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Original 1929 Letter – Charles Davis to Charles Frederick Weller Recommending Dr. Alfred Adler’s Book \"Understanding Human Nature\"
This is an extraordinary signed letter dated January 19, 1929, from renowned American civil engineer Charles Davis to social reformer Charles Frederick Weller, recommending the now-classic psychology text Understanding Human Nature by Dr. Alfred Adler. The letter is typed on Davis’s personal letterhead and signed in bold ink.
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📜 Full Transcription:
CHARLES DAVIS
Bass River, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
New York – Philadelphia – Boston
January 19, 1929
Mr. Charles Frederick Weller
League of Neighbors
398 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts
> My dear Mr. Weller:
I thank you for your letter of January 15, 1929. In view of your work, and the spirit of it, I am taking pleasure in sending to you, under another cover, a book written by my friend, Dr. Alfred Adler, entitled \"Understanding Human Nature.\" Please accept same with my compliments. I hope you will find it as interesting as I have.
With kind personal regards, I am
Yours very truly,
[Signed] Charles Davis
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🧠 Biographies & Historical Context:
🔹 Charles Davis (1856–?)
Pioneering American civil engineer
Educated at Columbia University’s School of Mines (1887)
Consultant in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia
Built the first high-speed interurban trolley line from Alexandria to Mount Vernon (1902)
Co-founded the National Highways Association with Gen. Coleman du Pont
Strong supporter of Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive Party
Prolific writer on infrastructure and highway policy
🔹 Charles Frederick Weller (1870–1954)
Progressive Era social reformer, writer, and civic leader
Co-founder of the League of Neighbors, promoting neighborhood-based civic engagement
Advocate for playgrounds, low-income housing, and public welfare reform
Co-authored Wage-Earning Women (1907), a landmark study in labor conditions
🔹 Dr. Alfred Adler (1870–1937)
Austrian medical doctor and psychotherapist
Founder of the school of Individual Psychology
Broke from Freud to focus on inferiority complexes, community belonging, and human development
Understanding Human Nature (1927) became a cornerstone text in early psychology, education, and self-help
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📦 Condition & Provenance:
Typewritten on personal letterhead
Original bold ink signature from Charles Davis
Includes clipped biographical profile of Davis (as found)
From a private collection, offered for sale for the first time in over 70 years
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A remarkable document connecting infrastructure innovation, social reform, and early psychology—an outstanding addition to any collection focused on the Progressive Era, history of psychology, or American civil development.
Ships securely with tracking and archival protection.
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