ENGLISH

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. ONE: ALS to Bagnall. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Reads: ‘Dear Mr. Bagnall. / How very kind of you to write me such a charming letter. I did appreciate all you said – thank you very much / Sincerely yrs / Sybil Thorndike’. TWO: ACS addressed to ‘Victor Jones Esq. / 83. Ravenhurst Road. / Harborne. / Birmingham.’ Signed ‘Sybil Thorndike.’ Aged and discoloured, with address side lightly stained. She is not sure whether she thanked him for his ‘sweet letter & card for Xmas -it was such a very kind thought & I must seem ungracious!

See the entry what was wrote about him in the Oxford DNB. The archives of the recipient, Vere Henry Collins (1872-1966), are now housed in the library at Yale. All four items signed ‘Ernest Gowers’ ONE: ALS, 27 June 1952. 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, worn and spotted, with pin holes to one corner and short closed tear at edge of one of the two folds. Begins: ‘By all means. The more I look into your book the more I realise how true what I said was.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. On 15.5 x 5.5 cm slip of paper, cut from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged, with some show-through from the writing on the reverse. Reads ‘To Minna May / With my love / “Auntie” Gladys / Gladys Cooper / 1935’. See Image.The writing rises slightly across the page, and a small section at the bottom of the initial ‘G’ and the ‘y’ of ‘Gladys’ have been trimmed away. On the reverse is the following, in an unidentified hand: ‘Philatelic Minna May / Came to lunch with me today: / took my box of stamps away, / Says she’ll bring ’em back – some day!

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. A 17.5 x 9.5 cm rectangle of grey paper, torn from the conclusion of a letter, evidently in response to a request for an autograph. In good condition, lightly aged, with central vertical fold. Reads: ‘[…] part or else the picture will be gone. / Yours sincerely / F Brangwyn’. The ‘F’ of the signature is more lightly inked than the rest. See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The archives of the recipient are at Yale. Addressed to ‘Vere H. Collins Esq.’ and signed ‘Frank Swinnerton’. Written in Swinnerton’s distinctive minuscule hand. The central part of the letter has smudging from another letter lightly blotted over it (not near the signature), otherwise in good condition, lightly aged, and folded twice. He thanks him for sending a copy of his book ‘One Word and Another’. He has ‘already glanced through the book; but we have visitors here, with children, and I am writing an urgent article under great difficulties’.

See Kennington’s entry in the Oxford DNB. All six items in good condition, lightly aged. Previously pinned together, with Kennington’s letters folded for postage, and all three are 1p, 8vo, and signed ‘Eric Kennington’. ONE: Kennington ALS, 11 June 1956. Having conferred with Ackroyd’s clerk ‘Mr. Osborne’, he explains that he cannot give his attention to the portrait until September.

See her entry, and those of Robey and her husband, in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. With two folds. Addressed to ‘Geo Robey. Esq. C.B.E.’ and signed ‘Margaret Lloyd George.’ She gives details of a concert she is having at Downing Street the following month, ‘in aid of the Electrical Industries Association’, and has been asked by its committee to ‘invite your kindly assistance’.

See the entries for Mrs Maurice’s sister Octavia Hill and their mother Caroline Southwood Hill in the Oxford DNB. Book: viii + 77 + [1]. 12mo. Errata slip between pp.56 and 57. In original green cloth, gilt. Good copy, lightly aged and worn, in original green cloth binding gilt. Bookplate of Queen’s College, London, on front paste-down, stamped ‘WITHDRAWN’. Presentation inscription on recto of front free endpaper: ‘Queens College Library / Presented by Mrs C. S. Maurice / 1931’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, landscape 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with curling to inner edge. Central vertical fold. She thanks her for writing about ‘Broome Stages’, and is glad she enjoyed it. ‘You are quite right, it is a pleasure and an encouragement to hear that a book makes friends.’ She concludes, ‘Yes, I suppose the name did come from the Church: it gave me the idea, but it was pure chance, there is no association.’

Despite criticism for his supposedly sexist humour, Hill’s work was admired by men from the novelist Anthony Burgess to Michael Jackson and Burt Reynolds. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged, with light traces of glue from mount on reverse. An 8.5 x 14 cm photographic print, carrying an 8.5 x 10.5 cm black and white head and shoulders shot of a smirking Hill, staring fixedly at the viewer in black top. Inscribed in light ink in the blank patch beneath the image: ‘To Eric / Cheers! / Benny Hill’.

A successful member of an English artistic family. See the Oxford DNB entries on his father Joseph Severn (who nursed John Keats in Rome in his final illness) and sister Mary Newton. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of glue from mount to inner margin, and details typed at head. Folded once. Reads: ‘Dear Mrs FitzSimon / I have much pleasure in sending an autograph of my dear friend Sir F. Leighton. I send also the portrait of Keats. It is photogravure by Hollyer from one of my father’s pictures / Yours sincerely / Walter Severn’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium, the verso of the second leaf addressed, with two postmarks, to 'Mrs. William Smith / Park Street / Westminster'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Annotations in pencil in a modern hand. He begins by apologising for not being able to 'come to your party on Monday', as he was 'forced to go to Bed[.] I always knock up the 2d or 3d Week of London - There is nothing in this World so fatiguing, and horrible as pleasure -'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 9 x 11 cm piece of Whatman wove paper. Somewhat worn and creased, with a small nick to one edge, and slight damage from erasure of note on reverse. Folded. Reads ‘Dear Sr / many thanks / yours truly / Sydney Smith / May 11 1844.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged. Good firm attractive signature ‘John Betjeman.’On irregularly-shaped corner (approximately 9 x 7 cm) torn from a letter on cartridge paper. Reads ‘[...] pho[...] / [...]ed to se[...] / [...] author in this [...] / never be too hope[...] / [...]urs faithfully, / [...]HELL-MEX and B. P. LIMITED. / [signed] John Betjeman. / [...]urn of post unless otherwise stated’. Perhaps something to do with Shell Guides(?)See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged. Good firm signature ‘John Betjeman’ on 9 x 3 cm slip of paper. Laid down at the foot of one side of a 12mo leaf (extracted from an edition of his poems), at the foot of the Betjeman poem ‘Henley-on-Thames’. On the reverse, paginated 24, is his poem ‘East Anglian Bathe’. See Imagew

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, but lightly discoloured, with a large rectangle of sunning covering most of the lower part, and a neat crease at bottom right (not affecting the signature, which is partially sunned). Annotated in pencil by a later hand on the reverse. Betjeman’s handwriting is bad, so the following reading is tentative. ‘Dear Lady Jones, / I meant to write to you long ere this to tell you how grateful I was to you & Sir Roderick [Jones, her husband] for letting us [house?] this prize in your capacious drawing room.

See his entry, and that of George Doo, engraver, in the Oxford DNB. The four items are in good condition, lightly aged and worn The items of 1832 and 1838 are in the third person; those of 1837 and 1839 are signed, 'D. Wilkie' and 'David Wilkie' respectively. The 1832 letter, accepting a dinner invitation from 'Dr and Mrs Baillie', is 1p, 16mo; the other three items are each 1p, 12mo. In 1838 he writes to 'Capt Seymour' to ask for 'the present address of Sir William Knighton'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Wilkie was in a good position to assist Waagen, who was touring England making notes on significant art collections, for use in his ‘Kunstwerke und Künstler in England und Paris’ (3 vols, Berlin, 1837–39), which formed the basis for his influential ‘The Treasures of Art in Great Britain’ (translated by Lady Eastlake, 4 vols, London, 1854 and 1857). Wilkie had strong connections with Wellington. His 1822 painting ‘The Chelsea Pensioners reading the Waterloo Dispatch’ had been commissioned by the Duke, and was sold to him for the unheard-of sum of 1,200 guineas.

See his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of Art. 1p, 16mo. On a leaf, with curved corners, extracted neatly from an address book or diary. In good condition. A n oddly attractive item. Apart from the word 'MEMO' printed at the head of the page above a thick-thin rule, the only writing on the leaf is the name 'PETER BLAKE', with his address and phone number (both withheld), written in black ink a neat and childlike hand. See Image (onitting address and phone number).

See her entry, and that of Whittaker, in the Oxford DNB. 1p, landscape 12mo. A corner of the letter carrying a few words of text has been torn away on opening; it is still attached, beneath a red wax seal, so that the entire document is present in two parts. Otherwise in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Addressed by Mitford 'To / Messrs. Baynes & Son / 23 Paternoster Row'. Begins: 'Miss Mitford presents her Compts. to Mr.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The ‘Old Empire Club’, presided over by Field-Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar, was part of Imre Kiralfy’s ‘Empire of India’ exhibition. The voucher, printed in red, is an attractive item, 13 x 7.5 cm, with perforated edge. In good condition, laid down on leaf carrying typed biographical details. Signed ‘Fredk. Sandys.’ with stamped number 732. Reads: ‘Name and Address of the Holder must be filled in / OLD WELCOME CLUB, / EARL’S COURT. / FRIDAY, 27th AUGUST, 1897. / Gentlemen’s Voucher, No. [732] / Admit ... / of ... / Signed [Fredk.

LETTER ONE (to Wolfestan): 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Damage to text (including signature 'E. A. Storey') along inner edge of last page by clumsy removal from mount, repaired with archival tape. Otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. Folded. Wolfestan's letter is 'capital' and he hopes he will send it 'as it exactly backs up my own statement'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with the blank second leaf damaged on removal from mount. Addressed to an unnamed woman (‘Chère Madame’) and boldly signed ‘A. Legros’. He accepts her dinner invitation with ‘le plus grand plasir’.

A successful member of an English artistic family. See the Oxford DNB entries on his father Joseph Severn, brother Walter Severn and sister Mary Newton. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium on grey wove paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper from mount adhering to the blank verso of the second leaf, and details typed at head. Folded once.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Ingram's biography of Poe was responsible for his reabilitation, and his extensive collection of material relating to the writer is now in the University of Virginia. Entire small envelope (roughly 12 x 7 cm), self-printed with stamp. In good condition, lightly aged, with flap at back torn in opening of letter. With postmarks at front and back of the envelope, both dated 9 January 1875; front postmark from Malvern and back one from West Malvern. Addressed by Swinburne to ‘John H. Ingram Esq.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Reads: ‘Dear Mr Scarr: / I’m sorry but I have already engaged myself for three talks besides my offical three and, not being an extemporizer, can’t undertake any more. / Yours sincerely / Robert Graves’. See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both items are somewhat sunned, but in good overall condition. ONE: ALS. 1p, 4to. Folded three times for postage. Signed ‘John Masefield’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The two items were previously held together by a small dab of glue at the head of the letter. They are now separated, and traces of the glue remain, not affecting any text. Otherwise they are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: ALS, 30 December 1932. 1p, 12mo. Signed Hugh Walpole. He thanks him for his charming ‘Carol’: ‘I have been picking it out on the piano. And I send back the photo autographed. With every good wish for 1933’.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, on the first leaf of bifolium. (There are extensive pencil annotations in a later hand on the second leaf.) Very neatly written. Addressed to ‘J. G. Wilson Esqre.’ and signed ‘Anstey Guthrie’. He has ‘much pleasure’ in answering Wilson’s question. ‘‘Shut Out’ is a short story of mine which was published in Longmans Magazine about 1895 or 6, afterwards included in a volume of short stories under the title of “The Talking Horse”. I think published by Messrs. Smith & Elder - but now long out of print.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Lightly aged and worn. With central horizontal and vertical crease for postage, each quarter with double pinholes at the centre (from attachment of an enclosure?). Signature unaffected (it starts close to vertical crease). Reads: 'Dear Mrs. Lord / With the greatest pleasure - and with ten thousand apologies. I thought I had answered long ago. But letters lie in heaps in my tray & on my table - everywhere! and I carry them about in bags labelled carefully Unanswered until I dare no longer look inside.