1921 Electrical Installation Letter & Philips Envelope – Selys Longchamps Archive

Original 1921 Belgian electrical engineering correspondence from J. Pire & L. Simonis, Entreprises Générales Électriques in Liège, addressed to Baron Edgard de Selys at the Château d’Halloy near Ciney.

Dated 13 July 1921, this typed letter concerns an electrical installation project and provides an unusually detailed glimpse into early 20th-century electrical work in a private Belgian estate.

The company J. Pire & L. Simonis, based in Liège, specialised in lighting, motive power, bells, private telephony, studies and quotations.

The letter acknowledges previous correspondence from Baron Edgard de Selys and refers to information supplied by Baron Roger de Selys concerning his turbine.

It then discusses a quotation for the planned installation, including additional equipment requested during a previous visit.

The company also mentions further technical matters relating to:

• heating
• motive power
• an overhead electrical line
• supplementary electrical points
• labour and installation times

J. Pire & L. Simonis estimated that two fitters and one assistant could complete the planned work in approximately one month. The company agreed to begin the work on 1 August 1921, asking to be informed 8 to 10 days in advance in order to prepare the necessary materials and select the appropriate staff.

The original envelope is particularly attractive. Printed for J. Pire & L. Simonis – Fournitures Générales Électriques, it features a large period advertisement for the Philips “½ Watt Arga” electric lamp, together with the company’s Liège addresses.

The envelope retains its original Belgian postage stamp and postal cancellation and is addressed to:

Monsieur le Baron Edgard de Selys
Château de Halloy
lez Ciney

Together, the letter and envelope form a fascinating record of Belgian electrical engineering, early domestic electrification and estate improvement during the early 1920s.

Included

• Original typed J. Pire & L. Simonis letter
• Original Philips advertising envelope
• Original Belgian postage stamp and cancellation

Dimensions

• Letter: 27.5 × 21.5 cm
• Envelope: 15 × 12.5 cm

Condition

Original antique documents showing normal age-related wear, including folds, light toning, minor marks and small edge imperfections. The envelope shows postal wear consistent with its age and use.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description.

Date: 1921
Origin: Liège / Château d’Halloy near Ciney, Belgium
Language: French
Original documents — not reproductions.

Provenance

From The Selys Longchamps Archive, a group of original early 20th-century letters, invoices, receipts and commercial papers connected with members of the Selys Longchamps family.

Together, these documents offer a glimpse into the family’s private, commercial and estate-related correspondence.