Sophie Cat 56 - Sophie Dupre

39 AUTOGRAPH LETTERS,MANUSCRIPTS &SIGNED PHOTOS
EIPNIK (Dr. Ferdinand L., 1869-c.1924,
Hungarian Journalist & Connoisseur, intermediary
between Austria-Hungary and Great Britain in
WWI)
Important archive of letters addressed to Leipknik, from his
wide range of contacts in the political, literary and artistic
world, including letters from Ernest BRAIN of the Times,
W. Harbutt DAWSON , Count GLEICHEN of the
Foreign Office (14), Frederic HARRISON , Abel
HERMANT (2), Helmer KEY , Sir Sidney LEE (4),
Sir Sidney LOW (5) , Sir Herbert RUSSELL , H.
Wickham STEED of the Times (27), Sir William
TYRRELL of the Foreign Office, (27), Prof. Graham
WALLAS (3), Theodore & Clara WATTS DUNTON
(27), Louis WEIRTER (2) and over 200 VISITING
CARDS . [SD23564]£3,750
Of the political letters, those from Count Gleichen and Sir William
Tyrrell (1912-1921) chart Leipnik’s very special relations with the
Foreign Office. Besides the topics already mentioned, they
contain valuable insights about the possibility of a democratic
revolution in Germany ,and the impossibility of Austria shaking
off the German yoke. They can be ‘interleaved’ with the letters
sent by Leipnik now at the PRO and shed valuable light on
them.
Afurther large group (1907-1923) is from H. Wickham Steed,
Editor of the Times and historian of Central Europe. Steed loves
Hungary but is a stern critic of the excesses of Magyar
nationalism. During the war he writes of “a monster treason trial”
being “worked up in Banjaluka against 156 Bosnian Serbs ... what
is going on ?”, and after the war gives Leipnik a note for Benes,
1st Foreign Minister of the new Czechoslovakia, later President.
Among the literary letters is an apparently unrecorded group
from Theodore Watts-Dunton (1906-1914, continued to 1921 by
his widow Clara) about Watts-Dunton’s unpublished novel
‘Carniola’ . Starting with enquiries about the Hungarian theatre
and aHungarian ‘Punch & Judy’ show, the letters expand into a
fascinating literary exchange, Leipnik supplying information
about the Gypsies in Slovenia, and Watts-Dunton talking of
Swinburne, his permanent house guest for 30 years, sending
(1907) a copy of his poems (not present) which Swinburne has
autographed for Leipnik.
The collection is rounded by the visiting cards (c. 1905-c. 1922)
from diplomats, connoisseurs and journalists of over 15 countries.
They include many diplomats accredited by the Central Powers to
The Hague, who presumably gave Leipnik some of the
information he passed on to London.
Leipnik has till now been largely known for his beautiful history
of French Etching (1924). The present archive shows him as a
man with whom it was a pleasure and a profit to correspond, and
would be invaluable to a prospective biographer.
As a journalist, Leipnik gathered an immense number of
contacts, diplomatic, literary, financial and artistic. He edited the
‘Pester Lloyd’, 1907-1911, joined a short-lived ‘Journal
International’, and was in London at the outbreak of war. Unable
to obtain a permit as a friendly enemy alien, he spent most of the
war inneutral Holland, writing summaries of public opinion in all
parts of the Austro-Hungarian dominions for the British papers,
and especially for the Foreign Office, who took note of his
suggestions for propaganda, and valued the diplomatic papers he
was able to procure. By 1917 the Austrian embassy at the Hague
was using him to convey peace feelers to London, (see the papers
at the PRO, especially class FO371).
Full details on request.
298. LAKE (Sir Henry Atwell, 1808-1881, Colonel
R.E., the ‘hero of Kars’)
ALS toLord Ingestre, (1830-1877, from 1868 19th Earl of
Shrewsbury), accepting with “the greatest pleasure” for
dinner, 2 sides 8vo., Junior United Services Club,
‘Tuesday’ n.d., c. 1858, on the conjugate leaf is an ALS
from Lord Ingestre sending this letter to Mr Parke and
saying “Shrewsbury case went famously yesterday”, 17
Eccleston Square, 5th May 1858 [SD50161]£125
Lake had been in charge of irrigation with the E.I.C.. On
leave in 1854, he volunteered for the British army. He was
sent to Kars (where a British force supported the Turks), as
chief engineer and 2 i/c to Colonel Williams. They endured
a remarkable siege and many attacks from the Russians
under Count Muraviev, from June to November 1855, when
the garrison finally capitulated. Lake was showered with
honours on his return. See his ‘KarsandourCaptivity in
Russia’ (1856) and ‘Narrative of the Defence of Kars’,
1857.
299. LAMBERT (Sir John, 1772-1847, served in the
Peninsula and at Waterloo, General)
AL in the third person to Mr Willson, ordering “A Plain
Saddle, as usual - a light Curb Bridle, for Lady Lambert - A
General Officers Bridle complete wt. Housing”, and asking
how many cases are involved, so that Lambert can write
ahead to the Horse Guards, each case must be sealed there
at the QMG’s office “previous to your sending it off by the
Coach from the White Bear, Piccadilly”, and addressed to
Beaumetz, 2 sides 4to., Beaumetz, near Cambrai
(Wellington’s HQ), 6th April 1817 [SD50162]£75
300. LEOPOLD III (1901-1983, King of Belgians)
Fine Typed Letter Signed, in French with translation, to
King GEORGE II of theHellenes ,(1890-1947, reigned
1922-1924 and 1935-1947), saying he has learnt “with
genuine satisfaction ... that your beloved sister-in-law, Her
Royal Highness the Princess Frederika Luise [1917-1981],
born Princess of Brunswick and Luneburg, wife of Your
Majesty’s beloved Brother, His Royal Highness the
Hereditary Prince Paul”, King Paul I of Greece, 1901-1964,
reigned 1947-1964, “has happily given birth on the 2nd
November 1938, to a Princess who has received at baptism
the name ofSophie”,thepresent Queen Sophie of Spain,
and offering “the most sincere wishes for the preservation
of the child just born”, renewing the assurance of his “high
esteem and unalterable attachment”, and signing “My
Brother, Your Majesty’s good brother, Léopold”, royal coat
of arms in red at head, envelope with royal armorial seal, 1
side folio and conjugate blank, The Palace, Brussels, 8th
April 1939, seal rather worn [SD50200]£475
On 10th May 1940, the Germans invaded the Netherlands and
Belgium. King Leopold took command of the armed forces but
made the decision to surrender on 28th May to save lives, and
became a prisoner in his Palace in Brussels, later in Austria.
Although he is credited with having saved 500,000 women and
children from deportation to work in German munitions factories,
the Belgian government in exile thought that he should have
escaped and joined them, and his brother Charles, Count of
Flanders, was made Regent at the liberation. Leopold abdicated in
favour of his son Baudouin in 1951.