[ Sheridan Morley, author and broadcaster. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed, two Typed Letters Signed and one telegram to theatrical bookseller Barry Duncan, with carbon copy of one of his letters.

The six items in fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. The four letters all with Morley's expansive signature ('Sheridan Morley'). The first letter (9 March 1970) begins: 'It seems a long time (indeed it is) since I used to buy books from your shop in St Martin's Court; but I thought I'd try to re-establish contact with you because I have started - in a very small way - to sell theatre and film books myself in the basement of James and Pauline Scudamore's secondhand bookshop in the Earl's Court Road.' In a long letter (2pp., 8vo) on 16 May he writes that he would be 'delighted to take over as much of your remaining stock as I can afford, and you want to dispose of', but 'with a son of 2 and another baby imminent' he can 'only afford to make the bookselling a part-time career; most of my work is done as an interviewer for BBC television, and the arrangement I have with the Scudamores is an ideal one for me in that I have one room of their shop to call my own, but when I am not there (ie about 3 days of the week) they "caretake" it for me and people buying books pay for them at their desk upstairs'. He continues with an explanation of the arrangements. Morley ends the letter with a promise to 'pass on yours to Pauline, James and my godfather Sewell'. In the third letter (15 May) he explains that he has been 'out of London filming for the BBC', but that he would be interested in the items Duncan offers, but will have difficulty raising the £80 cost ('not that I question your valuation, merely that we are under-capitalised'). He offers to visit Duncan in Southampton to discuss the matter further. The telegram (28 May) attempts to change the date of the visit. The last letter (1 June) regards payment through a money order. The carbon copy of Duncan's letter (2pp., 4to) is dated 14 March 1970, is signed, and discusses Morley's proposal in detail.