Autograph Letters

Autograph Note in the third person to autograph collector 'Mr. Barker'.

Author: 
Arthur William de Brito Savile Foljambe, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (1870-1941), 1st Governor-General of New Zealand
Publication details: 
27 November 1908; 44 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW. [on embossed House of Lords letterhead].
£30.00

Two pages, 12mo. Very good. A formal letter written in the third person. 'Lord Liverpool presents his compliments to Mr. Barker and in answer to your [sic] letter regrets that his father has been dead two years and therefore he cannot comply with Mr. Barker's request for his signature.'

Autograph Note Signed ('Wemyss Reid') [to Rev. E. J. F. Davies].

Author: 
Sir Thomas Wemyss Reid (1842-1905), British novelist and biographer
Publication details: 
8 July 1902; Falcon Hotel, Bude, Cornwall.
£30.00

One page, 12mo. On blue paper discoloured from glue by previous mounting. Seven-line printed biographical cutting in top right-hand corner. 'I am very happy to comply with your request [for an autograph].'

Autograph Note Signed ('F. C. Burnand') to unnamed male correspondent.

Author: 
Sir Francis Cowley Burnand (1836-1917), English writer, editor of the magazine 'Punch' from 1880 to 1906
Publication details: 
10 December 1901; place not stated.
£30.00

One page. Dimensions of paper roughly four inches by seven. On piece of aged, stained paper, mounted on piece of card. Remains of biographical cutting in bottom right-hand corner. Reads 'Here you are Sir | Autographs cheap today | F. C. Burnand | F. C. B. | 10 Dec 1901'.

Typed Letter Signed ('Walter Runciman') to L. P. Jacks.

Author: 
Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford (1870-1949), English Liberal politician [paper making; the book trade; publishing]
Publication details: 
21 February 1916; on letterhead of the Board of Trade, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W.
£56.00

12mo, 3 pp, 35 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, and with a thin strip from mount adhering at head of blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Discusses 'the restriction on the importation of paper and paper making materials', imposed 'with the object of securing more tonnage space in incoming vessels'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('J. Clunie') to an unnamed male autograph collector.

Author: 
John Clunie (1784-1858), Principal of Leaf Square and Seedley Grove Academies, 1812 to 1837
Publication details: 
20 June 1836; Seedley Grove, near Manchester.
£50.00

One page, on piece of lightly aged paper, roughly six and a half inches by seven. Strip neatly torn away at head (not affecting text, but perhaps bearing recipient's address). Good, with a little damage from breaking of wafer and slight evidence of previous mounting on revese. Thirteen lines. He is sending the selected autographs, and will 'be happy to receive, at your leisure, those of Currie, Daubeny, Mc.Culloch, Flowers, Woodville & Phillips & Jones - or such 5 of them as you can best spare'.

One Typed Letter Signed and two Typed Notes Signed (all 'Hanns Vischer'), to W. Perry, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Hanns Vischer (1876-1945), Anglo-Swiss educationist and linguist, Honorary Secretary General of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures
Publication details: 
1928 (2) and 1930 (1); one on embossed Colonial Office letterhead and two on letterhead of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures.
£85.00

All three items very good, and the first bearing the Society's stamp. Item One (15 June 1928, foolscap, 1 p, 12 lines): He has received a notice of a meeting by 'the Dominions and Colonies Section Committee' and asks Perry to 'please explain the position to me'. 'I am not quite clear why I am being asked as I cannot remember ever having been put on this Committee. True, Sir Humphrey Leggett suggested over a year ago that I should join the Society again as he thought I might be of some use to your Committee.

Typed Letter Signed ('E. Ashworth Underwood') to 'The Editor, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi, London, W.C.2.'

Author: 
Edgar Ashworth Underwood (1899-1980), Director, The Wellcome Historical Medical Museum
Publication details: 
8 June 1949; on letterhead of The Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, 28, Portman Square, London, W.1.
£56.00

4to: 1 p. Very good. 18 lines. Concerns a 'lecture by Dr. D. A. Allan' (Douglas Alexander Allan, writer of several works on museums and exhibitions). 'It is very regrettable that Dr. Allan made the statements which he did without confirmation. They were completely erroneous and on the day following he called here and expressed his regrets at the incident. He has now full particulars in skeleton form regarding the activities of this Museum'.

Autograph Letter Signed to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Frank Cundall (1858-1937), English author, Secretary and Librarian to the Institute of Jamaica
Publication details: 
20 Feb 1916; on letterhead of the Institute of Jamaica.
£38.00

4to: 2 pp. Sixteen lines. Good, on lightly aged paper. Thanking Wood for his 'kindly notice of "Historic Jamaica"'. He hopes 'the good people of Jamaica will appreciate the book in time - I spoilt my 1914 holiday to produce it'. Wishes Wood could 'come out to Jamaica in these days of motor cars'. Cars 'make seeing the country very easy - the only drawback is that one goes too fast for seeing the country well'. The 'Examiner for the <?> Board' ('this year it is to be Dr Lloyd') is coming to the island the following month. 'I usually go with the Examiner, to keep him happy!

Autograph Note Signed ('Anneliese'), to 'liebe Liesel', on reverse of photographic portrait postcard.

Author: 
Anneliese Rothenberger (born 1924), German operatic lyric soprano
Publication details: 
1956
£28.00

Dimensions roughly 14 x 9 cm. Very good. The photograph, captioned 'Anneliese Rothenberger', is a head and shoulders shot of a smiling Rothenberger. The note on the reverse, in green ink, reads 'dir, liebe Liesel, alles ! | diese | [signed] Anneliese | 1956'.

Eight Typed Letters, with cyclostyled signatures ('Arthur Pearson'), to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Cyril Arthur Pearson [Sir Arthur Pearson] (1866-1921), founder of 'The Daily Express', President of the National Institute for the Blind and Fresh Air Fund
Publication details: 
October 1916 to June 1917; all on letterhead of the Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Hostel, St. Dunstan's, Regent's Park, N.W. [London].
£150.00

All eight items are 4to, 1 p, and good on lightly aged paper. Seven items bearing the Society's stamp and four docketed. The correspondence concerns a talk given by Pearson to the Society, 'on the subject of the training of the soldiers blinded in the War'. On 19 October 1916 Pearson writes: 'I am a little afraid that I cannot properly carry out the suggestion you so kindly make. I am quite blind, and therefore am unable to read a paper.' The 'preparation of a formal paper' would 'demand more time than I am able to spare at present.

Autograph Letter Signed ('H. C. Colles') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Henry Cope Colles (1879-1943), music historian and critic of The Times of London [the British Red Cross; Royal Horse Artillery]
Publication details: 
11 November 1916; on letterhead of the R.A. Cadet School, Ordnance Road, St John's Wood, London N.W.
£38.00

12mo: 4 pp. On grey paper. Very good, with a small strip of discolouration over the Royal Artillery crest. Bearing the Society's stamp. He is glad that his 'article on the Red Cross' interested Wood: 'in other circumstances it would have given me much pleasure to follow up the article with an address to your Society on the subject', but 'the work of the Cadet school, which I entered a couple of months ago, takes up my entire time'.

Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Paul Vinogradoff') and two Typed Letters Signed ('P. Vinogradoff') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Paul Gavrilovitch Vinogradoff [Pavel Gavriilovich Vinogradov] (1854-1925), Anglo-Russian historian and jurist
Publication details: 
Typed Letters, 24 September and 2 October 1915, both from Court Place, Iffley, Oxford; Autograph Letters, 13 February and 12 March 1924, both on letterhead of 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford.
£128.00

All items very good. The typed letters are both 4to, 1 p, and the autograph letters both 12mo, 1 p. Three items bear the Society's stamp. Letter One (typed, 24 September 1915, 10 lines): He will have 'great pleasure in addressing the Society of Arts', but there is 'one point which must be settled carefully beforehand'.

One Autograph Letter Signed, one Typed Letter Signed, one Autograph Note Signed and one Typed Note Signed (all 'E. N. da C. Andrade'), to G. K. Menzies (3) and K. W. Luckhurst (1), Secretaries, Royal Society of Arts, with carbon of one reply.

Author: 
Professor Edward Neville da Costa Andrade (1887-1971), English physicist, poet and historian of science
Publication details: 
1931, 1932, 1933 and 1948; the autograph letter on letterhead of 69 Exeter Road, London N.W.2, and the other three items on University College, University of London letterheads.
£120.00

All items good. Two bearing the Society's stamp. Item One (typed note, 15 October 1931, 4to, 1 p): He is sending 'short summaries of the two lectures, in a form which I prefer to mere headings'. Item Two (autograph letter, 17 January 1932, 8vo, 1 p): He is sending 'summaries of the two lectures'. 'As you seemed in a hurry I have not waited to have them typed. I think that they are legible, but I will look at a proof if you like.' He has left it to Menzies 'to add any preliminaries or conclusions that may be necessary'.

Autograph Note Signed "Lapie" to "Monsieur Andre Libraire a Paris". In French.

Author: 
Pierre Lapie, sometime "Premier geographe du Roi", mapmaker.
Publication details: 
Paris, 12 December 1826.
£66.00

One page, 8vo, minor stains, good condition, text clear and complete. He explains the arrangement that was made for him to get a copy of a book ("la geographe de Mr. Mattebrun" on the account of M. Buisson). He asks for the volume to be consigned to the "porteur" with a second copy to which he has subscribed.

Autograph Note, third person, starting "Ch. Michelot", to [Aime Andre, bookseller]. In French.

Author: 
Ch[arles] [Auguste-Charles-Jean?] Michelot, geographer.
Publication details: 
No place, [?] 1827.
£38.00

One page, 8vo, dulled but text clear and complete. Name and address of the bookseller on bifolium, missing a corner, not affecting text. "Ch. Michelot prie M. Aime Andre de lui envoyer le plutot possible [underlined] 1 [nouvel?] exemplaire du dictionnaire geographique Mac carthy".

Autograph Letter Signed "C Cahier" to an auctioneer "Chaumette des fosses, chez M. Labitte . . ."). In French (En Francais).

Author: 
Charles Cahier, "French iconographer of medieval sculpture and decorative arts" (1807-82).
Publication details: 
No place, 22 October [no year given].
£86.00

He describes how he came to find a book which he desperately needs for his studies or "travaux du moment" ("vitraux"; stained glass) in an auction catalogue. He gives details of the book ("D, del Corro, Dissertation theol.", etc). He would like to buy it for 5 francs before the auction (taking place on 17 November). He makes another request on behalf of M. Vermeil.

Autograph Letter Signed ('E: Lynn Linton') to 'Miss Shapland'.

Author: 
Elizabeth [Eliza] Lynn Linton (1822-1898), Victorian writer
Publication details: 
Thursday' [no date]; on letterhead of Brougham House, Malvern.
£45.00

12mo: 3 pp. 26 lines of text. Good, on lightly creased and aged paper. Chatty, apologetic letter. She thanks her for her invitation for the following day but she is already engaged. Unclear reference to 'Sir Boyle Roche's bird'. She would like to see her again, but 'I dare not make any engagements now, The weather is now my jailer'. She has to go to Malvern one day the following week. Suggests other possibilities. She may have to 'take my chance of finding you at home'. She was 'sorry to miss you when you were away & I called'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Rennell Rodd') to Harold Crawford (b.1888), son of Harold Marion-Crawford (d.1909).

Author: 
James Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell (1858-1941), British diplomat and classical scholar
Publication details: 
20 February [1902], on embossed letterhead of the British Embassy, Rome.
£38.00

12mo: 2 pp. Eleven lines of text. Very good. Having just received it from London, Rodd is sending Crawford the book he could not get in Rome which he wanted to send him as a birthday present. 'It is written by a great friend of mine who knows better than any one the history of the first voyages to America and the discovery of the Great Southern Sea. I think you will like it.' In an envelope, on aged paper, with postmarks and Italian postage stamp. Addressed to 'Harold Crawford, Villa Crawford, St Agnello di Sorrento'.

Autograph Letter, incomplete, no signature page, to an unknown correspondent.

Author: 
[Alaric Watts]
Publication details: 
351 Strand, Saturday, no date.
£100.00

Four pages, 8vo, creased and somewhat soiled, small closed tears, soiled, remnants of laying down, mainly good. An interesting but puzzling letter (partly because incomplete). "I thank you for your note. I should have called yesterday had I not known from experience that Todays & Saturdays are busy days [for periodical publishers?]. I will do so on Monday. / The 'Spottiswoode Gang" charge me with [exposing?] their Coryphaeus in your journal. When I do take him in hand it shall be to some purpose. So even as the V.C.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Noel Coward (Sir Noel Pierce Coward, 1899-1973), English actor, playwright and song writer
Coward
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£35.00
Coward

On leaf of light blue paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Very good.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Henry Hall (1898-1989), English bandleader best known for his recording of the song 'Teddy Bears' Picnic'
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£18.00

On piece of light green paper, 8 x 11 cm. Laid down on leaf of slightly larger paper, taken from an autograph album. A little grubby and ruckled. Written in green ink.

Autograph Signatures ('Laurence Olivier' and 'Gladys Cooper').

Author: 
Laurence Olivier (1907-1989), English stage and film actor; Gladys Cooper (1888-1971), English actress
Olivier
Publication details: 
Dates and places not stated.
£48.00
Olivier

On piece of cream paper, roughly 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Good, on paper with a few light marks. Bold, firm signatures in pencil, one on each side of the leaf. Two signatures,

Autograph Signature ('John Hullah.').

Author: 
John Hullah [John Pyke Hullah (1812-1884), Worcester-born English composer and teacher of music, who wrote an opera to words by Charles Dickens]
Publication details: 
Place and date not stated. [Parkins & Gotto, London.]
£20.00

On a piece of paper roughly 3.5 x 9 cm, with embossed details of stationers. Good, with tiny crease to one corner. A clear signature, in pencil.

Autograph Card Signed and Autograph Note Signed (both 'Margot Asquith'), both in French, to unnamed male correspondent ['Cher trest Cher Coq'].

Author: 
Margot Asquith [nee Margot Emma Alice Tennant], Countess of Oxford and Asquith (1864-1945)
Publication details: 
Card 1 July and Note 3 July [both no year, but before 1919]; both with printed address '20 Cavendish Square, W. [London]'.
£76.00

Dimensions of card roughly 8 x 12 cm. Very good though lightly aged. Asking her correspondent to dinner in the following week. Note, addressed to 'Cher tres Cher Coq', on one side of 8vo grey paper. Very good, though lightly creased. She will be 'enchante de vous voir chez moi' on Wednesday [6 July] at 1 o'clock. Both items written before the Asquiths 1919 move from Cavendish Square to 44 Bedford Square. Two items,

Autograph Note Signed ('J. J Stewart Perowne') to 'Mr Lewis'.

Author: 
John James Stewart Perowne (1823-1904), Bishop of Worcester
Publication details: 
9 March 1882; on government letterhead embossed with royal crest.
£28.00

12mo: 2 pp. On first leaf of bifolium. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with dogeared corners. Nine lines of text. The 'man for your purpose' is 'Mr G. Gray, the Diocesan Registry Peterboro''. 'He is intelligent & will do the work well I doubt not on receiving your instructions.' Loosely inserted is a leaf carrying biographical information in a contemporary hand.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972), French actor and entertainer
Chevalier
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£35.00
Chevalier

On piece of pink paper roughly 8.5 x 11 cm. Laid down on slightly larger leaf from an autograph album. Good with a little paper and glue staining to the mount. Good bold signature, diagonally across the page.

Autograph Signature ('J B. Hobbs.').

Author: 
Jack Hobbs [Sir John Berry Hobbs, 1882-1963], English cricketer
Hobbs
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£18.00
Hobbs

On piece of paper roughly 2.5 x 5 cm. Laid down on leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, from an autograph album. In slightly faded blue ink, and with a crease to the bottom left-hand corner, affecting the lower loop of the 'J'.

Autograph Signature ('George Robey.').

Author: 
George Robey (George Edward Wade, 1869-1954), British music hall star
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£28.00

On a leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, part of a bifolium taken from an autograph album. Very good.

Autograph Signatures ('Gertrude Lawrence.', 'Ivy St. Helier' and 'Joyce Carey').

Author: 
Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952), Ivy St Helier (1886-1971); Joyce Carey (1898-1993); English actresses associated with Noel Coward
Publication details: 
Dates and places not stated.
£45.00

On a leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, part of a bifolium taken from an autograph album. Very good. All three signatures are bold and clear. The signatures of Lawrence and St Helier are on one side of the leaf, and that of Carey is on the other. Lawrence's signature is in ink, and the other two in pencil. Three signatures,

Autograph Note Signed [to Chapman].

Author: 
John Bigelow (1817-1911), American lawyer, newspaper editor (New York Evening Post) and statesman
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£56.00

8vo: 1 p. Good, on lightly creased and aged paper. Good firm hand. Five lines of text and large, bold signature. Reads 'Enclosed please find the note of the General | With compliments to Madam and to Miss Chapman I remain | Very truly yours | [signed] John Bigelow'.

Syndicate content