172 x 117 mm A fine autograph letter in black ink on folded ivory paper with central horizontal crease, three blue adhesive marks to verso. In full: �Dear Sir, I am afraid this autograph is not worth the 1 1/2 d stamp you kindly sent for it. Yours sincerely, T. Howard Somervell� Theodore Howard Somervell 1890-1975 was born in Westmorland, to a well-off family which owned a shoe-manufacturing business founded by two Somervell brothers in Kendal in 1845, that became K Shoes. He was a British surgeon, mountaineer and artist and joined several Mount Everest expeditions in the 1920s, including the 1924 attempt with George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Beyond climbing, he worked as a missionary doctor in India, performing thousands of operations. Somervell also produced notable paintings of Himalayan landscapes. His life combined exploration, medical service and artistic achievement, making him a distinctive figure in early Everest history and mountaineering legacy.