The knowledge

Dealer in antiquarian books and Antiques Roadshow specialist, Clive Farahar shares his delight in the historical, handwritten letter

Iremember, when I was first in the business, leafing through an old book and there, tucked inside, was a letter from Thomas Hardy. I was stunned; it was all written in his own hand. That was extraordinary. Some people collect autographs, but I’ve always preferred the letter, and the personality that comes through in the written word. It offers a mirror to the soul.

While letter writing goes back to the ancients, those aren’t the sorts of letters that we tend to see on the market. It’s really examples from the 16th century onwards and, of course, the 18th century was the great age of letters.

Eyewitness reports of history are often very important. I recently came across an account of the Battle of Waterloo (1815) written by a chap who was right in the middle of it. It was incredibly valuable, worth many thousands of pounds. As the centenary of the First World War continues, there is heightened interest in reminiscence of those events, as well. The trouble with Tommies’ letters – which are often written in pencil on pages hastily torn from notebooks – is that they are usually incredibly jolly and selective, as they didn’t want to upset their loved ones at home. The more thorough the message, the more valuable it will be. And, while for the most part one wants a letter to be in fine condition, a little damp and mud does give atmosphere to a trench letter.

A letter with personality in it can make it many times more valuable. For example, with Churchill, just his signature is worth £300– £500, but if the letter really says something, you can double it, triple it or more, depending on how opinionated the comment is.

Another highly collectable genre is early airmail letters – ones that were sent out during the Prussian Siege of Paris (1870–71). To get news out of the city, the besieged Parisians sent many letters up in ballons montés (manned balloons). Those are fascinating documents, and, based on how interesting the letter is, can be worth anything from £200–£2,000.

There are many specialist manuscript dealers, and letters come up at auctions as well. Actually, salesrooms present a wonderful way to look at letters and get your eye in. You don’t have to buy, but you can handle the letters and get a sense for what an original looks and feels like. It sometimes happens that letters were printed to look exactly like a handwritten or hand- signed original, but you can often tell by the surface; a pen tends to scratch the paper, and a biro leaves indentations.

The key, as it is with so many things, is to make sure that you see as much as you can – you only learn with experience. Remember, you want something with an opinion in it; that’s always been my thrill.