{"product_id":"in-their-own-hands-aa-founders-original-letters","title":"In Their Own Hands | Original Letters from Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, Jim Burwell \u0026 Hank Parkhurst","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeven Original Handwritten Letters Spanning 1940–1968\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOffered here is an extraordinary collection of seven original handwritten letters by four foundational figures in Alcoholics Anonymous history: \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith, Jim Burwell, and Hank Parkhurst\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThese are not simply examples of famous signatures. Each is a substantive personal communication, written for a particular recipient and purpose, preserving the writer’s own words, concerns, relationships, and perspective at a specific moment in A.A. history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTogether, the letters span nearly three decades — from \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eJim Burwell’s February 1940 account of the emerging Philadelphia A.A. group\u003c\/span\u003e to \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBill Wilson’s candid 1968 correspondence with Nell Wing concerning G.S.O. visitors, access to him personally, and his discomfort with increasing personal veneration\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe collection brings together both A.A. co-founders, two important early pioneers, and a remarkable range of subject matter: the growth of the Fellowship, recovery literature, faith, family, service, leadership, and the personal relationships behind the public history of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Collection\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eJim Burwell to Clarence \u0026amp; Dorothy Snyder\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFebruary 1940 — Lansdowne, Pennsylvania\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOne of the most historically significant documents in the collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBurwell reports the formation of the Philadelphia A.A. group and describes its very early growth:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“Have started an A.A. group here \u0026amp; last week we had 3 at the meeting \u0026amp; this week we have 7 alkys.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHe asks Clarence Snyder how Cleveland handled publicity, what response it generated, and what Snyder might have done differently when beginning the Cleveland group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWritten while A.A. was still in its formative years, the letter captures one pioneer seeking practical guidance from another as the Fellowship expanded into a new city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginal Air Mail envelope included.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Bob Smith to Ed Webster\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDecember 29, 1946 — Akron, Ohio\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA two-sided handwritten letter on Dr. Bob’s professional medical stationery, written to Ed Webster concerning the release of \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Little Red Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDr. Bob writes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“Have enjoyed your little book very much \u0026amp; know that it will prove to be of a lot of help to many.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe letter combines an important connection to early recovery literature with the warmth of a personal friendship. Dr. Bob also discusses gifts Webster had sent, mutual acquaintances, and upcoming travel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003eIt is an especially compelling example of Dr. Bob responding directly to recovery literature being developed and circulated during A.A.’s early years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Bob Smith to Sarah Klein\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eApril 19, 1949 — Akron, Ohio\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA deeply personal handwritten letter from Dr. Bob to \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eSarah Klein\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, an important early A.A. figure in Detroit who helped establish the Fellowship there and contributed to its growth in the Midwest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eDr. Bob thanks Klein for two books and writes candidly about spiritual understanding, faith, perseverance, and his own difficulty consistently applying what he reads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAmong the most personal lines:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“It can be very helpful \u0026amp; I hope my understanding \u0026amp; faith may prove sufficient.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe letter offers an unusually intimate view of Dr. Bob’s spiritual thinking and his willingness to acknowledge his own shortcomings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p3\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOriginal envelope included.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccompanied by a James Spence Authentication Letter of Authenticity, Certification ZZ35395.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eHank Parkhurst — Two Family Letters\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eJanuary 1 \u0026amp; January 4, 1952 — Trenton, New Jersey\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTwo handwritten family letters on illustrated Hotel Hildebrecht stationery, comprising three written sides in total.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eParkhurst — an early A.A. figure and co-founder of Works Publishing — writes privately about marriage, family, prayer, church, legal matters, and financial concerns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIn the January 1 letter he writes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“Life has taught me that people who pray together stay together.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThree days later the tone becomes more urgent as he discusses conversations with attorneys and the need to make plans for the family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTogether, the two letters reveal a distinctly personal side of a man whose role in the publication of the Big Book places him permanently within early A.A. history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003eThe Parkhurst letters are supported by a \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1999 sworn affidavit from Merton M. Minter III\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, documenting provenance and authenticity of a larger group of historically significant A.A. correspondence transferred through the Klein and Parkhurst families.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBill Wilson to Nell Wing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eUndated — Canadian Pacific, Empress of England\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA two-sided handwritten letter from Bill Wilson to Nell Wing on pale-blue Canadian Pacific stationery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWilson gives Nell practical instructions concerning the ship’s arrival, clearing Customs, transportation, an address he needs located, and messages to be passed along.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHe closes affectionately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“The trip still goes wonderfully, and we send love to all.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p5\"\u003eThe importance of the letter lies in its ordinariness. Rather than a formal statement from the co-founder of A.A., it preserves the familiar working relationship between Bill and Nell — the trusted assistant, archivist, and longtime G.S.O. figure who became one of the principal custodians of A.A.’s early history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBill Wilson to Nell Wing\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e1968 — Long Bay Hotel, Antigua\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOne of the most revealing letters in the collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eWriting from Antigua, Bill responds to a proposed visit from a group traveling from Guatemala and explains why he must establish boundaries around access to himself and G.S.O.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHis concern moves beyond scheduling:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p4\"\u003e“On this trip I’ve seen much evidence of a desire to deify me to a degree that could really get out of hand.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe letter provides a remarkably candid view of Wilson grappling with his own position inside the movement he helped create — balancing hospitality, Fellowship expectations, institutional responsibilities, and his discomfort with being personally elevated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIt is both an operational communication and a personal reflection on the consequences of A.A.’s worldwide growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy This Collection Matters\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eA single important handwritten letter can become the defining object in a collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eHere, the opportunity is considerably broader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBoth A.A. co-founders are represented through substantive handwritten correspondence\u003c\/b\u003e, joined by Jim Burwell and Hank Parkhurst. The subjects range from the establishment of a new A.A. group in 1940 and the publication of early recovery literature to spirituality, family life, personal friendship, service, institutional growth, and Bill Wilson’s concern over his own increasing prominence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe letters are not interchangeable examples of handwriting. Each preserves an identifiable relationship, purpose, and historical moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTaken together, they provide something that would be exceptionally difficult to recreate one piece at a time: \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ea concentrated collection of original voices from the formative history of Alcoholics Anonymous.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eEach is a personal communication, not merely a signature.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCollection Details\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTitle:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn Their Own Hands\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eContents:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Seven original handwritten letters presented in six entries\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eDate Range:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e 1940–1968, with one Bill Wilson letter undated\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003ePrincipal Figures:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Bill Wilson · Dr. Bob Smith · Jim Burwell · Hank Parkhurst\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNotable Recipients:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Clarence \u0026amp; Dorothy Snyder · Ed Webster · Sarah Klein · Nell Wing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdditional Documentation:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Original envelopes with selected letters; JSA authentication for the Dr. Bob–Sarah Klein letter; 1999 Merton Minter provenance affidavit relating to the Burwell and Parkhurst material\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Original handwritten correspondence on period stationery\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOffering:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Collection offered intact\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe letters remain in \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003every good historical condition overall\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, with expected evidence of age and use including mailing folds, toning, occasional spotting, edge wear, and handling marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eCondition varies by individual document and is documented in greater detail in the accompanying illustrated portfolio. Original folds, stationery, envelopes, and other period characteristics have been retained as part of the historical integrity of the material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003ePlease review all photographs carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p6\"\u003eAdditional high-resolution photographs and item-specific condition information are available upon request.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Recovery Collectibles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50085574836466,"sku":null,"price":125000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0328\/4625\/0120\/files\/In_Their_Own_Hands_Promo.jpg?v=1789416753","url":"https:\/\/recoverycollectibles.com\/products\/in-their-own-hands-aa-founders-original-letters","provider":"Recovery Collectibles","version":"1.0","type":"link"}