ENGRAVER

See the entries for Ellis and the recipient?s brother Charles James Smith in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with negligible traces of mount on reverse. Folded for postage. In Ellis?s disciplined and attractive hand. Addressed to ?William James Smith Esqr / &c &c &c? and signed ?Henry Ellis.? He begins by apologising for the delayed response, then writes: ?Pray accept my kind and sincere Thanks for the two beautiful and splendid Numbers of the ?Historical and Literary Curiosities?: I only wish that your poor brother had lived himself to have sent them to me.? (C. J.

Haghe features prominently in William Day’s entry in the Oxford DNB, in which their firm’s publication of Robert’s ‘Holy Land’ (1842-49) is described as ‘the most ambitious lithographic work ever published’, for which ‘Haghe, praised by Roberts for the faithful and artistic interpretation of his drawings, must bear most of the credit for the success of this publication’. See also the entry on the recipient Charles Manby (1804-1884), Secretary of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 2pp, 12mo. On the first leaf of a 12mo bifolium.

Haghe features prominently in William Day’s entry in the Oxford DNB, in which their firm’s publication of Robert’s ‘Holy Land’ (1842-49) is described as ‘the most ambitious lithographic work ever published’, for which ‘Haghe, praised by Roberts for the faithful and artistic interpretation of his drawings, must bear most of the credit for the success of this publication’. See also the entry on the recipient Charles Manby (1804-1884), Secretary of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 2pp, 12mo. On the first leaf of a 12mo bifolium.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition. The letterhead describes the firm (‘formerly Walker and Cockerell’) as being ‘Process and General Engravers, Draughtsmen, Map Constructors Copper-plate Printers Collotypers and Photographers of Works of Art’. Signed ‘Emery Walker’. He is sending Wright ‘proofs of the plan from Coutts’ Bank’, and is sending a duplicate to ‘Mr. Fayle’, asking him ‘to let me have the lettering, that is, if he wishes on seeing the plan to vary it’. He is having ‘proofs of the title page from Messrs.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, together with that of the Williams family. (The recipient Joseph Lionel Williams (c.1832-1877) was son of the wood-engraver Samuel Williams (1788-1853).) 2pp, 12mo. On paper with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice.

See Fairholt’s entry in the Oxford DNB. The letters on either side of a 12mo leaf. In good condition, neatly placed in windowpane mount. On one side is the response: ‘Wednesday / Dear Mr Keet / I find I must not go out at night for a week to come. I ventured last night & am worse to day in consequence / You must excuse me with many thanks for your intentions / Yours very try / F. W. Fairholt’. On the reverse is a hurried and smudged ALS signed ‘Edwin Keet’ and addressed to ‘Dr. Bell F R. S. / F. S.

See Fairholt’s entry in the Oxford DNB. ONE: Receipt by Fairholt. 1p, landscape 12mo. In good condition, in windowpane mount. Good firm signature. Reads: 'Received of Mr Clements the sum of fifteen shillings for a drawing in wood of a Candelabra. / F. W. Fairholt / £- 15s . 0d'. TWO: IOU by Rimbault. 1p, 16mo. In good condition, in windowpane mount. Reads: 'I. O. U. / Thirty pounds / Oct 20 . 1883 / C. Rimbault / to F. W. Fairholt'. Rimbault's identity (a relation of the musicologist Edward Francis Rimbault?) has not been established. See Image.

See the two men's entries in the Oxford DNB. Webb’s book contained four engravings from drawings by Birket Foster, the last (‘The Tomb of Thomas Lawson’) of which is absent. The first has ‘E. EVANS Sc.’ engraved into the plate; the other two, evidently the work of the same hand, are unattributed. Three proof engravings, on wove paper roughly 20.5 x 13.5. All in good condition, very lightly spotted and worn, and certainly suitable for display. ONE (the frontispiece): Captioned, ‘SWARTHMOOR HALL.

Strongitharm’s entry on the British Museum website is the main source of information about him. In 1841 ‘John Strongitharm’ is listed in the Royal Calendar among the ‘Queen’s Tradesmen’, ‘In the Department of the Lord Chamberlain’, as ‘Seal Engraver’. The present item is an well-executed and carefully hand-coloured steel engraving of the royal arms (lion and unicorn), topped by a banner with ‘LORD CHAMBERLAIN’S OFFICE’. Engraved in small letters beneath the image: ‘Strongitharm, Waterloo Place’. Printed on a somewhat-aged and lightly worn piece of thickish laid paper, 11.5 x 6.5.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On recto of the first leaf of a bifolium, the verso of the second leaf of which carries the address to ‘Messrs Vizetely [sic] Branston & Co / 135 Fleet St’. The firm, who traded between 1827 and 1837, were not only ‘engravers and oriental printers’, but publishers too: the item referred to in this letter, ‘The Young Lady’s Book’, had two editions published in 1829 and a third in 1832, and Jackson presumably contributed work. In fair condition, discoloured and worn.

The six items - all from Cruikshank’s ‘Comic Almanac’ for 1845 - are in fair condition, lightly aged, and have all been trimmed, with diagonals cut from the corners resulting in minor loss. The last has a small amount of loss to the bottom left-hand corner from removal from a mount. All six are signed in type by Cruikshank at bottom left. They are captioned: ‘Flying Artillery’ (gentlemen on bended knee, declaring their love to ladies, while Cupids shoot arrows from overhead), ‘The Day After - “St.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. With mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Eighteen lines of text. Begins: ‘Mr H Gastineau presents his compliments to Miss Nelson and in consequence of having received her address from Miss Stringer relative to a wish to receive some instruction from him, he writes’, giving details of when he would be able ‘to give a lesson at Windham Place’, were he to ‘receive a line to say that such an arrangement’ was desirable, after which ‘future appointments can be made’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Signed ‘Frank Short’. The salutation is unclear: it appears to be to ‘Dear Mist Gosselin’, but it could be ‘Mirst’ or ‘Urist’ Gosselin. He thanks him for his kind note, ‘but it wasn’t really of any importance about that bell. Don’t trouble any more about it as far as I am concered.

Pye was an active figure in nineteenth-century British art. According to his entry in the Oxford DNB he was the engravers’ ‘best spokesman’, hoping ‘to raise the fortunes, status, and public profile of engravers by means of professional association and co-operation’. He was the author of a number of works, including 'Patronage of British Art' (1845). His collection of prints after Turner was acquired by the British Museum in 1869, and the proofs of Turner's ‘Liber Studiorum’ followed in 1870. His notebooks are in British Library.

See the entries for Robinson and Cooke in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, folded twice. Addressed to ‘My dear Mr Cooke’. Cooke’s ‘friendly note’ about the time he ‘proposed setting out for Deal’ was received on the Thursday, and the Robinsons are ‘glad indeed to hear that your dear Mother is again restored to her usual health’. The Robinsons think that ‘change of occupation & fresh air together, may have the desired effect both as regards yourself & your son Conrad’.

Four pages, 16mo, bifolium, some staining, closed tear on joint, but text clear and complete, as follows: I am sorry that I cannot give you the information about Charles Keene that you ask for. I know that he made some drawings on wood for me - for 'yellow backs' but forget what they were, remembering only some were for Bulwer Lytton's novels, nor do I remember the date, but it was when he had a large top room, over an Engineer's shop in the Strand, about opposite Norfolk Street, before he drew for 'Punch'.

One page, irregular 8vo, right edge rough through being torn, almost affecting the text but not quite, small hole with loss of some letters from the address but not from text, which is as follows: I enclose the Six Pounds 4/6, as I said I would do yesterday when in Finsbury Square. Here is the account of what my amount now stands indebted; therefore balances on all sides present matters between me and your House. | Please offer my kind respects to all in Finsbury Square [...].

One page, sm. folio, airmail, one small closed tear, good condition. Text: I was glad to get your letter of 8th August and must apologise for my delay in answering it. I was, just then, caught up into a confusion of work. | I telephoned Mr Leventhal (he doesnt live in Woodbury, but in Boston; howeyer, we are in touch) and he was delighted at his good fortune in acquiring a copy of my FARMER'S YEAR.

All one page, 12mo, good condition. A. (23 May 1877) He thanks his correspondent for showing his drawings to Messrs Daldy, [publishers] adding, I presume the drawings would not all [underlined] be required very [underlined] soon. I am rather pressed for time just now. B. (3 Aug. 1877) [...] I shall be happy to work a little on the drwing, to give it a little more appearance of snoq, if you think it advisable. I am going out of town early tomorrow morning, but I shall be back in a few days, or if you prefer to send the drawing to me in the country , my address will be [...]. C.

Twelve pencil portraits executed in the same extremely capable style, probably for the purposes of engraving. Each on a separate piece of 4to paper. All in good condition, with light signs of age and wear, a couple with minor flecking with red paint. All dated in pencil (between 1811 and 1829), and all but two captioned. (Several of the items with watermark date supporting the pencil dating.) Three of the portraits have the tiny signature at bottom left of 'Bestland', and all would appear to be the work of the same artist, although the last appears to be signed with the initials 'C H'.

One page, 4to, fold marks sl. turned corners, mainly good condition. "I should have much pleasure in complying with the wish of the lecture committee but now having given a public lecture I am totally unprovided with diagrams of a large size, without which it would be impossible to convey instruction on any branch of the fine Arts - perhaps at some other time my attention may be turned to this subject when it wiull be a gratification to comply with this request."

Both 2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Written in Whistler's calligraphic hand. ONE: 13 December 1961. He will be 'so pleased' if Fry will accept a copy of his poems, 'which I like to send you because of my admiration for your work, and sense of sympathy with what you express, or create'. TWO: 21 August 1963. 33 lines of text, written following the death of his friend Christopher Hassall.

One page, 16mo, small tear on fold mark, ow good condition, hand showing signs of haste. "Here is the bit I promised you about the Trumpet, if you commence the article with a dewscription of it; this will add on very well. | They want at Richards that Cut of the Roman glass with flowers on it, which I left with you a week or two ago, and which they wait for."

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. He offers him a choice of engravings, explaining his constraints; 'Aussi vous savez entre amis et artists un traitement secondaire sera indigne'. There is also Haden had strong connections with France; according to his entry in the Oxford DNB, he completed 'his professional studies in the medical schools of the Sorbonne, Paris, and Grenoble, where he acted as prosecteur in 1839, and, later, lecturer on surgical anatomy at the military hospital'.

Printed in black ink on one side of a piece of 26.5 x 19 cm paper wove paper. Unsigned and without caption or text, but unmistakably the work of Rops, and with his name written in light pencil in the margin. Apparently a proof. Dimensions of plate 16 x 9 cm, and of the illustration itself 11 x 6.5 cm. Aged and creased, with spotting at head.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, with fold to one corner. Fairholt's handwriting is legible, but unfortunately the names of the recipient and subject of the letter are not so. It begins: ' seems very anxious to come to some arrangement. Can we meet on the point. I do not know if you are in London, if you are will you give me a call on Thursday evening'. He gives a few other options, before concluding.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, aged and rather dusty, with small closed tear at head. He begins by explaining that he has been 'prevented by ill health from finishing the plate confided to my care, & of waiting upon you to make you acquainted with the cause of the delay. The engraving is 'in a state of forwardness', and he is willing to let 'Mr Satchwell' give his opinion of it before he sends it to them. 'I shall prove the plate again next week, after which I shall be enabled to state the time of its completion'.

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with two postmarks (one of Pimlico), to 'R. Ackermann Esqre | 101. Strand -'. On aged and worn paper, with one short closed tear. A good letter, full of content revealing of Ackermann's business and the art trade in general. The first paragraph reads: 'I am extremely sorry the last Fashions have not met your approbation. The inflamed state of my eye rendered it impossible for me to engrave them myself, and I calculated on the known talent of Mr. Chsman [i.e. Thomas Cheesman (1760-1834)] to be my substitute.

2pp., 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Addressed to 'Dear Sherwin'. He assures him of his desire to 'assist in seconding [his] wishes', explaining regarding the circumstances: 'I suppose ye honest Gentleman whom the Advertisement concerns, must have been the King's Engraver, tho' you do not say so, nor does the Advertisement import it.

Both letters are 3pp., 12mo, and both bifoliums. In good condition, on lightly aged paper. An interesting couple of letters, with Larkin advising the engraver on how to extract payment from the publishers, while stressing in both letters that he does not wish his own name mentioned. The first letter begins: 'The Printer has had the Woodcut and printed it, so you can go ahead!