Manuscripts

A very nice piece of musichall ephemera: a signed self-caricature by one of its leading lights. See Robey’s entry in the Oxford DNB. On a 7 x 8.75 cm piece of card, cut from a plain printed postcard. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of the four paper label mounts on reverse. On the front, which is entirely plain apart from Robey’s writing, is his Autograph Inscription, in a close hand with stylized signature: ‘Good luck. Geo Robey.’ This is at the foot of the page, beneath a well-executed self-caricature in blue and red ink.

1p, 12mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium of pink patterned paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The sonnet, which does not appear to have been published, begins: ‘Midst the young eyes that on this book shall shine / Kindling with genius or with feeling bright, / Lit up with all youth’s visions of delight, / There yet shall gage no dearer ones than thine!’ Signed at end ‘J E R.’ See image.

On 11.5 x 7.5 cm leaf, with rounded outer edges, extracted from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged. Written at the head of the recto, the rest of the leaf being blank: ‘Sarah D Roosevelt - (Mrs James Roosevelt, Sen.) / mother of President Franklin D. Roosevelt / July 11th. 1934’. See image.

Each of the two items attributed to Wright in pencil note on reverse. Both in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: On 11 x 17.5 cm piece of paper. At head: ‘Book Plate of Morrall A[?] vox stellarum vox Dei’. At foot: ‘M. J. Morrall’. (Unlikely to be the Brooklyn architect of this name active at this time.) Up left-hand margin: ‘Mr. Edward Morrall / Mayor 1885-6’. Down right-hand margin: ‘Presented to Mr Edward Morrall Quay House Bridgnorth’. Full achievement, from crest to motto, with colours indicated. TWO: On back of 9 x 11 cm printed ‘at Home’ card.

Keys features in his son’s entry in the Oxford DNB. (John Paddy Carstairs was christened Nelson John Keys.) Three theatrical autographs - Nelson Keys, ‘G. L.’ and ‘Gordon’ - on one side of a 25 x 20.5 cm piece of card. Apparently a gift from fellow cast-members to the actress playing the ‘Spirit of Spring’ in the Arthur Wimperis sketch ‘The Queen of Hearts’, in the C. B. Cochran London Pavilion revue ‘London, Paris and New York’, which ran for 366 performances between 1920 and 1921. J. P.

For information on Cook see his biography in the Oxford DNB, which points out that the subtlety of his later fiction was lost on his contemporaries, being written in a style that ‘was not sufficiently sensational’ for the period. The present item is the complete text of the last thing Cook ever wrote: a story which appeared in the weeks following his death, in Hood’s Comic Annual for 1884 (London, 1883).

In French. Eleven pages, sm. fol., bifoliums, unbound, sl. dulled but good condition, text clear. A listing in columns: Patient; prescription (medicine given); cost. See Images of Pages [1] and [11]

Signature only on scrap of paper, uneven edges,c.12 x 7.5 cm, tipped on to sl. larger page from an autograph album, sl. faded as if ink in pen running out. See image. The signature of Arthur J, Cummings, journalist and author is on the reverse, dated 20 Sept. 1938.

Eight Pages, sm. fol., two bifoliums, fold marks, good condition. Stock and Cobblers' Equipment listed with quantities and sums achieved. Headings: Pair Prunella Shoes; Prunella Boots, Cloth Boots [...] Leather Shoes, Boots, Gents Boots, Wellington Boots, Blucher Boots, Slippers [...], Grindstone (x 9), Cutting Board (x18), Logs, Lasts, Boothooks, etc. etc. See Images

Page extracted from autograph album, 15 x 10cm, right edge rough, ow good condition. See image. The inks (green particularly) don't respond well to the camera.

Sixteen pages (two are half pages), fol., some foxing, but text clear. The text is in a large hand, with additions and occasional corrections for example, the word out is written beside 'Eighteen, the see Sidesmen', itself crossed out.

One page, sm. folio, fold marks, very small closed tears, basically good condition. The Agenda (typescript) includes: Apologies; Minutes of the Last Meeting, Matters Arising [...]; Date of next meeting; Candidates; Report of Meeting of Assembly of Delegates in Venice; Caracas Conference; Honorary Members in Prison; Death of Bela Menczer [...]; Any Other Business. Lady Fraser has put a tick or cross beside each item except Any Other Business.

One page, 4to, part printed, part manuscript, minor damage on fold marks, loss of small part of the word is, small closed tear, some weakness on fold marks. See Image. Text headed Ecclesiastical Establishment | No.

I am obliged to a multi-lingual friend for the information I give. Eight pages, pages 7/8 blank, not paginated,12mo, unbound, stains on title and its verso not affecting text. See images. Titled This is the creed of sheikh al-Dardiri. Al-Dardiri was born in 1715 AD in Asyoot in Egypt. He's one of the imams of the Sunni Islam of Maliki school of thought. This document was written by Mohamed Ahmed Ibin Alhaj Mohamed Ahmed Abu Qaseesah in 1797. It discusses the twenty attributes in Sunni Islam that are obligatory for God Almighty, according to Al-Dardiri.

One page, folio, signs of extraction from album (left margin has residue of separation), good condition, in her calligraphic writing, good condition. She begins by quoting St Mark's Gospel, Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of, for a memorial fo her.

Vellum Deed, c.70 x 55cm, folded as usual, signs of age but text clear and complete, with town seal with small cracks but intact. The reverse contains a memorandum signed by the Mayor and his Burgesses: Totnes Guildhall viiith Sept.

Surviving section 20 x 10cm, closed tears 2.5cm, edges sl. ragged, foxing but text fully legible. See images.

Leaf removed from autograph album, 13.5 x 11cm, one rough edge (from removal), pencilled, minor stain, good condition.

Piece of paper 9 x 2.5cm, laid down on slightly larger card, with docketing President 1835, sl. grubby but clear and bold. Notes (from Wikipedia): A. President of Mexico during two main periods: one in the early 1830s and one in the late 1840s, when he served as president during the Mexican-American War. In his first term, he enacted significant liberal reforms that were aimed at undermining the power of the Roman Catholic Church and the army in Mexico ; The Mexican Cession consisted of present-day U.S.

Paper, 11 x 7cm, probably from an album (another signature on reverse (Florence Steel)), laid down on larger piece of paper, on the dingy side but text clear and apparently complete. Docketed Donald MacKechnie | Gaelic Poet.

MS.11 pages, folio, bound with string, last page dusted and grubby, mainly good condition. All pages have the five signatures. Image of first page available.

Two 12mo pages, extracted from Public Characters of All Nations: Consisting of Biographical accounts of nearly three thousand eminent contemporaries, alphabetically arranged (1823), later published as A New Biographical Dictionary, of 3000 contemporary public characters, British and foreign, of all ranks and professions (1825).LEAF THE FIRST: endpaper, foxed, edges chipped, with the clear signature Henry Mackenzie | 1824 | on recto; LEAF THE SECOND: printed potted biography of Henry Mackenzie (pp.671-2 of book), with MS additions and corrections (for example, correction of his date of birt

60pp., 4to, crude card binding, damp-stained and worn at spine, typescript aged, damp-stained but clear. Sub-title: A Record of Public History and Private Opinion in Germany 1945-1954 | and an attempt at analysis of the German character as it appeared to a soldier of the British Army of the Rhine.

Jenner Typed Letter Signed: Two pages, fol., fold marks, small closed tears on folds, ow good condition. He (and his team) would appreciate Laing's coming to dinner since they are starting to think about schizophrenia in something like the way you have seen it for a long time [...] In particular we are in the middle of what might be called humanistic studies of a mere handful of to us extremely interesting 'schizophrenic' persons.

1. Untitled Typescript. Author Unknown. An unpublished biography of E.M. Almedingen, 123pp., sm. folio, in black lever arch file, very good condition, a scattering of MS. corrections and additions.2. Seven mainly bulging Notebooks and Scrapbooks, (All my own), the Notebooks numbered I, II & III, 1943 and 1953, and the Scrapbooks numbered I, II, IV & V. (1949 and 1952 (2)).

14 pages, 4to, large handwriting (lower case letters 5mm), punch-holes, two of four damaged. The manuscript has elisions, substitutions and additions by the author, indicating a lot of thinking, perhaps a desire to use a long word rather than a short. She attempts to analyse Spencer's (artistic) character and their relationship (including sexual). I have attached scans of two pages, 5 and 14 (the final page) to illustrate her subjects and re-thinking (elisions etc).

32 line poem, cr.8vo, in a frame of an album page (detached), 4to, one ragged edge, celebrating summer, commencing: Is it not well, when the long day is over, | That brimmed with fulness of the summer time-| - Joy of wild bees that roam the the scented clover; [....] See image for full text. Verso: Sentiment by obscure German.

[Full title] The Gross and Net Produce of all the Branches of the Revenue under the Management of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs in England. Together with an Adjustment of the Net Produce with the Payments into the Exchequer Annually from Christmas 1710. To which are prefixed the underwritten Acco[unts] viz[t] : 1. The Yearly Payments into the Receipt of Exchequer on all the several Branches of the Customs from Michaelmas 1679 to Christmas 1710. 2. The Payments into the Exchequer for prohibited uncustomed and forfeited goods Annually from Christmas 1701. 3.

Five-page list of items, fold marks, some dusting, fair condition. Lots, Buyers and Prices (see image). From Scythe and rake to horses and potatoes.

Substantial part of pp. 226-7, in the section The Optimist and the Pessimist (vol.II, 1846). Two pages, 4to (19 x 20cm), crumpled, trimmed untidily, with several tears, many repaired as best they could.