CHILDHOOD

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and folded twice for postage. One corner very slightly cropped. Signed ‘Tho. Hughes’. In response to a request for an autograph he writes: ‘My dear Madam / I have only just returned to town where I find your note, with the request contained in which I have much pleasure in complying & sending you my signature below, though it is not a good specimen as I have got hold of a rascally bad pen.’ See Image.

An attractive piece of juvenile ephemera, printed in black on one side of a piece of 23.5 x 36.5 cm wove paper. In good condition, folded twice. The document is excessively scarce, no other copy having been traced, and little has been learnt about the advertiser. In 1919 Punch carried an advertisement for ‘Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, &c.’ from ‘James Portland, the Conjuror and Children’s Entertainer’. Four years later the ‘Model Engineer’ carried several advertisements from Portland as a supplier of ebonite.

See Knox's entry in the Oxford DNB, along with those of his father and three brothers. 8pp, 4to. Paginated and complete; on eight leaves held together with a rusting paperclip. In fair condition, aged and creased. A fair copy, with occasional emendations. There is no indication that this essay was published. A polished piece of writing by an accomplished essayist, lightly humorous but with serious intent, Knox's aim being to put forward the view that modern childhood is more self-indulgent than that of previous generations, and results is the self-deceit of adults who have never grown up.

Seven volumes, the first three in 4to, the last four small 4to, ranging in length from 32pp to 44pp. Each stapled into coloured printed wraps, the first six carrying a stylised drawing of a boy doing a jump (from a springboard). In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with rusted staples. Each volume is filled with prose, poetry, illustration and photographs by a number of different contributors, including pieces taken from public school magazines. The only unattributed items are the book reviews, which are clearly the work of Fry himself.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Presumably written to the governess of a child he had arranged to paint. Reads: 'Madam | I have Mrs. Horsfall's permission to ask if you could make it convenient that I should see her little daughter tomorrow at ¼ past 2 oC – for the purposes of arranging sittings for her portrait.'

2pp., small 4to. Printed in black and red ink on the rectos of the two leaves of a bifolium. The heading and the words 'Tickets 15s. each' at the foot of the page in gothic type, the rest in roman. The names of 23 'Patronesses' given in two columns on the first page, beginning with 'The Countess of Ancaster' and ending with 'Mrs. Alfred Scott-Gatty'. The names of 24 'Steward' in a column on the second page, beginning with 'Harold Bompas, Esq.' and ending with 'Roland Vaughan Williams, Esq.' At foot of second page: 'Tickets can be procured from the Hon. Mrs.

Folio, 110 pp, comprising [i] + 68 + [ii] + 39 pp. Handsome volume in slipcase, tight and internally in very good condition, on lightly-aged thick Whatman paper. Well bound in black leather morocco, all edges gilt. Binding blind-tooled and with 'Early Days' and 'W. V. S.' in gilt on spine and motto on front board: 'Nourish the sentiments thy principles approve and put thy trust and confidence in God.' Binding worn and rebacked, in worn black cloth slipcase.

3pp., 4to. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Mr Offor | NB Please to pay the Twopenny Postage of the Letter to 169 Fleet St & charge it in my account.' Docketted 'Mr Keyworth. | Sleaford'.

On 3.5 x 16.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. Ruckled and lightly stained, with small closed tear (not affecting signature). Good firm signature. Reads: 'Kindest regards to your wife | Ever most truly yours | Thos Hughes'. At bottom left: '1873'. Same year printed on reverse, which carries more autograph text by Hughes, written at right angles to the text on the other side.

6pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with two slight rust stains from staple. Shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library. Divided into five sections: Causes of Incapacity; Importance of early recognition of Mental Defect; Definition of Mental Defect, under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913; Methods of dealing with mentally defective children; Procedure. No copy found on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition on aged and lightly-worn paper. With shelfmark, stamp and label of the Board of Education Library, London.

76pp., foolscap 8vo. Includes one fold-out leaf. Internally in good condition, on aged paper. In worn and chipped orange card wraps. With shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Divided into the main headings: The Problem of Children's Play; How Much Spare Time?; Clubs and Organisations; Games and Sports; The Cinema and the Radio; Reading and Other Hobbies; What Do Children Like Doing Best? A smaller (and earlier?) version of a 90-page item published with the same title and date, but with the author's name given as 'Joyce Ward'.

90pp., foolscap 8vo. Includes extra leaf stapled in to make a fold-out. Internally in good condition, on aged paper. Author's 'Introduction' printed on inside front cover. In worn and chipped orange card wraps with damaged spine. With shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Divided into the main headings: The Problem of Children's Play; How Much Spare Time?; Clubs and Organisations; Games and Sports; The Cinema and the Radio; Reading and Other Hobbies; What Do Children Like Doing Best?

23pp., foolscap 8vo. Stitched. On aged and worn paper, with short closed tear to first leaf at foot of spine. Shelfmarks, stamp and label of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. Purple stamp on reverse of first leaf: '10 SEP 1910'. Divided into three sections: Warrants of Appointment; Majority Report; Minority Report. The 'Majority Report' section under the following main headings: Origin and Course of Inquiry; General Results of the Investigation; Remedies and Recommendations; Summary of Recommendations and Conclusions. A large part of the document discusses 'Street Trading'.

9pp., 8vo. Unbound. With stamp, shelfmarks and labels of the Board of Education Reference Library, otherwise in good condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper. Scarce: no copy in the British Library or on COPAC.

[2] + 8 + [1] pp., small (18 x 14 cm.) 4to. Sewn with green ribbon into white wraps, with 'Pattie's Christmas Tree' in gilt on front. In good condition, with the wraps slightly sunned in panels. Inscribed at head of title-page 'With kind regards'. The pamphlet contains a single poem titled 'Pattie's Christmas Tree', printed on eight pages each with decorative border in gilt. Printer's slug on revers of title, and colophon on last page. The beginning and end of the poem indicate the theme.

43pp., 12mo. Closely written in a ruled black cloth notebook, titled on first page 'CHILDREN'S BOOK'. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper; torn scraps of paper adhering to the waxed cloth covers. Containing such information as date and time of birth, weight of child, name of doctor and 'nurse-housemaid', teething ('R. J.s first eye-tooth'), first walk, first words ('R. J. said ("I'm a pe-pe" - this probably only imitation; since called himself Baby).

[6] + 36pp., 8vo. In original yellow printed wraps. Title carries illustration by Fouget. Inscribed, at head of title, 'To "The Bairns" from Mr. ', 8 February 1866. Lightly-aged, with slight damp staining, in worn wraps. Clearly printed with simple musical scores, including such classics as 'Frère Jacques' and 'Sur le Pont d'Avignon'.

Entertaining letters reflecting the privileged childhood of a member of the Irish nobility in the late Victorian period. Both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in aged envelope, with stamps and postmarks, addressed to 'Miss C. Parker | The Paddocks | Eccleston | Chester'. Letter One: 'Friday'. 1p., 12mo. She is sending 'some autographs which Mother gave me' (not present), and has 'put whoose [sic] they are on their backs in pencil'. She has 'no time to write now' as she is 'going out riding'.

Brochure: 4pp., 4to. Bifolium, printed in green and brown on yellow paper. With four photographs of children. Fair, on lightly-worn paper, with vertical crease to second leaf. Requesting help for 'Houses Workshops Farms': 'Are they not human beings like us? | Do they not all have similar rights? | Do they not deserve to live a life filled with work, duty and pleasure?' Mimeographed typed appeal: 3pp., 4to. On two leaves of paper stapled together by a corner. Headed 'The Botton Hall Estate, Danby, Whitby, North East Yorkshire'.

4to album, with the 29 pages of drawings on 28 leaves (on the rectos, except on one leaf, where they are on both sides). The album gives evidence of having been re-used, but gives no evidence as to the identity of the artist. While the covers of the album are worn, with the spine becoming detached, and with its leaves of discoloured high-acidity paper, all the drawings are clear and complete, consisting of twenty-eight full-page studies, and the remaining page (the first) with three studies on it. A few of the illustrations are lightly- and tastefully-coloured in pastel watercolour.

PRESENTATION COPY: inscribed on half-title 'Pour Louise | avec mon bien amical souvenir - | Cécile Aubry'. 32 pages, quarto. In printed coloured boards, with decorated endpapers. llustrated by Aubry in colour (one double-page and nine full page) and black and white (five vignettes) and red (final page and endpapers). On the poor side of good, with minor staining, spotting and wear; negligible damp damage to boards.

Stapled pamphlet of thirteen pages (dimensions of leaf 15 x 8 cm), in original grey printed wraps. Attractively produced in relatively small print. Small stain to rear wrap, and some spotting to p.12. Inscribed beneath frontispiece photograph of a pensive Canfield at her writing desk, 'With best greetings to Harry from [signed] Dorothy Canfield Fisher'. The final page consists of a list of 'Books By Dorothy Canfield', several of which are scored through in pencil, with the titles of four others added. No copy listed on COPAC, and none listed in the Yale and Harvard catalogues.

According to the British Library Bisset's Directory was published in 1800. Paper dimensions roughly 5 1/4 inches by 9 inches; print dimensions roughly 4 1/4 inches by 7 inches. In very good condition although somewhat grubby. Paper watermarked '<179?>9 | TMAN'. At head of plate: 'M'. At foot of plate: 'Reynolds. Sct. Birm'.

Typed on one side of 86 quarto leaves, the latter leaves paginated and ending with 86. In printed wraps neatly tied with blue ribbon. Somewhat dusty but in good condition overall. According to the British Library catalogue the story was published by Unity Products in 1949. Patch is a dog, and the first few leaves contain eleven charming illustrations his friends, including Scragg, Tatters and Madame Sing-Hi.