CHAMBERS

[Sir John Robert Seeley, Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge.] Autograph Letter Signed, declining to write ‘the article Colonies’ for ‘the Encylopaedia of Messrs Chambers’, as too little time is allowed for its writing.

Author: 
J. R. Seeley [Sir John Robert Seeley] (1834-1895), Liberal historian and essayist, Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge [Messrs Chambers & Co, publishers]
Publication details: 
26 April [no year]. On letterhead of 7 St Peter’s Terrace, Cambridge.
£45.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. Nine lines. In good condition, on lightly aged grey paper. Folded once. Addressed to ‘Dear Sir’, and signed ‘J R Seeley’. He states that ‘it will be quite impossible for me to undertake the article Colonies for the Encyclopaedia of Messrs Chambers, as the time you allow for the preparation of it is altogether too short’.

[Charles Haddon Chambers, Australian dramatist in England, lover of Dame Nellie Melba.] Autograph Letter Signed to Malcolm Watson, Daily Telegraph drama critic, regarding a play he wrote in New York, and a German production of his ‘Tyranny of Tears’.

Author: 
Charles Haddon Chambers [Charles Haddon Spurgeon Chambers] (1860-1921), Australian dramatist who settled in England, where he had an affair with Dame Nellie Melba [Malcolm Watson; Daily Telegraph]
Publication details: 
13 March [after 1900]; on letterhead of L’Hermitage, Monte-Carlo.
£65.00

Chambers is not mentioned in Dame Nellie Melba’s entry in the Oxford DNB. She met him in London in 1895, and their affair ended for unknown reasons in 1904. It is clearly the ‘notorious’ affair in whose fame Chambers ‘rejoiced to the last’, according to Somerset Maugham’s devastating assessment of the man in ‘A Writer’s Notebook’ (1946). Harry de Windt gives a markedly kinder account of Chambers in his ‘My Note-Book at Home and Abroad’ (1923). 2pp, 8vo. Bifolium. Twenty-seven lines of text. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Signed 'C Haddon Chambers'.

[Charles Haddon Chambers, Australian dramatist in England, lover of Dame Nellie Melba.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘B. C.’, on subects including his performance with Herbert Beerbohm Tree before Queen Victoria at Balmoral.

Author: 
Charles Haddon Chambers [Charles Haddon Spurgeon Chambers] (1860-1921), Australian dramatist who settled in England, where he had an affair with Dame Nellie Melba
Publication details: 
No date [1894]; on letterhead of the Clarendon Hotel, 104 Prince’s Street, Edinburgh.
£80.00

Chambers is not mentioned in Dame Nellie Melba’s entry in the Oxford DNB. She met him in London in 1895, and their affair ended for unknown reasons in 1904. It is clearly the ‘notorious’ affair in whose fame Chambers ‘rejoiced to the last’, according to Somerset Maugham’s devastating assessment of the man in ‘A Writer’s Notebook’ (1946). Harry de Windt gives a markedly kinder account of Chambers in his ‘My Note-Book at Home and Abroad’ (1923). The recipient would appear to be Chambers’s agent. Regarding the content of this letter, see ‘The Theatre’, 1 November 1894: ‘Mr.

[Charles Haddon Chambers, Australian dramatist in England, lover of Dame Nellie Melba.] Autograph Letter Signed to Mrs Allhusen, giving plans for his visit to New York, in explaining why he cannot visit her country house Stoke Court, Buckinghamshire.

Author: 
Charles Haddon Chambers [Charles Haddon Spurgeon Chambers] (1860-1921), Australian dramatist who settled in England, where he had an affair with Dame Nellie Melba [Allhusen family, Stoke Court, Bucks]
Publication details: 
17 May 1911; on letterhead of 14 Waverton Street, Berkeley Square, W. [London.]
£65.00

Chambers is not mentioned in Dame Nellie Melba’s entry in the Oxford DNB. She met him in London in 1895, and their affair ended for unknown reasons in 1904. It is clearly the ‘notorious’ affair in whose fame Chambers ‘rejoiced to the last’, according to Somerset Maugham’s devastating assessment of the man in ‘A Writer’s Notebook’ (1946). Harry de Windt gives a markedly kinder account of Chambers in his ‘My Note-Book at Home and Abroad’ (1923).

[Maltman's Green, Gerrards Cross, girls school.]

Author: 
Maltman's Green, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire girls school, founded in 1918 [Miss Beatrice Elizabeth Chambers, head mistress]
Publication details: 
Maltman's Green, Gerrards Cross. No date [1920s?].
£25.00

Advertising booklet for the school, printed in black on three sides of a 20.5 x 23 cm bifolium of cream wove paper. In fair condition, on lightly aged and spotted paper, with one fold and slight nicking to edges. The item is undated, but must date before Chambers' retirement in 1944. The cover has a distinct modernist feel, with an 8.5 x 20 cm stylised illustration of a village green with old-fashioned houses, presumably including the school buildings, and at bottom right the words 'MALTMAN'S GREEN | GERRARD'S CROSS' in large sans serif capitals.

[ Sir Eric Ashton Carpenter, President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. ] Corrected Typescript of a paper titled: 'The Organisation and Functions of British Chambers of Commerce', with separate section titled 'Joint Chambers of Commerce'.

Author: 
Sir Eric A. Carpenter [ Sir Eric Ashton Carpenter ] (1896-1973), President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, banker and industrialist [ Association of British Chambers of Commerce ]
Publication details: 
[ Manchester (for the Association of British Chambers of Commerce?), 1950s. ]
£150.00

Totalling 17pp., foolscap 8vo. The main paper, 'The Organisation and Functions of British Chambers of Commerce', 14pp; the supplementary paper (separately paginated), titled 'Joint Chambers of Commerce', 3pp. Separating the two papers is a leaf carrying a faded duplicated image of a plan copied from The Chambers of Commerce Manual 1954-5'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with rusty staple and paperclip, and slight creasing to the last three leaves of the main paper. Minor pencil emendations throughout the main paper by Carpenter.

[ William Chambers, publisher and editor. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('W. Chambers') to unnamed individual, asking for information regarding a 'Polish periodical'.

Author: 
William Chambers (1800-1883) of Glenormiston, Scottish publisher and editor, and Lord Provost of Edinburgh [ W. & R. Chambers ]
Publication details: 
Edinburgh. 7 February 1843.
£120.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper, with a couple of short closed tears along fold lines at foot. He is 'interested in the Polish periodical', and hopes to notice it in the magazine, and asks for information regarding six numbered points. 'If to the above could be added a translation of "A Scottish House" I think I could make an interesting article on the work.' He offers to 'give the use of any of our cuts with much pleasure'.

[First World War Royal Navy Night Order Book.] Autograph Signed night order book of Lieut. Commander E. T. R. Chambers, relating to the destroyers HMS Kennet, HMS Welland and HMS Otter, and mostly spent around China.

Author: 
Lieut. Commander Ennis Tristram Ratcliffe Chambers (b.1884), Royal Navy [HMS Kennet; HMS Welland; HMS Otter; Commander R. M. Alleyne, RN]
Publication details: 
In 'S.553' Night Order Book ('Revised December, 1910') by Waterlow & Sons Limited, Printers, London Wall, London. 25 October 1911 to 4 March 1915.
£400.00

82pp., small 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged paper, in worn black cloth, with large printed official 'NIGHT ORDER BOOK' label on front cover, to which Chambers has added 'Captain's' in large letters, and 'TO BE RETURNED TO MY CABIN'. Ruled pages, with printed 'NIGHT ORDER BOOK, H.M.S. [name of ship in manuscript] | ORDERS.' at head.

[Printed memorandum.] The Association of British Chambers of Commerce. Further Education. Memorandum on the Training of Artisans in Great Britain and on the Continent Prepared by Dr. W. Alfred Richardson, O.B.E.

Author: 
Dr. W. Alfred Richardson, O.B.E., Chairman of the Education Sub-Committee of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce
Publication details: 
The Women's Printing Society, Ltd., 31-35, Brick Street, Piccadilly, W1. [London.] 18 February 1938.
£50.00

7pp., 12mo. Stapled and unbound. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with rusted staples, and shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library. Scarce: no copy in the British Library or on COPAC.

[Pamphlet.] Report on Commercial Education. Presented to the Associated Chambers of Commerce. 1887.

Author: 
J. Percival; W. Summers; H. Felkin; J. B. Paton [Associated Chambers of Commerce]
Publication details: 
London: Isbister & Co., Ludgate Hill. [1887.] [Thomas Forman and Sons Printers, Nottingham.]
£120.00

52pp., 4to. Stapled. Aged and worn, with slight loss to fore-edge of title. With label, stamp and shelfmark of the Education Department Reference Library. Scarce: no copy in the British Library, and the only copy on COPAC at Leeds.

[Printed pamphlet.] Wood-Engraving.

Author: 
[Chambers's Miscellany of Useful and Entertaining Tracts, W. and R. Chambers, Edinburgh]
[Printed pamphlet.] Wood-Engraving.
Publication details: 
[Circa 1845.] [Chambers's Miscellany of Useful and Entertaining Tracts. No. 85.] Printed and Published by W. and R. Chambers, Edinburgh.
£125.00
[Printed pamphlet.] Wood-Engraving.

12mo, 16 pp. Unbound, unstitched and unopened. A half-sheet folded three times to make eight leaves. Reproduction of early engraving on first page, vignette of country scene on last page, three illustrations of tools and a further thirteen numbered figures in text. Text and images clear and complete. Publishing details, with price of '1/2d' printed upwards along inner margin of last page. On aged paper, with slight damage to the margin of the first leaf. This single issue scarce: no copy on COPAC. Chambers Miscellany was originally published between 1844 and 1847.

Typed Note Signed to the Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Robert Browne Dunwoody
Publication details: 
7 December 1914; on letterhead of Association of Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom.
£15.00

English engineer (1879-1966), Secretary of the Associated British Chambers of Commerce, 1912-46. Very good, though creased and on slightly discoloured paper. Bearing the Society's stamp. Reads 'I beg to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your Journal of the 4th December, for which I am greatly obliged. | I enclose herewith the report of a recent meeting of this Association in exchange.' Signed 'R. B. Dunwoody'.

Syndicate content