1925 Belgian Industrial Research Letter & Banque d’Outremer Receipt – Selys Longchamps Archive

Original Belgian archival correspondence from 1925, addressed to Baron Edgard de Selys Longchamps at the Château d’Halloy near Ciney, Belgium.

This unusual historical set brings together a three-page typed letter from the Société Belge de Recherches Industrielles in Brussels, an original Banque d’Outremer receipt, and the original stamped envelope in which the correspondence was sent.

Dated 20 March 1925, the letter concerns industrial investment, financing and patent rights. It discusses a process for the manufacture of aluminium sulphate, as well as the exploitation of the Plauson colloidal mill patent.

The correspondence refers to patents registered in Belgium and numerous other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, illustrating the international scope of Belgian industrial ventures during the interwar period.

The company invited its administrators and commissioners to increase their financial participation. Baron Edgard de Selys Longchamps was requested to contribute 1,250 francs, to be paid into the company’s account at the Banque d’Outremer before 31 March 1925.

Also included is the corresponding Banque d’Outremer receipt dated 28 March 1925, recording the payment of 1,250 francs by Baron Edgard de Selys Longchamps to the Société Belge de Recherches Industrielles.

The reverse of the receipt is particularly attractive, featuring contemporary printed information about the Banque d’Outremer, including its banking services and a detailed tariff for the rental of safe-deposit boxes.

The original envelope is addressed to:

Monsieur le Baron de Selys Longchamps
Château d’Halloy
par Ciney

It retains its Belgian postage stamp and Brussels cancellation dated 20 March 1925, together with a promotional postal marking for the Foire Officielle Internationale de Bruxelles.

Together, these documents form a fascinating record of Belgian industrial investment, banking, patent development and private estate correspondence in the 1920s.

Included

• Three-page typed letter from the Société Belge de Recherches Industrielles
• Banque d’Outremer receipt for 1,250 francs
• Printed Banque d’Outremer banking and safe-deposit information on the reverse
• Original stamped and postmarked envelope

Dimensions

• Letter: 27 × 21.5 cm
• Banque d’Outremer receipt: 20.5 × 16.5 cm
• Envelope: 12.5 × 15.5 cm

Condition

Original documents showing age-related wear, including folds, toning, minor marks and edge wear. The letter shows small imperfections and losses at the edges, while the envelope displays more pronounced wear consistent with postal use and opening.

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

Date: 1925
Origin: Brussels / Château d’Halloy, 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 addressed to Baron Edgard de Selys Longchamps and members of the Selys Longchamps family, many connected with the Château d’Halloy near Ciney, Belgium.

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