You are bidding on one 1889 letter With Goethe reference.

Written by Goethe's distant relative Robert F. Heuser (1864-1938), adoptive father of the Italian director Tullio Heuser-Covaz (1904-1978), who had bequeathed some paintings (including those depicting Goethe's father) to the Freie Hochstift Frankfurt.

Robert F. Heuser, an art collector and last owner of the well-known Cologne Firma PG Heuser Sons, was a son of the Cologne commercial councilor and city councilor Robert Heuser (1837-1898), who had been married to Bertha Maria Nicolovius (1840-1908) since 1862, daughter of Georg Friedrich Franz Nicolovius (1797-1877), lawyer, great-nephew and correspondent of Goethe .

DatedJägerreiterhaus{?},Linz Rhine 1889 (without date).

Transcription:"Dear Madam, unfortunately I cannot tell you anything more about the fact that Lucas Cranach also shines among Goethe's maternal ancestors. I read about it at the time, if I'm not mistaken, in the Frankfurter Zeitung. It was stated there as an established fact, and I confess that I was happy to believe in it without criticism, and I was happy to be able to count the dear old German master among my ancestors. Certainly this case is also mentioned in a Goethe yearbook or in the 'Hours with Goethe', the interesting little brochure Dr. Wilhelm Bode's [...], have been dealt with. I'll keep an eye out for it occasionally, and I'll be more than happy to let you know what I find.

Do you know the 'Hours with Goethe'? If not, I am pleased to have drawn your attention to it.

Bode is a private scholar who lived in the 18th century. Century lived, although he is still relatively young, not 50. Unfortunately I don't know him personally, but I owe the pleasant hours to the correspondence with him.

Sincerely yours, Robert F. Heuser."

Including comments by someone else (probably incorrect?) on the relationship to Goethe.

Note:Wilhelm Bode (* 30. March 1862 in Hornhausen; † 24 October 1922 in Weimar), also called "Goethe-Bode" to distinguish him from Wilhelm von Bode (= "Kunst-Bode"), was a German teacher, activist of the temperance movement and writer. -- So Bode was only 27 years old.

Scope: 4 p. (17.8 x 11.3 cm); without envelope.

Condition:Very bad condition. Paper heavily browned, with massive tears and edge damage; Center fold torn almost the entire length. BPlease also note the pictures!

Internal note: 2207 Ostb autographs