



Lot 34
Elling William "Bill" Gollings(1878-1932)Illustrated Letter and Envelope to Esther Cornell envelope 4 1/2 x 8 1/4 in., letter 11 x 7 1/4 in. with irregular edges unframed
7 November 2023, 13:00 PST
Los AngelesUS$5,000 - US$7,000
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Elling William "Bill" Gollings (1878-1932)
Illustrated Letter and Envelope to Esther Cornell
signed with the artist's pony-track device and dated 'Gollings / 1922' on the envelope (lower left) and signed again on the letter (lower center)
each ink on paper
envelope 4 1/2 x 8 1/4 in., letter 11 x 7 1/4 in. with irregular edges
unframed
signed with the artist's pony-track device and dated 'Gollings / 1922' on the envelope (lower left) and signed again on the letter (lower center)
each ink on paper
envelope 4 1/2 x 8 1/4 in., letter 11 x 7 1/4 in. with irregular edges
unframed
Footnotes
Provenance
Collection of Esther Cornell, a close friend and collector of the artist.
By family descent.
In this charming 1922 letter to Esther Cornell from Elling William 'Bill' Gollings, the artist writes in phonetics, unique misspellings and uses an 'eye' pictograph to express himself. He talks about his ability to sing and paint in an excerpt: "i aint gott payshuntz like some peepel too right leters- butt eye kan cing congs & paint pitchurs." The letter reveals the artist's playful personality and a close relationship with his friend.