SHOW

[Spike Milligan, influential British comedian, originator of 'The Goon Show'.] Good bold Autograph Signature, on a leaf from an album.

Author: 
Spike Milligan [Terence Alan Milligan] (1918-2002), British comedian, originator of the BBC radio series 'The Goon Show', in which he performed with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine
Spike Milligan
Publication details: 
No place or date.
£35.00
Spike Milligan

See his entry, and those of Sellers, Secombe and Bentine, in the Oxford DNB. On 11.5 x 10 cm leaf of light-blue paper, extracted from an album. In good condition, lightly aged, with short crease to one corner. Nothing else is written on either side of the leaf, apart from the large spidery signature 'Spike Milligan'. See Image.

[Ruth Draper, American actress and dramatist, whose monologues influence Joyce Grenfell and others.] Autograph Letter Signed to ?Sir David [Ross]?, going into great detail about her eating arrangements while performing at Oxford.

Author: 
Ruth Draper (1884-1956), American actress and dramatist, whose monologues influenced many including Joyce Grenfell [Sir David Ross [W. D. Ross], Provost of Oriel, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University]
Publication details: 
5 April [no year but presumably between 1941 and 1944]. Cambridge.
£56.00

Draper inspired characters in two of Agatha Christie?s books. Among others impressed by her work were Bernard Shaw, Thornton Wilder, John Gielgud, Katharine Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, Laurence Olivier, Henry James, Henry Adams, Edith Wharton, Joyce Grenfell, Emma Thompson, David Mamet and Maureen Lipman. See Ross?s entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo, on bifolium of light-grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Addressed to ?Dear Sir David? and signed ?Ruth Draper.? Presumably written during Ross?s Vice-Chancellorship, 1941-1944.

[DICKENSIANA. Set of six ‘Pickwick Papers’ shadow casters (Mr Pickwick; Mr. Weller, Senr., Sam Weller, Jingle, [J]ob Trotter, Fat Boy) on card, four of them with dark areas carefully cut away, of which one is completed.

Author: 
DICKENSIANA. Six ‘Pickwick Papers’ shadow casters. [Charles Dickens; Magic Lantern Show]
DICKENSIANA
Publication details: 
No date. [Edwardian?] London?
£400.00
DICKENSIANA

A set of six scarce pieces of unusual Dickensiana. Difficult to date: the nature of the illustrations (printed in negative) gives them a modernist feel, but their purpose would place them before the 1920s. The six items, printed in black on pieces of grey-white card, range in size from 12 x 16.5 cm (‘SAM WELLER.’) to 4.5 x 6 cm (‘JOB TROTTER’). In good condition, lightly aged. Four of the six have soot stains on their blank reverses, presumably caused by the hot lantern.

[Juvenile ephemera: Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, Shadow Pictures.] Attractive illustrated handbill advertisement for ‘One Hour of Laughter’, ‘Entertainments for Children arranged by James Portland, The Childrens’ Entertainment Expert’.

Author: 
Juvenile ephemera: Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, Shadow Pictures; James Portland (fl. 1919), The Childrens' [sic] Entertainment Expert, London
children
Publication details: 
No date, but from around the time of the First World War. James Portland, The Childrens' [sic] Entertainment Expert, 39, Sinclair Road, Kensington, W 14. [London]
£220.00
children

An attractive piece of juvenile ephemera, printed in black on one side of a piece of 23.5 x 36.5 cm wove paper. In good condition, folded twice. The document is excessively scarce, no other copy having been traced, and little has been learnt about the advertiser. In 1919 Punch carried an advertisement for ‘Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, &c.’ from ‘James Portland, the Conjuror and Children’s Entertainer’. Four years later the ‘Model Engineer’ carried several advertisements from Portland as a supplier of ebonite.

[‘Ralom and Rosa’, English clown routine.] Typed Letter Signed from ‘Rosa’ to theatre historian W. Macqueen-Pope, singing the praises of their act, and threatening to leave for the continent if they cannot find ‘the right recognition’ in England.

Author: 
‘Ralom and Rosa’, English clowns (‘International Comedy Musicans with Concertinas & Piano’) [Walter James Macqueen-Pope (1888-1960), theatre historian]
Publication details: 
16 December 1956; on letterhead of ‘International Comedy Musicans with Concertinas & Piano / Clown / Ralom and Rosa’, 29 Hibbert Road, Leyton, London E17.
£120.00

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, 4to. On light-blue paper, with letterhead in dark-blue and red. Signed ‘Ralom’, with ‘RALOM & ROSA’ typed beneath. In good condition, lightly aged. Writing to MP at the Evening News, London. ‘There has [sic] been quite a few remarks passed by critics of the “paucity” of Acts in the Variety profession.

[Ralph Reader, Broadway and West End theatrical impressario.] Typed Letter Signed to theatre historian W. J. Macqueen-Pope, thanking him for writing about ‘the new Award’ [perhaps the Novello?] and giving his news.

Author: 
Ralph Reader (1903-1982), Broadway and West End theatrical impressario associated with Scouting movement Gang Show and FA Cup Final community singing [Walter James Macqueen-Pope (1888-1960)]
Publication details: 
26 June 1957; on his letterhead, 14b Fitzjohn’s Avenue, NW3 [London].
£42.00

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition. Signed ‘Ralph’ and addressed to ‘Dear Popie’. It was ‘extremely good’, ‘and typical too’, of MP to write to him ‘about the new Award’. He is ‘at Newcastle now with the Val Parnell Summer Show and we ring up on Monday’. MP will know ‘what we shall be going through at the moment!’ He ends by thanking him ‘VERY [sic] much for writing’.

[Flora Klickman' Girls' Own Paper] Autograph Note Signed Flora Klickman to unnamed male correspondent, making a financial contribution.

Author: 
Flora Klickman [Emily Flora Klickmann (1867 – 1958), journalist, author and editor].
Publication details: 
[Printed heading] The Flower-Patch, Near Tintern, Chepstow. Brockweir (holograph), 14 October 1933.
£35.00

One page, 12mo, very good condition. I enclose a guinea towards the Prize for the Flower Show, & hope you will have a very successful day. With all good wishes [...]. Note: She was the second editor of the Girl's Own Paper, but became best known for her Flower-Patch series of books of anecdotes, autobiography and nature description.

Commemorative card In Sacred Memory of the Officers, Crew and Passengers of the British Airship R.101 which crashed in France on Sunday Morning OCT. 5th 1930 with a loss of 48 lives . . .

Author: 
[ Airship disaster ; R101 ]
Publication details: 
[1930]
£35.00

Card, 4 pages, c.4 x 3, signs of wear but mainly good condition. First page a device of a cross in flowers and the phrase Thy Will be done; second page image of airship with a brief account of the disaster; thrid page In Sacred Memory . . .

[Beryl de Zoete, dance critic and orientalist.] Autograph Card Signed ('Beryl de Z.) to the anthropologist Erich Alport, regarding peonies and 'flower viewing'.

Author: 
Beryl de Zoete [married name Beryl de Sélincourt] (1879-1962), dance critic, orientalist and translator, partner of the sinologist Arthur Waley [Erich Adolph Alport (1903-1972), anthropologist]
Publication details: 
50 Gordon Square, WC [London]. Postmarked date 28 May 1950.
£65.00

In good condition, on aged card. Addressed to 'Erich Alport Esqe. | 195 Woodstock Rd. | Oxford'. The card reads: 'By dint of putting them up to their necks in water every night, all the peonies came out & are only just scattering their petals. I have been flower viewing all the week - two magnificent gardens & the Chelsea show. It was very nice to see you. I hope you will propose yourself again - after I get back from abroad.'

[Printed programme.] An Amateur Concert will take place in Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, [...] The Proceeds will be expended in the purchase of Coals, to be distributed previous to Christmas, among the poor of the Village.

Author: 
[Amateur Charity Christmas Concert at Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, Kent, 1869; C. Whitely; Miss Borton; T. B. Morrish; Harry Giles; W. & T. Dray; Miss Brice; E. Whomes; Miss Marshall]
Publication details: 
Eynsford, Kent. On Wednesday, December 15th, 1869. [E. Clarke, Printer, St. Mary Cray.]
£40.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium, on yellow paper. In good condition, on aged paper, with traces of mount at head of second leaf. The full title reads: 'An Amateur Concert will take place in Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, (Kindly lent for the occasion) On Wednesday, December 15th, 1869. | The Proceeds will be expended in the purchase of Coals, to be distributed previous to Christmas, among the poor of the Village.' Nine committee members are named on the first page, with details of tickets (to be 'obtained of any of the Committee, or Mr. T. M. G. Sharwood, Farmingham').

Decorative title-leaf of the sheet music of 'Lucy Neal, Sung with rapturous applause by Messrs. Sweeney and Barlow, in their vocal delineations of Nigger Life, and by the Ethiopian Serenaders, arranged and partly composed by Edward Clare.'

Author: 
Edward Clare [The Ethiopian Serenaders; Blackface; Minstrel Show]
Publication details: 
'London, Published by R. COCKS & CO. 6, New Burlington Street.' [1840s.]
£120.00

A loose 8vo leaf, roughly 26.5 x 19.5cm. In fair condition, on aged paper, with the edges strengthened with cream paper strips. The cover is decoratively printed, in a variety of types and point sizes. Priced at two shillings, and stated to be entered at Stationers' Hall. At the foot of the page, in capitals: 'The present arrangement is copyright; and the only correct edition of this beautiful negro melody in which the words are faithfully true to the original story, so popular among the negros [sic] in Alabama.' The reverse carries the beginning of the song, by 'Edwd.

Syndicate content