Collections of an Only Child: Seventy Years a Bibliophile, the Library of Justin G. Schiller

Cassell, Germany, December 12, 1819. One sheet folded to make four pages, 7 3/4 x 4 9/16 in. (197 x 116 mm). Autograph letter in German, signed by Wilhelm Carl Grimm (of the Brothers Grimm), to Annette (or Jenny) von Droste-Hulshoff, sending and describing in great detail a new edition of his and his brother, Jacob's fairy tales, illustrated by their younger brother, Ludwig Grimm. Lightly toned, split at center fold repaired with archival tape. From the Annette von Droste-Hulshoff autograph collection.

"...You already know a lot about it, we owe a lot to you ourselves, but I hope that you will not be reluctant to look at what is new in it. Among them are the engravings which (apart from the wreath in front of the second volume, which came in against my will and is mere Berlin factory work) come from my brother. The little picture in front of the first volume belongs to the fairy tale of little brother and little sister...The angel holds the souls of the two sleeping lilies in his hand and protects them against earthly dangers. I also think of the innocent fairy tales themselves, which have survived in solitude and ignored by the world. You will also like to look at the picture of the Hessian fairytale woman before the 2nd volume, how sensible, measured and competent she looks! The wreath of flowers in front of the first volume was very pretty and dainty in the drawing, although it was in color, but lost a lot in the engraving. If only you had come back this summer! I would have wanted to show your father the newly laid out greenhouse and the garden of a private person who has carefully selected specimens of all plants. You would have gone too, after that you would have had to see the pictures of a young painter named Kuhl, who had just returned from Rome. They would certainly have given you great pleasure, especially an Adoration of St. Three kings and then a small picture representing spring. An angel's head, after a beautiful, blond, curly-haired, delicate child who lives in Verona, with a wreath of roses, mayflowers and gold leaves. The whole golden frame is painted with flowers and birds in a peculiar way; Pheasants drink from mussels and the bird of paradise rests on top...I am hanging on your Christmas tree the wish that God will bless you with his joys throughout the year!"

Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797-1848) was a German poet and composer of classical music, most well-known for her work Die Judenbuche. She and her sister Jenny first made the acquaintance of Wilhelm Grimm in 1813 through mutual friends. Over the course of their friendship the two sisters supposedly contributed Westphalian folk tales from their homeland to the Grimm's collection of fairy tales.