Dom Pedro Augusto, son of Princess Leopoldina and grandson of Dom Pedro II, sends wishes for a speedy recovery.
Dom Pedro Augusto's calling card with a few handwritten lines
9.7 cm x 5.8 cm.
In Portuguese.
Cannes, France, March 14, 1888
Excellent condition.
Unique item.
Cannes, March 14, 1888. I greet you, as well as the Viscountess, and wish you a complete recovery.
Dom Pedro Augusto of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1866–1934) was the firstborn son of Princess Leopoldina of Brazil and Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and thus the grandson of Emperor Dom Pedro II. During part of his youth, he was considered one of the possible successors to the Brazilian throne and maintained close contact with the imperial family. After the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889, he accompanied his family into exile in Europe. His life was marked by a withdrawal from public life and severe mental health problems in the following years.
Autographed documents by Dom Pedro Augusto are relatively rare on the market, and this is the first autographed calling card attributed to him that we have encountered. In addition to the rarity of the medium, the piece features a relatively long handwritten message, written and signed in Cannes, a city where the Imperial Family often spent long seasons. Another interesting detail is the date: March 14, 1888, less than two months before the promulgation of the Lei Áurea by his aunt, Princess Isabel, on May 13 of that same year.
