This one has been sitting in a shop I love in the Hudson Valley for some time, and each time I go I visit it. Finally I gave in, paying about what I'm asking, but it felt very much like my responsibility to become its steward! The envelope alone is a perfect thing, addressed to Mr. Santa Claus (love that little "Mr." scrunched in), probably on his father's stationary, A.C. Goodman, Hartford CT, and with a great little drawing (chimney sweep) and a couple of floating letters on reverse. Then the letter itself, in the best all caps lettering of a very young hand: "I want a a Drumond box of tools with saw and a amalet [amulet???] and a chisel and a pair of pincers and a chisel and a gauge and [carried over to reverse side] plane [i think not an airplane but a wood plane based his drawing and following the list of tools, but then it launches him into drawing trains and a carriage, quite a brilliant transition! And then Rickie with a stick (or bayonet?!) looking perhaps about to ring a bell? For me, total and pure delight.
Letter: 7" x 4 7/16". Envelope 5 7/8" x 3 3/8". Late 19th or very early 20th century. The graphite writing on the side of the letter that begins it is faint at top and into the middle, as shown. It is readable, but significantly lighter than the writing at bottom and on reverse side and on envelop. Otherwise, plenty of wear, a few stains and smudges, fold lines and loss along one edge as evident--all feeling very much part of its character. Paper is not fragile.
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