MINIATURE

[Medieval religious illustration: ‘MISSAL RHEIMS’.] Two detailed miniature illuminated illustrations of the the temptation of Christ by the Devil, on vellum, in medieval religious style, each docketed ‘MISSAL RHEIMS’.

Author: 
[Medieval religious illustration: ‘MISSAL RHEIMS’ (illuminated manuscript from Reims, France?)]
Reims
Publication details: 
Both said to be from a Rheims (Reims, France) missal. Either dating from the thirteenth or fourteenth century, or copies of such illustrations.
£250.00
Reims

Two sprightly illustrations - bright, fresh and detailed - in vibrant colours (cobalt blue, light blue, pink, red purple, black, green), each with the background painted in gilt. The illustrations would appear to be genuine, but may be copies. Each is on a rectangle of vellum, and both are remarkably clean if indeed seven or eight centuries old. Each has traces of glue from previous mounting on the reverse. No text or other design on either side of the pieces. Both have ‘MISSAL RHEIMS’ in pencil above the illustration, and ‘1ST VELLUM’ at foot. ONE: On 7.5 x 12 cm piece of vellum.

[Leadenhall Press; lacking the miniature book but that's a story to be told below] Quads within Quads for Authors, editors, and devils

Author: 
[Leadenhall Press]
Publication details: 
London : Field and Tuer. Simpkin: Hamilton. 1884
£450.00

Title from cover of enlarged edition: Quads within quads. 94, [2] pages : illustrations; 16 cm. LACKING miniature book. PROSPECTUS, 10 x 11cm, tipped onto front free endpaper. Condition of contents good, but foxing of endpapers and edges of other pages. Covers sl. mottled. SEE IMAGE. A collection of printer's jokes from Paper and Printing Trades Journal. Edition statements at head of titles: Enlarged edition, Midget folio substituted by a note written by Miniature Collector, E.G.

[Louis Bondy, London antiquarian bookseller.] Printed handbill, with biography and photograph, endorsing ‘Louis W. Bondy’ in the 1953 Holborn Borough By-Election, ‘South Bloomsbury Ward - E’. With Autograph Note Signed to Andrew Block.

Author: 
Louis Bondy [Louis Wolfgang Bondy] (1910-1993), London antiquarian bookseller and local politician, Labour Party councillor for Holborn in the Greater London Council [Andrew Block]
Publication details: 
Thursday 25 June 1953; ‘Printed by J. Stafford Thomas, Ltd., (T.U.), 177 Bermondsey Street, S.E.1 and Published by John Peel, 78 Witley Court, W.C.1.’
£65.00

See Nicolas Barker’s obituary of Bondy in the Independent, 27 June 1993. The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. An evocative piece of booktrade and London local government ephemera. 2pp, 8vo. Printed on a leaf of shiny art paper. Worn and creased; folded twice. On one side ‘L. W.

[Samuel Lover, Irish painter, author, entertainer.] Autograph Letter in third person to Sir Thomas Gery Cullum and wife, explaining why pressures of 'public engagement' mean he must stay at his hotel rather than enjoy 'the hospitality of Hardwicke'.

Author: 
Samuel Lover (1797-1868), Irish miniature painter, author, songwriter and singer, friend of Charles Dickens [Sir Thomas Gery Cullum (1777-1855) of Hardwick House, his wife Lady Ann Cullum (1807-1875)]
Publication details: 
26 February 1845; Bell Hotel, Bury St Edmunds.
£100.00

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, 'In 1844 Lover abandoned miniature painting as a result of failing eyesight but continued to paint and exhibit landscapes. He invented a new form of entertainment which he called Irish Evenings, a monologue of songs, recitations, and stories, all of his own composition. These he performed at the Princess's Concert Rooms, London.' Between 1846 and 1848 he toured North America with great success. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice.

[ Minnie Walters Anson, English miniaturist. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed to 'Miss Newcomb' [ secretary of Marcus Adams Limited], regarding miniatures made from photographs of children taken by her brother-in-law Marcus Adams

Author: 
Walters Anson [ Minnie Walters Anson ] (1875-1959), RMS [ Royal Miniature Society ], miniaturist [ Lambeth School of Art ], wife of artist Chris Adams (1867-1960), brother of Marcus Adams
Publication details: 
Both on her letterhead ('WALTERS ANSON, R.M.S.'), 48 Parkstone Avenue, Parkstone, Dorset. 6 and 11 February 1950.
£180.00

Both letters 2pp., 12mo. Both in good condition, lightly-aged, the second with the first page lightly crossed through in pencil. The letters relate to work done for the firm of her brother-in-law Marcus Adams (described in his Times obituary as 'the outstanding child photographer of his day and photographer to the Royal Family for more than 30 years'), at 43 Dover Street, Mayfair. She begins the first letter by explaining that she has 'endeavoured to make the Woodall miniature like the snapshot, but unless they are really satisfied I had better do another.

[Blanche Gottschalk, British miniaturist.] Photograph captioned '(The late) Miss Blanche Gottschalk in her Studio 1923', showing the artist before her easel, with several works of art around her.

Author: 
Blanche Gottschalk (b. circa 1864), RMS (Royal Miniature Society), British miniature painter
Publication details: 
Without date or place. (London, 1923?)
£150.00

10 x 8.5 cm original print of black and white photograph. In frail condition, with slight loss to one corner, and another corner torn away and repaired with archival tape. A full-length view of the elegant artist, in long painter's robes, pointing a brush at a painting on an easel, with three paintings, including a miniature, on the wall behind her, and two paintings leaning against the same wall, and a small sculpture on a painted clock behind the easal. There is no representation of Gottschalk in the National Portrait Gallery collection.

Autograph Letter Signed ('W. J. Newton') from the miniature painter Sir William John Newton to James Lakyn, regarding damage to his house in Argyle Street caused by building works.

Author: 
Sir William John Newton (1785-1869), miniature painter to King William IV and Queen Victoria [Richard Westmacott (1799-1872); Burrell & Valpy, architects]
Sir William John Newton (1785-1869), miniature painter to King William IV and Qu
Publication details: 
19 October 1864; 6 Argyle Street, London.
£60.00
Sir William John Newton (1785-1869), miniature painter to King William IV and Qu

12mo, 3 pp. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. 'Mr Westmacott [the sculptor Richard Westmacott the younger?]' has called on him, and he has 'shown him the settlement all down my Wall - I told him that you had seen it but did not contemplate any immediate danger - he said that Mr Valpy [Henry Valpy (fl.1851-1885) of the architects Burrell & Valpy] was out of town'. Westmacott will write to Valpy, as he thinks there ought to be 'a conference with' Lakyn, who 'should be requested to make a report'.

[Pickering's Diamond Classics.] Quintus Horatius Flaccus.

Author: 
The Pickering Horace' [Quintus Horatius Flaccus; William Pickering, London publisher; Charles Corrall, printer; Pickering's Diamond Classics; miniature books]
Publication details: 
Londini: Typis C. Corrall; Impensis Gul. Pickering, 31, Lincoln's Inn Fields. MDCCCXX.' [London: William Pickering, 1820. Printed by Charles Corrall.]
£450.00

A bibliographical landmark: the first issue of the first volume in Pickering's series of 'Diamond Classics' 32mo: [ii] + 185 + [i] + [i]. Engraved frontispiece portrait of 'Horace' by R. Grave, facing engraved titlepage, which precedes the letterpress titlepage. On the reverse of the leaf with p.185 on its recto is a portrait of Sir Francis Bacon, captioned 'Advancement of Learning.' On the page facing this are the 'Corrigenda.' Tight copy, on aged paper, with a few dogeared pages, in contemporary black russia binding with boards and spine ornamented in gilt and title 'HORATIUS'.

Engraving of four portraits, entitled '(Bucks have at you all or who's afraid)'.

Author: 
John Kay (1742-1826), Scottish miniature painter and caricaturist [Dr Eiston; Hieronymo Stabilini; Francis McNab; Captain McKenzie]
Publication details: 
[Edinburgh]; 1786.
£25.00

Plate size roughly four and a half inches by four and a quarter wide, on paper six inches by five wide. 'Kay fecit' in bottom left-hand corner and date in bottom right. Good clean image on aged paper with some wear to blank border. The figures are identified in pencil at foot as 'McNab, K. McKenzie, Easton [^surgeon in the army] & Stabilini'. They are named as Eiston, Stabilini, McNab and McKenzie' by the National Portrait Gallery.

Two Autograph Letters Signed to Sir William Charles Ross.

Author: 
Thomas Carrick
Publication details: 
August 9 and 30; both from 43 Upper Seymour St, Portman Square, London.
£65.00

Miniature painter and chemist (1802-75) with Carlisle and Newcastle connections. The recipient (1794-1860) was a miniature-painter and member of the Royal Academy. Both letters in poor condition, on discoloured, worn and stained paper, but with no loss to text. In LETTER ONE (two pages, 12mo) he states his willingness to meet Ross 'to talk over the matter to whicy your letter of yesterday refers', undertaking to 'enage with Mr. Thorburn to meet us'.

Autograph Signature on fragment of letter.

Author: 
Charles Hayter
Publication details: 
24 June 1825; 16 Buckingham Street, Portland Road.
£18.00

British miniature-painter (1761-1835). Dimensions of paper roughly seven and a half inches by one and a quarter. Good, on good-quality laid paper, but slightly creased and grubby at sides. Reads '[Signed] Charles Hayter 16 Buckingham Street | Portland Road | June 24. 1825'. Docketed to the right of signature and address. From a collection of material relating to the Artists' General Benevolent Fund.

Autograph Signatures on fragment of letter.

Author: 
William Behnes and Sir William Charles Ross
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£25.00

Behnes (died 1864) was a sculptor of high renown. Ross (1794-1860) was a miniature painter whose work includes portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Paper dimensions roughly 4 1/2 inches by 2 inches. In good condition. Reads 'William Behnes | W. C. Ross'. On verso 'my Apartments, should <...> | to the utmost of my hop <...> | be inadequate to extricat <...>'.

Autograph letter signed to R. Ackermann.

Author: 
W.H. Watts.
Publication details: 
21 Cecil Street, Strand, 12 June 1811.
£85.00

Journalist and miniature painter (1776-1842).

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