Rare Autographs, Books and Manuscripts
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017
The Signed Cabinet photo is matted and framed and exquisite frame, the photo is signed in ink in the lower left corner. There is a caption printed below the cabinet photo of the Pope Leo XVIII on a printed paper. It states the above portrait of Leo the XVIII was selected by his holiness from his own cabinet and presented with his autograph signature to Mr. Webster Rome July 13, 1886 and Bernard O’Reilly
The photo is accompanied with another set of letters, two letters one which is from the secretary of the Pope and the other is the translation. The letter was written to Charles L. Webster , from Rome November 7, 1887 and says: His holiness appreciating the care you have bestowed upon the publication of the work and titled the life of Leo the XVIII has decided to give you a proof of his pontifical consideration by enrolling you in the night of the order of pious.
What makes this truly unique and special was Webster was actually Mark Twains business manager and was appointed in charge of Twain’s printing ventures. Twain was upset for the delay of publishers and not getting his royalities when due. His solution was to start his own subscription publishing firm. In 1884 he founded Charles L. Webster and Company, which he named after his business agent (and his niece’s husband), who became its director. Clemens hoped to reap the combined benefits of being an author and a publisher.
The new company enjoyed great success with its first two publications, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Sales of the two-volume memoir generated a record-breaking royalty payment of $200,000 for the president’s widow and made Clemens a wealthy man.
But the firm never duplicated its early triumphs, and projects that seemed so promising—like biographies of Pope Leo XIII which this actual signed photo is reproduced and featured in. The biography was written by Bernard O'Reilly with the blessings and help from the Pope. An exaample of the front page in the book is shown in the photos with this lot.
What an incredible piece , a very rare signed photo of the Pope Leo XIII and thatit was part of Twains Publishing company that he started.
Charles Luther Webster (September 24, 1851 – April 28, 1891) served as Mark Twain's business manager and was eventually installed as the head of Twain's publishing company, Charles L. Webster and Co., named for Webster.
Rare Pope Leo XIII Signed Photo to Mark Twain's Publishing business manager For their book on his Life
Click above for larger image.