SIR

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium, with the reverse of the second leaf docketed ‘Sir Richard Cross / Home Secretary’. In good condition, lightly aged, with strip of tape from mount adhering to second leaf, and lightly folded. Headed ‘Private’. Addressed to ‘Geo: Cubitt Esq M.P.’ and signed ‘Rrd: Assheton Cross.’ Reads: ‘Many thanks for your letter. I am glad that all is settled. / The Correspondence has been returned.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. Signed ‘W Dilke’. Embossed armorial letterhead of a falcon. The recipient is not named. In good condition, lightly aged, neatly inserted in trimmed windowpane mount. Twice folded for postage. Thirteen lines of text in his distinctive close backwards-leaning hand. The hand is not entirely straightforward, and what follows is a tentative reading.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. Lightly worn, with blank second leaf carrying traces of mount. The recipient is not named, and the letter is signed ‘Henry Halford’. The subject is probably Halford’s ‘Nugae Metricae’, privately printed in the same year.

2pp, 12mo. The five signatures in pencil on a single Festival letterhead. In good condition, slightly discoloured, with two unobtrusive dabs of glue from mount at head of reverse. The three signatures on the recto are headed by Noni’s large bold one: ‘Alda Noni / Edinburgh 1953’. Beneath this is that of ‘[Raul Herrman?] / (beardless) / Aug. 28, ’53’. At the foot is an indecipherable Easter European signature, with small pencil illustration: ‘[Woftniltuntz?]’. On the reverse: ‘Malcolm Sargent’ above ‘Michael Hordern’. Image on request.

See the entries on Tierney (Physician-in-Ordinary to George IV and William IV) and Freeling (also a noted bibliophile) in the Oxford DNB. The letter is 3pp, 12mo, with underlinings in red pencil (probably by Freeling), and the reverse of the second leaf carrying the address and annotations by Freeling and Critchett. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with folds for postage and strip of tape from mount adhering to reverse of second leaf, which also has a strip of paper with an ANS by Critchett laid down lengthwise along the outer edge.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. To ‘W Watts Esqre / &c &c &c’. With good firm signature, with flourish. Reads: ‘Dr Sir / Pray let me know who are the Principal Instrumental Solo performers for the Philharmonic Concert of Monday next? - / Yours truly / Henry R Bishop’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Philip Dosse (Summerson spells it ‘Dossé’) was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players. The five items are in good condition, lightly aged. The three letters signed ‘John Summerson’. ONE: ALS, 3 October 1973. 1p, 12mo. Two previous letters from Dosse were sent while Summerson was in Canada. ‘The book on Fischer von Erlach I will review with pleasure. I’m not sure that I want to do the Raj book as well – anyway, not in the same review.

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 his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 11 x 7 cm piece of grey paper, presumably cut from an album. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount on reverse. Reads: ‘Try & trust will move mountains - / J. M. de Robeck / 1919’. See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including ‘Books and Bookmen’ and ‘Plays and Players’. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice for postage. In autograph: ‘Dear Philip Dossé [sic]’ and ‘Yours sincerely / Richard Acland’. He begins by thanking Dosse for his ‘most generous letter’ with regard to his autobiography ‘Four Years Hard Labour’, and for the offer of a free advertisement in ‘Books and Bookmen’, continuing: ‘But how sad.

See her entry and his in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly creased paper. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr Robey’ and signed ‘E Londonderry.’ Begins: ‘We are holding a gigantic Jumble Sale on the 10th. of July – to help the Legion funds – We are calling it the Jazz Jumble Sale as there is a the dansant as well – A kind of fair we intend to make it & a member of the Royal family is going to open it in the afternoon. Will you be very kind and come and auction some of the things for us at four oclock.

See the entries for Cathcart and Dundas in the Oxford DNB. 1p, folio. In fair condition, on aged paper, with wear along one edge, and repair with archival tape along folds. Addressed ‘To / The Paymasters General of His Majesty’s Forces, or the Paymasters General for the time being -’. Signed ‘G Hotham Lt Genl. / D. Dundas Lt Gl.

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 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’.

Humphris wrote a number of books, including biographies of Fred Archer, Mathew Dawson, Adam Lindsay Gordon. See Power’s entry in the Oxford DNB. From Power’s library. The material is in good condition, lightly aged, in good tight green cloth binding made for Power, with ‘BOB POTT’ in gilt on spine. The printed article is 36pp, 4to, paginated 69-104, with two plates: black and white photographs of George Romney’s portraits of Pott and his wife Emily. A couple of minor manuscript emendations by the author at the start, and a few pencil annotations by Power.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Loose flowing signature, reading 'R Peel'. On a rectangle of paper, roughly 4.5 x 2.5 cm. Lightly discoloured and creased, with traces of glue on blank reverse from mount. See Image.

See his entry, and those of his father and brother, in the Oxford DNB. On rectangle of paper, roughly 8.5 x 3.5 cm. In good condition, lightly aged, with the 'Powell' of the signature slightly smudged, and traces of glue from mount on reverse. Reads '[...] and Love [...] / Yours truly / George Baden-Powell'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Dosse was the proprietor of Hansom Books, publishers of ‘Books and Bookmen’ and six other arts magazines. 1 p, 8vo. In good condition, folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Mr. Dossé’ (Dosse did not spell his name with an accent) and signed ‘Louis Blom-Cooper’ (the hyphen, if hyphen it is, consisting of a tiny dot). He is flattered by the request that he ‘contribute occasionally to Books & Bookmen’, and ‘in principle’ he is ‘very willing to review appropriate books’, having written ‘one or two reviews way back in the 1950s’.

See Mosley’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Hamm’s papers are in the University of Birmingham. The recipient Philip Dosse (1925-1980) was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players.ONE: Typed Letter Signed from ‘Jeffrey Hamm’ to ‘Mr. Dossé’ (Dosse did not employ an accent). 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and folded once. Begins: ‘Sir Oswald dictated this review over the telephone today on to my recording machine.

See his entry, and that of Lawrence, in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight nicking and damage at edges. Folded for postage. Signed ‘D. Y. C/’. Begins: ‘My dear Lawrence. / You are often in my thoughts & many a wondering I have as to you & what your life & work is in these grim and sinister days for each & all.’ He asks if his work is printed and his ‘two studios untouched’. ‘Here I am & my sister Katherine and I have much to do & many things to help & try to keep going when so many are away.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Plays and Players. Both items 1p, 4to. ONE (11 July 1972): Signed 'A. Wesker'. In good condition, with short closed tear at one edge of central postage fold. He begins by explaining how to apply for permission to print his play 'The Old Ones', adding: 'But as for writing an introduction to it, I am afraid I would prefer not to. It is a very simple, straight-forward play and doesn't need a great deal said about it.

Davidson is the longest-serving Archbishop of Canterbury since the Reformation. See his entry, and that of Cremer, in the Oxford DNB. Both items in good condition, lightly aged, and each with a postage fold. The first with glue to margin from mount. ONE (20 January 1891): 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Signed ‘Randall T. Davidson’. He thanks Cremer for his ‘letter about Mr Phillips’, and will bear in mind what he has said.

See Astley's entry in the History of Parliament (he was created a baronet at the end of the year in which this letter was written). The ‘Lavender’ mentioned in the letter is Bow Street Runner Stephen Lavender (fictionalized in a series of books by Karen Charlton), who was leaving to take up the position of Deputy Chief Constable at Manchester.1p, 4to. On recto of first leaf of bifolium. Verso of second docketed: ‘Chas. Humphreys / recomn to be an Officer’ and in another hand ‘Dugdale Asteley [sic]’. In good condition, lightly aged, with reverse of second leaf slightly grubby.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, torn along the inner edge on removal from mount. Addressed to ‘Chas. Fowler Esqr:’ (a vice-president of the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution) and signed ‘Rob. Smirke.’ Reads: ‘Dear Sir / May I request you will have the goodness to add the amount of the enclosed cheque for me to the collection recently made for the Artists Genl. Benevolent Institution.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Smiles names the recipient as ‘P. V. de Montgomery Esq’ and signs the letter ‘S Smiles’. He thanks him for ‘the shawl, which has duly come to hand’, continuing, ‘We reached town last night, after a very pleasant ten days trip, not the least pleasant part of which was our very delightful visit to Rydal Mount’. He is sending a copy of ‘the last Edition of Stephenson [his biography of Robert Stephenson] for Mrs Montgomery. It is not a lady’s book, yet she may possibly be interested by it’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. All four items are signed ‘Edward J. Poynter’. The first is somewhat discoloured, with cut corners (not affecting text), the others are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: ALS to ‘My dear Robin’, 11 July 1874. 1p, 12mo. He has received ‘the four £10 notes’ and reports ‘the most tremendous thunderstorms’. TWO: ACS to ‘Mr. Gilkes’, 30 July 1890. He apologises for being unable to ‘attend the distributions of the School prizes’ that day. THREE: ALS to ‘Waterlow’, 5 November 1905. 1p, 12mo. ‘Your letter gives me the key to the memorial.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, along with that of E. D. Morel, a campaigner like Roger Casement against abuses in the Belgian Congo. (Morel had been given a 'testimonial luncheon' two days before the writing of this letter.) 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, creased and worn. Folded for postage. Ten lines of stylishly-written text. Signed ‘W. Rothenstein’. After thanking her for writing he states: ‘Nothing could please me more than to feel that you care for something I have put into the painting of your noble husband.

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.