Karen Blixen (b. Rungstedlund 1885, d. s.p. 1962)
Ingeborg Dinesen (b. Horsens 1856, d. Rungstedlund 1939)
Autographed letter signed “Tanne” by Karen Blixen to her mother Ingeborg Dinesen (1856–1939). Sent from the coffee farm in Nairobi 1918. Dated April 20. 3 leaves. 6 full pages written on typewriter with blue ink. Autographed notes on the last page with blue ink. Measures 26×20.3 cm. + Photograph of Blixen and her mother. [No place 1935]. Stamped “Aftenbladet Foto-Afd.” on the back side. Passepartout: 22.9×16.9 cm. (2)
The letter contains reports to her concerning the long-awaited rain on the coffee farm, Olga Holmberg being pregnant, Blixen's first encounter with Denys Finch Hatton, a large lunch held for 25 officers and 800 soldiers, Bromhead the reporter writing a “nasty article”, and a story from the Nairobian court about 2 white men bribing a native and then burning him alive.
About Finch Hatton, Blixen writes: “I söndags havde jeg Lunch for den charming Finch-Hatton, Van de Weyer, som er hans gamle Eton-Kamerat og et par andre. [...]. F.-H. har boet en Tid i Wien hos Goschens og kender Marys [Mand]. Han er et ualmindeligt elskvaerdigt og begavet menneske, og den Slags Englaendere har et uendeligt behageligt Vaesen [...].” (p. 3)
The letter is transcribed and published in: Frans Lasson & Marianne W. Asmussen (eds.): Karen Blixen i Afrika. En brevsamling, 1914–31. Vol. 1 (of 4). Pp. 267–271.
The photograph is part of the Rungstedlund Collection, and is digitalized on the digital collections of kb.dk.
Provenance: Descendants of Viggo Kjær Petersen.
Books and manuscripts, 15 December 2022
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