Menu
Cart 0

STEVENSON Robert Louis - Autograph Letter Signed from Vailima to a doctor and member of the London Missionary Society

  • £2,750.00

Robert Louis STEVENSON (1850-1894)

Autograph Letter Signed (“Robert Louis Stevenson”) to “Dear Dr. Davies”, thanking him for a medical pamphlet, and hoping that “we shall still be spared that spectacle of tragic folly, another war”.
1 page 8vo with integral blank leaf, n.p. [but Vailima], n.d. [c.1890]. 
The pamphlets [arrived] with many thanks. I have read them – we have all read them – with vivid interest. Filaria Sanguinis Hominis is truly a broth of a boy! Trusting you are being speeded in your different duties – and that, in spite of all signs and many rumours we shall still be spared that spectacle of tragic folly, another war.
After travelling extensively throughout the South Pacific, Stevenson and his wife settled in the village of Vailima in Samoa in 1890. Stevenson was sympathetic to the Samoans, to the extent of becoming embroiled in a dispute with officialdom over the incompetence of some of the European officials.
His time there was happy and brought renewed energy to the writer whose health had been undermined in his youth by the less congenial climate of his native Edinburgh. He maintained a regular correspondence with friends in England and Scotland, including Sidney Colvin, a close friend, literary advisor, and eventually editor of Stevenson’s letters.
Writing to Colvin in November 1890, Stevenson told him that “I met Dr. Davis from Savaii, and had an age-long talk about Edinburgh folk; it was very pleasant. He has been studying in Edinburgh . . . He told me he knew nobody but college people . . . He seems full of cheerfulness and thick-set energy. I feel as if I could put him in a novel with effect . . .”
It would appear that Dr. Davies had trained as a doctor in Edinburgh late in life, with a view to returning to the South Sea Islands, where he had already served as a member of the London Missionary Society. Upon his return to Samoa in 1890, Davies found himself dealing with cases of elephantiasis, a disease caused by the Filaria Sanguinis Hominis parasite mentioned in this letter.
Together with three photos of the Davies family, a postcard of Samoa and a folding set of postcards marked “Samoa?” one depicting a hut, the others showing islanders.
The letter has very light foxing, but is otherwise in very good condition.

Delivery

Autographs can be delivered worldwide. Delivery costs are calculated at the time of order and items will be sent by the most appropriate means, depending on your location and the value of the item. This will usually be by Royal Mail Special Delivery within the UK and Royal Mail Tracked outside the UK. 

 

The current delivery charges are:

  • UK:

    Royal Mail Special Delivery £8.50

  • Europe:

    Europe Royal Mail Tracked £15.00
    EU customers should note that, following brexit, local VAT and customs duties may apply to their purchases. 

     USA:

  • Royal Mail Tracked £21.00

    Rest of the World:

  • Rest of the World Tracked £18.00

     

Export Licensing

Customers should be aware that all letters and documents over 50 years old require an export licence, which may delay delivery by anything from one to three weeks. Signed photographs are not subject to export licence regulations, and can be sent immediately.

There is no charge for the export licence and I will take care of the application, the only inconvenience to you will be the delay.

Authenticity

The authenticity of the letters and documents offered is guaranteed.

Payment

Online sales orders

Payments made via the website are processed by Shopify Inc and can be made using Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Telephone sales orders

Items may be purchased by phone. Please contact me using the website Contact Form and I will call you within 48 hours to discuss your requirements. Payment for purchases ordered by phone can be paid upon receipt of the invoice and must be paid within 7 days. Phone orders can be paid by cheque (in pounds sterling only) or bank transfer.

Items will be reserved for one week following the order confirmation and will be dispatched either within 7 days after full payment has been received, or after any required export licenses have been granted.

Returns Policy

Should you be in any way dissatisfied with your purchase, items may be returned within six weeks of delivery and a full refund will be made upon receipt of the returned item. The item must be received by Richmond Autographs in the same condition as when dispatched.  For full details, please read our Terms and Conditions.


We Also Recommend
Back to the top