A privately carried cover from Edward Henry Stanley (1826–1893), later 15th Earl of Derby, to Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881). The cover is marked “Private” and addressed in manuscript to: “Right Hon. B. Disraeli M.P. Weston Shifnal” with the sender's “Derby” autograph at the lower left. The earlier documentation accompanying the item identifies the sender as “Derby (younger), ” referring to Edward Henry Stanley, son of Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, and subsequently the 15th Earl of Derby. He became an important British statesman in his own right and later served, among other senior offices, as Foreign Secretary under Benjamin Disraeli from 1874 to 1878. The reverse bears the distinctive blue Derby/Stanley family seal, incorporating a crowned “D” and the family motto “Sans Changer.” An interesting Victorian autograph item documenting a personal association between Disraeli and Edward Henry Stanley, later 15th Earl of Derby and a senior member of Disraeli's government.
Auction 01: Auction 01 – Historical Letters, Documents & Autographs — Melis Antiques & Art