FOLK

See her entry and the recipient's in the Oxford DNB. The two items are in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter is lightly creased and the card has a central vertical fold. ONE: ALS. 1p, 12mp. Signed ‘Marjory Kennedy-Fraser’. Once the recipient has ‘got what you want out of the Vol III herewith’, she asks her to ‘kindly return it to Mrs. Matthay at 96, Wimpole St’. TWO: ACS.

On 11 x 14.5 piece of paper, cut for an autograph collector from the conclusion of a letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with light patches of discoloration and a couple of pin holes; laid down on piece of cream paper from album. One fold line. Reads: ‘[...] I will be very pleased to look through it and if it suits me to sing it. / With kind regards to all / Believe me to remain / Yours faithfully / Mary Davies’.

1p, 12mo. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'J. M. Muller Esq'. In fair condition, lightly aged, with closed tear along one of the two folds and slight creasing at foot, with a panel lacking from the second leaf. The recipient Johann Martin Muller published a few piece of music in Edinburgh in the 1840s.

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.

The two uniform stapled pamphlets, both 32pp., 12mo, in illustrated wraps printed in green, and both printed on newsprint. Both items uncommon, with no copies of either on COPAC. ONE: 'Irish Songs Old and New.' In fair condition, on worn and toned paper, with crease to front cover. Contains the lyrics to 34 songs, from 'Angels Whisper' and 'Ballinamona Oro' to 'Young Kate of Kilcummer'. TWO: 'Songs of the Gael'. In good condition, toned and lightly worn. Contains the lyrics of 28 songs from 'Awake and Lie Dreaming No More' to 'Where is the Slave so Lowly?'

The full drophead title, beneath a headpiece of three lions in folliage, reads: The Gentleman's CONCERT. | BEING | A Choice Collection of Favourite SONGS. | Containing, | [following 10 lines in left-hand of two columns] 1. Where's my swain so blyth and clever | 2. To an arbour of woodbines. | 3. The flame of love sincere I felt. | 4. When all the Attic fire was fled. | 5. Cupid, god of pleasing anguish. | 6. As I walk'd forth, &c. | 7. O give me leave to love you dearly. | 8. When Fanny I saw as she trip'd, [sic] &c | 9. Bumpers 'Squire Jones. | 10. Sweet Annie.

Excessively scarce survivals, with no copies of either item appearing on COPAC or WorldCat. Both are printed on one side of a leaf roughly 25 x 20 cm. In fair condition, with light creasing to extremities. Item One (on grey paper, with illustration by Audrey Seyfang): 'Oh, Brother, did you weep? | words and music by Ewan MacColl'.

Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 230 x 90 mm. On pitted, aged paper. Text complete. Approximate 30 x 50 mm piece torn away from top right-hand corner, causing loss to small illustration at head, which appears to be a crude woodcut of a woman lying in a coffin. The poem consists of thirty-six lines arranged in five stanzas. The first stanza reads 'Dear Peggy, read this letter, | its the last one I'll send, | Our long correspondence, | is now at an end.

On one side of a piece of thin wove paper, roughly 260 x 95 mm. Aged and creased, with internal 25 mm closed tear affecting four words of text (all of which can be completed from the context) repaired on blank reverse with archival tape. Otherwise text and illustration clear and entire. Small (30 x 40 mm) woodcut at head, showing two early nineteenth-century country coves outside a cottage. The poem consists of ten four-line stanzas.

Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 280 x 95 mm. Aged, creased and spotted, with chipping to extremities, but with text and illustration clear and entire. Curious small (roughly 40 x 65 mm) crude illustration at head, showing dove with olive branch and acorn. Forty-line poem arranged in five stanzas. Interestingly-garbled nineteenth-century folk song with ancient antecedents.