George Santayana Pair of Signed Letters 

1) Autograph Letter Signed, “G. Santayana”, 1p, on a Carte Pneumatique, 4.375” x 5.5”, [Paris], “Friday”. Letter has folds and wrinkling, else near Fine condition. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity by R & R Enterprises Autograph Auctions.

Santayana’s letter to William Lyon Phelps, in full, “I am delighted to know that you and Mrs. Phelps have arrived and I will come tomorrow at one o’clock with pleasure to the hotel Continental. Thank you very much for your message.”

In 1868, the Poste Pneumatique de Paris, also called the pneumatic telegraph, began operation in Paris. Users could send written messages across Paris that would be delivered within one hour or less, sent through a system of tubes powered by air pressure. At its peak in 1933, the network covered 427 kilometers within Paris. The Carte Pneumatique was a small prepaid form on which one would write the name and address on one side, the message on the other, and fold over and seal the small letter.

2) Autograph Letter Signed, “G. Santayana”, 3pp on a bifold sheet, 4.5” x 7”, Oxford, June 25, 1917. Expected mailing folds, light show-through of text, else near Fine condition. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity by R & R Enterprises Autograph Auctions.

Santayana's critical side comes out in his letter to Mr. Hapgood, which reads, in part, “I rather envy you and Mrs. Hapgood in Paris at this season – but Oxford too is looking its best and I try to enjoy what is to be enjoyed; but I can’t help always feeling as if someone were dying in the house. / Since you spoke of ‘New Europe’ I have been reading it. There is a notice about the Republican meeting at the Bull Ring in Madrid, so full of blunders that I have written to the Editor pointing them out – something I never do. I hope the information he gives us about Russia and the East is not in need of our total ignorance on those subjects to appear as authoritative. / Whenever you return to London, soon or late, I hope you will let me know.”

George Santayana (1863-1952) was a Spanish-born American philosopher who is regarded as one of the most important thinkers of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the most prominent champions of critical realism. He was also a critic, dramatist, educator, essayist, novelist, and poet. Santayana was raised and educated in the United States from the age of eight and identified himself as an American, although he always retained a valid Spanish passport. He went through the Boston Latin School and Harvard College, graduating summa cum laude in 1886. He then spent two years studying philosophy at the University of Berlin before returning to Harvard to complete his doctoral thesis. He wrote most of his published works during his 23-year tenure on the Harvard faculty. At the age of 48, Santayana left his position at Harvard and returned to Europe permanently.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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