Autograph Letter Signed to unnamed male correspondent.

Art historian (1867-1948) and Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, 1912-32. Four pages, 12mo. Good, but somewhat grubby with a few small stains. Interesting, and characteristically subtle solicitation. He has been examining the book of drawings his correspondent sent the previous week, but is unable to say who formed the collection: 'my colleagues in the library cannot tell anything from the elephant stamped on the binding'. 'The little drawings are mostly old but not of any great merit'. There are however 'two that interest me to some extent, being certainly Nuremburg drawings of the 1st quarter of the 16th century'. One is 'fairly near to Durer', and is either by one of his colleagues, or 'an old copy, as I rather suspect'. He has 'taken the liberty of having a photograph made [...], not for publication (unless with your permission) but as a record for study'. 'I suppose you would not care to part with these two drawings? They would be of interest to us here, if you did; but there is no money available at present for purchases. I just enquire about this before sending the volume back, as I will do if you ask me to do so in reply to this'. Signed 'Campbell Dodgson'.