[‘The most famous newspaper correspondent the world has ever seen': W. H. Russell [Sir William Howard Russell] of The Times.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘brother Broadley’ [A. M. Broadley], regarding a masonic ‘junction’ and ‘promotion’.

According to Russell’s entry in the Oxford DNB, while reporting on the Civil War, he was described by one American newspaper as ‘the most famous newspaper correspondent the world has ever seen'. The inscription on his memorial in St Paul’s Cathedral calls him ‘'the first and greatest of War Correspondents'. He coined the phrase ‘thin red line’, was instrumental in the sending of Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, and is said to have written the report that inspired Tennyson to write ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’. Like Broadley (whose omission from the DNB is as scandalous as his career), Russell was an active freemason. 2pp, 12mo. In trimmed windowpane mount. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight glue staining on reverse. Folded once. Signed ‘W H Russell’. The subject is freemasonry (Russell is not known to have shared Broadley’s other interests). Begins: ‘dear brother Broadley / I am pickling here in the hope that I may be fit for exportation anon & I shall not be in London till my course is over on 17th’. In consequence he will be unable to attend ‘the junction of Bros. Lawson Peters & Toole & the promotion of Brs Prince [Helwig?] & Lord Delamere’. Broadley, a distinguished autograph-collector, also merited a long entry in Wikipedia for his other activities.