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DR. RALPH M[OZART] WHITEHEAD : 1893 ORIGINAL ARCHIVE OF THIRTY [30] MANUSCRIPT LETTERS BY A WONDERFUL CORRESPONDENT AND WELL TRAVELED SHIP'S SURGEON TO HIS FAMILY

4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. On offer is an archive of original manuscript letters handwritten by the well-traveled and erudite correspondent Ralph M[ozart] Whitehead who writes to his family approximately 30 letters from Amsterdam in 1893. Whitehead, a New York City doctor, travels aboard the SS Didam of the Netherlands-American Steam Navigation Co. Ralph's obituary found online states: Ralph Mozart Whitehead, New York; College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, 1890 ; for many years ship's surgeon; aged 75; was killed, March 7, [1942?] when his ship was torpedoed in the Caribbean Sea. These letters begin writing about the sea journey and the ever present fog, through the English Channel. Once in Amsterdam, he effortlessly describes the canal, people, bridges, cafe's and aspects of Dutch daily life. In the spring, he is struck by the sight of the flower farms "Acres and acres of" "exotic hues, spreading out for miles and miles" "a sea of color upon which the rainbows of ages have been gathered together, and their evanescent and fleeting iridations imprisoned for a little season." He is also taken with the many museums and the Old Dutch Masters at the Hague. "Some of the pictures are simply wonderful. I never could have believed it possible that cloth and fabrics of different textures could be rendered so perfectly, that jewels could be make to scintilate and sparkle on canvas. That metals could be so painted as to leave not the smallest doubt as to what it is meant for." He speaks about Rembrandt's works at the Rykes "the remarkable thing about the picture is the life it shows. You almost look to see the leader step forth onto the floor, and you can almost fancy you hear the drum beat, so perfectly has the action been caught." Manyof the letters have separated apart were they were folded and are in in few pieces some have tears in the crease but overall Fair.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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