1871.11.08 English

[1] Robert Watt (1837 – 1894) was a flamboyant and well-known figure in Denmark at the time. He was a successful author of popular travel literature from exotic countries, a translater of Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain, director of several of the most well-known theathres in Copenhagen (Hippodromen, Casino, Folketeatret) and director of the big amusement park Tivoli. He was also, in spite of the age difference, a close friend of H.C. Andersen, and in 1867 he accompanied HCA on a trip to the world exhibition in Paris. RMH had several writing balls on display at the Nordic Art and Industrial Exhibition in Copenhagen that opened on 13^th of June 1872, and it is known that H.C.Andersen saw the exhibition on June 17^th and in fact returned several times.

[2] It has caused us some confusion to decide actuallly what Christensen this letter was written to, but we are now sure that it was written to the Danish-American, General Christian Thomsen Christensen in USA, who at that time was Danish Consul in New York, and was known to assist many Danes in their business matters in USA. RMH obviously wanted him to forward a letter to Robert Watt, who also resided in USA that winter. What role RW played in the writing ball matter we don't know. Maybe RMH only wanted to sell him a single writing ball, or maybe he wanted his assistance in connection with the sale of his American patent.