Two Invitations from H.R.H. The Prince of Wales K.G. as President and The Executive Council

£2,500 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

The first of these two over-sized invitations received by Louisa Da Costa was to the opening of the Imperial Institute on 10th May 1893, with Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales in attendance. Since the Great Hall of the Institute wasn't completed in time a temporary hall was constructed for the opening. The second, evening invitation from HRH the Prince of Wales invites Miss Da Costa and a friend to an evening reception from 9pm with 'Instrumental and Vocal Music... [and] Refreshments' in the illuminated gardens of the Imperial Institute in South Kensington - now the site of Imperial College, London. The accompanying 'General Arrangements...' sheet give details of the evening's entertainments, as well as travel arrangements (special trains on the Inner Circle Line at 1am and 1:30am), and the arrangements for 'Cold Suppers'. Louisa Da Costa was the sister of Mr Benjamin Mendes Da Costa, both being descendants of the well-known wealthy Portuguese-Jewish trading dynasty. After his great success with real estate in Adelaide, Australia, Mr Da Costa sold his business there and sailed to England together with his sister. He died in Brighton in 1868 and his sister was the sole beneficiary of his will. Miss Da Costa died in 1898 bequeathing all her real estate in Adelaide to the Governor of South Australia to establish a Samaritan fund for convalescents from the Adelaide Hospital - the Louisa DaCosta Trust, still operating today. Two over-sized colour-printed illuminated card invi

• Binding: Hardcover

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