EDWARDS

An interesting item, casting light on Victorian London publishing of periodical literature. For Passmore Edwards, to whom London is indebted for innumerable public libraries (many now closed), see his entry in the Oxford DNB. ‘The Biographical Magazine’ was founded in 1852, and the first two volumes were published by ‘J. Passmore Edwards, 2, Horse-shoe Court, Ludgate Hill’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB, which does not accord her name a hyphen, although she does in this letter. 2pp, 12mo. On grey-paper bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Signed ‘M Bethan-Edwards’ and addressed to ‘Dear Miss Birkett’. She apologises for having to decline her kind invitation: ‘I never can lunch out being busy till 1 pm’. Since ‘the afternoons are now so very short’, and she does not like ‘climbing the hill in the dark’, she proposes calling on her at 4pm. ‘It will then give me much pleasure to see you.’

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with stub from mount adhering to one edge. Reads: 'Lieut: Colonel Sir Fleetwood Edwards begs to thank Miss Hogarth for her letter of the 22nd. Inst. and to return the enclosed letter, which The Queen did not desire to keep, as Her Majesty has the one which she intended to retain.'

1p., 4to. On aged paper with wear and one short closed tear to extremities. Dean writes from a P.O. Box in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Edwards is returning Dean's 'cardboards suitably autographed', but regrets that he has 'no photographs of myself, either modern or old, to send you'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'My dear Richard'. In the first paragraph he explains that he will not be able to accept his inviation as he is 'obliged to go into the country'. In the second he writes: 'Arthur Locker will succeed me here after the first of May; and he will attend at the office, with me, for about a week before his engagement begins. If you don't know him and if you will look in I will introduce you.' The Graphic was first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Limited.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with tissue labels from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Tinsley Brothers of 8 Catherine Street, Strand, were Ainsworth's publishers during this period. The letter begins: 'Dear Mr. Tinsley, | You are quite incorrigible.' Ainsworth complains that Tinsley has sent him a letter, 'delayed since Novr. 11th. last', and that he has 'been obliged to write a long letter of explanation and apology'. He hopes that 'the lady – for the writer is a lady – will be satisfied'.

Subtitle: 'With an Appendix containing some interesting letters, and other authentic documents, illustrative of the memoir.' 130pp., 12mo. Frontispiece. Bound in at the end is a twelve-page catalogue, dated 1 October 1816, and with drophead title: 'Valuable Periodical Works, Published by Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, Paternoster Row, London. Beneath the drophead title is a woodcut of a lion. Only one copy of the trade catalogue traced on OCLC WorldCat.

44pp., 4to. Stapled. The complete magazine, in printed wraps with green masthead, on shiny art paper, with attractive 'modern' layout and numerous illustrations. Incongruous image on cover of girl and lamb. Glennie's article is on four pages, with a photograph of the author accompanied by a brief biography (ending 'He came to Aldermaston in 1955 and is now in S.S.C.M.') and three photographs of the 'IBM 7090 Electronic Data Processing Machine', one of them small, and the other two each half-page, and accompanied by a lengthy caption.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper. Written in a difficult hand. 'The negatives are with Mr P, Solicitor, 50 Leinster Square, who, while I was away, received them from the W Printing Company. I will ask him to leave them out for you. I will call to-morrow or the nexxt day and give you an order for this delivery.'

18pp., 8vo. Stapled and unbound. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with rusted staples. According to the title-page the library comprises 'Topographical and Genealogical Books, County Histories, including Nash's Worcestershire. Plot's Staffordshire. Dugdale's Warwickshire. Hutchins's Dorset. Whitelaw's Dublin. Berry's Genealogies. Publications of learned societies, etc.' In manuscript at head of title: 'MARKED CATALOGUE - PRICES REALISED'.

146pp., 12mo, in autograph, almost entirely consisting of poetic compositions, with numerous emendations; with a further 35 cuttings of poems laid down (33 of them by Edwards) and another two cuttings of another two poems loosely inserted. Also loosely inserted are two poems (totalling 7pp., 4to): 'To Ill Health', dated September 1835; and 'The last hope', 28 December 1869. In contemporary dark-green crushed morocco binding, gilt, recently rebacked by Ipsley Bindery with new enpapers. All edges gilt.

On two skins, with the usual seals and tax stamps, and further text and signatures on the reverse of the first skin, including a witnessed receipt for £450 from Knight; also a memorandum, 2 August 1853, 'Exparte The right Honorable Anne Isabella Baroness Noel Byron Widow', 'Before me | Wm. Cowdell. | A Master Extraordinary in Chancery'. The first skin carries a plan of the property (8 acres 3 rods 33 perches), to the west of the East Shilton road to Stapleton, and of Wigstones Farm, Stapleton and Kirkby Lordship, and with the road from Barwell to Kirby going through it, coloured in green.

46pp., 12mo. In original printed wraps, with the last two pages of the catalogue on the back cover. 704 priced items, with descriptions. Reproduction of no. 612 (mezzotint of Napoleon by Charles Turner from J. J. Masquerier) on front cover. In fair condition, on aged paper, in aged and worn wraps, with occasional pencil markings in margins. An important catalogue, issued in part to make a point during the Great War.

12mo, [ii] + 235 pp. In contemporary brown-calf half-binding, with marbled boards and grey endpapers. Internally sound and tight, if a little foxed, with some wear to the extremities of the title-leaf. In worn binding with label on spine mostly worn away. The identity of the author is unknown.

One page. Dimensions of paper roughly six and a half inches by eight wide. Spotted, aged and creased, and with some closed tears. Addressed to Wreden at 'Box 56, Palo Alto, Cal., U.S.A.' For '3 reg'd bookpost parcels', and headed 'Hodgson's Sale 25th Nov. 1954'. Lots 204 and 205 purchased for a total of £27 9s 9d, including an apparent commission of 15% on an item under ten pounds, and 10% on one over that sum. Items ('French Documents & Autograph Letters' and 'Autograph Letters from Lord Brougham and contemporaries') described in nine lines.

Good, on lightly aged paper. Rust stains from paperclips on one leaf. Five pages of typescripts on five quarto leaves. The first page gives the contents, and the rest are covering pages with a few words of instructions (e.g. 'PREFACE | (To be prepared after revising first proofs)' and 'APPENDIX --- Authenticity........ | To follow with Bibliography and Indexes.' The proof slip, printed and with pencil insertions, is one page, on a leaf roughly eight inches by four and a half.