Scarce and humorous ALS, one page, 8 x 10, Goldeneye letterhead, February 26, no year. Letter to Mrs. Walter Councill. In full: “I’m so sorry but I have no photographs here. I am generally depicted as either an aged Dracula or a young Somerset Maugham, so I suggest you choose from the morgue of your nearest newspaper which to depict.” In the lower left corner, Fleming adds a brief and apologetic postscript: “Forgive the brevity but I am hard at work, I. F.” Attractively double-matted and framed with the original mailing envelope (addressed in Fleming's hand) and an unsigned portrait to an overall size of 16.75 x 19. In fine condition. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
Sent from Goldeneye, his custom-built seaside getaway on the northern coastline of Jamaica, the stamp used on this envelope—released in 1963—allows us to date this letter to the last two years of Fleming’s life. Despite having suffered multiple heart attacks, he certainly was still "hard at work," writing some of his most notable works in these later years—including the Bond novels On Her Majesty's Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, and The Man with the Golden Gun, as well as the children’s book Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. The reference to W. Somerset Maugham is especially interesting—he preceded Fleming as one of the UK's most popular writers, and had also served as a British intelligence officer. Maugham's ‘Ashenden’ series of espionage-themed tales, released in 1928, influenced Fleming's own spy stories, and he imitated Maugham's style in the short story 'Quantum of Solace' as an homage. Fleming autographs of any sort are quite scarce, and the brief but excellent content of this letter makes it an especially nice example. RR Auction COA.
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