FREDERIC

See his entry in Grove’s. Each with his firm signature 'John Goss'. The two letters in fair condition, on aged and creased paper, folded for postage, the first of the two with a short closed tear to one edge. The card in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: TLS to ‘Mr. Cameron’, 21 December 1938. 1p, 4to. Cameron’s letter ‘to the convener of the Musician’s Group of the Left Book Club’ has been passed to him.

See the various entries in the Oxford DNB. Typed carbon copy. 1p, foolscap 8vo. Text complete, on aged piece of carbon paper, worn and chipped at edges. No signature. Addressed at foot to ‘E. F. Benson Esq.’ Thirty-one lines of text. He begins by stating that Benson, in his ‘work on Charlotte Brontë’, has ‘made a very correct study of her’. After discussing a point about Branwell Bronte, he states: ‘We cannot rely on Charlotte’s assertion that he knew nothing whatever of their ventures in publishing.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Addressed ‘Revd. F. Damstini Cremer / The Rectory / Keighley / England’. Signed ‘A. B. Bruce’. He begins by confirming that Cremer has has not mistaken his meaning ‘on p. 32 “The Kingdom of God”’, reaffirming over a paragraph what it is he was saying regarding the temptation of Christ. ‘It seems a considerable liberty, but then the Scripture writers do take liberties in their quotations & use of Holy Writ’.

See Harrison's entry in the Oxford DNB. Previous to the appearance in 1899 of ‘Higher Life for Working People’ Stephens had published a life of Turgot in 1895. Both appeared with the long-established London publishers Longmans. He was sole trustee of the soap manufacturers William Taylor & Co when it failed in 1883. He was also an inventor: in 1853 the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts noticed his patent relating to ‘retorts in gas-ovens’. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Twenty-five lines of text. In fair condition, lightly aged.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letters closely written. Both folded for postage. The letters concern the following statement in the Spectator, 6 February 1875: ‘Rumour says that Sir William Harcourt has ascertained from his friend, Mr. Disraeli, that while he will treat the Marquis of Hartington with all the respect due to the leader of a great party, he could not have accorded that deference to Mr. Forster. If rumour does not speak falsely, we could wish that the meeting of the Reform Club had received that very significant message.’ ONE (9 March 1875): 4pp, 12mo. Fifty-seven lines.

A nice item relating to a famously secretive and influential society. See Taylor’s entry in the Oxford DNB (Ferrar is not to be confused with the Dean of Canterbury Frederic Farrar, who was an Apostle). 2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. Sixteen lines, very neatly written. On aged and creased paper, with part of the leaf torn away at top left (not affecting text). Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Tom Taylor Esqre. / 8 Richmond Terrace / Whitehall / S.W.’ and signed ‘Fredc: Ferrar. / Genl.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, with that of the recipient Lady [Maria] Theresa Lewis (1803-1865), who lived in Kent House in Knightsbridge with her second husband Sir George Cornewall Lewis (1806-1863), Bart, Liberal Chancellor of the Exchequer, her first husband having been the novelist Thomas Henry Lister (1800-1842). 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. ‘Sir Henry Ellis presents his Compliments to Lady Theresa Lewis he has at last found the Letter, from the incumbent of Foxford, which gives the date of the Burial there of Lady Catherine Gray.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo, on first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Signed ‘Henry Ellis’ and addressed to ‘G. Cornewall Lewis Esq’. Begins: ‘My dear Sir / Mr Henry Christian will have a Card for our Reading Room sent to him this morning, and I will speak to Sir Frederic Madden to afford Mr. Christian the accommodation which he wishes to have in the MS.

An interesting and sprightly correspondence, mainly concerned with the practicalities of the vocation of a minor provincial poet. See David Gaskin’s obituary of Vanson, Independent, 27 July 1993, and Fry’s entry in the Oxford DNB. A second slice of Vanson material from the Christopher Fry papers (the other collection is offered separately). The collection consists of twenty-one items: nineteen letters from Vanson to Fry, a one-page typescript of three of Vanson’s poems, and a draft of an introduction by Fry to a proposed collection of poems by Vanson.

Scarce: no copies on WorldCat or JISC. 2pp, 8vo, paginated 1-2, with photographic portrait of ‘Colonel F. E. G. SKEY’ on art paper facing the first page. In grey wraps with printed title on front cover ‘Memoir / OF / COLONEL F. E. G. SKEY.’ In fair condition, lightly worn and aged, with two vertical creases. Describing Skey’s active career, the obituarist begins by noting that ‘It is not given to everyone to work as late in life as Skey did.’ Skey had been ‘promoted Colonel in 1912 and retirned in March, 1914, having been offered the Secretaryship of the R. E.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 12mo, 8vo, paginated 1-19 (originally pp.xxi-xxxix). Stitched into light-grey printed wraps. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. This offprint is scarce: the only copy on WorldCat and JISC is at the Wellcome.

A scarce item: the only other copy located is at the Foundling Hospital, London. 30pp, 4to, with a further 7pp of advertisements at the back. Stapled into grey wraps printed in red. A delicate survival, on browing high-acidity paper, in worn wraps chipped around the edges. On the front cover the item is described as ‘Book of Words & Programme for the Rehearsal Day’.At top right-hand corner of the title-page are the pleasing ownership initials of ‘A. G.

See his long but strangely-cagey entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Signed ‘Frederic Harrison.’ The recipient is not named. The letter begins: ‘Madam, I am obliged to you for your interesting letter[.] I do not enter an argument because it is founded on a few sentences which give a very imperfect idea of what I said on Sunday last.’ He does not dispute many of her assertions and, as for ‘the usefulness of larger landlords’, he has ‘repeatedly urged it in my addresses’.

The present item gives an indication of the high spirits, though hardly the ‘brilliant wit’, which, according to Quin’s entry in the Oxford DNB, afforded him a welcome to high society. 3pp, 16mo. Bifolium, with second leaf slightly damaged at foot by removal from mount. The body of the letter reads: ‘Dear Jesse / Don’t you or your fair friends forget Supper at Vun Undred and Vunety Vun Mount Street tomorrow Saturday night at 11 oclock or as soon after it as you can come. / N.B.

See David Gaskin’s obituary of Vanson, Independent, 27 July 1993, and Fry’s entry in the Oxford DNB. The material is in good condition, lightly aged, with one leaf of poetry typescript creased. Vanson’s eight Autograph Letters Signed date from between 29 December 1983 and 12 January 1993. total 11pp, 8vo, and 2pp, 12mo. One of the letters is lacking all but the last (signed) page; the others are complete. Vanson’s Typed Letter Signed is 1p, 8vo. It is undated, but dated by Fry to 14 August (no year, but from the context written in 1992). The nine letters are all signed ‘Frederic’.

Painfully appropriate words (‘The old friends leave us soon or late’), set to music within days of the composer’s death. Among Weatherly’s many lyrics are ‘Danny Boy’ and ‘Roses of Picardy’. See his obituary in the Oxford DNB, and Löhr’s three-page obituary, with portrait, in the Musical Herald, London, February 1889. Löhr was the father of the composer Hermann Löhr (1871-1943). 2pp, 4to, on the facing pages of a bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged, with a couple of closed tears unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. At head of first (left-hand) page: ‘Friends.

Scarce: the only copy located on WorldCat and COPAC at the Tate Library, London. Unpaginated stapled and duplicated pamphlet: 16pp, 4to. Cover illustration by John Graham. No wraps called for. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. In Vanson's autograph, at top right of cover: 'For Christopher - | affectionately | Frederic | 3.

Yates studied in Paris before setting up a successful practice in San Francisco, also teaching there at the Art Student League. His portraits include the educator John Haden Badley and the only president of Hawaii, Sanford Ballard Dole. He returned to England in 1900, but was invited back to America to attend the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and to paint his portrait. Wilson presented Yates with the flag that his hand rested on whilst he took his oath of office. The Oldham family moved in artistic circles, and Constance Oldham was John Ruskin's god-daughter and corresponded with him.

Yates studied in Paris before setting up a successful practice in San Francisco, also teaching there at the Art Student League. His portraits include the educator John Haden Badley and the only president of Hawaii, Sanford Ballard Dole. He returned to England in 1900, but was invited back to America to attend the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and to paint his portrait. Wilson presented Yates with the flag that his hand rested on whilst he took his oath of office. The Oldham family moved in artistic circles, and Constance Oldham was John Ruskin's god-daughter and corresponded with him.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, with slight traces of glue from mount adhering to edge on reverse of second leaf. Folded twice. An interesting letter, casting light on publication practices in Victorian London, with reference to a successful female author. Mrs Gascoigne asks Schoberl advice regarding the publication of her book 'Spencer's Cross; or, The Manor House. A Tale for Young People. By the author of "Belgravia"', which would be published by Charles Westerton in 1854. The letter begins: 'Mrs. Gascoigne presents her compliments to Mr.

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. He is 'very much obliged' to Frewen for the offer 'of duplicates to help in the restoration of destroyed libraries', and notes that 'it is impossible to forecast the needs that will exist at the end of the war'. In the meantime he has 'marked with the initials F. [L. S.?] a number of volumes in your list which I think are sure to be useful for our purpose.

4pp, 12mo. Bifolium of grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and grubby, with three folds. The letter reads: 'Dear Streatfield | it is no use sending me the Score of the Symphony here at present, as I am too busy to look at it properly, besides which, all my Programmes are definitely fixed till the end of the season, but if you will ask Mr. Hinton to send it to me to Hamilton Terrace (54, not 73) after Feby., when I shall be back in town, I shall be pleased to look through it.'

[32]pp., 16mo. Not paginated. Stapled in brown wraps, with text on front and back covers in gold and dark brown, with closed tear at foot of spine. Contains one full-page engraving: 'Testimonial Presentation to Mme. Camilla Urso in the Town Hall, Melbourne.' Cheaply printed on browned high-acidity paper, in aged and worn wraps. The wraps are attractively designed, with the violinist's name printed in large decorative type diagonally across the centre of the front cover. The back cover gives details of Urso's 'Transcontinental Tour.

On 8 x 10.5 cm piece of paper. In good condition, with minor traces of mount. A good firm signature reading: 'Frederic Villiers | 6 - 3 - 13'.

3pp., 16mo. Bifolium. On aged and foxed paper. He wishes to be informed 'whether the Forget Me Not" so long and ably edited by your Father will be published for the ensuing year - i.e. for 1848'. One of his daughters has 'written down Stories one or two of which have already appeared, and she would be very happy to avail herself of an opportunity of writing something' for the annual, so he asks him to 'ascertain whether your Father would like to insert a short Nouvellette [sic] to the extent of 4 to 5 pages'.

On 3 x 10 cm piece of grey paper. Laid down on 9 x 11.5 cm piece of card. In fair condition, aged and a little dusty. Neat and crisp signature, cut from a letter, and reading: 'Faithfully Yours | Chelmsford'. Also laid down on the card is a brief biographical cutting.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, with tiny remains of labels from mount adhering to corners. He returns her 'Burlington Club permit', with 'thanks for the opportunity of seeing so brilliant a Collection', before concluding with regards to her husband and 'Holly'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Aged and worn, with glue stains and slight damage to second leaf from mounting. At the time of writing Cox was curate at Wantage. Russell begins the letter by stating that he will be visiting his mother and will not 'return to Watford before Friday night. - On Saturday morning I hope I may have the good fortune of finding you at home to talk over matters in connexion with my marriage on the 5th. of May.' (to Lady Emily Villiers, daughter of George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon). He thanks him for taking his room at the Clarendon Hotel, before concluding.

An interesting letter regarding a celebrated Victorian scandal. In 1884 Frederic had come to England with his wife and five children as the London correspondent of the New York TImes. He set up a second household with Kate Lyon, with whom he had a further three children. Lyons was a Christian Scientist, and when Frederic suffered a stroke in 1898, she tried to cure him by faith healing, but he died. At the instigation of Mrs Frederic, Lyon was tried for manslaughter, but was acquitted. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border.