acting

Irregular (12 x 23.5 cm), 32 pp. In fair condition, aged and lightly worn. In original wraps, with cover design, in a variety of types and point sizes, imitating an early nineteenth-century handbill, stating that 'all Profits for the Benefit of the Deserving Actors' Orphanage. | Free list entirely suspended | Fees payable in advance are 2s. per copy'.

Colour photograph in grey card wallet frame. Dimensions of photograph 13 x 18 cm. Dimensions of frame 18 x 23 cm. In good condition. A head and shoulders shot of a smiling old Ashcroft in overcoat outdoors in the countryside. Captioned by Balcon on frame at foot of photograph 'Peggy Ashcroft at Vine Cottage (called by her "The Tiny Palace")'. Part of Balcon's own collection.

Black and white matt bromide print photograph in card frame with covering flap. Dimensions of photograph 20 x 25 cm. Dimensions of frame 25.5 x 32 cm. A head and shoulders shot of Balcon, staring across the photograph from the right, left hand at right shoulder, with the bust of Day-Lewis facing her from the left. Inscription in pencil on frame beneath photograph: 'London. Mark Gerson. AIBP/ARPS'. Photograph and inscription in excellent condition; frame aged and worn.

On leaf removed from autograph album, with one set of rounded corners. In good condition. Reads ' Good Morning - Bill! | With every good wish | Yours Sincerely | Peter Haddon | 1928 -'. Together with a loose newspaper cutting carrying a photographic portrait.

4to, 1 p. Fourteen lines, in pencil. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. In envelope addressed by Holloway to Inglis. He apologises for his 'rudeness' in not answering earlier: 'I plead rush of work'. He would be delighted to sit for her, but 'the trouble is that I may have to leave town on Monday to produce a play in the country and then on to S[tratford]-on-A[von] for the 7 weeks Festival'. Suggests a later meeting.

Both letters 8vo, 1 p; the first on pink paper. Both texts clear and complete. Both fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Letter One: She was surprised to learn that Lawrence had 'Miss Babbington with you because I did not even know that she was on the stage. I thought she was with a publishing house.' After the 'long and wonderful run' she is sorry that Lawrence's leading lady is leaving. 'Although I never intend to go back to the stage again, I shall always have the same keen interest in matters theatrical [...] the variety profession is my first love'.

12mo, 7 pp. Text clear and complete. On aged discoloured paper, with rusting staple having been removed. The last page carries a 'List of Characters' played by Gatty, from the 'First Gravedigger' in 'Hamlet' in 1866 to 'Tony Lumpkin' in 'She Stoops to Conquer' in 1882. The reviews, in small type over the previous six pages, are highly favourable, from a range of papers from the Guardian to the Sheffield Daily Telegraph. The last set of reviews relates to the 'Harmonomaniac Concerts, Oxford'. From the residue of Sir Stephen H. Gatty's papers.

4to, 2 pp. Text clear and complete. On aged and lightly-creased paper. 'The nature of my business is a desire to become a tenant of the Prince of Wales Theatre, for a long or short time, and entirely subject to existing arrangements in order to produce a play which good judges (as well as myself) regard as one (if not the) play of the present generation'. The name of the play is not given. Barnes states that 'if Mr Harvey is your permanent tenant it would quite suit me to do the play at any time <?> another provincial Town'. He offers 'a short or long lease [...] with unimpeachable security'.

4to, 2 pp. Fair, on aged and lightly-creased paper. The play 'is a great success in London and is likely to have a long run there, yet at the same time we are all looking forward to coming back to Manchester, where the play started and everybody was so kind to us'. She concludes with some graceful compliments to Bass, and encloses her portrait (not present).

4to, 1 p. Twenty lines. Text clear and complete. On aged and lightly-creased paper. Responding to 'the kind note of his esteemed Country woman Mrs. Wallack'. He is 'gratified to learn, that Mr. Wallack will present to the Parisian public representations in the English language, of the best of our Tragedies & Comedies'. He wishes the Wallacks 'the most complete success, and will with pleasure attend the performances, when his health will permit him & his family to do so'. Two of Mason's family will take up Wallack's offer of tickets for the opening.

All four items good, on lightly aged paper. Two of the five leaves have small dog-ears to corners. Goodman has done his accounts on the blank reverse of one leaf. An important collection, in which the most important British post-war play agent reveals, in entertaining and increasingly-brusque terms, the criteria by which she judges scripts. Goodman was hailed by Jacques Barzun as 'the greatest living master of true-crime literature', but his first love was, as his obituary in the Daily Telegraph (16 January 2008) states, the theatre.

Dimensions 25 x 20 cm: [ii] + 87 pp, all on rectos. Bound in stained yellow wraps, with black tape spine. Well-thumbed, but in fair condition internally, tight, clear and complete. The names of the eight actors are added in pencil in the list of characters. In the first six cases only the christian names are given ('Dracula' is given as 'Alan'), but 'Professor Abraham van Helsing' is played by Andrew Turner, and 'Lucy Westenra' by Jannina Tredwell (who featured in a 1974 revival of the musical 'Hair').

12mo, 1 p. Text clear and entire, on lightly creased blue paper, with a thin docketed strip neatly cut away at the foot of the letter. Traces of cream paper mount adhering to the blank reverse. Presumably refers to the play 'Alone in London', which debuted at the Olympic Theatre in 1885. Buchanan trusts that Fenn 'will be present in production of my new play & Miss Jay's debut on Wednesday next'. He asks whether to send the stalls, 'or do you get them from the Office? It will be indeed disappointing if you do not come, this time.'

4to, 1 p, 21 lines. On creased and lightly-foxed paper, with a couple of closed tears (not affecting text, which is clear and entire). May refer to the 1928 revival of van Druten's play 'Young Woodley' (previously banned by the censor), or (which is more likely) to his 'After All' (1929).

12mo, 1 p, 11 lines. Very good. He begins by giving R. J. Smith's Brompton address. He was 'delighted to hear of Lord Powis' and hopes 'there is no mistake about it'. 'Remember in printing his Title he is a Knight of the Garter. - On the back of our 2nd. No. I see Lord Southampton printed as "the Earl of Southampton"!' Asks the recipient's view of the previous day's 'Times': 'And look at the Morning Post to day.'

The sepia photograph, 10 x 7 cm, is a head and shoulders shot of Aslan staring at the viewer in the character of Hamlet holding Yorick's skull. It is neatly mounted on a leaf of cream paper (24 x 20 cm) removed from an album. The whole attractive and in good condition. In a firm, bold hand Aslan has written, across the page beneath the photograph: '"Zu was für schnöden Bestimmungen | wir doch kommen, Horatio"! - | (Hamlet) | Ein Erinnerung | [signed] Raoul M. Aslan: | Wien, Oktober 1923. -'

On piece of pink paper roughly 8.5 x 11 cm. Laid down on slightly larger leaf from an autograph album. Good with a little paper and glue staining to the mount. Good bold signature, diagonally across the page.

On leaf of light blue paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Very good.

On a leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, part of a bifolium taken from an autograph album. Very good.

On piece of cream paper, roughly 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Good, on paper with a few light marks. Bold, firm signatures in pencil, one on each side of the leaf. Two signatures,

Seven pages, octavo. Disbound, and with the four leaves detached from one another and neatly laid down on a paper mount. Very good. From (according to the title-page) the edition in 'LONDON. Printed for EDW. NICKSON. Januar. 24. 1643.' Republished as a supplement to the 'British Stage'. Only two copies on COPAC, at Bristol and in the British Library.

English actress (1868-1957), the wife of Fred Terry (1864-1932). 4 pp, 8vo. She thanks her for her kind invitation, which she cannot accept as they are going back to London on the Sunday. "We are only giving a matinee at Wolverhampton & have to return to Birmingham to play at night / It was very sweet of you to ask us." Minor traces of previous mounting.

Irish-born American actress (1860-1916). 2 pp, 8vo. "Can you and your dear Father come and have a little lunch with me on Wed: at 1 o.clock {- just really to say goodbye / drop me a line if you will - With love - but in haste / Ada Rehan". Traces of paper and glue from previous mounting on blank sides.

English actress (1855-96), sister of Ellen Terry and member of celebrated theatrical dynasty. 2 pp, 12mo. "You really must think me a pig for not having written to you all this time - but now I send these few lines to thank you first for your good wishes and congratulations on my engagement to Mr Morris & for kind remembrance of my birthday - The card was a very pretty one - I hope to be home after the 4th of next month - so I shall hope to see you before long now: It must be delightful on the Thames: With love and thanks to you & Alice Lewis for all your good wishes".

English actress (1868-1957), the wife of Fred Terry (1864-1932). 2 pp, 12mo. "Dear Mrs Lewis / My mother & I will be delighted to accept your kind invitation on Friday afternoon / With kind regards / very truly yours / Julia Neilson". With traces of paper and glue from previous mounting on blank recto of second leaf.

Irish-born American actress (1860-1916). Calling card 2½ by 3¼ inches, "Miss Rehan. / 164 West 93rd. Street.", with the name crossed out and signed on the reverse "Ada Rehan / 1894."

American-born actress (1842-1917). 2 pp, 12mo, on mourning paper, in matching stamped envelope addressed in autograph "Miss M. H. Folkard / Wigram Ward / Kings Coll. Hospital / Lincoln's Inn Fields". "I am more than grieved to hear of yr. illness. What a long, long weary time you have had! May I go to see you on Sunday? I wd. love to go before - but I am teaching all day [at the theatre school she had founded in 1892] - & acting at night - & have not a minute before Sunday. My love to you dear friend - & Miss Daley's - / Your always affte. / Kate Crowe".

One page, 12mo. She has just returned from the theatre at 11 o'clock and is "delighted to have been able to obtain a ticket". Signed "May". Stuck to the foot of the page is a newspaper cutting describing Sarah Bernhardt's performance in Emile Moreau's play on Queen Elizabeth. This ends, "A word is fairly due to the work of M. Lou Teilegen and Madame May Agathe, and to the excellence of the stage management." Creased and with traces of mount on reverse.

American-born actress (1842-1917). Both 2 pp, on 12mo mourning paper. The first, 19 January 1898, with the letterhead 48 Wetherby Mansions, Earl's Court Square. She apologises for not writing sooner. "I am rather frightened at yr. proposal - for I have never addressed a meeting in my life - & have shrunk from so responsible a position - & fear I shd. do the work very badly - tho' I feel with all my heart for your good cause. / I have neither the time, nor the ability to prepare a paper - & make them give. / May I go to you - to ask you just what wd. be expected of me?

American-born actress (1842-1917). One page, 12mo. "In answer to yr. note I first appeared in Manchester in the year 1864 in the character of "Leah". / Yrs: respectfully / K. J. Bateman Crowe". With traces of glue and paper to reverse of blank second leaf.