Autograph Manuscripts from John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
- by Michael Stillman
A postcard from Clemens-Twain-“Nansen.”
Item 3 is a set of postcards Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, sent his daughter, Clara, on June 15, 1899. All were mailed at the same time on the same day. Clemens signs them with the names of other people famous at the time, scrawled with humorous messages they supposedly sent. One signed by “Nansen” (Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen) reads, “No – strawberries do not grow at the Pole, nor anywhere near it. See my book.” A message from “Stanley” says, “Africa is not in the Sandwich Islands.” One presumes there must have been some earlier interplay between Clemens and his daughter on these subjects. All four postcards must have arrived at her door at the same time. $3,000.
