Search results

Author, Title, Summary Subject Price
Queen of Romania: Elisabeth of Wied [Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise] (1843-1916), wife of King Carol I, prolific author under the pseudonym ‘Carmen Sylva’ [Louis Ulbach (1822-1889), French novelist]

[Queen of Romania: Elisabeth of Wied.] Long Autograph Letter Signed ('Elisabeth'), in French, to the novelist Louis Ulbach, lamenting the death of her cousin Marie of Waldeck and praising his work.

Not only an unusually intimate letter for a member of royalty to write, but also an interesting communication from a poet to her mentor. On Ulbach’s death the Pall Mall Gazette (20 April 1889) referred to Elisabeth as ‘the poet-Queen of Roumania’, stating that it was to Ulbach whom ‘she owed the...

Royalty £500.00 Elisabeth
Simond and Hankey, London bankers deeply involved in the West Indian sugar and slave trade; Peter Simond (1691-1785); John Hankey (1741-1792)

[Simond and Hankey, London bankers involved in the West Indian sugar and slave trade.] Two manuscript bills in French, ‘A Messieurs Messrs. Ante. & Dan. Bierens a Amsterdam’, each signed by ‘Pre: Simond’ and endorsed by ‘Jean Hankey’.

With the surge of interest in the slave trade attention has lately been directed at Simond and Hankey, a ‘past constituent’ of the NatWest Bank. These two items are nice artefacts of the firm. Both are in good condition, lightly aged, and laid out in the same way, with the bill written out on...

£100.00
Sir James Paget (1814-1899), 1st Baronet, prominent English surgeon, considered with Virchow as one of the founders of scientific medical pathology [Charles Klugh]

[Sir James Paget, founder of scientific medical pathology.] Autograph Letter Signed to Charles Klugh on receiving his baronetcy, with printed card on his wife’s death, and newspaper cutting from The Times on his funeral.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The three items are laid down on a leaf from an album, the letter on one side and the other two items on the other. The material is in good condition, lightly aged, with the letter slightly ruckled. LETTER: 1p, 12mo. Letterhead printed in red. Beneath the letter...

£180.00
Sir Sidney Colvin (1845-1927), literary and art critic, Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, biographer of John Keats and friend of Robert Louis Stevenson

[Sir Sidney Colvin, British Museum curator, biographer of Keats and friend of R. L. Stevenson.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Mr Fagan’, declining any item from the ‘various volumes and packets of prints’ he has sent.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with strip of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr Fagan’ and signed ‘Sidney Colvin’. He begins by informing him that of the ‘various volumes and packets of prints’ he has...

£50.00
Sir Sidney Colvin (1845-1927), literary and art critic, Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, biographer of John Keats and friend of Robert Louis Stevenson

[Sir Sidney Colvin, British Museum curator, biographer of Keats and friend of R. L. Stevenson.] Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed woman, regarding a drawing ‘of small value or none’, copied from Giulio Romano.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. On a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with strip of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Signed 'Sidney Colvin'. The recipient is not named, but is addressed as ‘Dear Madam’. The letter begins: ‘I am afraid I made a mistake...

£45.00
The South African Peace Council [1960s anti-nuclear movement; Hilda Bernstein (1915-2006) Marxist anti-apartheid campaigner]

[The South African Peace Council; 1960s anti-nuclear movement.] Carnet of 12 stamps (one missing) issued by the SAPC, with mottos ‘Outlaw Atomic Weapons’ and ‘One Year of Negotiation is better than one Day of War’.

A nice piece of anti-nuclear war ephemera. A 19 x 6.75 cm block of perforated stamps with gum on reverse. The block originally had twelve stamps, but the one at top right is lacking. Printed in blue on white with a simple design of a dove with an olive branch in its mouth, encircled by the words...

History £120.00 Atom Bomb
Thomas Thomson (1817-1878), botanist and geologist, plant hunter in India with Joseph Dalton Hooker

[Thomas Thomson, botanist, geologist and plant hunter in India with Joseph Dalton Hooker.] Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed friend, discussing their burgeoning friendship and his plans for his career.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bivolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Dear Friend’ and signed ‘Thos. Thomson.’ Begins: ‘Having a few moments to spare, I take the opportunity of writing to you. I am sincerely sorry I shall not be back in time to see...

£100.00
Thomas Wright (1810-1877), antiquary, historian and editor of medieval texts [William Jerdan (1782-1869), editor of the Literary Gazette; Charles Roach Smith (1807-1890), antiquary and archaeologist]

[Thomas Wright, antiquary and historian.] Autograph Letter Signed to Jerdan [William Jerdan, editor of the Literary Gazette] on topics including Charles Roach Smith’s excavations at Hartlip.

See his long and appreciative entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. Worn and aged, with part of paper mount adhering over half of the reverse. Written in a tight close hand. Begins: ‘My dear Jerdan / The inclosed is for you to do what you like with. / I am off to Lord Albert’s tomorrow morning -...

£100.00
W. R. Paton [William Roger Paton] (1857-1921), Scottish classical scholar, translator of the Greek Anthology [James Sutherland Cotton (1847-1918), editor of the Academy, London; Salomon Reinach]

[William Roger Paton, Scottish classical scholar, translator of the Greek Anthology.] Autograph Letter Signed (‘W. R. Paton’) [to the editor of the Academy], regarding the reviewing of a book by Salomon Reinach.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with spike hole to one corner. Folded once. From the context the recipient is clearly James S. Cotton, editor of the Academy. He explains that ‘Mr S. Reinach’ (the French archaeologist Salomon Reinach, 1858-...

£60.00
William Yarrell (1784-1856), eminent English zoologist, author of standard reference works on British fishes (1836) and birds (1843), treasurer of the Entomological Society and the Linnean Society

[William Yarrell, zoologist.] Autograph Signature (‘Wm. Yarrell.’) as ‘Treasurer’ (of the Entomological or Linnean Society).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 11 x 7.5 cm piece of paper, cut from a printed document. The signature is large, bold and undamaged, on heavily-worn paper with several instances of damage, laid down on a piece of card. The printed text reads: ‘[...] / I [have] the honour to be, / Sir, / Your...

£35.00