EIFFEL GUSTAVE: (1832-1923) French Civil Engineer & Architect, best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, built ...

EIFFEL GUSTAVE: (1832-1923) French Civil Engineer & Architect, best known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. A good A.L.S.,`G. Eiffel´, three pages, 8vo, mourning paper, Madrid, 5th October 1877, in French. Eiffel deeply thanks his correspondent, having learned that `..it is your intention to make me obtain a decoration for my works at Pest.. and coming from you it is the highest award for such distinction.´, further saying `If Mr. Krandz remains as Commissioner General till the end, which I hope will be so for the success of the Exhibition and also for the political ideas that we share, he has been kind enough to formally promise me the decoration in France.´ Eiffel further refers to his wife´s recent death and explains the difficult time he is facing, saying `I have been very much afflicted by the cruel loss of my wife that I have experienced, leaving me with five young children. My union with her was extremely close and her loss left a void in my life that nothing could fill… I often need a strong will which do not permit my discouragement.´ Eiffel, before concluding, reports on his travel plans `I am right now on my way to Porto where I will stay for three weeks in order to hasten the completion of our bridge which is almost finished. I will then travel immediately to Pest.´ Very small overall minor age wear, with professional repair to the spine, otherwise G to VG In 1878 the Universal Exhibition was held at the Champ de Mars in Paris. Marguerite Gaudelet (1845-1877) wife of Gustave Eiffel. She died a month before the present letter was written at the early age of 32. The Viana do Castelo bridge, over the Lima river, was concluded in 1878 and is known as the Eiffel bridge. The Budapest-Nyugati station was built by Eiffel in 1877. It was inaugurated three weeks after the present letter´s date.