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ALS signed “H. Melville,” two pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, February 12, 1859. Handwritten letter from Pittsfield to W. H. Barry arranging a lecture engagement, in part: “I should be happy to lecture at Lynn, if we can agree on the time &c.…the latter part of next week I leave for the West, to be gone two weeks, more or less. Upon my return I shall be able to name an exact day.” Melville offers to deliver “The South Seas,” and “Statues in Rome,” noting that if both are desired they should be scheduled “on successive nights, or at least upon nights near together as possible,” and adds of his fee that “thirty dollars for each lecture would not be too much.” In fine condition, with toning to the edges, and partial splitting along the hinge. Accompanied by a custom slipcase with matching chemise.
Written during Melville’s later career as a lecturer, the letter reflects his transition from novelist to the lyceum circuit, drawing on the South Seas material that informed Typee and Omoo. To repair his faltering finances, Melville took up public lecturing from late 1857 to 1860, speaking at lyceums on subjects including Roman statuary and travel. His appearances—at times marked by a dry, critical tone toward the lecture culture itself—met with a mixed reception from contemporary audiences.
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