T.J.

[ T. J. Wise: Proof of what would be the first volume of his Tennyson bibliography, with Signed Autograph Inscription to W. M. Rossetti. ] A Bibliography of the Writings of Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Author: 
'T. J. W.' [ Thomas James Wise; T. J. Wise ] (1859-1937), book collector, forger and thief [ William Michael Rossetti (1829-1919); Rose Esther Dorothea Sketchley (1875-1949) ]
Publication details: 
'Of this Book One Hundred Copies Only have been Printed.' London: Printed for Private Circulation. 1907. [ Printer not named, but with date stamp of Richard Clay and Sons, Bread Street Hill, E.C. [ London ], and Bungay, Suffollk, 1 November 1907. ]
£950.00

Alan Bell, in his entry on Wise in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, characterizes him as 'both a careless and a dishonest bibliographer' (see also Simon Nowell-Smith, 'T. J. Wise as Bibliographer' in the Library, 1969). One of Wise's aims was clearly to legitimize his forgeries, and as John Collins states in 'The Two Forgers' (1992), his bibliographies are all 'more or less tarred with Wise's own publications'.

[Pamphlet by Richard Cobden-Sanderson, inscribed by the author.] Poems by Jessie Grosvenor.

Author: 
Jessie Grosvenor [Richard Cobden-Sanderson (1884-1964), printer and publisher]
Publication details: 
Richard Cobden Sanderson, 17 Thavies Inn [London]. 1921. [Woods & Sons, Ltd., Printers, Upper St., London, N.1.
£200.00

23 + [1]pp., 12mo. Stitched, in blue printed wraps. Aged and worn, with creasing to wraps and fly-leaf, which is inscribed 'Ivor James | from | J. A. Grosvenor | May 20. 1921.' Excessively scarce: the only copy on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat at the British Library.

[William Angus Knight, Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of St Andrews.] Autograph Letter Signed ('W. Knight.') to James Dykes Campbell, expressing regret at revealing the existence of Wordsworth's 'Axiologus' sonnet, and attacking T. J. Wise

Author: 
William Angus Knight (1836-1916), Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of St Andrews, 1876-1902 [James Dykes Campbell (1838-1895), Coleridge biographer; Thomas James Wise. forger]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of the 'University of St Andrew. N.B. [Scotland]'. 2 January 1892.
£120.00

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper. Written in a difficult hand. The letter begins: 'My dear Campbell. | You will find all I know about Axiologus, and Miss Maria Williams, in a prefatory note Vol I of my Edition of W[illiam]. W[ordsworth].s Poems (not Life).' He confirms that the poem is by Wordsworth, and expresses regret at 'letting it be known: for it led Tutin [John Ramsden Tutin (1855-1913)] of Hull to go & print the sonnet for private circulation some years ago.

Typed Letter Signed to De V. Payen-Payne.

Author: 
J.C. Squire.
Publication details: 
The London Mercury, 18 Dec. 1920.
£45.00

Poet and man of letters (1884-1958). One page, 4to, fold marks, sl. wear, text readable. " . . . I think the occasion for using that poem by Collins would be the next occasion on which we mention - as we are bound to mention - the Artist's Rifles [last work in ms.]/ It will go in very nicely if you will let me hold it up for a bit. I don't blame Wise about the Swinburne poems; I don't think there is a man in the world who could tell one Swinburne poem from another, once you have ruled out the few best.

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