Marquis de Lafayette 1825 Handwritten Letter and Portrait; Signed and Mounted

Description: This 1825 letter (English translation is provided below), written and signed by Marquis de Lafayette, is a piece of American and French history. Marquis de Lafayette was a French hero of both the American Revolution and the French Revolution. Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, known as Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), was known in the United States as Lafayette. He was a French nobleman and military officer who volunteered to fight in the American Revolutionary War, commanding American troops in several battles, including the decisive siege of Yorktown. He was shot in the leg during his first battle, the Battle of Brandywine, in 1777. Lafayette was a close friend of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton. After returning to France, he was a key figure in the French Revolution of 1789 and the July Revolution of 1830. Lafayette toured the United States in mid-1825 where he visited all 24 states. A few months later, Lafayette wrote this letter on December 31, 1825 from his castle, the Chateau de LaGrange-Blenau. The letter, with an official seal, is about obtaining farming equipment, a particular beating machine based on a model from the U.S. He signed the letter “Lafayette.” Here is the translation from French to English: WM. MR CONNER Lagrange, 31 December 1825 I am grateful to you, sir, for the report you kindly send me. I am waiting for a note on Mr Dembale's beating machine, a model from the United States, and I will see the one called le Batteur (the Beater) in Pari in order to take a [illegible word] before the next harvest. If you hear of any new means or development, I would be happy to hear from you. I will be in Paris for a while around 12 or 15 January; this will be the time to take care of the friends you wanted to lean on for your very interesting journal. Please accept my distinguished consideration. Lafayette The paper that the letter was written on is somewhat faded, but the writing is bold and easy to read. The letter is accompanied by an engraved portrait of Lafayette. Both sides are mounted in plastic. This letter is an excellent addition to the collection of any Revolutionary War buff, history buff, or autograph collector. I purchased the letter from Grey Flannel Auctions in 2003. I’ve included the original invoice from Grey Flannel Auctions, one of the premier auction houses in the United States. They specialize in sports memorabilia, but they also auction off many historical documents, including Presidential documents. While I do not have an official authentication letter, I did recently speak on the phone with an historical documents expert who is familiar with the writings of Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette would sometimes have a secretary write a letter for him and then he would sign it. After reviewing photos of this letter, this expert stated, “In my opinion this is entirely in Lafayette's hand.” So, the letter itself and the signature are written by Marquis de Lafayette. Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you for your interest!

Price: 2799 USD

Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, California

End Time: 2025-01-11T18:00:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD