[ Sydney Smirke, English architect. ] Autograph Letter, in the third person, to Miss Macerone', reporting his daughter's pleasure at her piano concert, and suggesting an acquaintance between his brother Sir Robert Smirke and her family.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium, with Smirke's embossed monogram. Although he and his wife were 'absent in Northumberland', their daughter and a friend were able to make use of Miss Macerone's gift of a card of admission to her concert, and 'very great pleasure' was 'afforded to them by the afternoon's Entertainment. It was a treat of the highest interest to them both.' Changing the subject, he suggests that it is 'not impossible that Miss Macerone may be a descendant of a Coll: Macerone with whom his brother, Sir Robert Smirke, was intimately acquainted very many years ago, an acquaintance made when Sir Robert was in Italy, in early life.' Little is known of Miss Macerone, but on 26 October 1846 the Boston 'Musical Gazette' reported: 'A young lady, Miss Macerone, who excels as a pianist and composer ! recently gave her first concert in London. She performed Mendelssohn's trio in D, ( in which Messrs. Sainton and Lucas took part,) and Thalberg's celebrated fantasia on "Les Huguenots." The enormous difficulties of this latter work are well known to most pianists. Several of Miss Macerone's manuscript works were sung, among which was a Benedictus, which is spoken of as reflecting much credit upon the authoress.'