CHILDREN'S

Both items in good condition, lightly aged. PAMPHLET: 12pp, 8vo. Stapled in green wraps, printed on both sides of covers, and with drawing of Shaw by Hadfield, dated 1974, on front cover. Containing a few autograph emendations. Inscribed on front cover: 'To Christopher Fry, | from | Alan Hadfield, | Greetings! | Feby 1975'. A quirky and highly personal response to Shaw, combining anecdote, reminiscence and original poetry.

1p, 4to. Typescript with a couple of minor autograph corrections. Unpublished, but perhaps relating to her 1945 book 'Ariadne and the Bull'. At foot, in Farjeon's autograph: 'From E. F. | 20 Perrin's Walk | N.W.3.' In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with nicking and loss at edges. A chatty and entertaining retelling of the story. As an example of the tone, early on Farjeon writes: 'The Minotaur was a monster with the gigantic body of a man topped by a bull's head; his father was a bull and his mother was Pasiphae, Minos's Queen.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with the conclusion and signature ('Juliana Horatia Ewing. | (Not an elegant signature!)') of the letter cross-written at the head of the first page. Drawing of a 'round chess board', with explanation, on second page. An excellent intimate letter, to a family member or friend whose name is not clearly written (Marion? Marnie?). She begins by acknowledging her 'very delightful' letter, and expressing pleasure at 'the prospect of our "play" in town'.

Florence Montgomery's 1869 novel 'Misunderstood' was admired by Henry James, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and George Du Maurier, and was childhood reading of Vladimir Nabokov. It has been adapted for cinema twice (in Italy in 1966, in Hollywood in 1984). The present item is 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In envelope addressed to 'Mrs. William Levi | Woughton Hall | Bletchley'. (The recipient Lilian Maud Levi was the granddaughter of Sir Henry Cunningham Montgomery, and the daughter of the Dean of Worcester Grantham Munton Yorke.) The postmark gives the year as 1921.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The female recipient is unidentified, but would appear to be the editor of a magazine, enquiring after the progress of a 'paper' Ellis has agreed to write on 'Java Sparrows'. Ellis explains that she has 'begun a better story in the Child's department which it is consequently necessary to finish first', to appear 'in the number for June', but that 'your paper shall certainly come next'. The handwriting is not altogether straightforward, but Ellis appears to say here that 'stories will not always [write?] up when [necessary?]'.

On slip of grey paper, roughly 4 x 13.5 cm. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper from mount adhering to the blank reverse. With two unobtrusive vertical fold lines. Reads: 'Kindest regards | Yours sincerely | Edward Lear.'

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed in type to 'My dear Shepard,' but with the last word corrected in autograph to 'Ernest'. He has now 'made sufficient progress with Monmouthshire' to be able to give Shephard 'a line': 'The first two verses bear upon the Wye valley and the Usk valley, of which Tintern is the best symbol.

On one side of 10.5 x 14.5 cm grey-blue card. In very good condition. Inscription in blue ink, beneath the letterhead (which includes email address and phone number): 'This is for the Autograph Auction next March. | Good luck, | Nina Bawden'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Reads: 'Dear Mr Case, | You are most welcome to my Autograph, which I send in signing myself - | Yours faithfully | Agnes Giberne'.

On one side of a 2.5 x 11 cm slip of paper, cut from the end of a letter. Reads 'Yours very sincerely | Louisa Molesworth'.

Written (perhaps appropriately) in a somewhat childish hand.

On 22.5 x 6.5 cm slip of paper, ruled in red and blue. In good condition, lightly aged. Beneath the line of sheet music and the accompanying words 'Unless you can think when the Song is done,' is the good firm signature: 'Alfred J. Caldicott | Mus. Bac Cantab'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter indicates that Bradburn was deriving some sort of income from the sale of her books, and was making 'Missionary capes', possibly for charity. She writes that she is concerned that 'the two notes written to Mrs. Walker and the one to yourself, were not received', and asks whether ''the Missionary Books' and magazines were sent to him as ordered, 'I trust Mr. Thomas Walker had the dozen for which he kindly prepaid me.' She has 'an affectionate respect for Mr. and Mrs.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium of grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter would appear to be addressed to a contributor to Adams's 'Cyclopaedia of Poetical Quotations' (1853). It begins: 'Sir | I have much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt your obliging communications, and in thanking you therefore: the extract on Love I shall endeavour to find room for'. As it is 'a subject on which so many beautiful things have been said', he cannot include everything.

On one side of a 7.5 x 12.5 cm leaf of pink paper, extracted from an album. In good condition, very lightly aged. Centred on the page, in blue ink, the inscription reads: 'love from | Enid Blyton'. No other writing anywhere on the leaf. As 600 million copies of Blyton's books have been sold worldwide, and as she oversaw the design of her books, and insisted on her distinctive signature being placed on every cover, it is not an exaggeration to state that this is one of the most famous signatures of the twentieth century.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. A warm and characteristically solicitous letter. She has heard 'such a sad account' of the recipient, and hopes she is 'quite well & fit again now'. The Dearmers 'couldn't manage Paris but we should have loved it - There has been so much - boys' holidays & my book & now another new play! I am sending you "Gervase" - I always think of correcting the proofs at Alnmouth and the sunshine there - & your little red cap with the tassel!' She asks if 'Mrs.

2pp., 4to. Forty-four lines of text. She thanks her 'for returning the plays, and thte nice things you say about them'. Mitchison's entry in the Oxford DNB has no reference to her working for the BBC, but from the context of the letter it is clear that she wrote scripts for radio broadcasts for children. Regarding the BBC she suggests that Magraw writes to 'Miss Edith MacQueen, and if I were you I think I should write out one or two synopses of broadcasts which you propose to do'.

13 + [1]pp., 8vo. Stapled and unbound. Staining to inner margin of front cover, otherwise in fair condition, on lightly aged paper. Thirteen items, eleven by Greenaway (with three illustrations) and two by Thomson (both illustrated). The most expensive item, at £100, is the first, Greenaway's 'Apples' (illustrated): 'A large water-colour drawing of a little girl standing in front of a whitewashed wall holding a few apples in the lid of a hamper.

111 + [1]pp., 8vo. Frontispiece and eight plates. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, in worn grey printed wraps, with light staining to front cover and slight loss at head of spine. Rollington's account begins: 'Some enthusiastic old readers of Boys' Journals of nearly forty years ago have asked me to write a brief history of the rise and fall of Boys' Papers during that period. | I can speak from experience, for I have been the proprietor of four Boys' Journals, and have written many boys stories.' Pasted inside the back cover is a full-page advertisement, by 'JOHN J.

124 + [4] pp., 12mo. Four hand-coloured plates including frontispiece. A four-page publisher's advertisement at rear, for 'A New and Attractive Series of Juvenile Books'. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. In worn brown-cloth binding with decorative design featuring titles in gilt on cover; split hinge at rear. Stirling's story continues to p.50, and is followed by Templer's collection of 27 'improving' poems, from 'The Invitation' and 'The Holly Tree's Tale - Christmas' to 'Heartsease - Thoughts of Peace' and 'The Misseltoe - A Missionary Tale'.

415pp., 8vo, mauve embossed cloth gilt, all edges gilt, corners bumped, wear to top and bottom spine, lettering sl., faded, hinge strains. School prize label (Dartmouth Grove School, Blackheath, front ep.). Authors included: Mrs Hery Wood, Eliza Meteyard, C. von Schmidt, Mrs S.C. Hall, William Howitt, "from the Old Danish", W.H.G. Kingston, Ottilie Wildermuth, "the Author of 'An Art Student in Munich'", Leon Gozlan). Scarce (no copy currently on the market except Kessinger ed.; six copies listed on COPAC/WorldCat.)

64pp., 8vo, pictorial coloured covers, worn at spine edges rubbed, hinge strain, pages with edges stained or foxed, but illustrations clear and attractive - chromolithographs by Emrik & Binger. The Nursery Rhymes are a familiar selection. See images on my website. No other copy recorded on COPAC or WorldCat.

2pp., 12mo. The last two pages of a letter, numbered 3 and 4. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with short closed tears at edges of central fold. The item begins with part of a sentence regarding 'dramatization in Paris', before turning to Spielmann's desire to have her novel 'The Sterndales of Sterndale House' (1919) filmed. She praises the recipient's 'critical faculty', adding 'The points taken are seldom just the points.' She will let the recipient's 'good opinion' of her be known 'in one or two quarters'.

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.

On 2 x 6cm strip of paper, cut from a letter. In good condition, lightly aged. A good firm signature, underlined, with the tiniest part of the head of the loop of the iniitial 'E' of 'Edwd' has been shaved off.

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. He is enclosing 'Squeaker Toys', which are 'a few of a large series which I designed for a toy Firm'. He thinks they may assist Adams 'to get interesting "expressions" on the faces of some of your less sophisticated sitters!' He concludes: 'They would be a variation of the old request to "Watch for the dickey bird."' Adams was Britain's foremost children's photographer, patronised by the Royal Family, and was famed for his Dover Street studio disguised as a children's playroom, complete with toys.

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Letterhead in brown and black, with childlike self-portrait with dripping pallette. She is enclosing 'a few of my small picture books', thinking that they 'would be entertaining in a waiting room' Adams was Britain's foremost children's photographer, patronised by the Royal Family, and was famed for his Dover Street studio disguised as a children's playroom, complete with toys. From the Adams family archive.

47 + [1] + [11]pp., 16mo. Internally in good condition, lightly aged, in worn grey printed boards with wear to spine.On cover: 'Privated Printed Opuscula issued to the Members of the Sette of Odd Volumes. | No. XIII. | Coloured Books for Children.' No. 167 of a limited edition of 255 copies, signed by 'Charles Welsh', and with recipient's name erased. Hand-coloured frontispiece. Pp.27-47 carry 'A Catalogue of the Coloured Books for Children; Past and Present.' The last eleven pages contain a 'Bibliography of Odd Volumes' and 'List of Members'. Five copies on COPAC.

16pp. (of which 12pp. in 8vo and 4pp. in 4to). In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Neatly written out, with underlinings in red ink. Loosely inserted in the marbled wraps of an exercise book, with 'Adelphi' in pencil on the inside of the front cover. The first scene is written out complete on ten leaves from the exercise book (now loose), with the main text on ten pages, and additions on two versos. In addition to this is a grey paper bifolium, carrying over 4pp., 4to, additional matter to be inserted at the beginning of the second scene.

The colourful life of the 'deeply eccentric Bradford-born writer' Jaeger is the subject of a good obituary in the Scotsman, 2 October 2008. In his youth Jaeger was adopted by Lady Margaret Sackville, and moved in Edinburgh high society. While studying at Montpelier University he developed a close friendship with the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. While living in Bognor Regis he made the acquaintance of Julian Maclaren-Ross, with whom he sampled the wares of Fitzrovia.