[ 'The Chevalier Sir Frederick Bowman, K.C.E.' ] 'Shakespeare Souvenir' pin badge, depicting Bowman as the Bard of Avon, attached to a Typed Letter Signed ('Frederick H.-U. Bowman') to Barry Duncan, regarding the actress Edith Loraine and her career.

Letter: 1p., 8vo. In fair condition, lightly creased and aged. With a few autograph emendations. In a characteristically eccentric letter he writes that their common friend Jimmy Linton has told Bowman that Duncan 'may be able to give me some particulars and perhaps a photo of Edith LORAINE who played Godiva in F. B. Woulfe's Company, presenting the famous historical play by Max Goldberg, (John F. Preston.) He refers to Mabelle F. Barlow, Lady Astor and his own play 'Divorce or Dishonour'. As a boy he was greatly impressed by Loraine's performance, and it 'started my interest in Coventry. As President of The Animal Service Association, I am still very attached to white horses. [...] Edith had a tragic finish on Armistice Night, 1918, falling from a London balcony.' Badge: Circular and 2cm in diameter. Printed in brown on cream. In good condition, with slight rusting to the metal reverse, which has transferred slightly to the letter, on which it is pinned. Showing 'SHAKESPEARE SOUVENIR | A MAKE-UP IMRESSION | FREDERICK H. U. BOWMAN'. Bowman also produced a series of fake postage stamps, with him made up to look like the monarch. For more on Bowman see A. W. B. Simpson's 'In the Highest Degree Odious' (1994). Bowman received his 'knighthood' from Count Potocki de Montalk in March 1943, and was deprived of it the following year for alleged lèse majesté and breach of his oath of fealty. As the present letter indicates, this did not prevent him from continuing to use his 'title'.