EDWARDIAN

See his entry by E. V. Knox in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with dog-eared corner. Folded once. Reads: ‘Dear Mr. Denselow, / If my erratic and unenviable handwriting has any interest for anyone - except my tailor (who seldom sees it!) you are very welcome to a fragmentary example of it, at its word’. The signature is no doubt deliberately emphatic, with colons to the initials, and a period on each side of the end of the final flourish. In a postscript Reed expresses gratification to hear ‘that my work “touches the spot” occasionally, that’s what it’s “for!”’

Chambers is not mentioned in Dame Nellie Melba’s entry in the Oxford DNB. She met him in London in 1895, and their affair ended for unknown reasons in 1904. It is clearly the ‘notorious’ affair in whose fame Chambers ‘rejoiced to the last’, according to Somerset Maugham’s devastating assessment of the man in ‘A Writer’s Notebook’ (1946). Harry de Windt gives a markedly kinder account of Chambers in his ‘My Note-Book at Home and Abroad’ (1923). The recipient would appear to be Chambers’s agent. Regarding the content of this letter, see ‘The Theatre’, 1 November 1894: ‘Mr.

Chambers is not mentioned in Dame Nellie Melba’s entry in the Oxford DNB. She met him in London in 1895, and their affair ended for unknown reasons in 1904. It is clearly the ‘notorious’ affair in whose fame Chambers ‘rejoiced to the last’, according to Somerset Maugham’s devastating assessment of the man in ‘A Writer’s Notebook’ (1946). Harry de Windt gives a markedly kinder account of Chambers in his ‘My Note-Book at Home and Abroad’ (1923).

The subject of the present letter is, as Marshall’s entry in the Oxford DNB explains, her ‘translation of a play by the first female dramatist, Hrotsvit. ‘Paphnutius’ was given a world première by Craig for the Pioneer Players in January 1914.’ The recipient, Henry Mackinnon Walbrook (1865-1941), was the drama critic of the Pall Mall Gazette. 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on dusty discoloured paper, with slight rust spotting from paperclip.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On strip of paper, roughly 10 x 3.5 cm, cut into an irregular rectangular shape. On one side is the valediction: ‘Yours very sincerely / Harry Plunket Greene’. On the other a fragment of three lines of the letter: ‘[...] I hope no [...] / started that things [...] / go on well. I am part[...]’. See image.

Hughes began as a journalist, writing the popular column ‘Sub Rosa’ in the Morning Leader, before descending from the Press Gallery onto the floor of the House of Commons. However short, the present item gives a faint echo of the verve for which he was renowned as a backbencher and after-dinner speaker. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Signed ‘Spencer Leigh Hughes’. Reads: ‘Dear Armstrong / Another lunatic! There are many about. I was lecturing in Scotland recently & had quite an ovation when I talked about the “British” parliament.’

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, but a little brittle and discoloured (unobtrusive repair to one corner with archival tape). The recipient is not named. Reads: ‘Dear Sirs / I shall be pleased to see your Ramblers June the 6th. Let me know details of them & numbers a week before. / Yours truly / Hubert Herkomer’.

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 his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The body of the letter reads: ‘Dear Rawlinson / In the event of a vacancy in the appointment of Attorney General of Hong Kong, I will bear in mind your recommendation of Mr. Stephen Gatty; but I think it is probable that there may be candidates with stronger claims for consideration.’ In a postscript he adds that ‘Mr Gatty has only been 4 or 5 years in the Colonial Service’, and that in any case he thinks it ‘probable that there may be no vacancy in the Attorney Generalship of H Kong’.

Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. Excessively scarce, with COPAC only listing one copy (at the British Library) of both items. ONE: 'An Irish Cradle Song. Words by W. B. Yeats. From Poems by W. B. Yeats, published by T. Fisher Unwin'. [1914.] 5 + [1]pp., folio. Title page carries the gaelic motto: Goth yani me von gilli beg, | N heur ve thu more a creena. TWO: 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Words by W. B. Yeats'. [1917.] 5 + [1]pp., folio. Illustration of tree on bank of lake on front cover.

4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. First page carries the decorative title beneath the Queensland crest.The central two pages carry a long text, in small type, under the headings 'AGRICULTURE SELECTIONS', 'GRAZING SELECTIONS', 'GROUP SETTLEMENT' and 'OTHER MODES', and the subheadings 'AGRICULTURAL FARMS', 'AGRICULTURAL HOMESTEADS', 'GRAZING FARMS' and 'GRAZING HOMESTEADS'. The final page advertises 'FREE PASSAGES [...] TO Female Domestic Servants of Good Health and Character, between 17 and 35 years of age. Plenty of Work!

9pp, 12mo. On twi bifoliums and a single leaf, only the first of the bifoliums carrying the letterhead. In good condition, on aged paper. Folded once and in an envelope with 'Whist for 2. | Rules by Miss Stanton.' on cover. The letterhead has the feel of the 1920s, but the handwriting is Victorian, and presumably that of an old spinster. The first bifolium carries a separate set of instructions over four pages, headed 'Whist for two', and concluding: 'Hope you can read it excuse blots for I cant see what I have written'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The item is a nice association between Austin and his birthplace. An 8 x 13.5 cm post card, printed on both sides. In fair condition, aged, with central vertical fold. The form is a request for a ticket to the degree ceremony, but Austin has altered the text in autograph to read: 'I shall be glad [if you will kindly admit the bearer of this] ticket [to] the Degree Ceremony, at the Town Hall, Leeds, on Thursday, October 6th, 1904.' He signs 'Alfred Austin' at bottom right, underlined with two short lines.

A nice artefact of the censorship of pre-First World War British theatre. The London production of Vollmoeller's wordless drama 'Eine Venezianische Nacht' was censored by the Lord Chamberlain's office, and the production at the Palace Theatre, London, in November 1912 was panned by the critics. 15pp, folio, on fifteen leaves gathered together with green ribbon, interleaved with six typed slips of variant text, and with one leaf a composite made up of several sections glued together. Mimeographed typescript. In fair condition, on aged, worn and creased paper, with final leaf detached.

LETTER: 1p, 4to. On aged and spotted paper. Folded once. Written in the shaky hand of a ninety-seven year-old. She thanks him for his 'letter so well written', adding: 'I don't think I wrote as well as that when I was eleven years old!' She wishes him every success with his autograph collection, and is pleased to add her signature to it. 'I will put it to the end of this sheet so that you can cut it out and paste it in where you wish.' The signature is at bottom right: 'Yours with sincere good wishes | Berta Ruck | 12th March | 1975'.

1p, 12mo. On aged paper, with closed tear repaired on reverse with brown paper. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Dear Sir William'. The prime minister (Asquith) has asked him to say that he is 'quite at a loss to understand how he came to be so misinformed as to the progress of the negotiations connected with the appointment of the Royal Commission'. All the prime minister can do is 'express his regret at the misunderstanding'.

2pp, 16mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with ruckling caused by glue from mount, traces of the paper from which adhere to blank reverses of both leaves. In a crabbed difficult hand, addressed to 'Mrs [Pugh?]', regarding his forthcoming book 'Sophia', a copy of which he will be sending the recipient, with reference to his wife, 'anxiety', and something 'characteristic'.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having found among her correspondence an unanswered letter from her cousin she apologises for the apparent rudeness, before accepting her 'kind invitation to luncheon when next we are in your neighbourhood'. She hopes that they 'may be in the Forest some time in the summer'. She ends by stating that she is enclosing an autograph for her cousin's friend.

1p, 12mo. On aged paper, with closed tear repaired on reverse with brown paper. Folded twice. Addressed to 'Dear Sir William'. The prime minister (Asquith) has asked him to say that he is 'quite at a loss to understand how he came to be so misinformed as to the progress of the negotiations connected with the appointment of the Royal Commission'. All the prime minister can do is 'express his regret at the misunderstanding'.

2pp, 16mo. In fair condition, on aged paper with ruckling caused by glue from mount, traces of the paper from which adhere to blank reverses of both leaves. In a crabbed difficult hand, addressed to 'Mrs [Pugh?]', regarding his forthcoming book 'Sophia', a copy of which he will be sending the recipient, with reference to his wife, 'anxiety', and something 'characteristic'.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Having found among her correspondence an unanswered letter from her cousin she apologises for the apparent rudeness, before accepting her 'kind invitation to luncheon when next we are in your neighbourhood'. She hopes that they 'may be in the Forest some time in the summer'. She ends by stating that she is enclosing an autograph for her cousin's friend.

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. Bold signature in light-blue ink. He has not forgotten the 'very pleasant meeting' he had with Hills and her husband when she was on a trip to Newfoundland, and will be 'very pleased to accept your kind invitation for luncheon on the 5th November, and say a few words in connection with the work ahead for women in Empire Citizenship'. He assumes that the invitation extends to his wife.

A very nice item relating to one of the greatest and best-loved of all cricketers: his signature to a scorecard of his final innings in first-class cricket, in which he scored a hundred, accompanied by a newspaper cutting describing the event. Official scorecard with serial number, printed on both sides of a 24 x 12.5 cm piece of card. Priced at twopence, and headed: 'This card does not necessarily include the fall of the last wicket | 2d. Lords [MCC device] Ground | Middlesex v. Surrey | Saturday & Monday, August 28, 30, 1937. (Three-day Match.)'.

See the entry for Martin Hope Sutton in the Oxford DNB, and that for his grandson Martin Hubert Fouquet Sutton in Who Was Who. 2pp, 4to. I good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. With RSA date stamp. Signed 'Martin H F Sutton'. In reply to a letter from Menzies, Sutton expresses regret that 'it will be impossible for you to attend the Demonstration here on the 24th inst.' Sutton will be 'publishing certain particulars for the benefit of those present' and will be glad to send Menzies a copy.

70pp, on thirty-six leaves of a worn 16.5 x 10.5 late-Victorian album, bound in black cloth. An additional seven pages at the end of the volume carry an index, divided into 'China', 'Furniture' and 'Silver Pages'. In fair condition, aged and worn. The compiler is unidentified. The first nineteen pages of the volume carry a total of thirty-six 5.5 x 3.5 cm silk labels, each with a coloured illustration of an item of porcelain (from 'Astbury' to 'Zurich'), with the manufacturer's name and marks beneath, each accompanied by a strip of paper carrying a caption printed in blue.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Only the salutation ('Dear Mrs. Russell,') and the valediction ('Yours very sincerely | Edward German :' are in German's hand; the rest is by a secretary. He writes that he would 'have liked to write you [sic] personally, but it is a little more than I can manage at present'. Nevertheless he assures her that he is 'most grateful' for her 'very kind message'.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded once. Her letter has been forwarded to him and he has 'much pleasure in sending you my autograph. In order to make it a little more personal, I am sending it on one of my own private book-plates.'

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded three times. After thanking Wynn for his letter he continues: 'It is a curious coincidence that in looking through a file of old correspondence yesterday I came across your letter of the 20th November 1915, which I read again with great pleasure'. Postscript: 'With good wishes to you & yours. J F.'

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. The letter begins: 'My dear Hope, I have told Canadian Club you are coming. If I left my spectacles in the Chancery, in their case as I think I did this forenoon, will you please put them into an envelope for me?' He will go over the following morning, 'at Manchester if not'.

A nice selection of ephemeral material connected with the foundation of one of Britain's six Legal Deposit libraries. The collection in good overall condition, lightly aged and worn (but see description of Item One). The first two items end with signatures in type of: John Williams, President; J. Herbert Lewis, Vice-President; Henry Owen, Treasurer; Evan Davies Jones, Chairman of Building Committee; John Ballinger, Librarian.