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Author, Title, Summary Subject Price
Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), biologist and botanical illustrator, first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

[Sir William Jackson Hooker, biologist, first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.] Autograph Signature in valediction to letter.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 9.5 x 3 cm slip of paper, cut from letter. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Your affectionate / friend / W. J. Hooker'. Fragment of text on reverse: '[...] there is any foundat[...] / for the above repor[...] / or not. If there [...]'.

Natural History £35.00 Sir William Jackson Hooker
Spike Milligan [Terence Alan Milligan] (1918-2002), British comedian, originator of the BBC radio series 'The Goon Show', in which he performed with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine

[Spike Milligan, influential British comedian, originator of 'The Goon Show'.] Good bold Autograph Signature, on a leaf from an album.

See his entry, and those of Sellers, Secombe and Bentine, in the Oxford DNB. On 11.5 x 10 cm leaf of light-blue paper, extracted from an album. In good condition, lightly aged, with short crease to one corner. Nothing else is written on either side of the leaf, apart from the large spidery...

Social history £35.00 Spike Milligan
W. L. Wyllie [William Lionel Wyllie] (1851-1931), distinguished English maritime painter

[W. L. Wyllie [William Lionel Wyllie], distinguished English maritime painter.] Autograph Note Signed to Douglas A. Wenslow, supplying an autograph.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 16mo, on the first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition. Folded once for postage. Addressed to 'Douglas A. Wenslow Esq'. Reads: 'Dear Sir / Many thanks for your kind letter. / Here is the Autograph / yours truly / W L Wyllie'.

Art and Architecture £35.00
W. L. Wyllie [William Lionel Wyllie] (1851-1931), distinguished English maritime painter [John Macallan Swan (1847-1910), RA, painter and sculptor]

[W. L. Wyllie [William Lionel Wyllie], distinguished English maritime painter.] Autograph Card Signed to 'Miss Swan' (daughter of artist John Macallan Swan) regarding 'the copy of Cape St Vincent' and a roll that is unsuitable for a panorama.

See his entry, and that of Swan, in the Oxford DNB. From the Swan papers. On both sides of an 11.5 x 9 cm card. In good condition, lightly aged, and with faint ink line at foot. Signed 'W L Wyllie'. Begins: 'Dear Miss Swan / Very many thanks for sending me the copy of Cape St Vincent. It is...

Art and Architecture £45.00
Walter Crane (1845-1915), book illustrator, designer and painter, associated with the Arts and Crafts movement and the Art-Workers' Guild

[Walter Crane, book illustrator, designer and painter associated with the Arts and Crafts movement and the Art-Workers' Guild.] Autograph Signature and valediction of a letter.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On one side of a slightly-irregular 11 x 3.5 cm slip of wove paper, cut from the end of a letter. A good example of Crane's stylized and distinctive signature. Reads: 'Believe me, / Very truly yours, / Walter Crane'. The top part of a cropped 'P S' is present at...

Printing History £35.00 Walter Crane
Lord Buxton, Governor-General of South Africa during the Great War [Sydney Charles Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton (1853-1934), Liberal politician] [Bernard Piffard (1833-1916), microscopist and entomologist]

[Lord Buxton, Governor-General of South Africa [Sydney Charles Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton), Liberal politician].] Autograph Letter Signed, thanking Bernard Piffard for copies of the ‘West Herts Radical’, which he hopes will prove effective.

Buxton was a popular Governor-General who formed an effective partnership with Botha. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Addressed to ‘B Piffard Esq’ and signed ‘Sydney Buxton’. He is obliged for the ‘copies of the “West Herts Radical”’, and is glad to...

£65.00
Lord David Cecil [Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil] (1902-1986), author, biographer and scholar [Vere Henry Collins, author]

[‘I take a great interest in the small points of style’: Lord David Cecil, author and scholar.] Typed Letter Signed, responding to linguistic ‘strictures’ by V. H. Collins, who annotates the letter.

An interesting letter, revealing some of Cecil's views on the art of writing. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Vere Henry Collins (1872-1966), was an author and grammatical stickler, and Cecil has clearly been on the receiving end of a ticking off. 2pp, 4to. On grey paper. In fair...

£90.00
Lord Hugh Cecil [Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil (1869-1956), 1st Baron Quickswood], Conservative politician, Provost of Eton [Sir David Ross, Provost of Oriel, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford]

[Lord Hugh Cecil [Hugh Richard Heathcote Gascoyne-Cecil, 1st Baron Quickswood], British Conservative politician.] Typed Letter Signed to ‘Mr. Provost’ [W. D. Ross, Provost of Oriel], sending a memorandum on ‘the recent crisis in Foreign Affairs’.

Cecil, who was the best man at Churchill’s wedding, was regarded as the finest orator of his generation. See his entry, and that of Ross, in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr Provost’ and signed ‘Hugh Cecil’. He apologises for the late...

£45.00
Lord John Russell [John Russell, 1st Earl Russell] (1792-1878), Whig and Liberal statesman, twice Prime Minister, grandfather of Bertrand Russell [Rear-Admiral Sir William Dillon]

[Lord John Russell, Whig and Liberal statesman, twice Prime Minister.] Autograph Signature to part of letter to Rear-Admiral Sir Henry Dillon, regarding his joining the royal household.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On both sides of 10.5 x 8 cm piece of paper, cut from a letter for an autograph hunter. On one side, in a larger than usual hand: ‘Your Obed Servt / J Russell’. Beneath the signature, in a tiny contemporary hand: 'Prime Minister'. At the foot is the name of the...

History £35.00 Lord John Russell
Lord Napier of Merchistoun [William John Napier, 9th Lord Napier (1786-1834), Royal Navy officer and Chief Superintendant of Trade in China [Col. Charles Napier (d.1849), Royal Artillery?]

[Napier of Merchistoun: William John Napier, 9th Lord Napier of Merchistoun.] Long Autograph Letter Signed ‘To Colonel Napier / Royal Artillery’ [Charles Napier?], regarding genealogical matters, and with a Royal Navy reminiscence.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is presumably the Captain Charles Napier (d.1849) of the Royal Artillery who ‘received eight wounds from the bursting of a shrapnel shell’ at Waterloo (see Dalton’s ‘Waterloo Roll Call’, p.194). 8pp, 4to. Closely and neatly written on two bifoliums...

History £220.00