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Author, Title, Summary Subject Price
Francis Gerard [Francis Edward Marie Gérard] (1906-1966), English thriller and science fiction writer who settled in South Africa, creator of ‘Occult Detective’ Sir John Meredith [ [Eileen Cond]

[Francis Gerard, thriller and science fiction writer.] Two Typed Letters Signed to Eileen Cond, discussing his plans for writing, and work for the ‘delightful old boy’ Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, and his Anglo American Corporation of South Africa.

Good letters, the second with biographical content about a prolific yet elusive author. The recipient Eileen Margaret Cond (1911-1984) was an enthusiastic collector of autographs, with the ability to draw a more than perfunctory response from her targets. Both letters in good condition, on...

£250.00
Herbert Thurston [Herbert Henry Charles Thurston] (1856–1939), Jesuit priest, Roman Catholic liturgical scholar, andt member of the Society for Psychical Research [Samuel Butler; William Shakespeare]

[Herbert Thurston, SJ, Roman Catholic liturgical scholar and member of the Society for Psychical Research.] Autograph Letter Signed regarding Samuel Butler and the ‘Oxford theory’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. The recipient is not identified. Addressed to ‘My dear Sir’ and signed ‘Herbert Thurston’. He begins by thanking him for ‘the nice things you say’, and continues: ‘I fear I have no defence as regards Samuel...

£56.00
Marian McPartland [Margaret Marian McPartland, née Turner] (1918-2013), Anglo-American jazz pianist and composer, wife of trumpeter Jimmy McPartland [Les Tomkins; Benny Goodman; Quincy Jones]

[Marian McPartland, jazz pianist and composer.] Autograph Letter Signed to Les Tompkins of Jazz magazine ‘Crescendo’, announcing a collaboration with ‘charming’ Benny Goodman, with news of other jazz greats, including Quincy Jones.

A good letter, full of content. 2pp, 8vo. Air mail letter with New York postmark, 30 September 1963. Signed ‘Marian’ and addressed to ‘Mr. Les Tompkins / 96, St Helier Ave / Morden / Surrey’. Writing after the publication of an interview with her by Tompkins in ‘Crescendo’, she begins: ‘Dear Les...

£160.00
Robert Lynd [Robert Wilson Lynd], Irish journalist and essayist; his wife the poet Sylvia Lynd [Clement Shorter [Clement King Shorter], journalist; his second wife, born Annie Doris Banfield]

[Robert Lynd, Irish journalist and essayist; his wife the poet Sylvia Lynd.] Autograph Letter Signed from SL to Clement Shorter on the birth of his daugher; and signed autograph letter of condolence from RL to Shorter's widow on his death.

See the entries on Robert and Sylvia Lynd, and Clement Shorter, in the Oxford DNB. (Shorter’s first wife, the Irish nationalist poet Dora Mary Shorter (née Sigerson), had died in 1918.) Both items are in good condition, lightly aged. Both 1p, 12mo, and each folded once for postage. ONE: SL to CS...

£80.00
Rollo Russell [Francis Albert Rollo Russell] (1849-1914), meteorologist and scientific writer, son of Liberal Prime Minister Lord John Russell and uncle of philosopher Bertrand Russell

[Rollo Russell, meteorologist, son of Lord John Russell and uncle of Bertrand Russell.] Autograph Postcard Signed.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 11.5 x 9 cm plain post card with printed half penny stamp. In fair condition, lightly aged, with dog eared corner and spike hole (through part of address on one side and blank space at bottom left on message side). Addressed by Russell to ‘The Secretary /...

Science, Medicine and Technology £45.00 Russell
Ruby Miller [Ruby Laura Rose Miller] (1889-1976), actress, one of George Edwardes' 'Gaiety Girls' [W. J. MacQueen-Pope [‘Popie’] (1888-1960), theatre historian]

[Ruby Miller, actress, one of the ‘Gaiety Girls’.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Popie’ (the theatre historian W. Macqueen-Pope), regarding BBC TV, ‘the Gaiety fiasco’ and ‘Gaiety Girls who married out of the peerage & retired into the country’.

See her entry and his in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Signed ‘Ruby’. Begins: ‘Popie, darling, / What are we coming to? / You - as a pierrot with the “Fol-de-Rols”! / BBC/TV must be mad not to let you do a talk on the St. James’s. / But after the...

£50.00
Samuel Rogers, 'The Banker Poet', art connoisseur, member of the Holland House circle, and acquaintance of Wordsworth, Byron, Sir Walter Scott [Lady Burdett]

[Samuel Rogers ('The Banker Poet')] Autograph Note Signed to Lady Burdett, declining with regret an invitation that would have given him pleasure.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Removed from album, and closely trimmed, having been cut down to 9 x 7 cm, with corners cropped. Lightly aged, with one fold for postage. In neat close hand, reads: ‘My dear Lady Burdett / I am very sorry indeed that an Engagement from which I cannot release...

Literature £56.00 Rogers
Sir Edward Malet [Sir Edward Baldwin Malet] (1837-1908), diplomat, successively Consul-General in Egypt, and British Ambassador to Belgium and Germany

[Sir Edward Malet, British diplomat.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Mrs. Vaughan Williams’, explaining why he cannot accept her invitation, and sending tickets to ‘some tableaux vivants’ at the house of the Princesse Caraman-chimay.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. An area torn away at the head of the first leaf (with the loss of one word of text) has been skilfully repaired with archival paper; otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. He apologizes for being unable to ‘come to your at home tomorrow...

£56.00
Sir James Philip Lacaita [Giacomo Filippo Lacaita] (1813-1895), Anglo-Italian politician and scholar [Royal Institution of Great Britain]

[Sir James Philip Lacaita [Giacomo Filippo Lacaita], Anglo-Italian politician and scholar.] Printed offprint of synopsis of Royal Institution talk: ‘On Dante and the “Divina Commedia.”’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Although reset, the text of the present five-page synopsis does not appear to differ from that printed on pp.118-433 of the ‘Notices of the Proceedings’, vol.2 (1854-1858). No other copy of this offprint has been traced. In very good condition, lightly aged....

£45.00
Sir Lyon Playfair [Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair; Lord Playfair] (1818-1898), chemist and Liberal politician, born in India of Scottish extraction [Royal Institution of Great Britain]

[Sir Lyon Playfair, chemist and Liberal politician.] Printed offprint of synopsis of Royal Institution talk: ‘On the Food of Man in relation to his Useful Work.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The full lecture, fifty-four pages in length, was published for Playfair in Edinburgh by Edmonston & Douglas in 1865, with the subtitle ‘Lecture delivered at the Royal Society, Edinburgh, 3d April 1865, and Royal Institution, London, 28th April 1865.’...

£45.00