SIR

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He begins: 'You would see that we found room for an extract from the Camden Society report in last week's Chronicle'. He asks Nichol to 'find space for the enclosed letter in the Gentleman's Magazine'. He is 'acquainted with the pedigree in question', but does not think that 'Sir Bernard Burke's statements are in all cases to bee relied upon'. The letter continues: 'I do not know whether you are in Mr Potter's secrets.

5pp., 12mo. The letter proper is three pages long, on a bifolium, and is accompanied by a two-page 'list of times & places' on a separate leaf. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. With 18 x 23 cm letterhead, on the cover of which Thornton has written 'To | Sir Robert Head. Bart. | III | Zimmer Strasse 97 | Hier.', with his signature 'C. Thornton' in the bottom left-hand corner.

Written on a 4 x 11 cm piece of paper, cut from letter. Laid down on a 6 x 14 cm piece of grey paper, annotated in a contemporary hand: 'Admiral Sir George Willes'. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads 'Yours v. truly | George Willes'.

1p., 8vo. Laid down on a piece of card. Aged and discoloured, with chipping to extremities and some loss of text. The poem is sixteen lines long, arranged in two eight-line stanzas. The first stanza reads: '"Sometimes" - Althaea sighed - "in hours of sadness, | A sudden pleasure shines upon the soul; | The heart beats quick to half-heard notes of gladness, | And from the dark mind all its clouds unroll: | How comes this, Poet! You, who know things hidden, | Whence sounds that undersong of soft Content? | What brings such peace, unlooked-for & unbidden! | Answer me!

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with tape repairs to reverse causing staining along fold line. The note reads: 'Dear Sir | If you will come to The Star at a quarter before nine o'C., we are to be shown the picture of the Waterloo Banquet at that time at my particular request'. Salter's painting was exhibited to the public in 1841. It is now in Apsley House. As another artist of large-scale historical works Hayter would have taken a particular interest in it.

1p., 8vo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The letter begins: 'Dear Madam | As I only landed in England yesterday your two letters of May 31st: and June 9th. have only just reached me.' He thanks her for forwarding photographs, which he is returning, and informs her 'that the Isle of Wight is at present not considered a suitable climate for my wife'.

Both items 1p., 16mo, and both in good codition, on lightly-aged paper. The first note reads: 'Mr. Charles Hallé presents his respectful compliments to Lady Blanche Drummond and would feel greatly obliged if she would kindly take his lesson to-morrow at 4 o'clock instead of half past three.' The second confirms the time for a second lesson.

The three items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. One is slightly creased, and the other two carry minor traces of rust from a paperclip. All three are accompanied by their envelopes, each bearing a circular royal stamp in purple, and a 'LONDON SW1 OFFICIAL PAID' postmark in red. ONE: 28 May 1954. 1p., 12mo. 'I am commanded by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to thank you for your letter, and for the leaflet announcing a reproduction of the "Album of Redouté".

1p., 8vo. On grey paper. Aged and worn, with chipping, glue stains and remains of gummed label. Laid down on leaf removed from album. The document reads: '548 [i.e. the number of the despatch] | Kabul 28 Decr | To O.C. Jagdalah. | In continuation of this office No 544 the O.C. is directed to request he will at once arrange to send a sufficient party to hold Seh Baba. | He is also to arrange to escort the <?> sent with Capt Tucker as far as Lataband or Butkhak if necessary, on their return journey. | They should return on Wednesday'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with a small closed tear to one edge. He informs the recipient that his portrait of Garrick is 'the second state of the engraving: the first is before all letters. | The person who engraved the lettering evidently made a mistake.' He notes an inscription sometimes found on impressions of the second state of the engraving, and change made in the third state.

On a rectangular label, gummed on the reverse. In fair condition, on aged paper, with traces of paper adhering to the gummed side. The notice reads: 'The Librarian regrets that he has to inform you that owing to your breach of Stat. Cap. XLI 9a (Consumption of Edibles) he must forbid you the use of the Bodleian and Camera until the matter can be dealt with by the Curators. | Dr. H. Koeppler, | Magdalen College.'

2pp., foolscap 8vo. On two leaves, with the second attached at the head of the blank reverse to a piece of grey card. In fair condition, on aged paper. He writes that he will be 'very glad to sign the memorandum enclosed with your letter of the 14th instant in support of Professor Gilbert Murray'. He proceeds to remark at length on a 'statement in the last paragraph of the memorandum as to the working of Proportional Representation'.

The list of officers and members is printed on one side of a piece of 49 x 31 cm paper. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight damage caused by removal from an album. The Club's President is named as Herbert, the Treasurer as Viscount Wolmer MP of University College, and the Secretary as E. W. Benison of Magdalen. Five committee members are named, followed by the members in alphabetical order in two columns, from 'Amery, L. S., All Souls College' to 'Yerburgh, R. D. T., University College'.

3pp., 8vo. 72 lines. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Clark is writing again 'at the instigation of Friends', and hopes that 'in a Case of such vast public as well as private Importance, involving the Rights the Liberty & the Property of the Subject, you will extend to me your generous & powerful aid, at the Bar, or in the Senate'. His petition to the king (regarding 'Slotts Well'), certified by Horne, was suppressed, and he 'applied to Lord Eldon to present a Petition for me to the House of Peers'.

The list of officers and members is printed on one side of a piece of 49 x 31 cm paper. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight damage caused by removal from an album. The Club's President is named as Herbert, the Treasurer as Viscount Wolmer MP of University College, and the Secretary as E. W. Benison of Magdalen. Five committee members are named, followed by the members in alphabetical order in two columns, from 'Amery, L. S., All Souls College' to 'Yerburgh, R. D. T., University College'.

13pp., 8vo. Stitched, in grey printed card wraps. In very good condition. Originally printed as an appendix to the 'Report of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association held at Hot Springs, Virginia, August 26, 27 and 28, 1903.' Scarce: no copy on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for his letter. 'The two Seymour books have no arrived and I will let you have the review as soon as I can get round to it.'

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. Addressed by Thynne, with two small seals in red wax, on reverse of the second leaf, 'For Wm. Blackett Bart | At Mr. Morlands in Manchester Court | Cannon Rowe | Westm[inste]r.' In fair condition, on aged and dusty paper. The letter reads: 'Sr | Had I not Recd yors of this day I should not have failed of Sending you the acquittance for the mony Recd upon the Bill you sent me which was very punctually paid, for which I Returne you many thanks and also the Usuall acquittance for theh Same. I am wth. great respect | Yor very humble Servt | H. Thynne'.

A significant letter, filling gaps in the provenance of Bellini's Crucifixion, now in the Louvre. All that has been known hitherto about the painting's provenance is that at the beginning of the twentieth century it was in the Paris collection of the banker Rodolphe Kann, and that before the Second World War it was owned by the Florentine dealer Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, from whose heirs it was acquired by the Louvre in 1970.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one edge. Regarding their previous correspondence, Calvert has 'directions to request' Ridge to inform him, 'if you are aware of any Steps having been taken, for conveying back the Clothing for M: General Wattevelle's [sic] Regiment, from Sicily to Cadiz - where that Corps is now stationed'. From Cadiz the Watteville's Regiment would be transferred to Upper Canada, where it would take part in the War of 1812.

17pp., 8vo. Stitched. With label and shelfmark of the Education Department Reference Library. The letter is dated on 19 June 1882, from Gresham College, London, EC. Scarce: no copy in the British Library, or on COPAC.

A substantial letter, 3pp., foolscap 8vo. 100 lines of text. Bifolium. In very good condition, on aged paper, with one closed along crease line neatly repaired with archival tape. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with Chatham postmark, frank, and black wax seal, to 'Viscount Ingestrie M:P. | 2 Wilton Crescent | Belgrave Square | London'. An interesting document, in which a distinguished Victorian naval architect makes detailed criticisms of an innovation in his field. (HMS Gorgon was designed by Sir William Symonds and launched in 1837.

8vo, in worn and damaged black cloth. Three sample spines in green cloth are laid down on the front free endpaper, and three sample brown leather spines gilt on the rear pastedown.

The 40 items range in size from 25 x 19cm to 5 x 4.5cm. All in good condition, lightly-aged, and all but five laid down on the grey paper leaves of a heavily-worn album, with back cover loose, and with ownership signature of Sir Michael's wife Elisabeth Clapham at head of first page. The couple married in 1935, and one of the 40 items is a card with text in red featuring Elisabeth's maiden name. It conveys 'Good wishes for Christmas & the New Year from Elisabeth Rea | 6 Barton Street, S.W.1'.

In addition to his pioneering cinematographic work, Herkomer was a theatrical innovator. As Lynda Nead points out in her 'The Haunted Gallery' (Yale, 2007), it was shortly after the opening of his art school that 'he and his students created an auditorium, modelled on Wagner's Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, for public performances of plays, written, directed and, indeed, performed by Herkomer'. See also M. A. K. Taylor, 'The New Stagecraft' (1953); J. Stokes, 'Resistible Theatres' (1972); and L. M. Edwards, 'Herkomer: A Victorian Artist' (1999). These five items all relate to the project.

ONE (Elliott's letter): 3pp., 12mo. 34 lines. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, loosely attached to the title-leaf of the book by a small piece of gummed paper. The letter begins: 'My dear Driberg | I ought to have acknowledged your letter sooner, but I only received it on my return from abroad, and since then I have been busy struggling with the arears which always accrue during absence.' He thanks him for sending his 'son's little volume', which he has read 'with much interest & congratulate him on the neat & modest appearance he has made in print'.

The document is 1p., 4to. It is in fair condition, on thin aged paper, with the remains of two red wax seals, and backed with paper. With the receipt stamp of the London & County Bank. The letter is in French, and signed 'Persiani' and relates to a payment from the Russian exchequer, drawn on Baring Brothers of London, to Alexandre Mintshaki, son of 'Son Excellence Mme. Sophie Mintschaki, défunte'. Malet's note reads: 'I certify the above to be the signature of Monsieur Persiani 1st. Secretary of the Russian Legation at Athens.

1p., 8vo. With mourning border. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-ruckled paper. After exclaiming 'How kind of you!' Pinero explains that he has been 'inoculated regularly since the autumn, and it has done me no good'. He continues: 'No, I won't say that; I might have been worse but for the injections.' He concludes by stating that he will show Shore's letter to his doctor, 'to prick his conscience'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on creased and aged paper. Docketted on reverse: 'Ld de Blaquiere to Sir R A | 1772.' The letter begins: 'It may give you some pleasure to hear, & it may be of some use to you, to know; that Ld. Harcourt is appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. I have not however the merit of giving you the intelligence, it is, by my Lord's desire, and His Lordship tells me [last four words deleted] that I shall certainly attend him to that Country as the principal secretary.' He concludes by inviting Ainslie, on Harcourt's behalf, to dinner the following day.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with minor repair to reverse. A printed document, completed in McKenzie's autograph and signed by him, with the signature of 'Glasgow' at the head. Note: Frederick Pirani was appointed acting professor of mathematics at Melbourne University in 1874, and in 1893, he was elected to the New Zealand parliament."