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The Lot
Offered here is a rare two-piece lot connected to acclaimed American author Margaret Deland (1857–1945), consisting of:
1. Signed Portrait (1889) – Printed portrait dated Number 38, February 1889, boldly signed “Sincerely, Margaret Deland” beneath her image. A striking display piece from the height of her career.
2. Autograph Letter Signed (1893, 2 pages) – Handwritten letter on Woman’s Columbian Exposition Committee of Massachusetts letterhead, dated April 8, 1893. Deland notes her regret at returning a copy of Daily Strength for Daily Needs for committee compilation work. A second attached page (signed and giving her Boston residence at 112 Mt. Vernon St.) adds further personal context and provenance.
Together, these pieces illuminate Deland’s role both as a celebrated author and as a participant in one of the landmark cultural events of the 19th century — the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
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Content of the Letter
Page 1 (April 8, 1893):
> “Mrs. Deland regrets very much that she must return this copy of Daily Strength for Daily Needs — as compilations are received by the Literary Committee.”
This explicitly references her most famous devotional anthology, Daily Strength for Daily Needs, first published in 1884 and one of the most widely read inspirational books of its era.
Page 2:
> Includes Deland’s autograph signature, mention of an address on Middlesex Street, and her Beacon Hill residence at 112 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston.
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Biography of Margaret Deland (1857–1945)
Margaret Wade Campbell Deland was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet, often compared to contemporaries such as Sarah Orne Jewett and Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Deland endured a difficult early life after the loss of her parents. She was raised in the home of an aunt, where her intellectual and moral upbringing deeply influenced her later literary work.
Deland’s breakthrough came with the publication of John Ward, Preacher (1888), a controversial novel that dealt with religious doubt and sparked public debate on theology and gender roles. Her willingness to grapple with difficult issues of conscience, morality, and the place of women in society set her apart from many of her contemporaries.
Her most enduring work, Daily Strength for Daily Needs (1884), was a devotional anthology that remained in print for decades and cemented her reputation in American households. The letter in this lot directly references this iconic volume.
Deland was also active in philanthropy, particularly in Boston, where she and her husband lived on Beacon Hill. She famously took in and supported unwed mothers, a commitment that was both controversial and progressive for its time.
During her career, Deland wrote more than a dozen novels, numerous short stories, and poetry. Her works often centered on small-town life, the moral struggles of ordinary people, and the tensions between tradition and change in late 19th-century America.
In recognition of her achievements, Deland was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters — a rare honor for a woman of her era. She is remembered today as one of the most important literary voices of the Gilded Age, blending realism with moral inquiry.
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Historical Significance of This Lot
The signed portrait dates from 1889, a year after the publication of John Ward, Preacher, when Deland had become a household name.
The letter (1893) ties her directly to the Women’s Columbian Exposition Committee and references Daily Strength for Daily Needs, placing her at the center of a moment when women authors were being elevated to national prominence.
The inclusion of her Beacon Hill address adds strong provenance and biographical context.
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Condition
Portrait: light toning and handling, signature bold and clean.
Letter: one edge roughly trimmed, minor foxing/toning consistent with age. Both pages easily legible, with strong ink.
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Value & Collectability
Material signed by Margaret Deland is scarce on the market. Autograph letters tied to her major works and cultural events like the Columbian Exposition are rarer still. This lot offers both a display-ready signed portrait and a substantive letter with literary and historical significance.
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A rare opportunity to acquire original autograph material from one of America’s leading women authors of the late 19th century — Margaret Deland, novelist, essayist, reformer, and author of Daily Strength for Daily Needs.
