VISIT

Towards the end of 1942, with America having been at war with the Axis powers for a year to Britain’s three, Eleanor Roosevelt accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth to travel to Britain in order to ‘study the British home front effort and visit US troops stationed there. [...] she spent almost a month inspecting factories, shipyards, hospitals, schools, bomb shelters, distribution centers, Red Cross clubs, evacuee centers and military installations in England, Scotland and Ireland’ (Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, Columbian College).

An attractive and apparently unique item of Victorian municipal typography, in the customary variety of fonts and point sizes. See Roberts’s entry in the Oxford DNB. (What particular connection, if any, he had with Northampton is not apparent.) 44 x 57 cm. A strip has been torn away from the top left-hand corner, resulting in the loss of the first two letters from the heading ‘COUNTY BOROUGH OF NORTHAMPTON’, otherwise in good condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper, with central vertical and horizontal folds.

Six colour photographic prints, each 8.5 x 12.5 cm, four matt and two glossy. The indicates that these photographs were not the work of a professional, and the relaxed attitude of all present suggests that they were meant as a souvenir. Highly unlikely to have been published.

Press release and itinerary totalling 6pp., foolscap 8vo, and 1p., 4to. Stapled and folded into a blue cover with a duplicated map of Canada with the 'Queen's route' on the reverse.

21pp., 12mo. Printed with blue ink on cream paper. Saddle-stitched with blue ribbon, in light blue printed wraps. In fair condition, aged, worn and lightly creased. An interesting document, providing local information and casting light on the protocol of a Royal Visit. The document begins: '6th April. | I. 9.05 a.m. H.E. the Governor leaves Government House, accompanied by Staff, and drives to Government Wharf. | 9.10 a.m. The Governor, Mr. Basevi and Lieutenant Harrison embark on the Governor's Barge from the Eastern Jetty. By permission of Commander Geary Hill a launch from H.M.S.

Printed in black, blue, red, green and gold on one side of a piece of tissue paper roughly 37 cm square. Good, on lightly creased paper with a little wear to extremities. The text, with a woodcut portrait of the king (10 x 8.5 cm) in black at its centre, is enclosed in a coloured border of flags and flowers. The text descibes the 'programme of the first week' of the King's visit, with the 'route to be taken by King Manuel on his visit to the Guildhall', and a list of the 'distinguished guests who have been inivited to the reception and luncheon'.