ARCHITECT

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, torn along the inner edge on removal from mount. Addressed to ‘Chas. Fowler Esqr:’ (a vice-president of the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution) and signed ‘Rob. Smirke.’ Reads: ‘Dear Sir / May I request you will have the goodness to add the amount of the enclosed cheque for me to the collection recently made for the Artists Genl. Benevolent Institution.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On first leaf of bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with small and slightly rusted staple holes to one corner. Folded once. Addressed to ‘My dear [Gern?] King / A. G. B. I’ (i.e. the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution) and signed ‘Aston Webb / Presd. A G B I -’. He is writing at the request of ‘the Council’, ‘to express to you on their behalf & my own our sincere regret at your resignation from our Council’.

An interesting letter, in which Webb sets out his approach to bookplate design. According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, ‘By 1899 Webb was in poor health and losing money. His meagre savings were insufficient to build a cottage, so he accepted Caxtons, a four-bedroom sixteenth-century yeoman's house at Worth, near Crawley, Sussex, offered at a selflessly low rental by his friend William Scawen Blunt.’ For the context of the present letter, see the letter from Webb to Sydney Cockerell, 1 September 1902, in volume 3 of John Apin’s edition of Webb’s letters.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Sneyd-Kinnersley is the headmaster who is alleged to have subjected a naked seven-year-old Winston Churchill to repeated beatings. 3pp, 12mo. With mourning border. Letterhead (no doubt designed by Waterhouse himself) in characteristic style. On grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Good expansive signature ‘A Waterhouse’, and the letter written in a stylish hand. Addressed to ‘The Rev: H. W Sneyd Kinnersley’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both items in good condition, lightly aged, on grey paper, with central horizontal fold. Each signed ‘Aston Webb’. ONE: ANS to ‘Dear Walter Spiers’, 27 March 1899. 1p, 16mo. Thanking him for his congratulations on his election. TWO: ALS to ‘Dear Mr Baldwin’, 20 June 1903. 1p, 12mo. After thanking him for his congratulation he continues: ‘We had a most delightful dinner with you the other evening.’

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, / Vernon Heath, of Piccadilly, has made me a photograph of our new front, which is I think fairly satisfactory.’ He has told Heath to deliver a copy ‘addressed to you at the R. Academy’. As it is ‘rather large’, he did not like to send it ‘by post or Parcel’, as it ‘might get crushed on its way to you.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB: ‘In 1848 he was articled to the staunchly Quaker P. B. Alley, then in partnership with Richard Lane, the leading neo-classical architect of Manchester. In 1853 his education was completed with a ten-month tour of France, Italy, and Germany, after which he set up in practice as an architect in Manchester.’ (Waterhouse’s first success would come with his winning design for the Manchester assize courts in 1859.) 1p, 12mo. On the first leaf of a grey-paper bifolium. In good condition. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Thomas Haigh Esq:’ and signed ‘A Waterhouse’.

See his entry, and that of his fellow Academician Horsley, in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On the first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Signed ‘A Waterhouse’. Reads: ‘Dear Horsley. / You are quite right. No “mystery” between us if you please. / I say “yes” to your query to the extent of 2 guineas. / I hope you will soon gain the sum you desire without any great trouble to yourself’.

See Sir William Beveridge’s entry in the Oxford DNB: 'An overbearing and temperamental Scotswoman, Mrs Mair had come to the school [the LSE] with Beveridge in 1919 (having been his secretary and aide during the war) and was highly unpopular with many of the school's professors. Throughout the 1930s there were complaints about the ‘Beveridge–Mair dictatorship’ and a general sense of relief when Beveridge decided to leave the school to accept the mastership of University College, Oxford, in 1937.' 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with one dog-eared corner. Folded twice for postage.

Sir Charles Adam was great-grandson of the architect William Adam, and his father (also William Adam) was a friend of Sir Walter Scott. See the entries for Charles Adam and his father in the Oxford DNB. William Adam had a son - Charles’s brother - named William George Adam (1781-1839), but the reference to ‘Wm. Adam Esqr. Senior and Junior’ appears to suggest the father. Each of the two items is 1p, 4to. They are on different paper stock. Both in good condition, lightly aged. Both endorsed with modern note in pencil: ‘enclosed in Spottiswoode to W. A. - 23 July 08’. ONE: ‘Captn. Chas.

In good condition, lightly aged and creased. With fold for postage. Begins: ‘S.P.A.B. decided it could not take corporate action but I think A W G is doing so. We have therefore passed our papers to Mr Basil Oliver of 148 High St Kensington, who is the Hon Secty. Please write further information to him. / A R Powys.’ Note: Siblings included John Cowper Powys, Llewelyn Powys, Theodore Francis Powys and Philippa Powys.

See Cook?s entry in the Oxford DNB. His temperance hall and hotel illustrated here, were built in 1853. The hall was demolished in the 1960s, to be replaced by a building typical of those that blight Leicester in 2011; the council gave permission for the hotel to be demolished to make way for another monstrosity. Sepia lithograph printed in landscape on 20 x 13 cm leaf of laid paper, extracted from a book or pamphlet. Attractive illustration of an imposing structure, with those that flank it, and people and coaches in the foreground.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, and that of his brothers the architect Leonard Scott Stokes and the inventor of the ‘Stokes Gun’ Sir Wilfred Scott Stokes. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Signed ‘Adrian Stokes’. He has added the word ‘at’ above the letterhead, indicating that the residence is not his (it is in fact the house that his brother Leonard designed for himself).

See Webb's entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and worn with traces of glue from mount at head. Folded twice. Addressed to ‘Rev. A. R. F. Hyslop, M.A. / Warden, / Glenalmond College, PERTHSHIRE.’ Following on from previous correspondence, Webb is ‘desired to explain’ that ‘the Board feels strongly the advantage of a training in freehand drawing as a preliminary to architectural training’, and that they do not consider ‘the geometrical drawing of architecture more particularly from plates’ ‘generally helpful’.

See Beveridge’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Humberstone was a prominent member of the Convocation of the University of London. The five items are in good condition, lightly aged. All five signed ‘W H Beveridge’. ONE: 29 June 1933; The London School of Economics and Political Science, Aldwych, London. 1p, 4to. Folded twice. Thanking him for his book on ‘the Bloomsbury Site’. He does not agree with his ‘objection to Holden’s design (so far as I can judge I think it is very remarkable and very fine)’, but thinks that ‘the stirring up of discussion and interest in the matter is a good thing’.

Dupré is thinking of retaining Brett as architect in the rebuilding of a house on an attractive site, and the two items deal with the practicalities. Both signed 'Lionel Brett', and both in fair condition, lightly aged. ONE: TLS. 2pp, 4to, Folded three times. Forty-two lines of text. Addressed to Dupré at The Lodge, Windlesham, Withyham, Sussex. Deals firstly with ‘the estimate for demolition’, with comments ‘On the technical side’, before moving on to the question of ‘salvage materials’.

1p, 12mo. On a bifolium endorsed on second leaf '1848 | C R Cockerell R A | 8 May'. Reads: 'My Dear Sir | I hope you have recd. my subscription paid by cheque on London & Westymr. Bank. & forwarded to Mess. Drummond on the 14 Feby. 1848. | Your's truly | C. R. Cockerell'.

For John George Jackson (c.1798-c.1851), architect of Leamington Priors, pupil of P. F. Robinson, see Lyndon F. Cave's 'Royal Leamington Spa' (1988). He erected Newbold Lodge on the site of Strawberry Cottage in the early 1830s. See the entry for the recipient William Hookham Carpenter (1792-1866), later Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, in the Oxford DNB. At the time of the present letter Carpenter was working for his father the Old Bond Street bookseller James Carpenter (c.1768-1852). 2pp, 8vo. Bifolium.

1p, 12mo. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf, with small seal in black wax, to 'J Scoles Esqr | Argyll Place'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with damage to second leaf from breaking of seal. Folded twice. Written in a tight, florid hand. Reads: 'Dear Sir | I hear there will be no admission into Your Church tomorrow without tickets. If you should have any of said Tickets to spare, please to favour with one two or three according to circumstances – Yours Very Faithfully | J Landseer'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He very much regrets that his 'occupation and residence for 1/3rd of the year in the S[outh]. of France render it almost impossible for me to be of use in the way you propose to the L[iver]pool. Arch[itectura]l. Society: for your Session commencing just at the time, when I ought to set out for the Continent.' He will do his best to delay his departure for that year, 'so as to enable me to comply with your request, if you can manage to give me the first week in October'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to Allchin at 5 Chandos Street, W. He asks him whether it would be 'convenient to you to come across today to see my Son who has a swelled face, & whose mother thinks he is not in a condition to go outside the house'.

1p., 12mo. In fair conditon, on aged and worn paper. Headed in another hand 'Answered'. Reads: 'My dear Sir, | Many thanks for your kind note. If you could bring with you tomorrow evening to the Antiqs. [i.e. Society of Antiquaries ] the dates when the late Mr James Elmes became Surveyor of the Port of London, & when he resigned that office, you would further oblige me.'

See Cockerell's entry in the Oxford DNB, and Smedley's obituary in the Gentleman's Magazine, April 1832. The two letters are in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Each letter is of 1p., 12mo. On bifoliums addressed to Smedley at Broad Sanctuary on reverse of second leaf. ONE: 'Monday'. 1p., 12mo. Indistinct seal of head in red wax. Begins: 'My Dear Smedley. | You will hear with pleasure that I read my MS: on Saturday; no dissent cast but G. B. who has started a doubt as to this being the works of Phidéas.' He is going out of own for a week and hopes to see Smedley on his return.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with the blank second leaf tipped-in onto a leaf from an album. His only excuse for 'the long delay' is 'that all my time has been occupied in taking stock, which necessarily has been a most irksome job'. It will be the following month before he can 'put forth an appendix to my Catalogue, as it will be necessary for me to wait the coming event of something, that I may, or may not be engaged in.' He will have time 'to consider & reconsider' Huggins's 'advertisement'.

On 10 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut down from a longer letter. Aged and worn, with traces of glue and grey paper mount adhering to the reverse, which is addressed by Elmes to Howard at the Royal Academy. Reads: 'I send with this one drawing for Exhibition with my name at the back of which the following is the description | "Design for a National Museum comprised in a space of two Acres | H. Lonsdale Hunter | 11 Park Street | Westminster'. Note: Perhaps he was quoting for St George's Hall(?).

20pp., 8vo. With eleven plates, one of them a double. Stitched and unbound. Grey paper front cover with title present, but lacking rear cover. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with stitching added to strengthen spine. Tastefully presented. Begins: 'As an architect resident in Birkenhead for nearly twenty years, I have naturally taken considerable interest in the one relic of antiquity in that most modern of English towns.

3pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged, worn and brittle paper. 66 lines of closely-written text, heavily revised with additions, deletions and emendations. The author describes his scheme as 'un projet qui contribuerait a l'embellissement de le grand plan de Bruxelles, sans qu'il coutait rien a la ville'. He describes the renovation of the facade of the Maison du Roi, and suggests the placing of 'Statuettes d'Albert et d'Isabelle' in a 'niche gothique'. Jamaer reconstructed the Maison du Roi in 1868.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by explaining that he has been 'too much engaged' since last writing to Ollier 'to come so far westward', or he would not intrude on his time. He asks him to return 'the letter of Mr Cooke, that I enclosed to you, under cover and a line just to say, whether there were two parcels, as he mentions, or only the one, that I took, as he desires great care and a return of them'.

1p., 4to. On bifolium. Written in an elegant assured hand. Addressed on second leaf, 'To | Mr Francis Wingrave'. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Reads: 'Dear Frank | I shall be much obliged to you if you can possibly get the copies I leave with this, inserted in the Gazeteer, the Public, & the Ledger, & the Morning Chronicle, we suppose it of consequence to the success of our exhibition, the interests of which I have greatly at heart. | Yours sincerely | J Stuart | Any expence attending the publication I shall gladly reimburse you'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. On two occasions, despite the urgings of his friends, he has declined to apply for 'the Curatorship at Sir John Soanes', but he has since 'thought my friends might be right, and that the appointment would afford means of study and relaxation'. He has been 'over worked lately', and is 'suffering from boils and nervous headaches, which came on the very day I had intended to leave for Paris and Berlin'.