Autograph Letters

Total thirteen pages, mainly 8vo, fair to good condition, texts clear and complete. Jocular, often obscurely, and in a difficult hand, subjects include: an invitation to ride; Furniss missing the Cardinal; trip to Calais; Paris trip for "Mr Punch"; "night gatherings of clubs"; Lord Rosebery; another ride, giving directions, suggesting meeting at Tenniel's place, and concluding with cartoon of a mill on top of a hill (obvious destination); reference to the Punch table and something confidential happening involving the proprietors.

Total four pages, 8vo, dusted but text clear and complete. (Sept.) He is sorry to have missed him and has to go to Dumfries the following day "on Territorial Force business". He looks forward to luncheon during the subsequent week. "If you care to put a fly over Loch Elrig, pray do so, and tell Hannan you require the boat. There are good trout up to 3lb in the loch. | I hope you are not going to allow the Wye to be polutted. That would indeed be an inhuman outrage." (Oct.) He appreciates the three photograpsh Hutton has sent of the "House of Elrig.

One page, 8vo, grubby but text clear and complete. He introduces a colleague from his Green Room, Frederick Mervin, whom he describes as a good fellow as well as an actor and singer of ability. He hopes his correspondent will make Mervin's "trip to the Colonies pleasant to him (presumably Australia) . "I hear all the news about you from your brother Alfie when I meet him. I trust this new venture will be hugely successful." Note: Lyster opened in Melbourne with a new company but died in Nov. 1880, presumably shortly after receiving this letter.

Six pages, 8vo, some edges dusty but mainly good condition. (1892) He can't leave the House of Commons at 5 o'clock. (March 1905) Thanks Hutton for a copy of the Proceedings at the Banquet of the British Cotton Growing Association, and for references in it to Balfour's contributions to the "movement". (Nov. 1905) Thanks for a copy of the Second Annual Report of the British Cotton Growing Association, and is pleased with the movement's progress. With: A memo (a pencilled note explains), on 13 Jan. 1903, "drawn up by McNiel & corrected by Mr Balfour".

One page, 8vo, good condition. Boddy of letter in secretrarial hand, signed "Yours sincerely | C Bradlaugh". Text: "Protest against war in the Sudan. | Dear Sir | I should be obliged if you would kindly add to the letter you have received from me that S Storey Esq MP & Professor Beesly have also consented to attend & speak at the St James Hall meeting on April 2nd."

On a piece of paper roughly 5.5 x 13 cm. Good firm signature (8 cm long) on lightly aged and creased paper. Reads 'Faithfully yours | [signed] Marie Corelli'. Fragment on reverse reads '<...> education nowadays <...> hope you <...> induced to <...> estimable'.

Dimensions of paper 3 x 8 cm. Good, firm signature, on lightly aged and spotted paper. The flourish beneath the signature (paraph) has been cropped.

12mo: 3 pp. Good, on lightly aged paper. Small spike hole through both leaves of the bifolium. Text clear and entire. Execrable hand. Begins 'I certainly shall not secede from my conditional Promise'. Paragraph describing the weather ('The Heat of the Weather here is intolerable.') 'I agree entirely with respect to the Character of our worthy departed friend. It is a great loss to this Part of the Country.'

On a piece of wove paper, roughly 5 x 14.5 cm. Rough lower edge. Good, on lightly aged paper. 0.5 cm closed tear at left (not affecting signature). Paper folded once vertically. Good clear signature.

16mo: 1 p. 14 lines of text. Close hand. He is touched that Sainte-Beuve has found time, in the midst of his labours, to write a letter expressing his 'adhésion'. 'Je suis heureux de penser, en vous écrivant rue Montparnasse [Sainte-Beuve lived at no. 11], que la philosophie et l'esprit d'indépendence ont toujours un ami dans la maison de Sainte-Beuve'.

12mo: 2 pp. Very good on lightly aged paper. Asks if it might be possible, as previously, to forward a packet to 'Mr. d'Abbadie': 'depuis deux ans je suis sans nouvelles de lui'. It is six months since he had the honour of forwarding a similar packet via the French legation at Lisbon. Good firm signature, but with the words '(Le comte de Montalembert)' in another hand beneath it, and interfering with the flourish (paraph).

Prime Minister. One page, 8vo, laid down on same sized paper: "Private. . . . My Dear sir/ Nothing has been heard at the Home Office respecting Hayward. He stands for [place name? indecipherable]. I this morning received the enclosed letter . . . Robert Peel". Hayward is probrably the prolific writer and Peelite, Abraham Hayward but I have no information on his running for Parliament although he was very political.

Liberal Prime Minister (1809-98). One page, 12mo, the verso, with printed stamp, addressed in autograph to "Mr W. A. Dowding / 47 Mary Street / Bristol". "With compliments & best wishes, as well as thanks. W E Gladstone / Ap. 19. 80". Gladstone had just concluded his celebrated electioneering campaign involving speeches at stations between London and Edinburgh.

Printed Card, c.4 x 2.5", with manuscript additions in Mrs Craik's hand. She gives the day and month, and time, then adds details about trains and Cabs.

12mo, 2 pp. Seventeen lines of text. On lightly aged and creased paper. Attractive arts and crafts letterhead. Sending his 'mosts profound sympathy in the danger which threatens Chelsea'. He will sign 'the paper [...] with the greatest of pleasure', although he anticipates 'very little good as a possible result'. Suggests a time at which the paper can be sent to him.

One page, 4to, slightly chipped and with folds at corners, good condition, text clear and complete. " . . . I am not a brilliant orator, nor even an orator; but neither am I the sort of person to refuse your request to orate, & therefore I will speak for the guests. I wish you would let me know whom the chief invited stars are, so that I can say for them what I think they ought to say. . . . "

The archive comprises c. 150 items, the vast majority letters but also postcards, and manuscript and typewritten lists, some substantial, usually of Kiplingiana. [One in Pettigrew's hand, returned by Rota, has individual suggestions of prices attached and the final price offered by Pettigrew.] The letters are either manuscript or typewritten, in various formats, and mainly 1 or 2 pages. The archive breaks down into three sections: letters from booksellers (two from auctioneers); letters from collectors/bookbuyers; and personal/business papers.

Three pages, 8vo, fold marks, chipped, pinholes and spikehole in centre, but mainly good with text clear and complete. He apologises for not writing sooner and discusses a book he has sent, firstly the binding, then the content in which the lives and deaths of the debauched Callistus and the virtuous Sophronius are contrasted, illustrated with a quotation from Young's "Night Thoughts".[viz. the scarce [Mulso, Thomas]. "Callistus: or, the man of fashion. And Sophronius: or, the country gentleman". In three dialogues.

One page, c.6 x 5", fold marks but good condition. With original typed envelope with pencilled annotations by Simcock. Dulac's signature calligraphic as usaul. He says "Dear Mada / I shall be delighted to sign your book. / Yours very truly / Edmund Dulac"

Both items concern John Littlejohn's 'British Watercolour Painting and Painters of Today' (Pitman, 1931). Note of 18 December 1930: 12mo, 1 p. Five lines. Good on lightly aged paper. Thanking the publishers for sending 'the prints of my drawings [...] they are really very well done!' Letter of 13 February 1931: 12mo,1 p. Eight lines. Good, on lightly creased paper. Thanking the publishers for four presentation copies of the book. 'It is a handsome book and the drawings are well reproduced: I am particularly pleased with those of my own drawings.' Two items,

Landscape 12mo: 1 p. Headed 'Stage and Film Decor.' He thanks her for her letter of 4 November. 'I eagerly await book. If you could spare me more than one [last three words underlined] I should be appreciative.'

4to: 2 pages. 37 lines of text. Text clear and entire on slightly discoloured paper, lightly worn and creased and with a few nicks to extremities. Signed properly on the second page. Place's essay, apparently a biographical account of the psychological development of a very young child, 'whiled [sic] away a long train journey last night very pleasantly'.

The six-line letter, which is laid down on a slightly larger piece of lilac paper, was originally on one side of an octavo leaf, but it has had a strip (presumably carrying the name and address of the recipient) beneath the address cut away. It is now in two pieces: 5 x 15.5 and 12 x 15.5 cm. Otherwise very good. Laid down on the top piece is a slip of paper in Hill's hand, reading 'From: Air Commodore Dame Felicity Hill D.B.E. WRAF (retd)'. In the bottom right-hand corner of the second piece of paper is a strip carrying Hill's autograph.

On irregularly shaped piece of paper, roughly 3 x 7 cm, cut around the signature and its double underlining. Good signature, with slight smudging to a couple of letters.

All three items concern Littlejohns' 'British Watercolour Painting and Painters of Today' (London: Pitman, 1931)'. First Letter: 12mo, 3 pp. 43 lines. Text clear and entire. On two leaves attached to one another in a corner by a pin. Good, on lightly-creased paper. Interesting and informative letter concerning 'two watercolours' which Williams would 'like to be 'reproduced in [Littlejohn's] work on water colours'. Gives details of the titles of the works and the name and address of the owner, 'who has consented to send them'.

Octavo, 2 pp. 23 lines of text. Lightly discoloured and slightly creased. The letterhead gives the names of seven of the Anthology's staff, and features an illustration of a raven. Regarding a line missed (beginning 'O fool') in the printing of a poem of Zeman's, he is pleased that Zeman has been able to 'see the matter from my side', and doesn't think 'an explanatory note in our next issue would be adequate'. Zeman's poem is 'beautiful' and 'well worth reprinting'. 'As to the Soiree, in your honor, think no more about it.

8vo, 3 pp. Bifolium with dimensions of leaf 18.5 x 14 cm. Good, on slightly grubby and lightly creased paper. Small slip of paper mount adhering to one margin (not affecting text). Written in a bold and distinctive hand. He will not be able to make 'an appearance with "Lhada" [?]' as he is 'sorry to see that I am in Brighton the 22nd and 23rd of April, where I sing with Madame Donalda'.

Part of letter, 4 x 1.5", good condition, saying "I have the honor to be, / Sir, / Your most obt. sert / Jared Sparks / [opp.] J.I. Webster, Esq."

Piece of paper cut from letter, 3 x 1", good condition, saying, "I am Sir / Your obedient servant. / Thos. Tooke".

All three letters 12mo. The letter to Jalabert (with a mourning border) is 2 pp, the others 1 p each. All three in good condition. The Jalabert letter (18 lines) mentions his wife and 'M. Goupil'. The Duvivier letter (6 lines) is a letter of introduction to a 'Monsieur Pietsch, artiste distingue de Berlin'. Asks him to give the artist 'toutes les facilités pour visiter l'Hémicycle de Delaroche et la galérie des Plâtres'. The letter to the woman (11 lines). His return has been delayed by the death of the King of Portugal.