[ Élisabeth de Mac Mahon, wife of the French president Patrice de MacMahon, Duke of Magenta. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Male. de Mac Mahon'), in English, to the artist and women's activist Barbara Bodichon, regarding meetings in Algeria.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Accompanied by an envelope, with broken red wax seal, addressed by the Maréchale to 'Madame Bodichon | Mustapha Supérieur | Chemin de la Colonne Voirol | à El Biar'. (In 1857 Bodichon had married the French physician, ethnographer, and scholar Eugène Bodichon (1810-1885), and thereafter divided her time between Algeria and England.) General MacMahon was Governor General of Algeria between 1864 and 1870. ONE: 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 'Alger Sunday'. The letter begins: 'Two of our greatest chiefs C and Bou Alem are arrived here with their tents and camps and have asked me to go and pay them an Arab visit - I fancy it will be full of couleur locale and thought it would interest Mrs. Bridell'. She proposes a time for the visit before turning to Bodichon's 'play', to which she kindly invited the Maréchale to take 'any amateurs of English': 'The Cte de Vogüé, M. le Baron de Verneau and M. Depoisier all three resident with me have got a great desire to come with me to morrow'. TWO: 1p., 12mo. 'Alger the 16th March'. Deferring an arranged visit: 'if it quite suits you and Mrs. Bradell I will be your companion at one'.