LONSDALE

[‘The Last of Mrs Cheney’, Frederick Lonsdale play made into three Hollywood films.] Material relating to first stage production, at St James’s Theatre, London, including playscript, manuscript cast rolls, furniture and upholstery lists and invoice.

Author: 
Frederick Lonsdale (1881-1954), English playwright, author of ‘The Last of Mrs Cheney’, produced at St James’s Theatre, London, made into three Hollywood films; Gladys Cooper; Sir Gerald Du Maurier
Publication details: 
Material from 1925 and 1926, relating to production at the St James's Theatre, London, including items from Ernest Williams Ltd, 27 Davies Street, Berkeley Square, W1.
£420.00

Lonsdale’s entry in the Oxford DNB has the following to say: ‘In 1925 The Last of Mrs Cheyney was produced at the St James's Theatre, with the leading roles played by Gladys Cooper, Ellis Jeffreys, Ronald Squire, and Sir Gerald Du Maurier. This, Lonsdale's most famous play, ran for 514 performances [from 22 September 1925] in London, and enjoyed comparable popularity in New York, Berlin, and Paris.

[‘The best private Collection in the Kingdom’: William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale.] Autograph Letter Signed regarding excavations at Moresby Hall, Cumbria, and his ‘collection of Statues in Roman & Greek antiquities’.

Author: 
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (1787-1872), styled Viscount Lowther, 1807-1844, Tory politician [Moresby Hall, Cumbria]
Publication details: 
No date or place.
£120.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Signed ‘Lonsdale’. Recipient (‘Dear Sir’) not named. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin neat strip of windowpane mount at edges. Folded twice for postage. He has received the recipient’s letter, and is ‘sorry on different accounts the excavations have not arrived at a better success.

[George IV, King of Great Britain.] Warrant, signed 'George R.', and also signed by Chancellor of the Exchequer Nicholas Vansittart, Lord Lowther and Lord Granville Somerset, regarding 'Pensions to late Servants of Younger Princes'.

Author: 
George IV (1762-1830), King of Great Britain and Ireland; William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (1787-1872); Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley (1766-1851); Lord Granville Somerset (1792-1848)
Publication details: 
'Given at our Court at Carlton House the 1st. day of May 1820 In the First year of our Reign'.
£350.00

2pp, folio. On a single leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to inner edge of first page. Folded twice. Good firm signature of the king ('George R.') at top left of first page, which has a thin mourning border. Left hand margin of first page with embossed £1 10s tax stamp. Written out ('By His Majesty's Command') in a secretarial hand, and addressed 'To The Husband for taking up all Goods consigned from Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands on Account of the Duties of Four Pounds and one Half Pounds per Centum'.

[ H. Lonsdale Elmes, architect. ] Autograph Note Signed ('H. Lonsdale Elmes') to Henry Howard, Secretary, Royal Academy, giving the name of a drawing for exhibition.

Author: 
H. Lonsdale Elmes [ Harvey Lonsdale Elmes ] (1814-1847), English architect, designer of St George's Hall, Liverpool
Publication details: 
No place or date.
£180.00

On 10 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut down from a longer letter. Aged and worn, with traces of glue and grey paper mount adhering to the reverse, which is addressed by Elmes to Howard at the Royal Academy. Reads: 'I send with this one drawing for Exhibition with my name at the back of which the following is the description | "Design for a National Museum comprised in a space of two Acres | H. Lonsdale Hunter | 11 Park Street | Westminster'. Note: Perhaps he was quoting for St George's Hall(?).

[Mary Anne Stirling, actress.] Autograph Note in the third person, thanking the music publisher Christopher Lonsdale of Old Bond Street 'for his great kindness - not only now but always shewn to her by him'.

Author: 
Mary Anne [Fanny] Stirling [née Hehl] [Mrs Stirling] (1813-1895), English actress [Christopher Lonsdale, music publisher, Old Bond Street, London]
Publication details: 
Docketed with date 31 May 1869.
£30.00

2pp., 12mo. In envelope addressed by Stirling to 'C Lonsdale Esqre. | Bond Street'. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. 'Mrs. Stirling does not know how to thank Mr. Londsdale for his great kindness - not only now but always shewn to her by him. Mrs. Stirling remembers that she has the full store of the Midsummer Nights' [sic] Dream belonging to Mr. Lonsdale but she is warned by Mr. Lonsdale's Messenger that she must not now stop to thank Mr. Lonsdale fully, as she would wish.'

Printed handbill proposing the establishment of the Blamire Memorial. With five Autograph Letters Signed (by the peers Cleveland, Devonshire, Feversham, Lonsdale, Spencer) to Howard on the same subject.

Author: 
Philip Henry Howard (1801-1883), M.P. for Carlisle [William Blamire (1790-1862) of Thackwood Nook, Whig M.P. for Cumberland; Blamire Memorial; Cleveland; Devonshire; Feversham; Lonsdale; Spencer]
Publication details: 
All six items dating from 1862.
£180.00

An interesting collection, with some revealing comments within the correspondence. All six items are laid down on a folio leaf of pink paper removed from an autograph album. All clear and complete, in good condition on aged paper, with the Feversham letter somewhat grubby. The handbill (12mo, 1 p), on behalf of the Committee for the Blamire Memorial, and in the names of Henry Londsdale and Henry Dobinson, is headed 'BLAMIRE MEMORIAL', and dated 'Carlisle, Oct. 7th, 1862.' It reports the resolutions of a meeting held on 4 October 1862.

Autograph Signatures on fragment of petition.

Author: 
Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey, William Frederick Witherington, John Jackson, James Lonsdale, Thomas Christopher Hofland, Robert Balmanno
Publication details: 
Without place or date (but before 1831).
£45.00

Four noted British artists of the earlier part of the nineteenth-century: Witherington (1785-1865), Jackson (1778-1831), Lonsdale (1777-1839), and Hofland (1777-1843), together with the sculptor Chantrey (1781-1841), and the art critic and connoisseur Balmanno (1780-1861), who left England for America in the early 1830s. Paper dimensions roughly three inches by four. Creased, and on paper discoloured with age, with show-through from remains of seal under Chantrey's signature. Reads 'J Chantrey | W. F. Witherington | John Jackson | James Lonsdale. | T. C. Hofland | Robert Balmanno'.

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