THORPE

An indication of how slavers spent the fruits of their slaves’ labours. With the advent of slavery studies William Atherton has been the subject of a deal of interest, reflected on his Wikipedia page. Thorpe and Lee are listed as coachmakers at 210 Holborn in 1791; in 1803 the firm is named as Thorpe and Co at the same address. The two items are written out in a secretarial hand, each on a long strip made by cutting a folio leaf in half vertically. Both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Each with slight damage from the breaking open of the wafer.

The item is from the papers of the second wife of the geologist Alexander Henry Green (1832-1896), previously Miss Wilhelmina Maria Armstrong of Clifton. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. An interesting letter, indicating a positive and encouraging response from a member of the Victorian scientific establishment to a female worker in the field. The letter begins: 'Dear Mrs. Green. | Enclosed are two notes from Dr. Armstrong relative to your paper. As I informed you I thought there was just a doubt whether the paper was exactly of a style for the Chem. Soc. Journ.

Both items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, and stapled together. Between 1960 and 1963 Morley was producer of ITV current affairs series 'This Week'. ONE: ALS from 'Jeremy' to 'My dear Peter'. 3 June 1960. 1p., 12mo. Enclosing the 'preliminary Memorandum', and giving his contact details at the Liberal Club. 'In Kenya I have very good contacts who cd lay on a private plane (gratis!) to investigate the re-emergence of mau mau. | In the Protectorate I think I cd arrange Transport.' He ends by opining that 'this scheme has possibilities'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He has been informed by 'The Rev. Mr. Bedford' that Thorpe is 'very conversant with Archaeological matters', and asks whether he has 'met with a Seal fo Abp. Cranmer'. Gorham is 'getting drawings of four of his Seals, for probable publication'. Bedford 'thinks there is a drawing of one among the Ashmole MSS.' but Gorham does not remember seeing one there. He hopes to 'have 2 or 3 hours in Oxford on Monday, & will look for it'.

23pp., 12mo, paginated 97-119. Stapled. In grey printed wraps. With stamp, shelfmarks and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, otherwise in good condition, on aged paper. Scarce: no copy in the British Library or on COPAC.

Typescript of 'The Balloon': landscape 8vo, 24 pp. Text clear and complete. On aged paper. With pencil emendations (including the deletion of a number of passages) on practically every page. Described by Cross as a 'radio composition' and a 'fantasy for broadcasting', 'The Balloon' presents an absurd take on T. S. Eliot's verse plays. It was transmitted on the Scottish Home Service of the BBC in 1946, with music by Cedric Thorpe Davie (1913-1983). There is no record of it having been published. The five typed letters total seven 4to pages. The autograph letter is landscape 12mo, 1 p.

Dimensions of paper roughly eight inches by five; dimensions of print four and a quarter inches by three and a half. Good clean image, on paper aged and creased at extremities only. A wild-haired octogenarian Gent leans on a pile of books in a stone archway, holding open a copy of his History of Rippon (1733). Taken from Thorpe's edition of Gent's 'Life', published in 1832.