ABBEY, EDWIN AUSTIN. Small archive of 9 Autograph Letters Signed ("Edwin A. Abbey," "E.A. Abbey," or "E.A.A."), to painter George Henry Boughton, in ink or pencil, including three illustrated with small ink drawings, requesting a submission for exhibition in Chicago, describing his travels in England and elsewhere in Europe, discussing a project to publish engravings with Dutch subjects, arranging meetings, etc. The drawings, a thumbnail-size dancing bellhop and the exterior of a house's corner doorway in letters dated September 7 and 14, 1879; a full-length portrait of [engraver Timothy] Cole holding a portfolio under his arm in letter dated October 9, 1879; and a thumbnail-size caricature of smiling head in margin with thumb pointing to adjacent text in letter dated "Friday morning." Together 30 pages, 8vo or 4to, most on monogrammed stationery; generally good condition. Vp, 1873-81
12 January 1873: "I . . . ask you whether you have anything you would like to send to Chicago with the Americans in England. ". . . There has been some friction with Mr. Beck, who had written urgent letters to all the prominent Americans in England, urging them to exhibit in the English section. This gave great offense in Chicago . . . . It has been understood all along that you were to send with England . . . . "[T]his [is] . . . to find out . . . if you are willing to send a little something with us--now that the English collection is collected--and if so whether you would be one of the jury . . . ." 14 September 1879, Chagford: ". . . [T]his little town is most quaint--and the surrounding landscape is very lovely. I am most anxious to get at work at colours--and expect to have something anyway to show when I get back. I did try a little bit of heath--with purple heather--and yellow blossoms and ferns . . . ." 9 October 1879: ". . . This afternoon I walked from here through Merrow across Merrow Heath to Albany and so around back home. Such beautiful stuff as there is on the heath! The fine old yews planted by the Canterbury Pil[grim]s . . .--I secured a note of a yew. It is beginning to look very Boughton'y--is the landscape. The thistles are downy on the top and brown under--and the grass is beginning to get white and yellow on the end. It seems odd that no other painter in England should see that this is very beautiful. . . ." 4 August 1881: ". . . Don't you think it would be a good idea to have engravings made of say that girl of Holbein's with the white scarf at the Hague--of a good Terbourg [Gerard ter Borch?]--or so--and one of the Franz Hals' at Haarlem. I wish I could have the six portraits. "London is heavy and cold and dark and dismal and drizzly and damned . . . . The Virginia creeper is turning beautifully--the only bright thing to be seen. . . ."
