ALS to Messrs. Williams & Norgate concerning the import of four copies of one of Wilkie's books published by Tauchnitz. [Saturday] 24 December 1859. Single folded sheet of cream laid paper, no watermark, 135x172mm, folded.
The Public Face of Wilkie Collins I 185
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2.a. New Cavendish Street W. Decr 24th 1859 Gentlemen, I am much obliged to you for the form, which I return with this filled up and signed. If you will kindly let me know when the books are received, I will take care to send for them, so as to cause you as little trouble as possible. I remain gentlemen yours faithfully Wilkie Collins Messrs Williams & Norgate |
Accompanied by a form in a secretarial hand - words in Wilkie's hand indicated
by {}to the Honourable Commissioners of Her Majesty's Customs. [Monday] 26 December
1859. A single sheet of thin, blue, laid paper, no watermark.
[embossed heading] Williams & Norgate 14, Henrietta-Street, Covent-garden. London, WC Dec. 26 1859 Also at 20 South Frederick- Street, Edinburgh To the Honble Commissioners of H.M's Customs --- I hereby authorize Messrs Williams & Norgate to import for my own use {four} cop{ies} of my Work -- "A Plot in private life" as published by Tauchnitz of Leipzig. -- {Wilkie Collins}
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NOTES
Tauchnitz was the principle publisher of English works on continental Europe. They were mainly sold to English speaking travellers abroad. As a result of the deals done with authors, the books could not be sold in the United Kingdom. Hence this letter getting permission from HM Customs for the import of the books for Wilkie's own use. 'A Plot in Private Life and Other Tales' was published by Tauchnitz in November 1859 and contained five of the stories published in The Queen of Hearts. |
Although it is likely that such letters were written for
all the 30 books by Collins (two of which were written with Dickens) that Tauchnitz published, only
five are known, generally asking for six copies to be cleared..
See also the 1877 letter. |