1871.11.08 English

General Christian Thomsen Christensen, 1832-1905

 

Letter using upper-case script – but with very small types  - dated 8th of November 1871

 

 

 

 

COPENHAGEN THE VII OF NOVEMBER, MDCCCLXXI

 

 

 

                                                YOUR LORDSHIP, DEAR SIR.

 

 

ENCLOSED I AM TAKING THE LIBERTY TO SEND A LETTER TO MR ROBERT WATT[1], EDITOR, CONCERNING MY WRITING BALL AND IT’S POSSIBLE MARKETING. APART FROM THIS LETTER I REQUEST YOU TO ALSO PASS ON TO MR WATT THE SMALL PARCEL WITH SAMPLES OF WRITING BALL SCRIPT, WHICH I AM SENDING TO YOUR LORDSHIP ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THIS LETTER. ONCE AGAIN I TAKE THE LIBERTY TO RECOMMEND THAT YOUR LORDSHIP MAY CONTINUE TO LOOK FAVOURABLY AT THE PROMOTION OF MY WRITING BALL.

 

 

 

 

                                                YOURS VERY FAITHFULLY

 

 

 

 

                                                 R. Malling Hansen

 

 

 

 

At the bottom of the page:

 

 

 

 

            HIS LORDSHIP

 

 

MR. GENERAL  C H R I S T  E N S E N   KNIGHT OF KING’S CROSS OF THE ORDER OF THE DANNEBORG ETC.[2]

 

 


[1] Robert Watt (1837 – 1894) was a flamboyant and well-known figure in Denmark at the time. He was a successful author of popular travel literature from exotic countries, a translater of Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain, director of several of the most well-known theathres in Copenhagen (Hippodromen, Casino, Folketeatret) and director of the big amusement park Tivoli. He was also, in spite of the age difference, a close friend of H.C. Andersen, and in 1867 he accompanied HCA on a trip to the world exhibition in Paris. RMH had several writing balls on display at the Nordic Art and Industrial Exhibition in Copenhagen that opened on 13th of June 1872, and it is known that H.C.Andersen saw the exhibition on June 17th and in fact returned several times.

[2] It has caused us some confusion to decide actuallly what Christensen this letter was written to, but we are now sure that it was written to the Danish-American, General Christian Thomsen Christensen in USA, who at that time was Danish Consul in New York, and was known to assist many Danes in their business matters in USA. RMH obviously wanted him to forward a letter to Robert Watt, who also resided in USA that winter. What role RW played in the writing ball matter we don't know. Maybe RMH only wanted to sell him a single writing ball, or maybe he wanted his assistance in connection with the sale of his American patent.


The young Robert Watt, a well known figure in Denmark's theatres
A drawing of Robert Watt - RMH wanted to recommend his writing ball to him
H C Andersen - in 1867 he accompanied Robert Watt to the World Exhibition in Paris
H C Andersen made several visits to the Nordic Art and Industrial Exhibition in Copenhagen in 1872, where the writing ball was exhibited