Search results

Author, Title, Summary	Subject	Price
Sir James Anderson (1824-93), captain of SS Great Eastern during the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866 [Joseph Charles Parkinson; Isambard Kingdom Brunel] [Sir James Anderson, captain of SS Great Eastern.] Autograph Letter Signed to J. C. Parkinson of the Daily News, on his return from laying first transatlantic cable, complaining of 'amateur advisers'. With East Indian Railway, Special Tourist Ticket Four items from the papers of Joseph Charles Parkinson (1833-1908), journalist, civil servant and social reformer, contributor to the Daily News, All the Year Round, Temple Bar, and associate of Dickens and Wilkie Collins. The material relates to Parkinson's book 'The Ocean Telegraph to India: A...	Military and Naval History, Science, Medicine and Technology, Social history	£450.00
The Stephenson Centenary, 1881; Thomas Pumphrey, Grocer, Newcastle-on-Tyne; George Stephenson (1781-1848), engineer, 'Father of the Railways' [The Stephenson Centenary 1881'.] Well-designed lithographic poster, 'Presented as a memento of the Centennial Commemoration' by Thomas Pumphrey, Newcastle grocer, with central portrait of Stephenson surrounded by seven related engravings. An extremely attractive memento, no other copy of which has been traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC. Lithographic printing in black on 57 x 44.5 cm piece of wove paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight creasing to margin at one edge, and the merest of spotting. Folded...		£250.00
Lord Derby [Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby] (1826-1893), Conservative politician who served as Foreign Secretary and Colonial Secretary [John Stuart Mill; Matthew Arnold] [Lord Derby disassociates himself from John Stuart Mill.] Autograph Letter in the third person [to Matthew Arnold], expressing a willingness to join in ‘any mark of respect’, as long as it does not imply ‘an agreement in Mr Mill’s political opinions' See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Mill had died on 8 May, and in his 2018 biography, Timothy Larsen gives an account of the controversy over the efforts to have buried in Westminister Abbey. (In any event by his own desire Helen Taylor had her husband buried at Avignon.) 2pp, 12mo. With thin...		£120.00
Elizabeth, Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Bayreuth [ [née Lady Elizabeth Berkeley; Elizabeth Craven, Lady Craven] (1750-1828), playwright, travel writer and source of scandal [‘The Beautiful Lady Craven’: Elizabeth, Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Bayreuth, playwright, travel writer and source of scandal.] Three Autograph Letters Signed, one asking ‘Mrs. Roe’ to look out for flannel and a mantua maker. A friend of Horace Walpole, she was described by Boswell, after a dinner with her and Dr Johnson, as ‘the beautiful, gay, and fascinating Lady Craven’. See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The three items are laid down with eight other items (see the end of this description) on pieces of paper cut...		£180.00
‘Christopher Marie St John’, assumed name of Christabel Gertrude Marshall (1871-1960), author and campaigner for women’s suffrage, who lived in a ménage à trois with Edith Craig and Clare Atwood [‘Christopher Marie St John’ [Christabel Gertrude Marshall], author and suffragist in menage à trois with Edith Craig and Clare Atwood.] Autograph Letter Signed (‘Christopher St. John.’), proposing an article to ‘Mr Walbrook’ of the Pall Mall Gazette The subject of the present letter is, as Marshall’s entry in the Oxford DNB explains, her ‘translation of a play by the first female dramatist, Hrotsvit. ‘Paphnutius’ was given a world première by Craig for the Pioneer Players in January 1914.’ The recipient, Henry Mackinnon Walbrook (1865-1941...		£120.00
John Van Voorst, publisher (1804–1898) [ John Van Voorst, publisher ] Autograph Note Signed "John Van Voorst" to "Foster" [Birket Foster, illustrator] asking for a "design on wood". One page, 12mo, bifolium, second leaf (with address and postal marks) sl. damaged. Text: "If it will be convenient to you to supply me a design on wood as a frontispiece to a volume I am about to publish I shall be glad if you will meet the author here at 3 o'clock tomorrow."		£56.00
Charlotte Frances Shaw, nee Payne-Townsend, wife of Bernard Shaw, suffragist, Irish political activist [ Charlotte Frances Shaw, wife of Bernard ] A series of three postcards sent separately to Gilbert Murray, classicist, with a text in instalments (I, II, III) eventually signed "C.F. Shaw" Three postcards, good condition with postal marks. Text: "I must thank you with all my heart of the splendid review in The New Statesman including the delightful little allusion to my Selected Passages [ Selected passages from the works of Bernard Shaw ; Chosen by Charlotte F. Shaw. ......		£280.00
Andrew Duncan the elder (1744-1828), Scottish physician, Professor at Edinburgh University, joint founder of Royal Society of Edinburgh [Patrick Neill (1776-1851); Caledonian Horticultural Society] [Andrew Duncan the elder, Scottish physician, Professor at Edinburgh University.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Andrew Duncan Sen') to an unnamed member of the British Cabinet, recommending Patrick Neill as Professor of Horticulture at Edinburgh. According to Duncan's entry in the Oxford DNB, 'In 1809 he founded the Caledonian Horticultural Society, and in later years he was actively occupied in promoting the establishment of a public experimental garden.' 2pp, 4to. In good condition, on aged paper, creased. The recipient is not named,...		£150.00
Charlotte M. Yonge [ Charlotte Mary Yonge; C. M. Yonge ] (1823-1901), English novelist associated with the Oxford Movement [ Charlotte M. Yonge, Victorian novelist.] Autograph Letter Signed ('C M Yonge') to 'Miss Sewell' [Elizabeth Missing Sewell?] regarding books, reviews and Hookham's Lending Library. 4pp, 16mo. Bifolium of grey paper, with letterhead printed in red. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. The recipient is undoubtedly Elizabeth Missing Sewell or a member of her family, and the letter begins: 'My dear Miss Sewell, \| I wish you could have accomplished giving us a...		£120.00
J. W. Whymper [Josiah Wood Whymper, also Whimper] (1813-1903), Suffolk artist, wood-engraver, book illustrator and watercolourist in natural history and landscape [Sir John Gilbert (1817-1897), artist [Josiah Wood Whymper, Suffolk artist and wood-engraver.] Autograph Letter Signed ('J. W. Whimper'), giving detailed instructions to a book illustrator, with reference to Sir John Gilbert and 'Hardings book'. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded three times. The recipient is not named, but is clearly a book illustrator, and the letter provides an interesting view of the practices of book illustrators and...		£80.00