Art and Architecture

Autograph Signatures on fragment of document.

Author: 
George Clint, Dominic Paul Colnaghi, Philip Audinet.
Publication details: 
Without date or place [but 1837 or before].
£38.00

The artist Clint (1770-1854), the printseller Colnaghi (1790-1879) and the engraver Audinet (1766-1837). Paper dimensions roughly four and a half inches by three inches. Good clear signatures, but on paper somewhat grubby and creased. Reads 'D: Colnaghi | Geo Clint ARA | Philip Audinet'. From a collection of material relating to the Artists' General Benevolent Fund.

Autograph Signatures on fragment of document.

Author: 
Paul Dominic Colnaghi, Samuel Carter Hall
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£15.00

Colnaghi was a member of the notable family of English printsellers. Hall (1800-89) was an author and editor. Paper dimensions roughly five inches by three inches. Good. From a collection of material relating to the Artists' General Benevolent Fund. Reads '<...> Paul Dominic Colnaghi Esq | | S. C. Hall. | '.

Autograph Letter Signed "A. Fores" to George Cruikshank, caricaturist.

Author: 
Arthur Fores [George Cruikshank]
Publication details: 
41 Piccadilly, 3 December 1831.
£500.00

Partner in Fores & Co., publishers and print sellers, who published some of Cruikshank's work and presumably sold it. He therefore had a vested interest in dealing with the problem he outlines to Cruikshank.

Autograph Letter Signed to Longmans.

Author: 
Richard Duppa.
Publication details: 
No place or date (watermark 1823).
£125.00

Artist and author (1770-1831).Three pages, 8vo, bifoliate, tears, fold marks but text legible and complete. "My Dear Sir/ You will have a hundred copies of my book delivered to you in boards on Friday morning.

Autograph letter, incomplete, to Josiah Taylor, bookseller (Maxted, Brown).

Author: 
Unknown.
Publication details: 
01/10/26
£75.00

Two pages, 4to, corner torn off with seal (must have been delivered by hand), text clear. Do errors and changes indicate a draft? - but sealed? "Sr. / I am but just now returned from a long tour in the North of England Scotland &c which has prevented me seeing & replying to your very kind communication of the late Mr Rivetts Letters [two words underlined] from Athens &c.

Autograph Letter Signed to "Mr Redgrave", one of the Artistic Redgrave brothers (see DNB).

Author: 
Anna Maria Hall.
Publication details: 
Avenue Villa, 50 Holland Street, Kensington, W., London, 17 Feb. [no year].
£46.00

Irish novelist and editor, see DNB. She is not allowed to leave the house but cxan have visitors. Her husband, Samuel Carter Hall, has been very ill as has his nephew Sanford Rochat. She thanks God that Rochat "is able to get back in a quiet way to the War Office - and Mr Hall is working not so quietly at "the Art Journal again" - but it has been a dangerous season. She looks forward to seeing him and reports on the health of friends.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Miss Ward'.

Author: 
Briton Riviere
Publication details: 
23 May 1892; on letterhead 'FLAXLEY, | 82 FINCHLEY RD.. N.W.'
£33.00

English artist (1840-1920). Two pages, 12mo. Good, but with closed tear at head unobtrusively repaired with archival tape, and some spotting. In stamped envelope addressed in autograph and with postmark. 'I shall be pleased to come & see your pupils work on Wednesday June the 1st but shall not be able to reach there before 2.45 I regret to say. | With kind regards | Yours very truly | [signed] Briton Riviere'.

Autograph Note Signed to M[arion]. H[arry]. Spielman[n].

Author: 
Sir Aston Webb
Publication details: 
9 December 1903; on letterhead 19 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, London, S.W.
£45.00

English architect (1849-1930), responsible for many notable London buildings, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. The recipient Spielmann (1858-1948) was an art historian. One page, 12mo. Grubby, and with pin holes in top left-hand corner, as well as small closed tear at foot of leaf (not affecting text). Reads 'I regret that having to be in Manchester on Friday next I shall be unable to attend the art Committee of the St. Louis Exhibition'. Signed 'Aston Webb'.

Two typed Letters Signed, successively to G[eorge]. K[enneth]. Menzies and W. Perry, Secretaries, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Alfred Charles Bossom, 1st Baronet [British Art in Industry Exhibition, 1935; Royal Society of Arts; Royal Academy]
Publication details: 
22 June and 1 October 1935; both on House of Commons embossed letterheads, and from 5, Carlton Gardens, S.W.1.
£100.00

English politician (1881-1965) and architect, much of whose work was done in the United States. Both letters two pages, quarto. Both letters docketed (the first heavily so), bearing the Society's stamp, and with pin and staple holes in top left-hand corner. Second letter good, first lightly creased and grubby. Revealing documents relating to the Royal Society's 'British Art in Industry' exhibition, held at the Royal Academy in 1935. The Society's website describes this as a 'resounding success', but as these letters show, the matter was not so clear cut.

Typed Letter Signed to Miss Scott Rogers of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Author: 
Ernest Alfred Sallis Benney
Publication details: 
9 May 1946; on Brighton School of Art letterhead.
£26.00

Artist (1894-1966) and principal of Brighton School of Art. One page, octavo. Good, but lightly creased and with staple holes in the top lefthand corner. Date stamps in grey and red ink. Letter concerns the suitability of Alfred Charles Hull as a member of the Academy. Benney knew Hull 'for many years as a master at Shoreham Grammar School' and elsewhere. 'Mr. Hull is an extremely charming fellow and would socially fit in very happily with the Society. It is a little difficult, however, for me to say whether he is of fellowship standard.

Autograph Letter to Mrs Morgan.

Author: 
Richard Westmacott
Publication details: 
Undated; 'Wilton Place | Wednesday.'
£25.00

English sculptor (1799-1872), Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy and son of Sir Richard Westmacott. Two pages, 12mo. Good, but on grubby, foxed paper, and with remains of stubs from previous mounting still adhering. A formal letter in the third person. Reads 'Mr Westmacott presents his Compliments, and thanks Mrs Morgan very much for her kind proposal for Friday - Malheureusement Mr. W. is engaged that day - & must therefore give up the pleasure that Mr & Mrs. <?>'s kindness offers him.'

Autograph Postcard Signed to Kenneth Bredon, of Bredon's Bookshop in Brighton.

Author: 
Nicolas Bentley
Publication details: 
Postmarked 24 September 1974; 'The Old School, Downhead, Shepton Mallet, Somerset.'
£35.00

One page, very good. Postcard illustration of Marie Taglioni. In Bentley's distinctive neat hand. 'If & when Angus & Robertson's traveller shows you a book called Dead Funny, illus. by Bill Tidy, pubs. Ask & Grant, I hope you'll feel compelled to place a huge order: The Grant is Arabella's husband, just breaking into publishing (mad!) How are you & Billie? We should love to see you both, but I doubt that you ever come this way. If you do, you can count on a warm bed & reception. Try & make it sometimes.' Signed 'Nick'.

Photograph of Gadshill Place.

Author: 
Charles Dickens [VICTORIAN PHOTOGRAPHY; EPHEMERA]
Publication details: 
Undated, but certainly nineteenth-century.
£80.00

Gadshill was purchased by Dickens for £1770 in 1857, and remained his home for the rest of his life. Dimensions of photograph approximately six inches by four. Sepia. In good condition, with one tiny closed tear and minor creasing to two corners. Shot from the front lawn and showing the front of house, with extension and part of conservatory to its right.

Autograph Signatures on fragment of letter.

Author: 
Philip Hardwick, William Behnes, Thomas Bellamy and Samuel Angell
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£30.00

Hardwick (1792-1870), English architect; Behnes (1791-1864), English sculptor; Angell (1800-66), English artist. On piece of paper roughly four inches square. In good condition. Reads '<...> | Philip Hardwick | Russell Square | William Behnes | Thos: Bellamy | Saml Angell'.

Typed Letter Signed to G. K. Menzies, [Secretary,] Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Arthur Joseph Davis [ARCHITECTURE]
Publication details: 
15 July 1925; on letterhead of Mewes & Davis, Architects, 22 Conduit Street, W.1.
£56.00

English architect (1878-1951) whose firm's commissions include the Ritz Hotel in London, the country houses Luton Hoo, Coombe Court and Polesden Lacey, and the ocean liners Aquitania and Queen Mary. One page, folio. Very good. Docketed and carrying the Society's stamp. He has 'called on Sir Charles Allom with regard to the judgment of the designs which you showed me yesterday', and they agree that 'only two of the selected schemes should be rewarded.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'T. W. Winstanley Esq | Secretary | Royal Manchester Institution | Manchester'.

Author: 
John G. Hankes [T. W. Winstanley; Royal Manchester Institution]
Publication details: 
4 August 1840. '24 Carburton St. | Fitzroy Square. | London. | or | Great Clowes St. | Upper Broughton, | Manchester.'
£28.00

Minor English artist who (according to docketed note) exhibited between 1838 and 1859. One page, 12mo. Very good, though somewhat grubby. Reads '226 I have the honour to send 1 picture for the ensuing exhibition at the Manchester Royal Institution, entitled "The new acquaintance" vide The Vicar of Wakefield | Price with frame 34 gs. | [Price] without [frame] 30 [gs.] | Signed 'Jno. G Hankes'. Second leaf of bifoliate addressed, and with top corner cut away and present beneath black wax seal, which bears the smudged impression of a crest.

Four Typed Letters Signed, one Autograph Letter Signed, and one Autograph Note Signed, to (successively) Menzies, Perry and Luckhurst, Secretaries, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Thomas Cantrell Dugdale
Publication details: 
1925 to 1938.
£120.00

English painter (1880-1952) and member of the International Socialist Organization. All items in good condition, though variously grubby or discoloured with age, lightly creased or with pin holes to corners. All items signed either 'T C Dugdale' or 'T. C. Dugdale'. Several items docketed and/or bearing the Society's stamp. LETTER ONE (typed, 23 June 1925, one page, 12mo, on letterhead '9 AVENUE STUDIOS, 76 FULHAM ROAD, LONDON, S.W.3.'): He hopes to 'be able to accept your invitation to act as Judge in the same section as last year'. Asks for the date.

Autograph Letter Signed to "Mr Marks".

Author: 
John Adams-Acton
Publication details: 
8 Langford Place, NW, [11?] June 1897.
£85.00

Or John Adams Acton (DNB). Sculptor. Three pages, 8vo, some staining but mainly good condition.

Catalogue & Supplement 5,800 named and dated silhouette portraits by August Edouard 1789-1861. Silhouettist to the Royal Family of France and to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester' and 'Catalogue of 3,800 [...] American silhouette portraits' by Edouart.

Author: 
Mrs F. Nevill Jackson [Augustin Amant Constant Fidèle Edouart; SILHOUETTE PORTRAITS]
Publication details: 
ITEM ONE (5,800 portraits): 'HARDING & CURTIS, LTD., BATH.' [1914]; ITEM TWO (3,800 American portraits): 'WAKEHAM, TYP., KENSINGTON.' [circa 1925].
£120.00

ITEM ONE: 56 pages, octavo. In original orange printed wraps. Poor, on cheap paper discoloured with age, and with damage and loss to wraps. PRESENTATION COPY to 'Mr. Joseph Ceci'. ITEM TWO: 32 pages, octavo. In original green printed wraps. Poor, on even cheaper paper fraying at extremities, but without loss to text. Both items with Mrs Jackson's address on front wrap amended in her hand. Both items poorly repaired with tape. Two items,

Typed Letter Signed to G. K. Menzies[, Secretary], Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Robert Atkinson
Publication details: 
24 November 1932; on letterhead '126 WIGMORE STREET | W.I'.
£38.00

British architect (1883-1952) who worked on 'the Bath Improvement Scheme, Saint Catherine's Church, Hammersmith, W., The Regent Theatre, Brighton, The Picture House, Edinburgh, Gresham Hotel, Dublin, and many private and other works' (Who's Who). One page, quarto. Very good. Docketed and bearing R.S.A. stamp. Headed 're Architectural Decoration Committee'. He assumes that 'the Agenda of a meeting of your Committee on the 30th November at 4 p.m.' has been sent to him in error, as he has written a letter declining the invitation to serve on it.

Five Typed Letters Signed, and one letter in a secretarial hand signed in autograph, to the Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Rev. Allan Gairdner Wyon
Publication details: 
1916 to 1925; on letterhead '80, Boundary Road, | St. John's Wood, | London, N.W.'
£180.00

British sculptor (1882-1962) and 'MEDALLIST AND ENGRAVER | TO | HIS MAJESTY THE KING' (as per letterhead). All six items one page, quarto. All six signed 'Allan G. Wyon'. Five bearing the R.S.A. stamp and two docketed. All six very good though dusty (but see secretarial item below). ITEMS ONE (19 October 1916, typed) and TWO (21 October 1916, typed) discuss the practicalities and cost of repairing the R.S.A. 'broken Seal Press'.

One Autograph Letter Signed and one Typed Letter Signed to W. Perry, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Arthur Leigh Bolland Ashton [Leigh Ashton]
Publication details: 
Typed letter: 19 November 1930; autograph letter, no date; both items on (different) Victoria & Albert Museum letterheads.
£75.00

Director (1897-1983) and Secretary, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1945-55. Both items one page, quarto. Both in very good condition. Typed letter bearing R.S.A. stamp. Both items concerning a projected lecture. TYPED LETTER: Perry will have a typescript by the end of the month, 'but as a good dea of my lecture is extempore you may find it rather shorter than you had anticipated. The written part will be roughly two thousand words.' Signed Leigh Ashton'. AUTOGRAPH LETTER: Perry will 'have to be content with the length of M.S. I send in. It may possibly run to 3000 but not more.

Typed Note Signed to the Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Guy Morgan
Publication details: 
10 May 1966; on letterhead '12A, EATON SQUARE, | LONDON, S.W.1'.
£25.00

Architect, town planner and foxhunter (born 1902). One page, quarto. Very good, with staple holes to top left-hand corner. Docketed in pencil. He has 'just returned from a trip in Egypt, conducted by Leonard Cotterell'. 'It occurred to me that it would be a good idea for him to give a lecture at the Royal Society'.

Typed Note Signed to the Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Herbert Cecil Ferraby [ADVERTISING; POSTER ART]
Publication details: 
18 November 1927; on letterhead of the Advertiser's Weekly ('THE ORGAN OF BRITISH ADVERTISING').
£28.00

Naval author and journalist (died 1942). One page, quarto. Discoloured with age and with a few closed tears but in good condition overall. Docketed and bearing the Society's stamp. 'I should be obliged if you could let me have copies of any promotion matter which you have put out in recent years for the purpose of attracting artists to enter competitions for poster designs.' Signed 'H. C. Ferraby' ('EDITOR').

Two Typed Letters Signed to [G. K.] Menzies[, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts].

Author: 
Clyde Young
Publication details: 
21 November 1934 and 21 June 1935, both on letterhead '6, NEW SQUARE, | LINCOLN'S INN, W.C.2.'
£56.00

British architect (born circa 1872), the son of Sir William Young (1843-1900), whose most important commission, the War Office, Whitehall (1900-1906) he completed. Both items one page, octavo, and very good, though on slightly discoloured and creased paper, one piece bearing pin holes and the other paperclip marks. Both items docketed and one bearing the Society's stamp. ITEM ONE: 'You will be interested to see the enclosed copy of Lord Iveagh's reply.

Two Typed Letters Signed to G. E. Mercer, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts, concerning his award of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship; with seven associated items (draft replies, memo, programme, etc).

Author: 
Edward David Mills
Publication details: 
1969
£156.00

Architect (1915-98), designer of the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. All items very good. ITEM ONE (one page, folio): typed copy of Mills' 'programme' ('The object of the proposed research is to study at first hand the effect of these new techniques on building types in the United States [...]'.). ITEM TWO (one page, quarto, typed): letter by Mills dated 3 March 1969. Congratulates the Society on 'the new appearance of the R.S.A. Journal which is an enormous improvement on the past'. Explains that he has been awarded the Fellowship and encloses copy of programme.

The Touchstone of Architecture.

Author: 
Sir Reginald Blomfield
Publication details: 
Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1925.
£35.00

Pages: viii + 245. No jacket. Spine somewhat grubby, but good tight copy of attractively printed book. One inch closed tear to half-title. Collection of eleven essays 'approached from the point of view of architecture', including 'State-aided Training in Art in England', 'Atavism in Art', 'The Artist and the Community', 'Christopher Wren' and 'The Bridges of London (1815-1920).

Two Autograph Letters Signed to Sir Henry T[rueman]. Wood, [Secretary,] Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Alexander Joseph Finberg [THE WALPOLE SOCIETY]
Publication details: 
23 and 27 January 1917; both on Walpole Society letterhead.
£85.00

British art historian (1866-1939) whose papers are now in the Courtauld Institute, London; Turner specialist and founder of the Walpole Society. Both items one page, quarto, very good. Both docketed and bearing the Society's stamp, and signed 'A. J. Finberg'. First letter enquires whether 'a full list of the recipients of [the Society's awards] has been published, or whether the materials for the compilation of such a list are in existence & are accessible to research'.

Coloured advertisement for Swan Vesta matches, in the form of a pastiche of a London Underground sign.

Author: 
Advertising artwork [ LONDON UNDERGROUND; SWAN VESTA; TOBACCO; SMOKING]
Publication details: 
Without date or place [1920s or 30s?].
£75.00

Attractive illustration, in red, green, yellow and black, on piece of white card roughly nine and three-quarter inches by six and a quarter, neatly mounted on piece of black card roughly ten and a quarter inches by seven and three-quarters. At head a parody of the London Underground black rectangle over red circle, roughly six and a half inches by three and a quarter, bearing the notice 'ALIGHT HERE' in white letters. Beneath this the words 'FOR EVERY SMOKER.', with a red arrow at foot pointing to a box of Swan Vesta matches. Very good, though lightly foxed.

Two Autograph Postcards Signed to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, [Secretary,] The Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Wyke Bayliss
Publication details: 
19 and 21 January 1893, '7 North Road | Clapham Park'.
£32.00

Artist and art historian (1835-1906), President of the Royal Society of British Artists. Both items very good, if somewhat grubby, and both stamped and docketed, and signed 'Wyke Bayliss'. Both postcards with postmark over printed stamp. POSTCARD ONE: 'I was dining last night with Dr Richardson and he said he should be glad if you could let him have some more cards of invitation for my lecture on the 25th. May I ask you (if you think proper) to send them a dozen, in addition to htose you have already sent.' POSTCARD TWO: 'I send by this post the MS of my paper, for the printer.

Syndicate content