[Victorian London: Somers Town.] Printed pamphlet of ‘“The Hall of Light.” / Somers Town Blind Aid Society’, giving ‘Report, 1898’, statement of accounts, press reports, list of officers and so on.

A nice item of Victorian charitable ephemera. The Society (later the Hepburn Starey Blind Aid Society) was instituted in 1864, and according to p.5 of the present item the phrase ‘Hall of Light for the Blind’ was ‘Given to Somers Town Blind Aid Society by a Blind Chinese Christian lad’. No copy of this item, or of any other material relating to the Society found on either WorldCat or JISC. 24pp, 12mo. Stitched. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The front cover is laid out in decorative fashion: ‘“The Hall of Light.” / Somers Town / Blind Aid Society. / “Day for the others ever, but for me / For ever night! FOR EVER NIGHT!”’ ‘Form of Bequest to the Society’, p.2; list of officers, p.3; ‘Objects of the Society’, p.4; ‘Report, 1898’, pp.5-7; ‘Summary of Work’, pp.7-9; ‘Recent Press Extracts’ (article by Mrs Alec Tweedie from ‘The Queen’, and long anonymous article from ‘The Girl’s Own Paper’), pp.9-17; ‘Acknowledgments and Thanks’, pp.17-19; ‘Subscriptions and Donations for 1898’, pp.19-23; statement of accounts, p.24.