Search results

Author, Title, Summary	Subject	Price
Sir David Wilkie (1785-1841), Scottish painter noted for genre pieces such as 'The Chelsea Pensioners' [Gustav Friedrich Waagen (1797-1868), Director of the Berlin Gemäldegalerie; Duke of Wellington] [Sir David Wilkie, Scottish genre painter.] Autograph Letter in the third person to 'the Director Waagen' [Gustav Friedrich Waagen], arranging a visit to 'the house of the Duke of Wellington. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Wilkie was in a good position to assist Waagen, who was touring England making notes on significant art collections, for use in his ‘Kunstwerke und Künstler in England und Paris’ (3 vols, Berlin, 1837–39), which formed the basis for his influential ‘The Treasures...		£120.00
Sir Emery Walker (1851-1933), engraver and typographer [Sir Emery Walker, distinguished engraver and typographer; Coutts Bank.] Typed Letter Signed to ‘Mr. Wright', regarding 'proofs of the plan from Coutts' bank'. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition. The letterhead describes the firm (‘formerly Walker and Cockerell’) as being ‘Process and General Engravers, Draughtsmen, Map Constructors Copper-plate Printers Collotypers and Photographers of Works of Art’. Signed ‘Emery Walker’. He...		£120.00
Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984), Poet Laureate and popular broadcaster and public figure [Sir John Betjeman, Poet Laureate.] Autograph Signature on scrap of paper torn from typewritten letter. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged. Good firm attractive signature ‘John Betjeman.’On irregularly-shaped corner (approximately 9 x 7 cm) torn from a letter on cartridge paper. Reads ‘[...] pho[...] / [...]ed to se[...] / [...] author in this [...] / never be too...		£25.00
Frances Rolleston (1781-1864) of Keswick, abolitionist, educator, and author of Mazzaroth ['I want to be understood': Frances Rolleston, abolitionist, educator, author and painter.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Miss Hilditch’, regarding 'knowledge of divine truth' and the book she is publishing ('Mazzaroth'?). See the 2017 biography by Jane S. Poole, ‘Frances Rolleston / British lady, scholar and writer of Mazzaroth’. 1p, 32mo. Fourteen lines, written in a small hand on one side of a slip of paper. In fair condition, aged and worn, with glue from mount adhering to reverse, which is addressed ‘For /...		£50.00
Charles Reade (1814-1884), popular Victorian novelist and playwright [Magdalen College, Oxford] [Charles Reade, popular Victorian novelist and playwright.] Autograph Letter in the third person to 'Alderman Spiers', regretting that he 'cannot dine out of College', but stating that he will 'look in'. Reade was a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1836 to his death. According to his entry in the Oxford DNB: ‘in the years of his fame, and particularly in the early 1860s, he did much of his writing in his rooms at Magdalen, using them as a retreat. His tenure of the fellowship was...		£50.00
William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who gave his name to the 'spoonerism' [Eponym of the 'Spoonerism': William Archibald Spooner, Warden of New College, Oxford.] Autograph Letter Signed to 'Dear old Lee' See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Addressed to 'Dear old Lee' and signed 'W A Spooner -'. He explains that he and his colleagues thought Lee's 'testimonials & references very good, as you may gather from our having put you on...		£56.00
Sydney Smith (1771-1845), ‘The Smith of Smiths’, English cleric, author and celebrated wit ['four thousand Years of amusement': Sydney Smith, ‘The Smith of Smiths’, cleric, author and celebrated wit.] Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mrs. William Smith', itemising the pleasures that some persons might be punished with hereafter for their sins. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium, the verso of the second leaf addressed, with two postmarks, to 'Mrs. William Smith / Park Street / Westminster'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Annotations in pencil in a modern hand. He begins by...		£85.00
The Duke of Wellington [Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington] (1769-1852), conqueror of the French in the Peninsular War, and of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo; two-time Tory Prime Minister [The Great Duke of Wellington, conqueror of Napoleon at Waterloo, and two-time Tory Prime Minister.] Manuscript Letter in the third person, apparently written by a secretary. One of the great figures in world history. See his entries in Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Oxford DNB. On one side of piece of laid paper rougly 11 cm squarer, with partial watermark ‘J G’. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with traces of mount on blank reverse. Folded twice....	History	£80.00
Sydney Smirke (1797-1877), RA, architect of the British Museum Reading Room [E. W. Cooke [Edward William Cooke] (1811-80), RA, marine painter; Vernon Heath (c.1819-95), photographer] [Sydney Smirke, RA, architect of the British Museum Reading Room.] Autograph Letter Signed to fellow Royal Academician Edward William Cooke, regarding a photograph by Vernon Heath. See Smirke’s entry, and those of Cooke and Heath, in the Oxford DNB. His most celebrated design is the Reading Room of the British Museum. 2pp, 12mo. With monogram and mourning border. On first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Begins: ‘My dear Sir, /...		£50.00
Sir Samuel Morton Peto (1809-1889), civil engineer, railway contractor and Radical Liberal Member of Parliament, George Borrow’s ‘Mr Flamson’ [The man Brunel called the largest railway contractor in the world: Sir Samuel Morton Peto, civil engineer, railway contractor and MP.] Autograph Letter in the third person to Lady Hooker, regarding ‘the next Election of the Idiot Asylum'. See his entry in the Oxford DNB: ‘In the 1840s Peto had thirty-three railway contracts worth £20 million, the largest number held in the kingdom; according to Brunel he was the largest contractor in the world.’ 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded three times. Begins: ‘Sir Morton...		£75.00