EDITOR

Autograph Letter Signed from Whitelaw Reid, editor of the New York Tribune, to J. R. Howard of New York. With photographic reproduction of portrait.

Author: 
Whitelaw Reid (1837-1912), editor of the New York Tribune, Republican Vice-Presidential nominee in 1892 (with President Benjamin Harrison), and author of 'Ohio in the War' (1867)
Publication details: 
Letter: New York; 12 November 1869. Photograph: circa 1905.
£80.00

1p., 12mo. On letterhead of the New York Tribune. Very good. Addressed to 'J. R. Howard | No. 39 Park Row'. Reid writes that he 'came down' after 'our first side had been stereotyped', and so was 'unable to insert in the Financial column the items of news you were good enough to send'. He hopes 'it will not be too late to use them on Monday'. The photographic portrait of Reid ('Copyright, 1902, by Rockwood') is taken from a magazine, and is captioned 'Hon. Whitelaw Reid, next Ambassador to the Court of St. James'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('H Niles') from Hezekiah Niles to an unnamed subscriber to his newspaper Niles' Register, complaining of the conduct of 'Mr Kollock', one of the agents who have caused all of Niles' 'difficulties of a pecuniary nature'.

Author: 
Hezekiah Niles (1777-1839), proprietor and editor of the Baltimore Evening Post and Niles' Weekly [National] Register
Publication details: 
Baltimore; 3 October 1817.
£120.00

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with a small hole caused by the breaking of the seal, affecting one word of text. Niles acknowledges receipt of a 'very friendly letter'. 'My collector has returned, & you already had <?> for the 10$ to Sept. 1818'. Niles considers 'Mr Kollock's conduct, for a man of his standing, [...] very extraordinary - he has other monies of mine, besides the 5$ that you paid in his possession, which it does not suit his convenience to refund.

Autograph Letter Signed from the American cook Juliet Corson to 'Miss Booth' [Mary Louise Booth, editor of Harper's Bazaar], discussing the arrangements for the writing of a book ['Every-Day Cookery, Table Talk, and Hints for the Laundry', 1884].

Author: 
Juliet Corson (1841-1897), American writer of cookery books, Superintendent of the New York Cooking School (founded by her in 1874) [Mary Louise Booth (1831-1889), first editor of Harper's Bazaar]
Publication details: 
Continental Hotel, New York; 6 September 1883.
£280.00

2pp., 12mo. Good, on aged paper, neatly placed in a thin windowpane mount. After acknowledging receipt of $90, Corson announces that the previous week she 'had a letter from the House accepting my book.' She has received no answer to her letter asking for 'some information', and asks Booth to 'be my mediator again'.

Autograph ('M. Halstead') of the noted American war correspondent Murat Halstead, at foot of letter to him from autograph-hunter John N. Cobb, with another signature on his calling card. With engraved portrait of Halstead by Arthur Jule Goodman.

Author: 
Murat Halstead (1829-1908), American newspaper editor and author, war correspondent in the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War and the Spanish-American War [Arthur Jule Goodman]
Publication details: 
Cobb's letter dated from Philadelphia, 7 June 1893.
£75.00

Cobb's letter is 1p., 4to, typed in green. He states that he is 'collecting the autographs of prominent American editors' and that he would like to add Halstead's, as 'it will not be complete without yours'. At the foot of the letter Halstead has written, in a sprawling hand, with smudged signature, 'Perhaps the will serve. | M. Halstead'. Pinned to the letter is the calling card of 'Mr. Murat Halstead.', with his signature 'M. Halstead' (again slightly smudged) beneath the name. Both items are lightly-aged, but good.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Nathl.. Greene') from the American newspaper editor Nathaniel Greene to W. Chamberlain junior, with reference to the Swedish Consul Claudius Edward Habicht. With engraved portrait.

Author: 
Nathaniel Greene (1797-1877), journalist and editor associated with Concord Gazette, New Hampshire Gazette, Haverhill Gazette, Essex Patriot, and Statesman [W. Chamberlain; Claudius Edward Habicht]
Publication details: 
Boston; 17 November 1840.
£90.00

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Greene writes that he is returning Chamberlain's 'Copenhagen letter, together with a translation from the pen of C. E. Hablicht Esq. Swedish Consul at this port', to whom he 'applied for the purpose'. He has 'every disposition to be useful on all similar occasions'. The engraving of Greene, beneath which is a facsimile of his signature, and the words 'Postmaster Boston Mass.', is in good condition, lightly and neatly attached onto a paper mount. Greene was himself also a translator, from German, Italian and French.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Alexr Chalmers') from the biographer Alexander Chalmers to James Perry, commenting humorously on an attack of gout.

Author: 
Alexander Chalmers (1759-1834), Scottish biographer and editor [James Perry (1756-1821), proprietor and editor of the 'Morning Chronicle']
Publication details: 
Throgmorton Street, London; 26 March 1821.
£80.00

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. Seventeen lines, closely written. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip of stub adhering to margin. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, to 'J. Perry Esqre | Tavistock Square'. He will dine with Perry with pleasure, 'after a five weeks confinement with the Gout, a disorder of which I never before had any personal acquaintance, but which, I suppose, I must, in some unguarded moment, have treated with contempt.

Autograph Letter Signed ('C. S. Henry') from Caleb Sprague Henry. editor of the New York Review, to William Whitwell Greenough, accepting an article, but complaining of Greenough's handwriting, and of 'a difficulty in getting Saxon type'.

Author: 
Caleb Sprague Henry (1804-1884), Episcopal clergyman and author, editor of the New York Review, Professor of History and Philosophy in New York University [William Whitwell Greenough (1818-1899]
Publication details: 
New York; 26 April 1838.
£350.00

3pp., 4to. Bifolium. 57 lines. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, to 'William W. Greenough | Andover | Massachusetts', with circular postmark in red ink and remains of red wax seal. Regarding 'the article on Bosworth's Anglo-Sax. Dict.', Henry writes: 'From the few first pages that I have read & the glance that I have given at the rest, I am satisfied that I shall be glad to print your article.

Autograph Card from Frederick Maher to J. Charles Davis of Proctor's Theatre, New York, regarding his acquaintance with the author 'Frank Forester' (Henry William Herbert).

Author: 
Frederick Mather (1833-1900), author, editor of the Chicago 'Field' and Superintendent of the New York and United States Fish Commissions [Henry William Herbert ('Frank Forester'), 1807-1858)]
Autograph Card from Frederick Maher to J. Charles Davis
Publication details: 
19 November 1893; on printed card of the New York and United States Fish Commissions, Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y.
£75.00
Autograph Card from Frederick Maher to J. Charles Davis

13 x 7.5 card. Fair, on aged paper, with minor creasing to one corner. Stamped and addressed on one side to 'Mr. J. Charles Davis | Proctor's Theatre | New York'. The unsigned card (with the words 'and United States' deleted from the heading) has partly printed text. Mather completes it in pencil, acknowledging the 'inquiry about Frank Forester' and stating that 'as a boy I knew him and shot with him but my recollections would be of no value'. He ends by saying that he will 'try to brush them up' on his 'return from the west'.

One Autograph Letter Signed and one Typed Letter Signed (both 'R. J. Cruikshank') from the writer Robert James Cruikshank to the educationist Thomas Lloyd Humberstone.

Author: 
R. J. Cruikshank [Robert James Cruikshank] (1898-1956), editor of the 'News Chronicle' and writer [Thomas Lloyd Humberstone (1876-1957), educationist]
Publication details: 
5 December [1947] and 6 June 1950; the first on letterhead of 12-22 Bouverie Street, EC4, and the second on letterhead of the News Chronicle (same address).
£45.00

Both items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of mount on reverses. Letter One: 4to, 1 p. He is away from the office and out of town, and has asked 'P. O'Donoghue, who deals with publications for the News Chronicle', to get in touch with him: 'I know you will find his counsel very sound'. Letter Two: Thanking him for his endorsement of his book. 'There is nothing that could possibly give an author greater encouragement than to receive such informed and stimulating words from someone such as yourself.'

Autograph Letter in the third person from Sir Robert Inglis to 'Mr Barrow' [J. H. Barrow, editor of the 'Mirror of Parliament'], regarding a recent speech by him in the House of Commons.

Author: 
Sir Robert Inglis
Autograph Letter in the third person from Sir Robert Inglis
Publication details: 
12 August 1831; Manchester Buildings, Westminster.
£66.00
Autograph Letter in the third person from Sir Robert Inglis

12mo, 2 pp. 24 lines. Text clear and complete. He finds, 'upon reconsideration', that the conversation he referred to that afternoon took place two days later, and regrets that he gave Barrow 'the unnecessary trouble of sending for papers in error; & possibly attributing an inattention to the Gentleman employed at the time as a Reporter'.

Original finished coloured comic drawing, showing a large penguin [Jan Tschichold?] dragging a bearded man [Montague Shaw?] who clutches a set of letters spelling 'Fabers', signifying the man's move from the publishers Faber & Faber to Penguin Books.

Author: 
[Montague Shaw, production manager, Faber & Faber Ltd; Jan Tschichold, typographer for Penguin Books]
Original finished coloured comic drawing
Publication details: 
[London.] 1966.
£200.00
Original finished coloured comic drawing

Dimensions 29 x 12 cm. Pasteboard mount, 31 x 14.5 cm. In blue, black and white. In good condition on lightly-aged paper. In front of a background of ricketty railings, a jolly bespectacled penguin [with Tschichold's sprightly eyes], with a Penguin book under his left arm, and preceded by a letter P and followed by an n, drags a bespectacled, bearded man (looking a little like a young Michael Bentine) towards the right of the drawing.

Autograph Letter Signed from the editor of 'Punch' F. C. Burnand to T. H. Lacy, regarding the publication of a farce.

Author: 
F. C. Burnand [Sir Francis Cowley Burnand] (1836-1917), English comic writer and editor of 'Punch' [Thomas Hailes Lacy (1809-1873), actor and theatrical publisher]
Autograph Letter Signed from the editor of 'Punch' F. C. Burnand
Publication details: 
29 April 1869; on letterhead of Hale Lodge, Edgware.
£56.00
Autograph Letter Signed from the editor of 'Punch' F. C. Burnand

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Fair, on aged paper. He begins 'Print the farce', and gives two conditions, ending 'There that's definite'. He will have the farce published after it is performed in London, 'at a good theatre of course'. 'But get on with it and lets have the proofs.' He will 'most likely' play it himself 'at Manchester and somewhere else, when I will put all this stage business &c in'. Ends 'Toole wants to do it. | Yours Tooley - I mean Truly'. In one of two postscripts he hopes Lacy has 'a good supply of Billy Taylor. Hopewood & Crew publish it.'

Autograph Letter Signed by the English genealogist John Bernard Burke, editor of 'Burke's Peerage', to one of his 'Earliest Supporters', regarding his 'St. James's Magazine'.

Author: 
Sir John Bernard Burke (1814-1892), English genealogist, editor of 'Burke's Peerage'
Two Autograph Letters signed from the Sussex antiquary Mark Antony Lower
Publication details: 
17 August 1849; 8 Alfred Place West, Brompton, London.
£65.00
Two Autograph Letters signed from the Sussex antiquary Mark Antony Lower

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Twenty lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Because of the 'Very great outlay attending the production of the work at the onset', asks for a year's advance subscription of £1 10s 0d. Gives the publication date, adding 'from the distinguished literary aid I have received I am sanguine enough to hope that it will mert your full approval'.

Autograph draft of letter to the Editor of the Daily Chronicle, rebutting in strong terms the claim that Knowles was editor of the Contemporary Review.

Author: 
Alexander Strahan [Alexander Stuart Strahan] (1833-1918), English publisher [Sir James Thomas Knowles (1831-1908); Alfred Tennyson]
Publication details: 
14 February 1908; on letterhead of Oakhurst, Ravenscourt Park, W.
£150.00

12mo (17.5 x 11 cm): 5 pp. On two bifolium letterheads and half of a third. The text of each page is clear and complete on aged and lightly-spotted paper, but gaps between the various sections indicate that the draft is incomplete. Begins 'Sir | I see that in your obituary notice of Sir James Knowles inn today's paper you say that he was the Editor of the Contemporary Review from 1870 to 1877. | This is news to me. I was the Editor and proprietor of the Contemporary Review all these years, and I think I ought to know the facts of the matter.

Autograph Letter Signed to [Richard] Welford [of the Newcastle Chronicle].

Author: 
George Troup (1811-1879), editor, Tait's Edinburgh Magazine [Richard Welford; Newcastle Chronicle]
Publication details: 
2 November 1859; Tait's Magazine Office, 34 Paternoster Row, London, E.C.
£75.00

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. 58 lines of text. Clear and complete. On aged paper, with the outer pages grubby and stained. The delay in replying to Welford's letter is due to the fact that it 'fell aside in Edinburgh and did not reach my hands until lately'. 'I was engaged in a veryy subordinate capacity on Taits Magazine when the shilling series commenced - and for some years - and again had it as my own property from 1846 to 1850 and have had it again for some years; yet I do not remember having ever seen a notice in the Newcastle Chronicle'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('C. Genest'), in French, to unnamed male recipient.

Author: 
Claude Genest [editor, 'La Revue du XIXème siècle']
Publication details: 
Undated, on printed 1840s lettehead of the 'Revue du XIXème siècle', 'Bureaux, 11, rue de Lille', Paris.
£38.00

12mo, 1 p. 20 lines of text. Clear and complete. On aged paper and lightly-creased paper. Writing to ask how the recipient wishes to deal with 'traités de Botanique et de Chimie' in his reviews. Written during the first of several incarnations of the 'Revue', this one beginning around 1836.

Address. Delivered at St. Clement Danes on 13th December, 1926 [Samuel Johnson Anniversary]

Author: 
R. W. Chapman [Cecil Harmsworth, 1st Baron Harmsworth; Samuel Johnson; Johnsoniana]
Publication details: 
London. 1927.
£56.00

4to bifolium. The text, in small print, covers the final three pages. On aged and foxed paper. Inscribed, at the head of the title, 'from R. W. C.' The recipient was Cecil Harmsworth, who has written in pencil, beneath the inscription: 'C H | 26/ii/ 1927'. (Harmsworth was the proprietor of the Johnson house, which he had bought in 1911.) Scarce: no copy in the British Library, and the only copy on COPAC at Oxford.

Corrected Autograph Manuscript of the final draft of an article entitled 'London's Broadest Highway' (which appeared in the Strand Magazine, 1931).

Author: 
R. A. Scott-James [Rolfe Arnold Scott-James] (1878-1959), journalist, editor of the 'London Mercury', and friend of Wyndham Lewis [River Thames; Strand Magazine]
Publication details: 
[In envelope postmarked 5 September 1930.]
£180.00

In an envelope with label and compliments slip of Hilda Neal, Copying Offices and Secretarial Training School, by whom the article had been typed up for the printers. On one side each of thirty-two A4 leaves (dimensions roughly 25 x 20 cm). The text is complete, although there are wormholes to the latter leaves, and damage and loss at the head of the last leaf.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Wm. Gourlie Jr.') to 'Mr. Ward'.

Author: 
William Gourlie (1815-1856), Glasgow calico printer and botanist [Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward (1791-1868); William Keddie (1809-1877), Editor of the 'Scottish Guardian'; Scotland; Scottish textiles]
Publication details: 
18 June 1849; on letterhead of South Frederick Street, Glasgow.
£45.00

4to, 1 p. Sixteen lines of text. Clear and complete. Neatly written in copperplate. On lightly-aged and creased paper, with one 4 cm vertical closed tear (through one word) along fold. He will be 'in town [i.e. London] for a few days next week and will be accompanied by Mr. Keddie, Editor of the "Scottish Guardian", an ardent lover of Botany & Botanists'. Asks if Ward can 'chalk out an excursion' for them, '& perhaps accompany us, to some place like Cobham [regularly visited by Ward], where we would see English Scenery, and gather good English plants'.

Autograph Card Signed ('Joseph Hatton') to Edward Draper of Vincent Square.

Author: 
Joseph Hatton [Joseph Paul Christopher Hatton] (1841-1907), English novelist and journalist
Publication details: 
On the <Maille?>' [postmarked Nijmegen, 17 August 1895].
£35.00

Fourteen lines on the back of two-tone Dutch postcard, the front being tined light blue. Addressed to 'Edw Draper Esq, 3 Vincent Square, Westminster, London, England'. Aged and grubby, with two creases and slight traces of previous mount on front. Hatton's hand is difficult, but the note, addressed to 'My dear Friend', defending his use in a story of the following version of the celebrated quotation: 'When Greeks joined Greeks". Concludes 'You are right about the tinder box of course.'

Her Royal Highness; A Romance of the Chancelleries of Europe.

Author: 
William Le Queux
Publication details: 
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914.
£56.00

Octavo: 190 pp. In original red cloth binding. First edition. Lacks rear free endpaper. On aged paper and in heavily worn binding. INSCRIBED by author on creased front free endpaper 'Much that is contained in this book is founded on fact | [signed] William Le Queux | Oct 1916'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('J A Hammerton') to 'My Dear Shorter' [Clement King Shorter (1857-1926)].

Author: 
Sir John Alexander Hammerton (1871-1949), author and editor of reference works
Publication details: 
6 November 1925; on letterhead of 54 Shepherd's Hill, Highgate, London.
£45.00

12mo, 2 pp, and 8vo, 1 p. A little grubby and creased, but with text clear and entire. He is sorry that Shorter was not able to visit the Chateaux of the Loire, but hopes that 'the sea air of Dieppe' has done him good. The year before Shorter's death, Hammerton writes: 'But you must really cease this brink-of-the-grave touch! Ten years hence, from an inglenook at Knockmoroon [where Shorter would die], you will wonder why you were anticipating the "closing down" of C.K.S.

Autograph Note Signed to unnamed male correspondent [Rev. E. J. F. Davies].

Author: 
Spencer Leigh Hughes (1858-1920), British politician and journalist, 'Sub Rosa' of the 'Daily News' and 'Morning Leader'
Publication details: 
6 December 1907; on letterhead of the 'Morning Leader', Stonecutter Street, London, E.C.
£20.00

One page, octavo. Mounted on piece of card. Ruckled and lightly aged, with some rust spotting from paperclip, and a little glue in left-hand margin. 'I send you my signature below with pleasure. My father was Welsh & my mother was English.' From the collection of Rev. E. J. F. Davies.

Autograph Letter Signed, in French, to Monsieur Van Santen.

Author: 
William Roberts (1767-1849), editor of the 'British Review'
Publication details: 
Without date or place [but before 1811?].
£38.00

One page, 12mo. Very good. He presents his correspondent with 'deux petits ouvrages sortis de ma plume'. The first was mentioned by 'Mr. Burgess' and the second is 'un petit traite qui a eu le bonheur il y a quelques ans de remporter le prix annuel dans l'Universite d'Oxford'. Signed 'Willm. Roberts'. In a postscript asks to be recommended to any acquaintances Van Santen may have 'a Rotterdam Anvers ou Bruxelles'. Address, with broken wafer, on second leaf of bifolium. Roberts is perhaps best remembered for the controversy brought on by a passage in Byron's 'Don Juan'.

Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent. [Collyer].

Author: 
Lord (John) Cuningham.
Publication details: 
Edinburgh, 20 Dec. 1838.
£150.00

Advocate, held courtesy title " Lord" in 1837 until he resigned in 1853. (See Boase.) Two pages, 4to, staining at edges, small tear, text clear and complete. He takes the liberty of introducing a Charles M Laren [Maclaren, see DNB, editor of "The Scotsman"], who expects to pass a month in Rome a few weeks hence . . .

Autograph Note Signed to Richard Lehman.

Author: 
Samuel Carter Hall
Publication details: 
49 Pall Mall | Nov 22' [docketed '(1848)'].
£25.00

Journal editor and writer (1800-89). 1 page, 8vo. Creased and slightly discoloured, but in good condition overall. Cover of envelope pasted to back, reading 'for | Rd Lehman Esq | Newmarket Road | Norwich'. Reads 'Dear Sir. | I much regret that I have been unable to avail myself of your kindness: I have been so over-run with Matter at this, the concluding, month of the year. | Sincerely | S C Hall.'

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