CURATOR

[Helen D. Willard, Curator, Harvard Theatre Collection.] Autograph Letter Signed and Autograph Card Signed to London bookseller Andrew Block, regarding visits to ‘beloved England’; the letter with reference to Arthur Colby Sprague.

Author: 
Helen D. Willard [Helen Delano Willard] (1905-1979), Curator, Harvard Theatre Collection [Andrew Block, London bookseller.]
Publication details: 
LETTER: 31 May 1963; on letterhead of the Harvard College Library, Theatre Collection, Cambridge, Mass. CARD: 16 June 1965; on letterhead of Harvard College Library, with ‘Theatre Collection’ in Willard’s autograph.
£45.00

The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. Both addressed to ‘Dear Mr. Block’. LETTER: 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Signed ‘Helen D. Willard’. She is hoping to be able to see him in London the following month. ‘I called in you [sic] briefly last year, then got swept up into many activities that kept me from returning to browse.’ She has a very pleasant memory of their conversation.

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[Henry Le Jeune, Victorian artist, Curator of the Royal Academy Painting School.] Autograph Letter Signed (‘H. Le Jeune’) to his client ‘L. Colles Esqr.’, seeking to make arrangements for a viewing of ‘The Bather’.

Author: 
Henry Le Jeune (1819-1904), ARA, Victorian artist noted for his historical and genre paintings, Curator of the Royal Academy Painting School
Publication details: 
6 September 1861; 27 Oakley Villas [Adelaide Road, London].
£45.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. Le Jeune’s handwriting is strangely childlike. The recipient is not named. He begins: ‘Dear Sir / Your little picture of “The Bather” has been finished some time, & I should be glad to shew it you at your earliest convenience.’ He briefly suggests arrangements for a showing.

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[ Sir Charles Holroyd, Director of the National Gallery. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Charles Holroyd') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts, declining to take the chair for two lectures.

Author: 
Sir Charles Holroyd (1861-1917), artist and curator, Keeper of the Tate, 1897-1906, and Director of the National Gallery, 1906-1916 [Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts, London]
Publication details: 
First letter on letterhead of Sturdie House, Beechwood Avenue, Weybridge. 26 January 1915. Second letter on letterhead of the National Gallery [ London ]. 1 April 1915.
£45.00

Both items in good condition, lightly aged, and both bearing the Society's stamp. ONE: 26 January 1915. 1p., 12mo. He is obliged by a previous engagement to decline the invitation 'to take the Chair for Mr. F Vincent Brooks lecture on Lithography on the 10th.', but feels the honour 'all the same'. TWO: 1 April 1915. 1p., 12mo. He would like, 'for every reason', 'to take the chair for M. Paul Lambottes lecture on C Meunier', but he will probbably be 'out of London during the first two weeks in May'.

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[Martin Hardie, art historian and curator.] Two Typed Letters Signed to the artist and critic Eric Hesketh Hubbard, discussing the loan and delivery of drawings.

Author: 
Martin Hardie (1875-1952), art historian and Victoria and curator at the Albert Museum [Eric Hesketh Hubbard (1892-1957), artist and critic]
Publication details: 
First letter: on letterhead of Rodbourne, Tonbridge, Kent. 3 October 1943. Second letter: from Rodbourne. 10 October 1943.
£70.00

The two items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. ONE: 1p., 4to. Regarding the loan by him to Hubbard of drawings, and delivery options for them. TWO: 1p., 12mo. 'You vanished very suddenly after our Meeting and I did not have the chance of discussing arrangements with you. Will you please let me know what time it passes through Tonbridge on the following Monday.' He hopes to bring two more pictures 'straight to Albany from Charing Cross, arriving about mid-day? If you are not to be there I will take them to the Royal Academy and deliver them in the afternoon.'

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[Martin Hardie, art historian and curator.] Two Typed Letters Signed to the artist and critic Eric Hesketh Hubbard, discussing the loan and delivery of drawings.

Author: 
Martin Hardie (1875-1952), art historian and Victoria and curator at the Albert Museum [Eric Hesketh Hubbard (1892-1957), artist and critic]
Publication details: 
First letter: on letterhead of Rodbourne, Tonbridge, Kent. 3 October 1943. Second letter: from Rodbourne. 10 October 1943.
£70.00

The two items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. ONE: 1p., 4to. Regarding the loan by him to Hubbard of drawings, and delivery options for them. TWO: 1p., 12mo. 'You vanished very suddenly after our Meeting and I did not have the chance of discussing arrangements with you. Will you please let me know what time it passes through Tonbridge on the following Monday.' He hopes to bring two more pictures 'straight to Albany from Charing Cross, arriving about mid-day? If you are not to be there I will take them to the Royal Academy and deliver them in the afternoon.'

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[Thomas Edmund Harvey, Warden of Toynbee Hall.] Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'T. Edmund Harvey') to 'Mr. Aldrich' [Stephen John Aldrich], with whom he had worked at the British Museum.

Author: 
Thomas Edmund Harvey (1875-1955), Liberal politician, pacifist and Warden of Toynbee Hall, 1906-1911 [Stephen John Aldrich of the British Museum]
Publication details: 
First letter on letterhead of House of Commons Library; 8 November 1907. Second letter on letterhead of Rydal House, Grosvenor Road, Leeds; 3 January 1927.
£56.00

Both items in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Letter One: 4pp., 12mo. Harvey begins: 'Of course I well remember the too short time when I had the pleasure of being your colleague at the British Museum.' He would like to see Aldrich's 'old Dutch masters' but may not be able to visit him at Bowes Park before 'returning to reconstruction work in France in which I am interested'. He suggests a meeting in the new year, before enquiring whether Aldrich has 'got Sir Sidney Colvin's opinion of your Old masters. He is very interested in these things.' Letter Two: 2pp., 4to.

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Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Jn Summerson') from architectural historian Sir John Summerson, Curator of Sir John Soane's Museum, to Peter Rhodes and his wife Felicity, regarding Soane's Piercefield Hall, Shotesham Hall and Hay Castle.

Author: 
Sir John Summerson [Sir John Newenham Summerson] (1904-1992), architectural historian, Curator of Sir John Soane's Museum, 1945-1984
Publication details: 
Both on letterheads of Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. 2 May 1972 and 1 August 1974.
£120.00

Both letters in very good condition, and each in a stamped, postmarked envelope, and each addressed by Summerson to Cuddesdon Manor, Oxon. Letter One (2 May 1972): To Peter Rhodes. 2pp., 12mo. He is 'rather surprised' to find that the ruins of Soane's Piercefield House are 'still there!' The best he can do is 'to warn the National Monuments Record of the approaching dissolution'. They are 'seriously overworked but they might have a photographer in the area who would improve on Miss Stroud's snap-shots'.

Keywords:

Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Jn Summerson') from architectural historian Sir John Summerson, Curator of Sir John Soane's Museum, to Peter Rhodes and his wife Felicity, regarding Soane's Piercefield Hall, Shotesham Hall and Hay Castle.

Author: 
Sir John Summerson [Sir John Newenham Summerson] (1904-1992), architectural historian, Curator of Sir John Soane's Museum, 1945-1984
Publication details: 
Both on letterheads of Sir John Soane's Museum, 13 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. 2 May 1972 and 1 August 1974.
£120.00

Both letters in very good condition, and each in a stamped, postmarked envelope, and each addressed by Summerson to Cuddesdon Manor, Oxon. Letter One (2 May 1972): To Peter Rhodes. 2pp., 12mo. He is 'rather surprised' to find that the ruins of Soane's Piercefield House are 'still there!' The best he can do is 'to warn the National Monuments Record of the approaching dissolution'. They are 'seriously overworked but they might have a photographer in the area who would improve on Miss Stroud's snap-shots'.

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