841
CARTER HOWARD: (1874-1939) ´ I said to the foreman "this, without doubt, is the entrance to the tomb
1/19
Description
CARTER HOWARD: (1874-1939) English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. An interesting Autograph Manuscript, unsigned, eighteen pages (mostly written to the rectos of the feint ruled sheets of paper, neatly removed from a notebook), small 8vo, n.p., n.d., in pencil. Carter´s working manuscript, with many deletions and alterations, largely reads in chronological order (the first pages are paginated 1-10) although the later pages contain sentences and paragraphs (some repeated from earlier pages in the manuscript) which are disjointed and were evidently extracted from a larger work, Carter re-writing passages in order to polish his narrative. The manuscript reads, in part,´Perhaps the reader may not be displeased if I here attempt to acquaint him with something of the life during summer residence in Upper Egypt. During the very hot spells [when the thermometer runs between a minimum of 95 F and a maximum of 115 F] and it is sufficiently oppresive (sic) to occasion considerable lassitude, the tedium of each day may be described in a few words. At half-past four in the morning one is awakened by the first glimmer of light perceptible.....Then at 5 pm (sic; am) suddenly the sun´s rise appears above the horizon decking everything with its golden light. The first hour or so of morning possess a charm; but long before midday has arrived this apparent freshness is succeeded by intense sunshine. Everything is turned into heat, and at noon you are obliged to creep under cover.....In the evening you sally forth, but by seven o´clock darkness is complete. The moon, if there be one, then becomes a great luxury.....Generally speaking the heat of the summer months at Western Thebes....is not so oppresive (sic) as one might expect. There is, however, one great drawback, and a source of much discomfort, this arises from sunset winds......Thus, after sundown, when the atmosphere within the house becomes oppressive, at times almost unberable, these winds detract from the comfort of enjoying the evening air.....When young and fit the body easily withstands these physical trials, in fact, the process of perspiring resulting from the heat dissipates most bodily ailments and generally speaking one is fitter in the warmer weather than during the winter. A far greater trial lies in the monotonous life during those summer months in Upper Egypt. The passing of months on end without companionship. The loneliness can at times become intolerable and without some mental interest or occupation it would, I believe, be suicidal. Fortunately for me....I had plenty of interests.....more than enough to keep me occupied......The rising of the Nile, which begins about the period of the summer solstice in June, and attains its greatest height about the autumnal equinox in September. This annual flood breeds thousands - one may say millions without exaggerating - of gnats amd midges, which are attracted at dark by your lamp and make any recreation like reading impossible. Added to these pests at night are the mosquitoes and the terrible sand-fly (of the dipterous family, Psychodidae......During the moonlight nights, which are so glorious in Egypt, I used to sail.....in a small sailing boat......a somewhat crazy craft from which I watched the flocks of pelican fishing......By lying on the bottom of the boat, under the cover of some straw, one could at times bump into these enormous gregarious fish-eating birds......Prior to my post as Inspector-General of the Department of Antiquities for Upper Egypt I was free to spend the hot summer months in Europe or England. But the prosecution of my new duties would not allow of such a luxury......I devoted much of my attention to studying the methods and customs of illicit diggers.....who were inveterate tomb-robbing- In.....this particular section of my work, I soon began to recognise the importance and urgency of a far greater source of trouble than illicit diggers that had to be dealt with, and that was a means of preventing the ever increasing conservation against the destruction of ancient monuments, especially the cutting out of sculptured reliefs and fresco paintings from the walls of tomb-chapels.....to sell to the unsuspecting collector whose primary object was the acquisition of antiquities.....A perfect chapel would be hacked and disfigured in one night.....But though hundreds - nay, thousands - of tombs have been opened, what remains of them today is a few hundred. The rest have been destroyed.....by the modern marauders......The natural inclination was to put steel gates upon all the more important and interesting chapels, which I commenced by doing wherever my funds made it possible. But in most cases this form of protection was of very little avail for the rock in which the chapels were excavated were of a much softer nature than the steel gate, thus to force an entrance was quite easy. As an instance when the actual chapel was built of mud brick our iron or steel gate was as useless as a wooden door. The trouble was the national feeling, or lack of feeling, towards antiquities......Until one could get an adequate law created imposing a heavy punishment in the case of such outrages, these monuments were at the mercy of these inveterate tomb destroyers - there was no adequate means of fighting them........I believe, I acquired to a certain extent their good opinion, and some of their confidence; though not to such an extent as to prevent my having to contend with many official difficulties......except with subjects they thought you were acquainted with.....Clearing that shaft took the greater part of another two months. My description can give you no idea of the tediousness of the work: the fact, for instance, there was no means of arriving at any conclusion as to how deep we should have to go, nor the amount of extra material that would be required, made it all the more wearisome. However, at the end of November, the good news at last came. At the depth of rather more than 100 feet, the workmen reached the bottom and revealed a doorway carefully sealed up with slabs of limestone. I examined it & found that the masonry by which it was closed had been built with due care. I said to the foreman "this, without doubt, is the entrance to the tomb-chamber". He nodded his assent and muttered a prayer. My desire to remove a stone and peep through was almost irresistible. The foreman gave me a look of keen curiosity with which......By that time I was able to converse with the people among whom I was residing with tolerable ease......the diversions of the village.....where at times one can listen to reciters of romances, commit the subjects to memory, they afford attractive entertainment and are often lightly amusing.....I devoted much of my attention to the customs of the illicit digger among the inhabitants, and in an intercourse of two years with these people, I soon found that all the information I received amounted to very little.....´ A manuscript of fascinating content, parts of which are almost certainly unpublished, relating to Carter´s time in Egypt, the challenges he faced, and the discoveries he made. Some light age wear and a few minor faults, generally VGCarter published a number of books during his lifetime, including The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen (1923)
Auction Details
Shipping
T&Cs & Important Info
Ask seller a question
CARTER HOWARD: (1874-1939) English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. An interesting Autograph Manuscript, unsigned, eighteen pages (mostly written to the rectos of the feint ruled sheets of paper, neatly removed from a notebook), small 8vo, n.p., n.d., in pencil. Carter´s working manuscript, with many deletions and alterations, largely reads in chronological order (the first pages are paginated 1-10) although the later pages contain sentences and paragraphs (some repeated from earlier pages in the manuscript) which are disjointed and were evidently extracted from a larger work, Carter re-writing passages in order to polish his narrative. The manuscript reads, in part,´Perhaps the reader may not be displeased if I here attempt to acquaint him with something of the life during summer residence in Upper Egypt. During the very hot spells [when the thermometer runs between a minimum of 95 F and a maximum of 115 F] and it is sufficiently oppresive (sic) to occasion considerable lassitude, the tedium of each day may be described in a few words. At half-past four in the morning one is awakened by the first glimmer of light perceptible.....Then at 5 pm (sic; am) suddenly the sun´s rise appears above the horizon decking everything with its golden light. The first hour or so of morning possess a charm; but long before midday has arrived this apparent freshness is succeeded by intense sunshine. Everything is turned into heat, and at noon you are obliged to creep under cover.....In the evening you sally forth, but by seven o´clock darkness is complete. The moon, if there be one, then becomes a great luxury.....Generally speaking the heat of the summer months at Western Thebes....is not so oppresive (sic) as one might expect. There is, however, one great drawback, and a source of much discomfort, this arises from sunset winds......Thus, after sundown, when the atmosphere within the house becomes oppressive, at times almost unberable, these winds detract from the comfort of enjoying the evening air.....When young and fit the body easily withstands these physical trials, in fact, the process of perspiring resulting from the heat dissipates most bodily ailments and generally speaking one is fitter in the warmer weather than during the winter. A far greater trial lies in the monotonous life during those summer months in Upper Egypt. The passing of months on end without companionship. The loneliness can at times become intolerable and without some mental interest or occupation it would, I believe, be suicidal. Fortunately for me....I had plenty of interests.....more than enough to keep me occupied......The rising of the Nile, which begins about the period of the summer solstice in June, and attains its greatest height about the autumnal equinox in September. This annual flood breeds thousands - one may say millions without exaggerating - of gnats amd midges, which are attracted at dark by your lamp and make any recreation like reading impossible. Added to these pests at night are the mosquitoes and the terrible sand-fly (of the dipterous family, Psychodidae......During the moonlight nights, which are so glorious in Egypt, I used to sail.....in a small sailing boat......a somewhat crazy craft from which I watched the flocks of pelican fishing......By lying on the bottom of the boat, under the cover of some straw, one could at times bump into these enormous gregarious fish-eating birds......Prior to my post as Inspector-General of the Department of Antiquities for Upper Egypt I was free to spend the hot summer months in Europe or England. But the prosecution of my new duties would not allow of such a luxury......I devoted much of my attention to studying the methods and customs of illicit diggers.....who were inveterate tomb-robbing- In.....this particular section of my work, I soon began to recognise the importance and urgency of a far greater source of trouble than illicit diggers that had to be dealt with, and that was a means of preventing the ever increasing conservation against the destruction of ancient monuments, especially the cutting out of sculptured reliefs and fresco paintings from the walls of tomb-chapels.....to sell to the unsuspecting collector whose primary object was the acquisition of antiquities.....A perfect chapel would be hacked and disfigured in one night.....But though hundreds - nay, thousands - of tombs have been opened, what remains of them today is a few hundred. The rest have been destroyed.....by the modern marauders......The natural inclination was to put steel gates upon all the more important and interesting chapels, which I commenced by doing wherever my funds made it possible. But in most cases this form of protection was of very little avail for the rock in which the chapels were excavated were of a much softer nature than the steel gate, thus to force an entrance was quite easy. As an instance when the actual chapel was built of mud brick our iron or steel gate was as useless as a wooden door. The trouble was the national feeling, or lack of feeling, towards antiquities......Until one could get an adequate law created imposing a heavy punishment in the case of such outrages, these monuments were at the mercy of these inveterate tomb destroyers - there was no adequate means of fighting them........I believe, I acquired to a certain extent their good opinion, and some of their confidence; though not to such an extent as to prevent my having to contend with many official difficulties......except with subjects they thought you were acquainted with.....Clearing that shaft took the greater part of another two months. My description can give you no idea of the tediousness of the work: the fact, for instance, there was no means of arriving at any conclusion as to how deep we should have to go, nor the amount of extra material that would be required, made it all the more wearisome. However, at the end of November, the good news at last came. At the depth of rather more than 100 feet, the workmen reached the bottom and revealed a doorway carefully sealed up with slabs of limestone. I examined it & found that the masonry by which it was closed had been built with due care. I said to the foreman "this, without doubt, is the entrance to the tomb-chamber". He nodded his assent and muttered a prayer. My desire to remove a stone and peep through was almost irresistible. The foreman gave me a look of keen curiosity with which......By that time I was able to converse with the people among whom I was residing with tolerable ease......the diversions of the village.....where at times one can listen to reciters of romances, commit the subjects to memory, they afford attractive entertainment and are often lightly amusing.....I devoted much of my attention to the customs of the illicit digger among the inhabitants, and in an intercourse of two years with these people, I soon found that all the information I received amounted to very little.....´ A manuscript of fascinating content, parts of which are almost certainly unpublished, relating to Carter´s time in Egypt, the challenges he faced, and the discoveries he made. Some light age wear and a few minor faults, generally VGCarter published a number of books during his lifetime, including The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen (1923)
AUTOGRAPH LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS & HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AUCTION
Sale Date(s)
Lots: 710
Lots: 640
Venue Address
El Real del Campanario
num.12 Bajo B
Estepona
Malaga
29688
Spain
IAA Europe offer an in house shipping service for the convenience of buyers. Lots are securely packed and shipped via courier with full tracking details which will be supplied upon despatch.
Your invoice will include postage, packing and insurance charges.
Important Information
Day One - Lots 1 - 710
Day Two - Lots 711 - 1350
Bidding at the auction will be online only.
We offer an in-house shipping service to worldwide destinations.
Terms & Conditions
Buyers Terms & Conditions
1. Interpretation
1.1. "Auctioneers" means " International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L. "
1.2. "Catalogue" means the brochure relating to a sale (including any addendum thereto) and any other related documents and advertisements.
1.3. "Conditions" means these terms and conditions of sale
1.4. "Hammer Price" means the price at which a lot is knocked down by the Auctioneers to the Purchaser.
1.5. "Purchaser" means the person who purchases a lot or lots pursuant to these conditions.
1.6. "Seller" means the person who is selling the lot or lots pursuant to these conditions.
1.7. "VAT" means Value Added Tax.
2. Bidding
2.1. The highest bidder for each lot shall be the Purchaser of that lot.
2.2. No person shall be entitled to retract a bid. The Auctioneers reserve the right of refusing any bid without giving any reason and of altering, adding to, dividing, consolidating or withdrawing any lot or lots for sale.
2.3. The Auctioneers reserve the right to fix a reserve price for any lot at a figure no higher than the lower estimate.
2.4. The Auctioneers reserve the right to bid on behalf of the Seller on lots which are subject to a reserve price. The Seller shall not be entitled to bid where the Auctioneers have reserved such a right.
2.5. In the case of a dispute as to any bid the Auctioneers may immediately determine the dispute or put up the lot again at the last undisputed bid or withdraw the lot.
2.6. The Auctioneers will accept written commission bids free of charge from any person who is unable to attend the sale. Bids will also be accepted by telephone and fax at the sender's risk.
2.7. Lots will not normally be sold at less than two-thirds bottom estimate.
3. Payment
3.1. Each Purchaser shall give in his name and address and proof of identity (if required) to the Auctioneers at a sale and shall if required pay such deposit as the Auctioneers may specify.
3.2. The Purchaser shall pay the Hammer Price together with a premium of 30.25% on the Hammer Price (this amount includes VAT and must not be shown separately or claimed as input tax). By the making of any bid the Purchaser acknowledges that his attention had been drawn to this fact and that he assents to the Auctioneers receiving the said commission. A 25% premium will be payable by Purchasers outside the European Union (EU). Zero-rated goods such as books will be subject to a premium of 25% whether within or outside the EU unless entered by a VAT registered Seller.
3.3. Payments for lots must be made in cash, bankers draft or cheque guaranteed by the bank upon which it is drawn. Lots will not be released against cheques from Purchasers unknown to the Auctioneers until cleared by such Purchaser's bank. Payment is accepted by Visa and Mastercard. A surcharge of 3% plus VAT will be levied to accounts settled by credit cards for non EU buyers. Payment is also accepted by most debit cards with no surcharge.
3.4. Overseas clients are requested to settle accounts by USA Dollars or Sterling bank transfer (details upon request), by Euro cheques, by Visa or Mastercard (a surcharge of 3% plus VAT [clients outside the EU exempt from VAT] will be levied to accounts settled by this method) or if payment is made on personal accounts in foreign currency the client is requested to add the equivalent of a further €10 to cover bank conversion charges. The Auctioneer reserves the right to claim back from the Purchasers any shortfall due to bank charges or currency fluctuations on that account.
3.5. No lots will be released by the Auctioneers until receipt of payment in full from the Purchaser.
4. Risk
4.1. All lots shall be the sole risk of the Purchaser from the fall of the hammer.
4.2. The Purchaser shall take all lots in the condition in which he finds them. It is the responsibility of all intending Purchasers to satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the authenticity in the authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot.
5. Liability
5.1. Neither the Seller of any lot nor the Auctioneers make or give nor has any person in the employment of the Auctioneers any authority to make or give any representation or warranty in relation to any lot and any implied conditions or warranties are excluded.
5.2. All statements contained in the Catalogue as to the authenticity, attribution, genuineness, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot are statements of opinion only and are not to be taken as or implying statements or representations of fact. Lots are sold subject to all faults and errors in description or otherwise.
5.3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 5.1. and 5.2. of these Conditions in the event of a dispute as to authenticity of any lot(s) the item or items in question should be returned to the Auctioneers within 21 days of receipt by the Purchaser of such lot(s) together with a formal statement by a recognised expert The Auctioneers shall at their option and without admission of liability reimburse the price paid by the Purchaser in respect of such lot(s). This does not constitute an approval service.
5.4. Neither the Auctioneers nor the Seller shall be responsible for any loss, damage or injury occasioned to or sustained by any person on the premises before, during or after a sale save in respect of death or personal injury caused by negligence of the Seller or the Auctioneers.
6. Capacity of Auctioneers
For all purposes of a sale the Auctioneers shall be deemed to be the agent of both the Seller and the Purchaser and they shall not be considered responsible for any default on the part of either the Seller or Purchaser.
7. Delivery
7.1. Lots will only be released once payment in full has been received from the Purchaser.
7.2 An insurance charge of 1.8 % plus VAT will be applied to all invoices for packages sent from our offices
7.3. Postage is subject to VAT at 21% within the EU
7.4. The Auctioneers will provide full customs declarations on the Hammer Price plus the Purchaser's premium and Purchaser's shall be responsible for any customs charges made by the country of import.
7.5. A charge will be made for the packing & shipping of deliveries which is subject to VAT at 21% within the EU.
8. Auctioneers Remedies
In the event that the Purchaser fails to pay for any lot(s) in full pursuant to these Conditions then the Auctioneers shall be entitled:
8.1. to rescind the sale of the relevant lot(s)
8.2. to resell the lot(s) without further notice either by public or private sale and the deficiency (if any) arising from such second sale together with all charges and expenses relating to the same shall be the responsibility of the defaulting Purchaser and shall be recoverable as and for liquidated damages.
9. Jurisdiction
These Conditions shall be governed by Spanish law and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Spanish courts.
Online Bidding
International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L. offer an online bidding service for bidders who cannot attend the sale, however please be advised that a charge of 3% + VAT is chargeable on all purchases made through any of the online bidding facilities offered.
In completing the bidder registration and providing your credit card details and unless alternative arrangements are agreed with International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L.
1. You authorise International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L., if they so wish, to charge the credit card given in part or full payment, including all fees, for items successfully purchased in the auction, and
2. confirm that you are authorised to provide these credit card details to International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L. and agree that International Autograph Auctions Europe S.L. are entitled to ship the goods to the card holder name and card holder address provided in fulfillment of the sale.
3. confirm that you accept that an additional charge of 3% + VAT will be applied to your invoice for use of an online bidding facility
![[CATHOLIC CHURCH]:](https://portal-images.azureedge.net/auctions-2025/srint10021/images/700de2e6-95f7-4e42-9639-b28e00f45d87.jpg?w=155&h=155)
