelke Marie died in 1855, married her two years older sister. Photo: The Heiberg Museum in Sogndal, Norway
- When Malling-Hansen wrote the first letters on his writing ball, his mother, Juliane Hansen, born Matzen(1809-1885) was staying with the Malling-Hansen family in Copenhagen. Photo: Private collection
- The youngest of Malling-Hansen's brothers, Johan Frederik Hansen(1839-1918) worked as a teacher - and he was also an organist. Photo: Private collection
- A teacher was also the other brother, Thomas Jørgen Hansen(1937-1919). He also worked as a translator, and translated a lot of letters for Malling-Hansen, who did not speak English. Photo: Private collection
