[Henry Clifford, telegraph engineer.] Two Autograph Letters Signed (one 'H. C.' and the other 'H. Clifford'), written in a playful style to his daughter 'Elsie'. One of the letters partly in verse form, with caricatures.

Clifford was introduced to the laying of Atlantic telegraph cables by Sir Charles Bright, whose wife was his cousin. He served as an engineer on all the Atlantic cable expeditions from 1857 to 1866, designing the paying-out machinery used on the Great Eastern in 1865 and 1866. He worked at Greenwich as chief engineer for the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company until his retirement in 1894. ONE: From Blackheath; 6 April 1892. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Signed 'H. Clifford.' In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Writing playfully to his daughter, he begins: 'My dear young Elsie | You seem to be far far away from me, and every mile reduces the smile when I think of thee.' He begins with news of the journey of 'Dear Alice' to Rev. Robert Laffan's school in Stratford-on-Avon, and then of the departure of 'Elizabeth' from Paddington ('I thought you would like to know that she is safely looked after by her pa.') 'Alick will no doubt distinguish himself in the sports knowing that his sisters Eye will be upon him he will feel equal to the Cow that jumped over the moon'. In Alice's absence he will have 'a Blanberry sort of time [...] The House is getting into a state of upsidedownishness and there is a <?> noise on the stair case (now the carpets are up) early in the morning of tin buckets and heavy feet up & down stairs.' When woken by this he tries to 'compose my ideas as to the best pattern for the paper or carpet and how to re arrange the Pictures and what lumber can be got rid of in that dreadful school-room'. He reports on a dinner 'at the Ship, the golf Club dinner for Johnson invited me and I met Mr Wolffrom there of course every body asked after you and I told every body you had just had the measels'. He asks after 'Aunt Hannah' and concludes with more family news, with a postscript commending her 'picture letter'. TWO: Undated. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper with closed tear to one leaf. The letter begins: 'My dear Elsie | In the mumps in the top room of No 1 Lansdowne Place | With a dear little swollen face | That give [sic] hera little grimace & grace | That somewhat spoils her beauty | And dear little Alick whose face takes up space | Will gladly enter into a race | to see who will be first out of Lansdowne Place | [next two lines in pencil] I will conclude these few lines | with your present of the pencil case'. At the foot of the first page are caricatures of Elsie and her brother Alick, with the note: 'Tell Alick when he is well enough to draw that he must try and take your likeness as you appeared in the Mumps'. He explains that the family miss her and her brother: 'I am not allowed to come to you for fear of getting my face enlarged I have had so much to do with enlarging that it is feared I might not be able to get my head out of the door'. He makes a number of suggestions of how the children may occupy themselves, adding: 'Dorothy Riddle has now got the mumps but not from you.' He concludes by expressing his satisfaction that the letter 'has not to be put in a post office and will not require a stamp on it', and signs 'from loving Father | H. C'.