Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Frederick A. Pottle') from Frederick Albert Pottle, editor and biographer of James Boswell, to the Johnsonian Charles McCamic, with a long discussion of the publishing history and current prices of three works.

Both letters fair, on aged paper. Letter One: 12mo, 4 pp. Discussing the possibility that McCamic might be able to 'stop-over in New Haven' on his journey to Smith. 'You might be interested to see the proofs of the Bibliography'. 'This has been a hard letter to write, and doesn't sound as cordial as I should wish, [...] I wish I could invite you to stay with me on the night of the 15, but I live in a small apartment and have no accomodations [sic] for guests'. Letter Two: 10pp., small 4to. In this letter Pottle deals in details with queries regarding the publication history of three books acquired by McCamic: Boswell's 'Dorando'; 'The History of the Douglas Cause in General' by Francis Douglas of Aberdeen; and Boswell's 'Essence of the Douglas Cause'. He ends with a discussion of the current prices for the books. 'The Essence is a rare book - no copy in the British Museum, though that doesn't mean much. Adam has been after a copy for years. Grant in Edinburgh put one in a catalogue for £1; he had a score of orders for it, as you can guess. McKinlay (being on the spot) nabbed it; I gave him $50 for it. A little later he picked up another which Tinker bought for $75. [...] Adam has, so far as I can discover, the only copy of Dorando in this country (a splendid copy of the large-paper first). [...] Tinker has had only one chance at a Dorando (that was another large-paper first), but while he was pondering the price, the dealer decided to keep it himself.'