Gorgeous Mark Twain Signed Cabinet Card With Unpublished Quotation

Rare Atelier Adele photograph of Twain with two separate inscriptions in his hand

Mark Twain and his family traveled to Vienna so his daughter, Clara, could study piano under the famous teacher, Theodor Leschetizky. They resided there from September 28, 1897 to May 1899. Twain found himself appreciative of the way of life of the Viennese, albeit with one or the other bushy eyebrow raised to accommodate its many paradoxes. And his presence in Vienna was certainly appreciated by the Viennese. Bookstores sold out their stocks of his books even before his arrival. Viennese newspaper reporters wrote innumerable articles referring to him with affection or, in some cases, disparagement as “Our Famous Guest”.

During his stay Twain continued writing stories, essays, and articles. He met and mingled comfortably with many if not most of the prominent Viennese figures of the day, not only journalists, writers, and politicians, but those in the arts, medicine, science, and business as well. Twain’s appetite for people was always enormous. He was friendly with Baroness Bertha Kinsky von Suttner, founder of the Austrian Society of Friends of Peace, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905, and met Sigmund Freud, who was 42 years old at the time.

In 1897 upon his arrival in Vienna, Twain was photographed by the well known Austrian photography studio, Atelier Adele.  The photograph shows a stately Twain seated in an ornately carved mahogany chair with his signature mustache and bowtie.  The Atelier Adele logo appears on the bottom left of the card.  Adele Perlmutter-Heilperin co-owned the studio with her two brothers, Max and Wilhelm. The studio prospered and around 1890, the Atelier was named Photographer to the Imperial Court, with Adele being the first and only female appointed photographer to the Astro-Hungarian monarchy in Vienna.

This is that beautiful and rare Atelier Adele photograph of Twain, with a hitherto unknown quotation in his hand. Mark Twain Signed Cabinet Card, with double inscriptions, June 28, 1898, approximately 4.25 x 7 inches. Above the image, Twain writes, “You must tell the truth 9 times in 10 – then you get par for your lie.  Truly Yours, Mark Twain.”  Below the image, Twain dates and inscribes the cabinet card, “To Miss Mildred Holden.  With Kindest Regards.  June 28 / 98”

A wonderful photograph showing Twain in the finest pose imaginable. And very uncommon, as Twain seldom signed his photographs with autograph quotations, and this is the first time we have seen Twain write out this particular quotation.