ENCYCLOPAEDIA

[A. & C. Black, Edinburgh publishers, to Cambridge educationalist Oscar Browning.] Manuscript Letter, signed ‘A. &. C. Black’, granting Browning permission to use material from his Encyclopaedia Britannica articles in books on Dante and Goethe.

Author: 
A. & C. Black, Edinburgh and London publishers [Oscar Browning (1837-1923), Cambridge educationalist and historian]
Publication details: 
10 July 1891; on letterhead of A. & C. Black, 4, 5 and 6 Soho Square, London.
£45.00

See the entries in the Oxford DNB on Browning and firm’s founder Adam Black (1784-1874). 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded three times. Addressed to ‘Oscar Browning Esq’ and signed ‘A. &. C. Black’. The firm is replying to a note of Browning’s of 7 July 1891, ‘desiring our assent to the separate publication in book form of your Articles, from the Ency[lopaedi]a Brit[annic]a. on Dante & Goethe’. They ‘have pleasure in complying therewith, on the usual understanding that the sources of the articles is duly acknowledged & a copy of the book sent to us when published’.

[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 Bestland (Cantelowe Bestland), Royal Academy Schools artist.] Twelve Regency pencil portraits (for engraving?), middle-class sitters including James Millar, Encyclopaedia Britannica editor; Col. Serle; members of Trenchard family of Dorset.

Author: 
Charles Bestland (Cantelowe or Cantlo Bestland) of the Royal Academy Schools [Col. Serle; James Millar, Encyclopaedia Britannica editor; John Trenchard Pickard of Dorset]
Bestland
Publication details: 
English. The twelve dated in pencil between 1811 and 1829.
£950.00
Bestland

Twelve pencil portraits executed in the same extremely capable style, probably for the purposes of engraving. Each on a separate piece of 4to paper. All in good condition, with light signs of age and wear, a couple with minor flecking with red paint. All dated in pencil (between 1811 and 1829), and all but two captioned. (Several of the items with watermark date supporting the pencil dating.) Three of the portraits have the tiny signature at bottom left of 'Bestland', and all would appear to be the work of the same artist, although the last appears to be signed with the initials 'C H'.

[Macvey Napier, editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Macvey Napier'), inviting the recipient to dinner after not being able to see him due to his 'occupations during the winter'.

Author: 
Macvey Napier [born Napier Macvey] (1776-1847), Scottish jurist, editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Edinburgh Review, Professor of Conveyancing at the University of Edinburgh
Publication details: 
39 Castle Street [Edinburgh]. 26 March [no year].
£30.00

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with remains of stub adhering to edge on reverse. Folded twice. He begins by apologising that his 'occupations during the winter' have prevented him from seeing the unnamed recipient. If he is 'disengaged next Friday', Napier will be happy to see him 'at dinner at six o'clock, to meet a small party'. Laid down at the foot of the last page is a newspaper cutting of an article titled 'Death of Professor Napier'.

[ Hugh Chisholm; Encyclopaedia Britannica ] Autograph Letter Signed 'Hugh Chisholm' to [Stephen] Wheeler, editor of Landor's Letters etc., about his current work on the Encyclopaedia and the past.

Author: 
Hugh Chisholm (1866–1924) journalist, and editor of the 10th, 11th and 12th editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
Publication details: 
(E.B. office | 125 High Holborn) 3 Ellerdale Road, NW3, 22 Nov. [no year, but ref. to War suggests 1914)
£300.00

Four pages, 12mo, bifolium, smallish hand, tightly written, good condition. "If I had been doing a complete new edition of the E.B. [Encyclopaedia Britannica] I should have certainly resorted to you in regard to Landor. But I am only doing some supplementary volumes, covering the later developments in 1910-1920, to add to those of the 11th Ed..; and I can't touch such things in themselves.

[Macvey Napier, editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Edinburgh Reiew.] Autograph Letter Signed to his former pupil Robert MacFarlane (the future Lord Ormidale), regarding his book on the 'Practice of the Jury Court'.

Author: 
Macvey Napier (1776-1847), Scottish solicitor, editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica and Edinburgh Review, Professor of Conveyancing at Edinburgh University [Robert MacFarlane, Lord Ormidale (1802-1880)]
Publication details: 
Castle St. [Edinburgh] 30 March 1837.
£180.00

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, folded twice, with traces of glue from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Signed 'Macvey Napier' and addressed to 'Robert Macfarlane Esq'. After thanking him for sending a copy of his work on the 'Practice of the Jury Court', he explains that, although the subject 'is of great importance', it 'lies out of that department of the Law' to which Macvey finds it necessary, 'under the pressure of other avocations', to limit his studies.

[ Sir Johm Alexander. Hammerton, editor of reference works. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('J. A. Hammerton'), an effusive letter of condolence to the widow of composer Herman Finck.

Author: 
J. A. Hammerton [ Sir John Alexander Hammerton ] (1871-1949), Scottish author and editor of works of reference [ Herman Finck [ born Hermann Van Der Vinck ] (1872-1939), composer and conductor ]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of De Walden Lodge, Eastbourne, Sussex. 24 April 1939.
£40.00

2pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. He knew that Finck was ill, but 'the news of his death broadcast on Friday night came as a shock to me. | He & I had known each other for many years, & specially during the last five or six years we had much to say to each other at the Savage, my admiration for him deepening the more I knew him.' Another member of the Savage Club, Philip Page, referred to Finck as 'the most genial man he ever knew', and this was 'endorsed by all his fellow Savages'.

[ Macvey Napier, editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica. ] Autograph Signature ('Macvey Napier.').

Author: 
Macvey Napier [ born Napier Macvey ] (1776-1847), Scottish scholar, editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publication details: 
Place and date not stated.
£20.00

On 1.5 x 6.5 cm. strip of paper. In good condition, with light signs of age. Presumably cut from a letter in response to a request for an autograph.

'The Encyclopaedia Britannica Dinner given by Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace': 'Plan of Tables' and menu., attended by A.J. Balfour and all the great and the good. (up to 300 of them).

Author: 
[ Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace (1841-1919), Foreign Correspondent of The Times of London; Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publication details: 
Dinner held at the Hotel Cecil, London, 21 November 1902.
£60.00

Both items nicely printed and in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. ONE: 'The Encyclopaedia Britannica Dinner given by Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace. Hotel Cecil, Friday Evening, November 21st, 1902. Plan of Tables.' 28.5 x 80 cm, folding up into a 28.5 x 13.5 cm packet. Printed in black and red on the whole of one side, with the other side carrying a 'Programme of Music' ('M. G. Fericescu, Musical Director'), an alphabetical table, and a cover with engraved illustration. Made out in pencil to 'Mr. A. Williams | K24' (i.e. the Liberal MP Aneurin Williams).

[ Charles William Domville-Fife, author and imperialist. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Charles. W. Domville-Fife') to G. K. Menzies, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts, regarding 'a big undertaking' and 'kindnesses received'. With copy of prospectus.

Author: 
Charles William Domville-Fife (b.1886), editor of 'The Encyclopaedia of the British Empire' [ G. K. Menzies, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts ]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of the 'Editorial Offices' of 'The Encyclopaedia of the British Empire', Adelphi Terrace, Strand, London. 12 April 1924.
£135.00

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. With the date stamps of the Royal Society of Arts. He thanks him for 'the cuttings, several of which I had not seen', and states that he will be delighted to 'present a copy of my book to your library'. He had been meaning to give one 'at the conclusion of the exhibition'. He is grateful to Menzies for offering to review the book in the Society's journal, and is 'already so much indebted to te Royal Society of Arts for kindness received'.

Typed Letter Signed and Manuscript Letter by secretary with Autograph Signature from Arthur Mee to 'Miss Neale', declining an article for his 'Children's Newspaper' and giving his opinion of 'agencies for assisting people to write for publication'.

Author: 
Arthur Mee [Arthur Henry Mee] (1875-1943), British writer and journalist, editor of 'The Children's Encyclopaedia' and 'The King's England'
Publication details: 
Both on letterheads of 'The Children's Newspaper', The Fleetway House, Farringdon St, London, EC4. 5 and 11 August 1924.
£40.00

Both items signed 'Arthur Mee'. Typed Letter Signed: 5 August 1924. 1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. It would be a 'great pleasure' to him to be able to make use of the article she has sent him, 'but my papers are almost entirely in the hands of a staff of regular contributors', and he has 'very little opportunity of using outside contributions'. In a postscript he expresses pleasure at the fact that his 'papers come your way', and sends his regards to 'Patricia and David'. Manuscript Letter: 11 August 1924. Written by a secretary and signed by Mee. 1p., 12mo.

Autograph Note Signed from the historian Frederic G. Mather to R. E. Thompson, regarding his article on 'Buffalo' in the 'Encyclopaedia Americana'.

Author: 
Frederic G. Mather (1844-1925) [Rev. Robert Ellis Thompson (1844-1924), author]
Autograph Note Signed from the historian Frederic G. Mather
Publication details: 
15 November 1882; 315 Prospect St, Cleveland, Ohio, on cancelled letterhead of the Senate Chamber, Albany, State of New York.
£56.00
Autograph Note Signed from the historian Frederic G. Mather

8vo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. A covering letter for 'the supplementary article on Buffalo' (in the 'Encyclopaedia Americana' supplements to 'Encyclopaedia Britannica', 1883-1885, the first two volumes of which Thompson was editor).

Autograph Letter Signed to Dr Thompson, Edinburgh.

Author: 
James Thomson (1768-1855), editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica (1795-6); from 1805 parish minister in Eccles, Berwickshire [Rev. Thomas Lewis (d.1852) of the Union Chapel, Islington]
Publication details: 
Date not given (before 1852). 17 Stamford Street, Blackfriars.
£56.00

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip of black mount adhering at head on reverse (not affecting text). He has received Thompson's note 'intimating to me the necessity under which the Revd Mr Lewis and the Committee of Union Chapel find themselves reluctantly placed, to refuse our deputation an opportunity of pleading the Cause of our Society on the present occasion'. Refers to the 'great liberality of the Members of the Union Chapel' and 'their attachment to the good Cause'.

Autograph Letter Signed "D Brewster" to "Dr Bostock", Liverpool, medical writer, etc.

Author: 
Sir David Brewster.
Publication details: 
Edr 13 Hope Street, 25 May 1815.
£150.00

Natural scientist (see DNB). Two pages, 4to, some damage and marking but text clear and complete. "You will have probably seen from the progres of the Encyclopaedia, that we are now approaching very rapidly to the article Galvinism [underlined] which you were so kind as to undertake. We are printing at present the article Fortification . . . & I think we shall require it for press on the Ist of |September." He asks for an estimate of the number of sheets the article will occupy, how many plates or separate figures to illustrate.

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