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Author, Title, Summary Subject Price
Christopher Fry (1907-2005), playwright [Joan Plowright; John Moffatt; William Gaskill; Chichester Festival]

[Christopher Fry makes directorial suggestions.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Christopher') to 'Dear George', giving detailed comments on a production of Congreve's 'Way of the World', with reference to Joan Plowright and John Moffatt.

The item would appear to relate to William Gaskill's 1984 Chichester Festival production of Congreve's 'Way of the World', in which Joan Plowright played Lady Wishford, and John Moffatt played Witwoud, although it is not clear why Fry should have been making directorial suggestions in this case...

£250.00
Sir Day Hort Bosanquet (1843-1923), Governor of South Africa, 1909-1914, and Royal Navy admiral

[Sir Day Hort Bosanquet, Governor of South Africa.] Autograph Note Signed ('Day H. Bosanquet'), from the papers of marine artist William Lionel Wyllie, regarding his work for a Conservative candidate in a General Election.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, wtih light paperclip damage at one corner. The recipient is not named, but the item is from the Wyllie papers. Reads: 'I have been in Herefordshire working for Captain Clive the Conservative candidate - I daresay you may have seen we got him in. |...

£100.00
Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), President of the Royal Academy and distinguished portrait painter

[Sir Thomas Lawrence, President of the Royal Academy.] Four manuscript documents from his sister's descendants the Aston family: a pedigree, tracing Lawrence's mother back to William the Conqueror, and three inventories of engravings and books.

ONE: Manuscript pedigree. On one side of a 49 x 38 cm piece of thick laid paper, with no watermark. Folded three times. Discoloured and with light damp staining. The greater part of the pedigree is written in ink in a loose hand, and traces the descent of Sir Thomas Lawrence's mother Lucy (née...

Art and Architecture £280.00
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Doveton Sturdee [Sir Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee] (1859-1925), victor in the Battle of the Falkland Islands [William Lionel Wyllie (1851-1931), marine artist]

[Admiral of the Fleet Sir Doveton Sturdee, victor in the Battle of the Falkland Islands.] Autograph Letter Signed ('F C D Sturdee') to marine artist W. L. Wyllie, regarding celebrations of the Glorious First of June.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with small pin hole to corner. The letter relates to celebrations of the anniversary of the Glorious First of June at Portsmouth (involving HMS Victory). He begins by expressing the hope that Wyllie has 'asked Lord Howe for the Function on June 1st...

£120.00
John Christie (1882-1962), founder in 1934 of the Glyndebourne Opera House and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lewes, Sussex

[John Christie, founder of the Glyndebourne Festival.] Autograph Letter Signed I'John Christie.')

1p., 12mo. In envelope addressed to Giles at Moulsecoombe, Brighton. In good condition, lightly aged. He has looked for Giles's letter 'but cannot – yet – find it. Sorry. I vaguely remember it.' He will find Giles '2 tickets for a Dress Rehearsal if you will let me know which one.' Options of...

£90.00
Henry Alford (1810-1871), Dean of Canterbury and biblical scholar

[Henry Alford, Dean of Canterbury and biblical scholar.] Autograph Letter Signed, declaring that he knows nothing about sailors.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 16mo. The recipient is not named. In good condition, folded for postage. Amusingly succinct. Begins: ‘Dear Sir / You could not possibly have applied to a worse person than myself about sailors. I know nothing about them, & cannot conceive what can have...

£38.00
Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki (1787-1860), Polish general, Commander-in-Chief of the November Uprising against Russia, 1830-1831

[Poland; Jan Zygmunt Skrzynecki, Commander-in-Chief of the November Uprising.] Conclusion of Autograph Letter Signed ('Skygnecki.'), in French, to 'Le General Lt. de Tahlen', regarding the needs 'de la nation Polonoise' for religion and liberty.

Lower half of a 4to leaf. In good condition, lightly aged, with stub from mount adhering. Written in old-fashioned, and not entirely grammatical, French, the text reads: '[…] de la nation Polonoise a la quelle S. M. donneroit le garanties necessaires, sous le respect de la stabilité des droits...

£600.00
Sir Allen Young [Sir Allen William Young] (1827-1915), English master mariner and Arctic explorer who searched for Sir John Franklin [Edward Charles Chepmell (1820-1885); Lillie Langtry (1853-1929)

[Sir Allen Young, Arctic explorer.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Allen Young') to society homeopathist Dr Chepmell, conveying a message regarding an appointment.

In addition to his achievements, Young is remembered for holding a dinner party in 1877, at which the Prince of Wales arranged to sit next to Lillie Langtry while her husband was discreetly seated elsewhere, thus beginning their affair. 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and...

£180.00
Sidney Dark [Sidney Ernest Dark] (1874-1947), journalist, critic and voluminous author, editor of the Church Times [Collin Brooks (1893-1959), Fleet Street editor]

[Sidney Dark, journalist and author.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Sidney Dark') to Collin Brooks, editor of 'Truth', regarding an article he was asked to write at a 'very alcoholic Savage lunch'. With copy of Brooks's waggish response.

ONE: ALS from Dark to Brooks. The handwriting is quite atrocious, and the present transcription is at points tentative. Dark begins by recalling that at 'the delightful & very alcoholic Savage lunch' (i.e. lunch at the Savage Club), Brooks 'suggested that I should write an article for Truth...

£35.00
Lady Elizabeth Craven, Margravine of Anspach [Brandenburg-Anspach-Bayreuth] [née Lady Elizabeth Berkeley; also Princess Berkeley] (1750-1828), travel writer and society hostess [Thomas, coachbuilder]

[Lady Elizabeth Craven, Margravine of Anspach.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Elizabeth. M of B. A & B | Ps. Berkeley -') to coachbuilder 'Mr. Thomas', regarding the delivery of 'a well seasond [sic] Carriage' to Brandenburg House, Hammersmith.

For Lady Craven's colourful life see her entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Folded four times. Begins: 'Mr. Thomas, I will thank you to send my Carriage by a Western Waggon, immediately here - directed to Hr. S. Highness The Margravine of Anspach...

£120.00