ANTIQUITIES

[Sir Francis Chantrey [Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey], sculptor.] Autograph Letter Signed to Edward Hawkins, recommending the artist William Beetham for permission to draw at the British Museum.

Author: 
Sir Francis Chantrey [Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey] (1781-1841), sculptor [Edward Hawkins (1780-1867), Keeper of Antiquities at the British Museum; William Beetham (1809-1888), artist]
Publication details: 
‘Belgrave Place [London] / 15th. June 1830’.
£56.00

See his entry, and Hawkins’s, in the Oxford DNB. The subject of the letter, William Beetham, was an early emigrant to New Zealand, where he was one of the colony’s first European artists. 1p, 12mo. With mourning border. In fair condition, aged and worn, with a tiny piece of loss to one corner. Traces of paper mount adhering to blank reverse. Folded twice for postage. Addressed to ‘Edwd. Hawkins Esqr.’ and signed ‘F Chantrey’. Begins: ‘My Dear Sir / The bearer Wm.

[Sir Philip Francis, putative author of the celebrated ‘Letters of Junius’.] Autograph Letter Signed to the oriental scholar Thomas Maurice, offering support and information for his ‘plan’ [for 'Indian Antiquities'?].

Author: 
Sir Philip Francis (1740-1818), putative author of the celebrated political tracts ‘The Letters of Junius' (1769-1772) [Thomas Maurice (1754-1824), oriental scholar]
Sir Philip Francis
Publication details: 
'Isleworth twenty fourth June / 1791'.
£500.00
Sir Philip Francis

As John Cannon writes in Francis’s entry in the Oxford DNB, ‘The authorship of the Junius letters has been the subject of innumerable publications of various merit’, with the case for Francis, first proposed by John Taylor in 1816, ‘far the most probable’. The present item is of double interest: handwriting analysis has played a significant part in a number of publications, e.g. ‘The handwriting of Junius professionally investigated by Charles Chabot, expert; with preface and collateral evidence, by the Hon. Edward Twisleton’ (London, 1871).

[‘The best private Collection in the Kingdom’: William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale.] Autograph Letter Signed regarding excavations at Moresby Hall, Cumbria, and his ‘collection of Statues in Roman & Greek antiquities’.

Author: 
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale (1787-1872), styled Viscount Lowther, 1807-1844, Tory politician [Moresby Hall, Cumbria]
Publication details: 
No date or place.
£120.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Signed ‘Lonsdale’. Recipient (‘Dear Sir’) not named. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin neat strip of windowpane mount at edges. Folded twice for postage. He has received the recipient’s letter, and is ‘sorry on different accounts the excavations have not arrived at a better success.

[Gilbert White, naturalist.] Original Manuscript, said to have been dictated by White himself, of 'Gilbert White's statement' on the venomous properties of the toad, with eleven authorial emendations. Together with a series of thermometer readings.

Author: 
Gilbert White (1720-1793), naturalist and ornithologist, author of the celebrated 'Natural History of Selborne' (1789) [Thomas Bell (1792-1880), zoologist]
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£350.00

A very nice artefact of one of the best-loved books in the England language, Gilbert White's 'Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne', which at one point was claimed to be the fourth most-printed book after the Bible, Shakespeare, and Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress'. White's entry in the Oxford DNB concludes by describing the book as 'an expression of universal thanksgiving, treasured by all'.

[ Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Northumberland') to Edward Hawkins, regarding a visit by the Duchess to the British Museum.

Author: 
Hugh Percy (1785-1847), 3rd Duke of Northumberland, Tory politician and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland [ Edward Hawkins (1780-1857), numismatist, Keeper of Antiquities at the British Museum ]
Publication details: 
Northumberland House [ London ]. 3 May 1843.
£35.00

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He informs him that 'the Duchess will be obliged to postpone her visit to The British Museum till next week', and asks what day would be convenient.

[The first two printed parts, the first with inscription by author.] History and Antiquities of Brentford by Fred Turner, F. R. Hist. Soc., Author of "Brentford Literary and Historical Sketches," etc.

Author: 
Fred Turner, F. R. Hist. Soc., Author of "Brentford Literary and Historical Sketches," etc.
Publication details: 
Both parts: Printed for the author by Henry R. Bohee, 58 & 59, High Street, Brentford. 1921.
£80.00

Both parts in fair condition, with light signs of age; the second part with creased corner causing damage to the last couple of leaves and back cover. Two stapled pamphlets, uniform in grey printed wraps. PART I. 'Stone Age to 8th Century A.D. | Illustrated.' [4] + 13pp., 4to. Frontispiece and two full-page illustrations, with two more illustrations in text. Inscribed on front cover 'With the author's best wishes | Xmas 1921'. PART II. '10th to 14th Centuries A.D., etc. | Illustrated with Photographs by the Author.' 19pp., 4to (paginated to 32).

[Printed poster.] Wonders of Many Lands. Burton's "Old Curiosity Shop." The African Room. Savage and Civilized Products. Glimpses of the World.

Author: 
'A Californian Wanderer' [John Burton (1839-1907); Burton's 'Old Curiosity Shop', Falmouth, Cornwall]
Publication details: 
'Reprinted from The Cornishman, Thursday April 30th., 1891.' [Burton's 'Old Curiosity Shop', Falmouth, Cornwall]
£280.00

A native of Scotland, Burton set up a china business in Falmouth in 1862, but soon turned to the sale of unusual items from around the world, purchased from sailors, his shop acquiring an international reputation and royal patronage. Printed on one side of a piece of pink paper, 38 x 25.5cm. A frail survival, on aged and worn high-acidity paper, with loss and chipping to the margins, and a few closed tears, but with the text complete.

{Printed Pamphlet] An Account of the Roman Antiquities, found at Rougham, Near Bury St. Edmunds, on the fifteenth of September, 1843

Author: 
Rev. J.S. Henslow, Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge, influence on Charles Darwin.
Rev. J.S. Henslow, Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge
Publication details: 
Printed by Gedge and Barker, 26, Hatter-Street, Bury [St. Edmunds], Sold for the Benefit of the Suffolk General Hospital, 1843
£125.00
Rev. J.S. Henslow, Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge

12pp., 8vo, fdg frontis, some foxing, left edge slightly wragged, mainly good condition. Scarce. COPAC lists five copies.

Autograph Note Signed ('J M').

Author: 
John Mitford (1781-1851), clergyman, antiquary and editor of The Gentleman's Magazine [Sir Frederic Madden]
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£35.00

12mo: 1 p. Dimensions of leaf 11 x 9 cm. Twelve lines of text, headed 'P. 320'. In poor condition: grubby and aged. Laid down on piece of grey paper removed from autograph book. 2 cm closed tear in bottom left-hand corner affecting a couple of words of text. Difficult hand. Criticising a note, giving references to three works. Ends 'I don't see any use in printing this letter - but Sir F. Madden will tell you better. | JM -'.

Typed Letter Signed ('R. L. S. Bruce-Mitford') to Miss Robin Place.

Author: 
R. L. S. Bruce-Mitford [Rupert Leo Scott Bruce-Mitford] (1914-1994), archaeologist and art historian [T. D. Kendrick [Sir Thomas Downing Kendrick]; the British Museum]
Publication details: 
14 October 1947; on letterhead of the Department of British and Medieval Antiquities, British Museum, London.
£28.00

4to: 1 p. 22 lines. Text clear and entire on lightly aged and creased paper, with one 1.5 cm closed tear (not affecting text). Congratulating Place on her 'Assistant Principalship'. He considers she was 'very wise to take the opportunity'. He has discussed 'the house-key question with the Keeper [T. D. Kendrick]', who regards Saturday afternoons 'as a sacred time reserved for peaceful work, undisturbed by ones colleagues'. Consequently 'it would be rather difficult to accommodate you as a helper on Saturdays and after your week's work at the ministry'.

Types, Mints, and Mintmasters of the rare Coinage of the Normans and House of Blois. A.D. 1066 to 1154.

Author: 
Oliver Ratcliff [Coins and medals; Numismatics]
Publication details: 
Olney: Printed and published by Oliver Ratcliff. 1897.
£100.00

Octavo: [vi] + 24 pp. Stapled and unbound. Detached from original blue and pink printed wraps (advertising W. S. Lincoln & Son, coin and medal dealers of New Oxford Street, London). Several illustrations and tables. Good, though lightly aged, and with some wear and creasing to the wraps, which are blue on the outside and pink internally. Several other items by Ratcliff are recorded, but this item is rare, with no copy listed on COPAC.

Autograph Letter Signed ('A Durand') to Smith.

Author: 
A[uguste]. Durand [presumably the printer and bookseller rather than the composer] [Charles Roach Smith (1807-91), British archaeologist]
Publication details: 
Saturday 29 Octr. [no year, but between 1843 and 1873]; no place [Paris?].
£42.00

Two pages, 12mo. Good, on aged and creased paper. Engraving of ancient medallion as letterhead. He takes 'the opportunity of a friend going over' to send Smith 'a parcel which I have just received from Monsr De la Plane, Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries of the <?> & the Bulletin of the Society, for the Royal [sic] Society of Antiquaries, the British Archaeological Association [founded 1843], the Numismatic Society, and Smith himself. He is also sending a letter for J[ohn]. Y[onge]. Ackerman (1806-73).

Autograph Letter Signed to Lady Watney [wife of Sir Frank Watney], together historical notes, two tracings and two small photographs.

Author: 
William Byam Lane
Publication details: 
20 July 1937; 39 Eton College Road, Chalk Farm.
£125.00

English writer (1866-1945). The letter is 2 pages, 8vo, and the notes are 9 pages octavo. Neatly written on one side each of eleven matching leaves, all ruled with blue lines. In good condition overall, but with the paper somewhat discoloured, creased and ruckled, and with some rust stains from a paper clip and closed tears. He is sending as promised 'the evidence of the bishop's mitre having come down to us from very ancient times'.

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