In 1874, Andersen received a present of w. c. Bryant’s Picturesque America and 200 dollars. The money paid for the book had been collected from among American schoolchildren.
What a pity that America lies so far away from here
Hans Christian Andersen never managed to visit America, that distant, fabulous continent. But he dreamt and wrote about it -and today children gather round his statue in Central Park to listen to the great Danish writer’s fairy tales.
By Erik Haugaard
From Hans Christian Andersen – Danish Journal 1976