1893 LETTER FROM PERSIA JOHN WISHARD AMERICAN HOSPITAL TEHRAN to George Kunz

Description

[1893 LETTER FROM PERSIA/ALS TO GEORGE KUNZ FROM HEAD OF AMERICAN HOSPITAL, TEHRAN] HANDWRITTEN LETTER FROM DOCTOR JOHN G. WISHARD, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL IN TEHRAN, PERSIA, TO NOTED TIFFANY MINERALOGIST GEORGE KUNZ, letterhead The American Hospital, Teheran, Persia, in upper right corner of first page, date May 29, 1893
at end of letter after Wishard signature, 4-1/2” x 7”, 4 pages with midfold plus one same size sheet inserted/about 375 words, Wishard writes Kunz mostly about a "volume" for the Shah given to one of his ministers for delivery to him as a gift, and also that the Shah may be interested in Kunz as an expert in gems and the death of a mutual acquaintance apparently in Isfaham, Persia, letter reads in part, "Your letter...containing a list of appointments of Messer [sic] Tiffany and Co. has reached me...I had the honor of calling upon His Highness, the Emire-ed-Dowleh, president of the Council of State [presumably Mirza Ali Khan]…His Highness said he would take great pleasure in presenting the volume to H.I.M. The Shah [Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, assassinated in 1896]. At the same time I told him something of your work along the line of precious stones...and that you would doubtless be of great value to H.I.M. as an expert…everything in Persia moves slowly…I shall see his Highness again soon…it may be that a present to the King would do much to facilitate matters. Such a present would have to be worth at least 50 toman…Of course the thing now to do is toward results…I have been so crowded with my own work I have not had time about getting the other things you desire…We arrived here on the 10th [presumably May 1889, writing Kunz not long after Wishard first arrived in Tehran to take his position with the American Hospital]…[mentions death of a Mr. Childs, apparently a mutual acquaintance, and gives Kunz some contacts if he wants to learn more about this]…Isfahan is two weeks journey from here [Tehran], over a very rough road…When I write you again, I trust I may be able to write more satisfactorily concerning your affairs in Persia…”;
DR. JOHN G. WISHARD:
1863-1940, superintendent of the American Hospital, Tehran, Persia, for 20 years beginning in 1889, Persia correspondent for the New York Herald and other American publications during this time, author of "Twenty Years in Persia” and “Reminiscences of a Doctor”;
GEORGE F. KUNZ:
1856-1932, noted mineralogist who on the basis of his knowledge and reputation regarding precious gems became a vice president on Tiffany’s at the age of 23
/// CONDITION:
generally well-preserved with scattered spots of transparent soiling (looking like light coffee stains), 1” split at bottom of fold for the 4 pages.
keywords: Middle East letter, Tehran 1893, Persia, Iran, Shah, history ephemera
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