acting

An interesting letter from one great of the nineteenth-century stage to another. See the entries on Macready, Webster and Forster in the Oxford DNB. Curtis is a noted Federalist historian. 4pp, 16mo. Bifolium with mourning border. (His eldest daughter Nina had died at the age of twenty on 24 February 1850.) In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of tape from mount adhering to the second leaf. Two postage folds. Forty lines of text, addressed to ‘Benj. Webster Esq.’ and signed ‘W. C.

The phrase ‘Box and Cox’ has entered the English language. See the OED, and the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, landscape 12mo. Neatly inserted in a trimmed windowpane mount. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Signed ‘John M Morton’. Begins: ‘Dear Webster. / As Mr Anson informs me that you are “on the forward course to regenerated health” I hope I need not apologise for writing again.

See her entry, and that of her husband, in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, in trimmed windowpane mount. Although a short letter, her expansive and elegant hand fills the whole page. Reads: ‘Dear sir / With great pleasure I comply with your request and send a Specimen of my caligraphy [sic] / Yours very truly / Mary Anne Keeley / I was born Novr 22 1805’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient (‘Broadley Pasha’), at the time de facto editor of Edmund Yates’s magazine ‘The World’, was a scandalous figure, who richly deserves his own entry in the same work. 2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. Text on the outer pages, the inner pages carrying the remains of newspaper cuttings which were previously laid down on them. Otherwise in fair condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of tape from mount adhering to the last page, which also has a newspaper cutting laid down at its foot, regarding the death of A. Sutherland Sutton. Folded once.

The phrase ‘Box and Cox’ has entered the English language. See the OED, and the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, landscape 12mo. Neatly inserted in a trimmed windowpane mount. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Signed ‘John M Morton’. Begins: ‘Dear Webster. / As Mr Anson informs me that you are “on the forward course to regenerated health” I hope I need not apologise for writing again.

2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of grey-paper bifolium, the blank second leaf carrying a thin strip of tape from the mount. In good condition, folded once. Signed ‘John W. Calcraft’. The recipient is not named. Thirty-four lines of text, in a somewhat difficult hand. After a reference to ‘Mrs. Cook’s letter’ he gives the details of a forthcoming production, including the dates, ending with the benefit. ‘Terms as understood 10£ per night & [?] halfbenefit. I do not usually play on the Friday Night at this time of the year as they are uniformly bad nights’.

1p, 12mo. On thin paper. In good condition, lightly aged, in trimmed and spotted windowpane mount. Good bold signature ‘Fanny Brough.’ Addressed to ‘Revd. J. C. [Westly?]’. She has ‘much pleasure’ in sending him ‘the autograph’, and will do her best to get him ‘a few others which may be interesting to send out to you’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The Swanboroughs were a significant Victorian theatrical dynasty, and the absence of any member of the family from the same work is puzzling. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and lightly worn paper, with traces of glue and strip of tape from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Mr. Swanborough’ and signed ‘Fanny Stirling’.

See his entry, and that of his father Charles and wife Madame Vestris, in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 8vo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, with slight damage at head of second leaf, the blank reverse of which carries traces of glue from mount. Folded once. Madame Vestris had died two and a half months before the writing of this letter, which evinces a surprising intimacy. Begins: ‘My dear Mrs Williams / Here’s a pretty business! Was there ever such disappointment.

See his entry, and those of his father, wife and Kenney, in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of a bifolium, the blank second leaf of which carries a thin strip of tape from the mount. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Good bold signature ‘C. Kean’. Begins: ‘My dear Kenney / Would you like a P[rivate]. Box or stalls next Friday, being the opening night of our season - I should like you to give a kind of notice of my past season and of my intended retirement from management next July, to which I shall refer in the parting words I purpose delivering according to the custom’.

See his entry, and that of his son, in the Oxford DNB. The topic of this letter is referred to in the second volume of Dickens's edition of the son's life, 1879. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with strip of tape from mount adhering at edge of blank second leaf and two folds for postage. Addressed to ‘Dear Harley’ and signed ‘C Mathews.’ He begins by thanking him for his ‘kind enquiries’, and (with regard to his son the actor Charles James Mathews) writes that ‘Our dear good Charles thank God! is recovered, and writes in excellent spirits from Florence.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. ONE: ALS to Bagnall. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Reads: ‘Dear Mr. Bagnall. / How very kind of you to write me such a charming letter. I did appreciate all you said – thank you very much / Sincerely yrs / Sybil Thorndike’. TWO: ACS addressed to ‘Victor Jones Esq. / 83. Ravenhurst Road. / Harborne. / Birmingham.’ Signed ‘Sybil Thorndike.’ Aged and discoloured, with address side lightly stained. She is not sure whether she thanked him for his ‘sweet letter & card for Xmas -it was such a very kind thought & I must seem ungracious!

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. On 15.5 x 5.5 cm slip of paper, cut from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged, with some show-through from the writing on the reverse. Reads ‘To Minna May / With my love / “Auntie” Gladys / Gladys Cooper / 1935’. See Image.The writing rises slightly across the page, and a small section at the bottom of the initial ‘G’ and the ‘y’ of ‘Gladys’ have been trimmed away. On the reverse is the following, in an unidentified hand: ‘Philatelic Minna May / Came to lunch with me today: / took my box of stamps away, / Says she’ll bring ’em back – some day!

From the Sylvia and Robert Lynd papers. A scarce piece of Abbey Theatre ephemera: the National Library of Ireland has a copies of the programmes for later revivals of the play in the Joseph Holloway collection (1918-1920), but does not have this one. ‘The Prodigal’ was Riddall’s only play. It ran for five performances between 30 September and 3 October, Riddall having died earlier in the year. It was revived in 1916, 1919 and 1923. 4pp, 12mo. Stapled into grey Abbey Theatre wraps. In fair condition, aged and worn, with one vertical fold.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. Eighteen lines, closely written. On creased grey paper, with short closed tear at edge of central crease. The year 1944 has been added in another hand. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr. Macdermid’ and signed ‘Michael Redgrave’. He is grateful to him for the suggestion that he ‘should be an Hon. Associate Member of your Club, to which I wish every success’, but feels ‘rather strongly that I must not put my name to anything more than I can actively take part in - even if activity is confined to letter writing etc.

On a 12 x 6.5 cm piece of paper. In fair condition, lightly discoloured and spotted, with traces of paper from mount on reverse. Central vertical crease. A neat, tight inscription, clearly in response to a request for an autograph, reading, ‘Sincerely / Milton Sills’. Image on request.

Sepia studio portrait on 8.5 x 13.5 cm postcard, stamped on reverse 'MANNELL LONDON'. In good condition, lightly aged. She signs 'Winifred Shotter' at foot. A soft-toned head and shoulders portrait of a wistful Shotter, with Marcel wave, staring at the camera in a fashionable frock. Scan on application.

On piece of pink paper roughly 13.5 x 9.5 cm. Reads: ‘Every good wish / Paul Robeson.’ No other writing, and the good firm signature with plenty of space around it. In good condition lightly aged, with thin strip of discoloration running through the ‘E’ of ‘Every’. Scan on application.

Anderson spent six years in England in the 1880s, acting to much acclaim at venues including the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon. In 1887 she was the first actress to take on both roles of Perdita and Hermione at once in the Winter’s Tale. On 14 x 9 cm postcard, addressed (by the recipient) to ‘Norman Wetton / 7, Claremont Road, / Forest Gate, / Essex.’ Slightly grubby and worn, but in fare condition overall. On the blank side she writes: ‘Broadway / Worc / Mary Anderson de Navarro / Auto Graph only’. Scan on application

Sepia portrait on 10 x 15 cm photographic print, on card. In good condition, lightly aged. Good bold inscription across foot: ‘Best wishes / Joan Barry’. A soft-toned head-and-shoulders portrait of a Marcel-waved Barry, staring dreamily to the left, with pursed made-up lits, in a sleeveless white gown with pearls and bracelet, left hand to chin and right hand supporting left elbow. Scan on application.

11.5 x 16 cm image on 18 x 12.5 cm card. Signed at foot ‘Herbert Marshall.’ An urbane Marshall is seated, looking over his left shoulder while cradling his hands on his knees, in a grey pin-striped suit, in front of a plain white background. In good condition, but with a horizontal strip of the card trimmed above Marshall’s head. Scan on application.

Novello’s three decades of unprecedented success began with the First World War song ‘Keep the home fires burning’. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 8.5 x 13.5 cm publicity photograph on postcard, printed in sepia. In good condition, with tiny dink at top left. Captioned at foot ‘MR. IVOR NOVELLO’. Prim-looking with side-parting in white shirt, tie, and dark double breasted suit, the darkness of which makes the signature ‘Ivor Novello’ rather difficult to make out. Scan on application

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 8 x 13 cm collotype print, with 8 x 2 cm space at bottom in which she signs ‘Wendy Hiller.’ In good condition, lightly aged. Black and white, with Hiller’s face in left profile, her body at three-quarters, squinting to her right while wearing what looks like a buttoned-up sou’-wester. Scan on application.

Black and white photographic portrait, on 4.5 x 6.5 cm piece of shiny card. Signature 'Doris Keane' across bottom of image. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with strips of tape around the edges to make a border, but hardly discoloured. Printed at head: 'SUPPT. TO GREAT NOVELS.', and at bottom 'DORIS KEANE / BASSANO'. A head and shoulders portrait, in which Keane faces the viewer, in fur hat and coat with fur collar. Scan on application.

Johnson’s career began with a job singing on an NBC radio show. His 1940s Hollywood films included “Keep Your Powder Dry”. He later returned to Broadway, where in 1956 he received a Tony nomination for his performance as ‘Doc’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein's last musical ‘Pipe Dream’. He died of a heart attack in 1957. 10.5 x 10 cm black and white glossy photographic print on shiny art paper. In good condition. Stylish signature 'Bill Johnson' in white at bottom left.

Manby’s entry in the Oxford DNB states that ‘His interests ranged beyond the engineering world, and for many years he was involved in the management of the Adelphi and Haymarket theatres.’ Manuscript copy letter. 2pp, 4to. Thirty-three lines of neat text. Addressed to ‘Frederick Hodgson Esqre. M.P.’ Ends: ‘I am Dear Sir / Your very faithfully / Charles Manby’.On first leaf of bifolium. Reverse of second leaf docketted: ‘Copy C Manby to F Hodgson Esqr / Scarbro - Novr 8. 1841’ (the letter does not contain any reference to Scarborough). In fair condition, creased and lightly aged. Folded once.

See his entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Taylor's in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, and folded once. In worn envelope with Penny Red stamp and postmark, and slight loss around flap. The envelope was no doubt retained because it was addressed by Delaunay to 'Sir Tom Taylor / Lavender Sweet [sic] / Wandsworth'. A neatly laid written and laid out communication, addressed to ‘Cher Monsieur Taylor’ and signed ‘Yours truly / L Delaunay / de la Comedie française’.

Livings’s entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica notes that his farces ‘convey serious truths’ with ‘both a dazzling comic flair and an unexpected force and profundity that is heightened by his use of colloquial language’. 1p, foolscap 8vo. Twenty-two lines of text. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with four light ink underlinings. Signed ‘Yours, / Henry Livings’. One of a number of letters to Furness by writers, responding to his enquiry about socialist authors and British pubs.

Olivier’s luminous achievements are well described in his entry in the Oxford DNB. An 8 x 11 cm photographic image, printed in black and white on an 8.5t x 13.5 cm card, with the actor's autograph signature mostly on the blank area beneath the image: ‘L Olivier’. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. An attractive image of the head of the young thespian, staring moodily to his right, hair slicked back, with part of white shirt and smart dark jacket just visible. Not present among the 114 portraits of Olivier in the National Portrait Gallery inventory.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Stuart was at the time actor-manager of the Adelphi Theatre, London. Both items in good condition, lightly aged, and folded for postage. ONE: 3pp, 12mo (the third page carrying a postscript written lengthwise). Bifolium. Begins: ?Dear Sir / I have a new play which I should like to read to you if you would care to hear it.