CHILDREN'S

1p., 8vo. On cheap paper stock. Aged, and with chipping and closed tears to extremities. Stamped on the reverse by the Paris bookseller C. F. Labarre (fl. 1970). Printed in the bottom left-hand corner: 'No. 6012.' 37 lines of text.

Three examples of the same bookplate: on green, blue and cream paper. All three in very good condition, lightly-aged. Paper dimensions: 4.5 x 5.5 cm. Illustration dimensions: 3 x 4 cm. The image, reproducing an eighteenth-century engraving, depicts two children seated at a table and studying, with a globe on the floor between them. Beneath the image: 'KINDERBUCH-SAMMLUNG | VON WALTER SCHATZKI'. Accompanied by slip of paper with manuscript note regarding reproduction 'in Photo-Litho', after 'permission received O.K. from Walter's'.

8pp., 4to. Illustrations of covers on every page. Stapled. In good condition, on aged paper, with rusted staples. The cover (with a central photograph depicting the covers of eight titles) is headed: 'Order Form. | A New Series of Children's Toy Books. | The Publishers offer in this new series one of the most striking and original Coloured Toy Books ever published. They will please little children. | These Toy Books will command an immediate sale in any part of the country. They are not expensive.' In right-hand margin of cover: 'A Selection of 49 Titles'.

12pp., 8vo. Stapled. In green printed wraps. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one corner and a few light marks to cover.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with light offsetting from another letter. Written in a difficult hand. Concerns 'the Club meeting' at 'Macdougall's Hall'. The recipient is addressed as 'My dear Capt Bond', and at the foot of the letter as 'Capt <?> Bond | &c. &c.'

[2] + 8pp., 8vo., with an additional 6pp of illustrations. Aged and creased, with rusted staples. Typeset with something akin to an IBM golfball. Introductory note: 'This small collection of children's toys and games was formed in the early years of this century and had remained undisturbed in a packing case until purchased by us some months ago. Some of the toys show signs of use but in general the condition is very good. Adequate description is difficult and we have endeavoured to illustrate as many of the toys as possible.

16pp., 8vo. Vignette and eight full-page illustrations, all hand-coloured, depicting Sly Boots the fox, Farmer Brown, Joe the shepherd boy, and Trusty the dog. Disbound and stapled. On aged and worn paper. Scarce: the only two copies on COPAC and OCLC WorldCat at the British Library and University of California, with dating to the first entry.

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.

All three with shelfmarks, stamp and labels of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. ONE: Arthur H. Norris, 'Home Office. Education in Reformatory and Industrial Schools. Circular letter of H.M. Chief Inspector of Reformatory and Industrial Schools, to the Managers and Staff of the Schools.' 1919. [2] + 8pp., 8vo. Stitched. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. London. The only copy on COPAC at the London Schooll of Economics. TWO: Arthur H. Norris, 'Home Office. Disposal of Reformatory and Industrial School Boys to Farm Service in England and Wales. Circular letter to H.M.

8pp., 12mo. Stapled. Printed in blue on shiny art paper, in cream card wraps, also printed in blue, and tied with blue and white ribbon. On aged and worn paper. With illustrations in text, including a half-page image of the 'Pip, Squeak & Wilfred Jig-Saw Puzzle'. The first page carries a message to 'My Dear Boys and Girls' from 'Uncle Bill', including: 'To-day's Gugnunc Party - our third - is particularly interesting as it is also a birthday party.

117pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper; in contemporary worn vellum binding, with metal clasp, with marbled endpapers. Two sequences of receipts, starting at different ends of the volume, one (rather more businesslike) later than the other. In addition to the total of 117pp. of receipts, each of the two sequences has its own thumb index.

Each of the three coloured plates is 19 x 14 cm, and each is laid down on a piece of 31.5 x 20.5 cm cream textured paper, each mount with caption and vignette printed in green. The three are placed in a portfolio, made of the same textured paper as the mount, with the front carrying the title, publishers' details, and an illustration (of underwater baby balancing on a fish). In fair condition, aged and with wear to extremities.

20pp., small 4to (16.5 x 13 cm). Sewn in card wraps, illustrated in colours. In fair condition, lightly and spotted, in worn wraps, with two uncoloured illustrations on the inside wraps coloured in. With ownership inscription on half-title, dated 18 September 1927. Eight attractive full-page colour illustrations (two out of register) in text, in a range of styles, suggesting stock images by different illustrators, and two uncoloured illustrations on the inside wraps, coloured in (by a child?), with another two illustrations on the front and back covers. This item is something of a mystery.

Ten of the engravings carry Crowquill's name; the other eight can be attributed to him stylistically. In good overall condition, on aged paper, with a few of the eighteen lightly creased or worn, and one bearing traces of previous mounting. Seven of the engravings are proofs of vignettes and initials, ranging in size from 10.5 cm square to 22 x 18.5 cm.

Each proof is on 29 x 23 cm paper, and each is laid down on a piece of 38 x 31.5 cm card. In good condition, on lightly-aged and spotted paper, with wear and bumping to mount. The first engraving The Spectator for 23 December 1848 carried an advertisement by Cundall for 'ILLUSTRATED WORKS BY LADY AMATEURS', at the head of which was 'THE BABES IN THE WOOD. Illustrated with Ten Original Designs, Etched on Steel. | Colombier 8vo. price 1l. 1s.; or Coloured after the Drawings, 2l. 2s.

17pp. 4to. Three illustrations: one in colour on the cover, and one each in black and white on the back wrap. The last page of text, numbered 17, is on the back inner wrap, followed by a decorative presentation of a biblical text. Covering the back outer cover is a black and white decorative representation of the text 'GLORY TO GOD | ON EARTH PEASE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN. | IN THE HIGHEST', engraved by 'T. M.'. In coloured wraps, with attractive cover carrying a large coloured illustration of Old Janet and three others, looking at a donkey.

16pp., in illustrated wraps with the outer covers printed in green and brown, and three more pages of advertisements on insides and back cover. Bifoliate order form (4pp., 12mo) loosely inserted. The old stalwarts John Ruskin, Kate Greenaway, Walter Crane, Edward Lear, jumbled together with newer titles such as 'Gobbo-Bobo, The Two-Eyed Griffin', 'Prince Cheery-Heart' and 'The Bunkum Book. A Tale of Topsy Turvy Land'. Sadly no mention of Beatrix Potter ("Peter Rabbit" published 1902.). Scarce: no copy on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC.

On one side of a 5.5 x 20 cm strip of laid paper, cut away from the bottom of a letter. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with traces of mount adhering to the reverse. Reads, in a firm attractive hand: 'Yours very sincerely | John Hassall.'

Both items signed 'Arthur Mee'. Typed Letter Signed: 5 August 1924. 1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. It would be a 'great pleasure' to him to be able to make use of the article she has sent him, 'but my papers are almost entirely in the hands of a staff of regular contributors', and he has 'very little opportunity of using outside contributions'. In a postscript he expresses pleasure at the fact that his 'papers come your way', and sends his regards to 'Patricia and David'. Manuscript Letter: 11 August 1924. Written by a secretary and signed by Mee. 1p., 12mo.

On one side of a strip of wove paper, 46.5 x 9.5 cm. Cut down. In fair condition, on aged and lightly ruckled paper. 96 lines arranged in 12 numbered eight-line stanzas.

Both Sylvester's letter and the copy of the letter by Starmer to which it is replying are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, each with punch holes to one margin. Starmer, who at the time of writiing was proprietor of a large group of newspapers, had begun his career on the 'Northern Echo'; he had for many years been a Liberal member of parliament, standing down in 1931 due to ill health. Cober Hill Guest House was at that time an early experiment in what would become the children's home or retreat. For clarity's sake this description begins with the copy of Starmer's letter: 1p., 4to.

All four stories 16mo, and each with a frontispiece included in the pagination. ONE. 'Tommy and Mary. A Book for the Very Little Ones.' 17pp. TWO. 'The Rector's Brook: A Story for Little People.' 32pp. THREE. 'Dobbin; or, The Discontented Donkey.' 30 + [1]pp. FOUR. 'The Little Missionary. A Tract for Children.' 11pp. Stitched into printed wraps, with the front cover coloured blue and the rear pink. Aged and worn, but complete and tight. Handwritten in a contemporary hand on the reverse of two frontispieces: 'Kilndown Lending Library'.