Ɛpsilon

WCP5041

Letter (cc) (WCP5041.5515)

[1]

4' May [189]81

Dear Sir

We have [2 words illeg.] to Messr Kirchner2 [1 word illeg.] the rights of translation of "Vaccination"3 for £5 but reserving the rights of translation of "The Wonderful Century"4 when ready.

We agree with you that the "Printers"[?] Head & Tail pieces are crude & inartistic and are better removed.

In order[?] to give the American Printers time to set up their book we have fixed Wednesday the 9th June5 as the day of publication but we shall be ask[?] to send you an[?] assurance[?] [2] [4 words illeg.].

Yours very truly | [1 word illeg.]6 [signature]

Dr. Alfred. R. Wallace

1
The set of letters with the WCP numbers WCP5041 to WCP5046 and WCP5048 were most likely written in 1898, as this is the year that The Wonderful Century and Vaccination were both published by Swan, Sonnenschein & Co.
2
Sources suggest that the text could refer to one Dr. Kirchner of the Imperial Health Office in Germany, who opposed vaccination as Wallace did. No additional information has been found on Dr. Kirchner, nor the German translation of either of Wallace's books.
3
Vaccination a Delusion; Its Penal Enforcement a Crime. Pamphlet written by Alfred Russel Wallace, published in 1898 by Swan Sonnenschein & Co.
4
The Wonderful Century: Its Successes and Its Failures. Book written by Alfred Russel Wallace, published in 1898 by Swan Sonnenschein & Co.
5
This date contradicts the proposed year in which this letter was written. In 1898, the 9th June fell on a Wednesday.
6
Swan Sonnenschein & Co. British publishing company founded by William Swan Sonnenschein in 1882. It is unclear whether William personally wrote this letter.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (cc) (WCP5041.5515)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Rodwell, Stephen [2014-08-08]

Please cite as “WCP5041,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP5041