Nasser writes in response to Ray Gardner (1919–1997), chairman of the British Columbia Peace Council in Vancouver, a constituent part of the anti-imperialist Canadian Peace Congress. Gardner had written to Nasser sending his good wishes on the anniversary of the 1955 Bandung Conference, a meeting of Asian and African states, most newly independent, to promote cooperation and oppose colonialism, which proved to be a significant step towards the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement. In the conference, Nasser was treated as the leading representative of the Arab countries, popular across the colonial and former colonial nations as the spearhead of the 1952 Egyptian revolution. Nasser was also widely esteemed among anti-colonial and peace organizations in the West, as demonstrated by Gardner’s letter. Nasser writes: “Sir, this is to acknowledge with gratitude the receipt of your message dated February 28, 1956, and the noble feelings expressed therein on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Bandung Conference held last year. I should like to say that the memory of the Bandung Conference figures splendidly in my heart. The resolutions reached by the Conference bear the stamp of a world-wide movement for prosperity and peace. Yours sincerely Gamal Abdel Nasser”. Gardner retained the letter as part of his collection of correspondence and documents from notable individuals, acquired by him in his peace activism and later work as a newspaper editor in Toronto, since dispersed. Typed letter signed (232 × 162 mm) on Egyptian Prime Minister’s Office letterhead, together with the original stamped and franked envelope marked Air Mail. Chipping to letter with loss to the date at head (the envelope is franked 26 April 1956), all the other text present, overall in sound condition. £2,500 [141392]
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Society. The work was issued in octavo and the present large-paper printing on quarto sheets; an English translation followed in 1799. At the time of publication Saint-Fond was professor of geology at the Jardin des Plantes. Napoleon, then still a general, was leading French forces to repeated victories against the Austrians in northern Italy, building his reputation as a national hero. It is well known that Napoleon was much taken with the myth of Ossian – he presumably read with particular attention the passages in the book relating to Fingal’s legendary cave (vol. II, p. 454). So too, he may have paid particular attention to Saint-Fond’s account of his meetings with Adam Smith, where Smith praised Rousseau and Voltaire, and took Saint-Fond to a bagpipe competition, much to his displeasure (II, pp. 277–283). Napoleon read the Wealth of Nations as a young man, responding enthusiastically to the text, though later affecting disdain for the economist (see item 95 above). 2 volumes, quarto (255 × 196 mm). Contemporary calf, later twin red and green labels, spine compartments and covers ruled in gilt. With 7 folding engraved plates. Booklabel of 20th-century French collector Hubert Heilbronn to front pastedowns. Spine and board edges extensively restored with gilt retouched, slight splitting and rubbing to outer joints but still firm, later endpapers. Bookblock of both volumes cracked in places, sewing strained in places, some general soiling, spotting and occasional rippling to contents caused by damp at some stage, short closed tear in gutter of vol. II sigs. L–N, 5.5 cm closed tear at foot of vol. II 2E3 not affecting text, withal a sound copy. £6,750 [152774] 98 NASSER, Gamal Abdel. Typed letter signed, in support of world peace. April 1956 “the resolutions . . . bear the stamp of a world-wide movement for prosperity and peace” Typed letter signed from Gamal Abdel Nasser, as prime minister of Egypt, expressing his hope for world peace; six months later he would be at war with Britain, France, and Israel with the Suez Crisis.
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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