BOOK

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In something of a hard sell he begins by stating that 'the "Sir Philip Sidney" letter, of which I showed you a facsimile the other day, [...] seems to me peculiarly suitable for your collection'. In support of the letter's 'exceptional rarity' he cites 'a letter of Thorpe's (the expert of autographs of his day) dated 1839 accompanying the autograph & giving its pedigree, in which he says "I never saw a letter of Sidney's for sale except the present"', adding that 'no other autograph of his has occurred since'.

The two items relate to the book 'An Old Coachman's Chatter with Some Practical Remarks on Driving. By a Semi-Professional. Edward Corbett, Colonel late Shropshire Militia.'(London: Richard Bentley and Son, 1890). Both the letter and the proofs are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. LETTER: 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 34 lines of text in a particularly difficult hand. He will endeavour to 'throw all the light' he can on the subjects mentioned in his correspondent's letter, beginning:: 'I think the time between Cape Curig & Holyhead must be correct.

One one side of 16 x 11 cm piece of ruled paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The invoice is for six books totalling £3 17s 0d, the first three purchased in 1814 and the others in 1818: 'Abernethy's Works', '[Abernethy's] Lectures', 'Hey's Lectures', 'Adam's life of Hunter', 'Scudamore on Gout', 'Reid on Insanity'. Barklimore's receipt reads: 'Resd. [sic] 25th. April 1818 from Mr Dunlop | Archd. Barklimore'. Docketted on reverse: Mem[orandu]m of Disbursements on acct Dr. McWhirter by Dr. Barklimore.' Macwhirter does not feature in BBTI.

Note that Varenne's Christian name is spelled with one 't' on the bookplate, and generally with two 't's by later sources. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, tipped in onto a grey paper mount. Engraved on a 12 x 8 cm piece of wove paper, with no margin.

In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, tipped in onto a grey paper mount. Engraved on 13 x 8 cm piece of wove paper, with no margin. The firm's shop was at the sign of Horace's head in the Strand, and the engraving depicts a lapidary carving off the head and shoulders of the poet, with laurel leaf above, in an oval frame, around which are 'carved' decorations (including lyre and grapes).

Gladys Jones ('Gwen John') lived with her sister the suffragette Winifred Jones in Lincoln's Inn. Her play 'The Prince' - three corrected copies of which are in the present collection as Items Three to Five - was retitled 'Gloriana' [= Elizabeth I] when performed at the Adelphi Theatre in London in December 1925, with a youthful John Gielgud in the role of Sir John Harrington. Items One, Six and Seven below relate to the volume 'Plays of Innocence' by 'Gwen John', published in 1925 by Ernest Benn (by whom Victor Gollancz was then employed).

The last eight leaves only of a printed catalogue (no. 260 in M. V. de Chantilly's 'Robert Harding Evans of Pall Mall | auction catalogues 1812-1846 | a provisional list' (2002)). Stitched and unbound. On aged and worn paper, with slight damp staining to margins. Paginated 23-37 + [1], with the final page (i.e. the verso of the last leaf) carrying the advertisement: 'Preparing for Sale by MR. EVANS. | THE VALUABLE LIBRARY of an | EMINENT COLLECTOR.' (in manuscript: 'Mr Rennie'). Slug at foot of p.37: 'London: Printed by W. Nicol, | Cleveland-row, St.

The two items in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. ONE: To 'C. Lavers Smith, Esq'. 21 April 1903. 2pp., landscape 8vo. He asks 'whether prints are to be had of Nell Gwynne's reputed birthplace at Hereford'. He made enquiries about the house in Hereford on the previous Saturday. 'It was pulled down in 1861; but in 1858 two photographs of it were taken, and I found an old photographer who had negatives which he promised to lend to me for a small consideration.

80pp., 8vo. Stapled and unbound. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. On front cover: 'Each Book in this Catalogue is written by an Expert and is written so you can understand it'. Many items illustrated with representations of the binding. Index of subjects on p.2, ranging from 'Abrasives and Abrasive Wheels' to 'Wiring Diagrams', and including section on 'Automobile Books', pp.5-14 (Charts, Ignition Systems, Lighting, Questions and Answers, Repairing, Starting Systems, Trouble Charts, Welding), 'Gasoline Engines', pp.15-18, and 'Aviation', pp.19-22.

[1] + 28pp., 4to. New title-leaf and text pp.215-242. In printed brown paper wraps, inscribed at head of front cover 'to Mr Richard Bentley | from Michael Sadleir | Dec 1924'. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The paper was read before the Bibliographical Society on 17 November 1924. NOte: Sadleir describes the wonderful moment when he first saw the Bentley file copy collection in "Nineteenth-Century Fiction". He inevitably became very friendly. Richard Bentley was the grandson of the founder of the firm, selling up to MACMILLAN'S IN 1898.

Letter: 1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He begins by suggesting that Baron write to 'Mr Payn' (the novelist and editor James Payn) via the Reform Club, Pall Mall. (Baron's method involved asking one celebrity how to contact another.) He next discusses two of his works: '"The Memorial Windows" appeared in the Gentleman's & was published in Pippins & Cheese (Bradbury & Evans) - "The Valley" you will see in enclosed list'. He concludes by thanking Baron for his 'complimentary note'. With envelope addressed to 'J. T.

1p., 8vo, on the verso of the second leaf of a bifolium, with the Autograph Note by Bentley on the recto of the first leaf. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Smith's letter headed by him 'Private'.

Spencer was a sharp operator (see Mandelbrote ed., 'Out of Print and into Profit', pp.285-287) and the present items give an hint of his methods. (The two letters are addressed from the premises at which his staff were said to practice their 'sophistications'.) His two letters (both signed 'W. T. Spencer') are in good condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper, with the second dated by Bois to 1931. Bois's letter (signed 'Winifred Bois') is in fair condition, with a short closed tear along one edge. Letter One: Spencer to Bois, 23 February [1931].

11pp., 32mo. Stitched and unbound. In fair condition, on aged paper. The books include 'The Cabinet History of England', 'Miller's County Atlas of England & Wales' and 'The Princess Charlotte's Hymn Book'. There are also 'Thirteen Toy Books', 'Threepenny Toy Books', 'Conversation Cards', 'Children's Picture Cards', 'Portraits of the Royal Family', 'The Spelling Alphabet' and 'Engraved Music Cards'.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper. An attractive production, printed on a leaf of parchment paper, with illuminations and decorative designs in red, blue, green and gold, in the Gothic style of the period. At the end of the second page, above the printer's slug, and illuminated: 'Auction Rooms 22 Fleet Street London | Established 1823'.

7pp., 8vo. Stapled. In poor condition, on aged and worn paper. The prices, and in most cases the names of the purchasers, are untidily given in pencil, the buyers seeming to be mainly members of the West Country trade, and including George [of Bristol], Grey, Lowe, Colbeck, Cox Towes, Brown, Williams. A collection strongly biased towards the English novel, with Henry James particularly well represented. A small collection of 'Dutch Books' features at the end of the sale. A scarce item, with no copy traced either on COPAC or on WorldCat.

1p., 12mo. Attractively printed within a decorative border, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | The Specimen Book sent you herewith, of which I have much pleasure in asking your acceptance, contains a history of the Caslon Foundry printed with the justly celebrated types engraved by its founder in the early part of last Century.

The text is engraved in copperplate on one side of a piece of card, with plan on reverse of the the premises at 18 Paternoster Square, with Newgate Street, Warwick Lane, Rose Street and Paternoster Row also shown. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with unobtrusive vertical crease. A nice piece of nineteenth-century London book trade ephemera. The text reads: 'Publication Committee | Presbyterian Church of England, | 18 Paternoster Square.

[4] + 47pp., 8vo. In printed wraps. Internally in fair condition, on aged paper, with slight staining to the corners; in worn and chipped wraps. A handsome production, as one might expect from one of the nine founders of the Grolier Club, with a two-page introduction followed by a full-page reproduction of the Ascensius printer's device, and 47 examples of pages set in various point sizes of Cushing, Ancient Roman, Jenson, Satanick, Louis XV, and Century Roman. No copy on COPAC, six American and one French on WorldCat.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. An interesting piece of ephemera relating to a ground-breaking series in the nineteenth-century extension of the market for serious literature. An initial 27-line prospectus in small print is followed by a list of the details of the 35 'Volumes already Published' and of 20 works 'in progress'. The final page carries details of items 'Uniform with his STANDARD LIBRARY, price 3s. 6d.', under the headings 'Bohn's Extra Volume', 'Bohn's Scientific Library, Vol. 1', 'Bohn's Antiquarian Library' and 'Bohn's Classical Library'.

One page, 12mo, laid down on larger piece of paper, after formation of a 2" closed tear. text complete and clear. [Cadell] "If the game sent with this tolerably good send it to [Mrs] Grignion with my love. You will tell them it may be Sunday before we arrive as the weather is so uncertain." [Lawless adds] "Madam | I am afraid these are bad, but I believe it is only when it was shot" [whatever that means]. Lawless earned an obituary in the Annual Register.

Bookplate, c.8 x 14cm, marks show it was tipped onto an album page once, ow good. Image of Virgil's head. 3cm diameter, followed by calligraphic "This Book | is to be sold at the Shop of | Abraham Vandenhoek | AND | George Richmond. | the sign of Virgill's Head. | Opposite Exeter Exchange in the | STRAND."

Bookplate, c.17 x 10cm, stained, three letters of address obscured by wear, otherwiswe text clear, mainly good condition. "GARDINER, | Bookseller [...] | and | Bookbinder [...address] Where books are lent to read | at | Twelve Shillings per year [...] || BOOKS BOUGHT, SOLD, OR EXCHANGED || ENGRAVING | and | Copper-plate and Letter-Press | Printing, [...] || New Books, Reviews, Magazines, Pamphlets, [P]lays, &c. | added as soon as published." Note: a Sarah Gardiner of 20 Princes Street exhibited at the RA in 1815.

Trade card, apparently unrecorded, c.6.5 x 5cm, good condition. Text, "Trewman & Son | Printers, Stationers, | Booksellers & Binders. | Fore Street | EXETER || [minuscule] Ezekial, Exon."

Written over 13 lines on both sides of the 9 x 11 cm card. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'Dear John, | I do feel ashamed of having been so rude to my fellow guest yesterday - It was a dreadful thing to do! The fact is I am, I suppose, very touchy about Time & Tide - ridiculously so really - I don't think he had read it - but after all why should he, poor man - I really wasn't very fair - | Please forgive me - except for feeling that I had behaved abominab[ly], just at the end, I thoroughly enjoyed my most excellent luncheon'.

The collection is in good condition, lightly aged and worn, apart from Item Seven. ONE: Autograph notes by Newberry on the firms of 'Chiswick Press Tooks Court' and 'Wm. Griggs & Sons Ltd. Peckham'. 4pp., 12mo. Closely written, with corrections. The first section concludes: 'Jacobi was certainly an experienced and successful printer of fine printed volumes and H.M. paper. William Morris drew inspiration from Chiswick Press that led to his founding the Kelmscott Press. His first experiments in the use of type designed at K. P. were carried out under Jacobi. C. P.

The three items in good condition, on aged paper. The second letter is addressed to 'Messrs Sonnenschein & Co', and from the context the other two are clearly to the same recipients.ONE: 2pp., 12mo. He states that he would be 'willing to edit Perez's work provided that the translation is well done & that only a general revision of it is necessary', and that he 'could not undertake to correct a faulty piece of work'. He asks the publishers to send him the manuscript, 'so that I may judge, together with a copy of the original', and asks for their terms.

On 9.5 x 19cm piece of paper. With twopenny embossed official stamp 'For Receipts'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of mount on blank reverse. Reads: '24 July 1802 | Recd. of Messrs. Cadell & Davies the sum of Twenty pounds Nine Shillgs. & 6. as pr. bill delivered for engraving two Plates St. Geo: de Mina & a Naval Medal. | Thos: Medland | £20 . 9 . 6'. Itemised at foot in another hand: 'View of St. Geo: de Mina - 18 . 18 . 0 | A naval Medal 1 . 11 . 6 | [total] 20 . 9 . 6'.

117pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper; in contemporary worn vellum binding, with metal clasp, with marbled endpapers. Two sequences of receipts, starting at different ends of the volume, one (rather more businesslike) later than the other. In addition to the total of 117pp. of receipts, each of the two sequences has its own thumb index.

8vo, in worn and damaged black cloth. Three sample spines in green cloth are laid down on the front free endpaper, and three sample brown leather spines gilt on the rear pastedown.