The information I have is that when Lelands acquired the letter from Anne Cartwright, it was in the context of a larger transaction which involved other documents (some of which were letter press copies, like the one at issue) and some photographs. I was the eventual purchaser of a number of these items, each of which was accompanied by a letter signed by Anne Cartwright attesting to its provenance. While I did not purchase the letter press we are discussing, it very well might have been accompanied by a similar letter from Anne Cartwright. My point is that assuming it was in Mrs. Cartwright's possession and it was she who sold it to Lelands, that fact alone raises a legitimate question whether the item was illegitimately removed from the Archives. Her husband was Cartwight's grandson, and it seems quite possible, if not more likely, that the family reclaimed it.
|