Du Pont: An American 18 Karat Gold gentleman's Traveling Set, Tiffany & Co., New York, circa 1910

comprising: Hair Brush, Shaving Brush, Comb, Soap Box, Match Box, cork-lined Flask, slip-top Flask, Toothbrush Cover, Razor, each engraved with the du Pont arms and initials A.I. du P., in fitted leather case with removable mirror, all marked and numbered

comb missing three teeth, good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The engraved initials are those of Alfred Irénée du Pont, who was born in 1864 in Wilmington, DE, to Eleuthere Irénée du Pont II and his wife Charlotte Henderson.  Alfred was only thirteen when his parents died suddenly within a month of each other and he was left to help raise his four siblings.  He attended MIT for two years before leaving to work in the Brandywine River gunpowder mills founded by his grandfather.  Alfred was named a partner in his family's firm five years later and was dispatched to Europe by the U.S. Army Chief of Ordnance with the purpose of purchasing the patent rights to smokeless gunpowder.  In the 1890's he served as assistant superintendent of the Hagley and Lower Yards and was made a director in 1899.  When Eugene du Pont died in 1902 without naming a clear sucessor, the company's senior partners considered selling the family business to their competitors Laflin and & Rand.  In an effort to save his family's namesake, Alfred formed a partnership with his cousins T. Coleman du Pont and Pierre S. du Pont to buy the company.  The senior partners approved the sale and Alfred became a vice president of the new corporation.  In 1915 Alfred resigned following a long dispute with Pierre over the modernization of the Brandywine yards.  He moved with his third wife to Jacksonville, FL.  Upon his death in 1935, Alfred's fortune was placed in a Trust dedicated primarily to children's health care in Delaware and Florida.  In 2006 the trust was valued at $4 billion.  It's primary beneficiary is the Nemours Foundation which is dedicated to childrens' medical care, biomedical research and education and preventation services.