[Percy Nash, film producer and director, key figure at Elstree Studios.] Typed Letter Signed to theatre historian W. J. Macqueen-Pope, recounting an anecdote about his time at His Majesty’s with Sir Herbert Beerbohm-Tree; with a signed Typed CV.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See MP's entry in the Oxford DNB.) Nash made around 70 films between 1912 and 1927, and was a key figure in the creation of Elstree Studios. His career as a film maker was effectively ended following the screening of his 1921 film 'How Kitchener was betrayed'. See Bernard Ince, ' “For the Love of the Art”: The Life and Work of Percy Nash, Film Producer and Director of the Silent Era’, ‘Film History’, September 2007. Both items in good condition, lightly aged, each with light rust staining at one corner from paper clip. LETTER: 1p, 4to. Signed ‘Percy Nash’. He begins by stating that he has enjoyed 'immensely' MP’s ‘articles re the Theatre World’, as well as his book ‘Carriages at Eleven’. He continues: ‘I got quite a thrill when I read that you appreciated the dance in front of the Act drop in the “merry wives” production at His Majestys. I suggested the idea during rehearsals but Tree didn’t catch on to it at the time, but when the Curtain was lowered and raised a dozen times at the end, he screamed “Do what you wanted to do”. Naturally a thing like that required rehearsing, but I risked it and luckily, it came off all right.’ Although ‘past the age for personal publicity to attract me’, he is enclosing ‘a list of my various adventures in the World of Entertainment’. He will be happy to allow MP to consult his ‘good amount of data such as Programmes, Private letters from many Stars of the bygone Firmament etc.’ TWO: Signed Typed CV: 2pp: the first a full single-spaced A4 page, the second (last five lines of typed text and autograph name and address) on cut-down top part of A4 page, now 1p, landscape 8vo. Signed on p.2: ‘Percy Nash / 2 Bristol Court West / Marine Parade. / Brighton. / Sussex’. The list is headed ‘PERCY NASH. born December 5th 1868.’ Begins: ‘Began thetrical [sic] career as assistant at Theatre Royal Bournemouth in 1889. Whilst there Toured the West Country with John L. Toole, The Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, German Reeds, Georg[e] Grossmith (on leaving the Savoy Theatre). Paderewski (First Tour), Sims Reeves and other famous Concert artistes.’ Contains the following: ‘Became a pioneer in the British Film World, organised and Directed the first pictures for the original London Film Company. Built the first Film Studios at Elstree. Directed Pictures in Rome for the CINES and TIBER Film Companies and the UNIVERSAL Film Co of America’. / First President of the British Association of Film Directors / Film Producer for the Federation of British Industries / Production Manager of the British Lion Film Corporation’.