[CARTER HOWARD]: (1874-1939) English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the Tomb of ...

[CARTER HOWARD]: (1874-1939) English archaeologist and Egyptologist who discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1923. ALBA DUKE OF (1878-1953) Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart. Spanish peer, diplomat, politician, art collector and Olympic medallist. One of the most important aristocrats of his time, the Duke was considered by some as the legitimate heir to the Scottish throne, and served as the Foreign Minister of Spain 1930-31. T.L.S., Alba, one page, 4to, Palacio de Liria, Madrid, 16 ^th November 1925, to Howard Carter ( ‘My dear Carter’). The Duke thanks Carter for their letter and interesting report and remarks ‘Please, if you have the time to spare, write me some more, as it interests us greatly here…..How wonderfully interesting your work now is, what incredible riches you are finding in Tut Ankh Amen’s tomb, and what a tremendous pity you could not land on an unlooted tomb of one of the big fellows! I saw in one of the papers that you had also discovered a 30 ft. papyrus, and then in another paper the news was denied. I suppose it means you have not discovered any written scroll’ before concluding ‘Your lectures, which have had such a phenomenal success in Spain, are now starting in South America, where I suppose they will arouse the same extraordinary interest’. Together with an autograph memorandum in the hand of Howard Carter, unsigned, one page, 8vo, Luxor, Upper Egypt, n.d. (November 1925). Carter writes a brief note in pencil, in part, ‘Season 1925-6 – Report of this campaign…..sent to the Duke d’Alba’. With two file holes to the edges of both the letter and the memorandum, the latter neatly attached with the original pin to the upper left corner of the former. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VG