A unique pen and ink drawing of Birmingham by composer Felix Mendelssohn is being offered for sale at a prestigious sale of musical manuscripts by top auction house Sothebys.

The etching, contained in a letter written by the composer, depicts his view of the city and it is estimated to secure bids of between £10,000 to £15,000 in the sale in London on Wednesday.

The composer, who was also a highly accomplished artist, conducted his Lobgesang symphony cantata at the Birmingham Festival in September 1840.

His drawing provides a quirky record of his stay in the city and portrays the Stork Hotel and Birmingham Town Hall against a background of tall, smoking chimneys.

The town hall, opened in 1831, was one of Mendelssohn’s favourite venues and the prestigious auditorium hosted first performances of his oratorio Elijah in 1846.

It is the first time the privately-owned drawing has been offered for sale.

Mendelssohn was to make the trip from his Leipzig home to Birmingham three times, and on one of these visits he sketched the panorama of Birmingham as he viewed it from Curzon Street railway station.

His first appearance at the festival was in 1837. In 1840 Mendelssohn performed the British premiere of his Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise), and performed his Piano Concerto no.1.

Following his trip, and after a short stay in London, Mendelssohn and two friends, author and art critic Henry Chorley and the pianist, conductor and composer Ignaz Moscheles, left for Leipzig.

The pen-and-ink drawing on an album leaf, dates from the eve of their departure and provides a record of their trip to Birmingham.

The sketch also shows a steamboat and, in the foreground, the luggage of the three travellers.

Beneath, are words penned by Chorley. He wrote: “Here, Ladies and Gentlemen ... a mysterious and wonderful hieroglyphic, illustrating the Birmingham Festival, Sep: 1840 – & particularly The Stork – you see.

‘‘The bird, you perceive is on the way to the Town Hall, but could not get in, on the day of Mendelssohn’s “Lobesgang” (sic) for she is very tall & the room was anything but thin ... Lastly, comes the steamboat, on the deck of which are two M’s (sic) and I – Below, our baggage, with a particularly long umbrella – so – good-bye!...”

The drawing was formerly in the possession of Ignaz Moscheles’ wife Charlotte and has never previously been offered for sale.

Sotheby’s worldwide head of books and manuscripts Stephen Roe said: ‘‘The Mendelssohn drawing is unique and bound to attract great interest.”