Keats' Lost Love Letters Returned After Decades

Keats' treasured love letters to his muse Fanny Brawne have been recovered and returned to the family of their former owner, the late John Hay "Jock" Whitney, decades after they were stolen from his Long Island estate in the 1980s. These 37 handwritten missives, valued at a staggering $2 million, chronicle the passionate romance between the Romantic poet and his beloved neighbor in Hampstead, London.

Dated between 1819 and 1820, the letters include the very first letter Keats ever wrote to Brawne, with whom he became deeply infatuated. The poet famously elevated his neighbor to the status of muse and goddess, pouring his heart out to her in these intimate, gilt morocco-bound epistles that have now been reunited with their rightful owners.

{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}

The recovery of these priceless literary artifacts marks the end of a long and arduous journey for the Whitney family, who have actively sought to regain possession of the stolen letters for decades. Mere possession of such treasured primary sources offers a rare glimpse into the private lives and passionate relationship of two of the Romantic era's most iconic figures.

"These letters are a window into the minds and hearts of Keats and Brawne during a pivotal time in their lives and in literary history," said a spokesperson for the Whitney family. "We are overjoyed to have them back in our care, where they can be preserved and shared with scholars and the public."

{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}

The recovery of the stolen Keats letters marks a triumph for literary historians and preservationists who have long lamented the loss of these irreplaceable cultural artifacts. Their return not only reunites a cherished collection, but also offers new opportunities for researchers to study the intimate relationship that inspired some of the most beloved poetry of the Romantic period.