A letter bringing together George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and the Marquis de Lafayette has auctioned for over $1 million at a New York sale linked to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
The letter was written by Washington to introduce Franklin and the Marquis as Franklin took up the role of Minister to France from the newly formed United States.
Lafayette, an extremely wealthy French aristocrat took up the cause of the American Revolution with gusto, travelling to the 13 colonies to fight the British. Washington, in his turn, took the Frenchman, and Sotheby’’s say the letter is “Washington’s most explicit expression of his fatherly affection for Lafayette.”
Benjamin Franklin served as the United States ambassador to France from 1776 to 1785. French financial, military and political support was vital to the successful rebellion against the British colonial authorities.
The latter, dated December 28, 1778 was listed in Sotheby’s Fine Manuscripts and Printed Americana sale last night, January 27, in New York.
Washington, left, wrote to Frankling, right, to introduce him to the skills of Lafayette, centre. The French aristocrat was a major political figure on both sides of the Atlantic. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
It was expected to realise between $1 million and $1.5 million and brought in $1.016 million.
A set of books owned by Washington, and signed by him, were expected to sell for as much as $1.8 million, but did not sell on the night.
More successful was a volume of ordinances from the Virginia Revolutionary Congress that sold for $406,000 against an estimate of $350,000 to $500,000.
US Founding documents are very sought after. The most valuable ever sold was a copy of the Constitution that was auctioned for $43.2 million in 2021, setting a record high for any document,
Tagged: Americana, Auctions, Books, George Washington, historic documents, Historical letters, Sotheby’s | Edit”Washington-owned books likely to lead US 250 document sale”
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