FREDERICK

A total of 8 pp, 4to, all on Palace Court letterheads. Dent's notes both signed 'Jock Dent.', and the copies both signed 'James Agate'. Two important, energetic and vivid letters by Agate, totalling 6 pp, 4to, defending Coward's play and his position on 'the intellectual and the popular', against the 'pseudo-intelligentsia' of the barristers Shearman and 'Jack' St John Hutchinson (1884-1942).

The seven items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper and with the last two with wear to extremities. ONE: 15 June 1929; on letterhead of Lansdowne House, Lansdowne Road, Holland Park. 1 p, 4to. Accepting a dinner invitiation. 'I wish we did not meet so seldom, and after this long gap I hope we shall see each other more often'. TWO: 10 January 1931; on letterhead as One. 2 pp, 12mo. He is 'going to work in Paris a good deal this year - and shall often have occasion to take unfinished - or finished - things - pictures drawings - small sculpture to & fro between here & Paris'.

13 x 7.5 card. Fair, on aged paper, with minor creasing to one corner. Stamped and addressed on one side to 'Mr. J. Charles Davis | Proctor's Theatre | New York'. The unsigned card (with the words 'and United States' deleted from the heading) has partly printed text. Mather completes it in pencil, acknowledging the 'inquiry about Frank Forester' and stating that 'as a boy I knew him and shot with him but my recollections would be of no value'. He ends by saying that he will 'try to brush them up' on his 'return from the west'.

12mo, 1 p. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for the 'particulars re, Costessey [Norfolk]', will 'write to Sir Hy. Jerningham' and will 'look up' Johnson's 'Journal' in the British Museum.

12mo, 2 pp. 22 lines. Text clear and complete. Begins by explaining his reasons for not supporting Humberstone in an unspecified election. Humberstone has 'valiantly' supported 'the cause for Research at the Universities', and his 'knowledge of University affairs' is 'profound', but 'after a time new minds have to have their turn!' He remembers a paper of Twort's 'on airborn infection problems' which interested him 'much'. 'I know he was an original investigator, but somehow he seems to have got across people in his line of work. I don't propose to go in for Biological Warfare!

All items clear and complete, on aged paper. Letters totaling: 4to, 1 p; landscape 8vo, 5 pp. The two cards carry long messages, written in red ink in Grubb's close, neat hand; one is standard size, the other 27 x 13.5 cm. Five envelopes are stapled to their letters. Grubb ('one of the last survivors of the famous 1960s Hampstead coterie of writers, actors and critics') writes entertainingly in an emphatic, energetic manner marvellously evocative of the 1970s London literary scene.

140 lines of text, written out on both sides of a strip of ruled paper, with one side forming two outside 12mo pages (each 13 x 10 cm) by the folding the strip horizontally halfway down, and the reverse carrying one continuous column over a 13 x 20 cm single page. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. Tozer had shone in his training as a pharmacist, with the British Medical Journal reporting his winning in 1881 of a medal in practical pharmacy and dispensing, and a certificate in botany. By 1889 he was working in Castle Street, Liverpool, for A. C.

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. 47 lines. Text clear and complete. On aged paper, wear and fraying to extremities. The cutting which Lawler leant him 'has helped me to trace one stage further in the wanderings of more than one vagabond Caxton'. Refers to John Winter Jones's discovery of a copy in the British Museum of the 'Quatre Derrenieres Choses', 'now more than 50 years ago [...] it has remained absolutely unique until our old friend at 15 Piccadilly [Bernard Quaritch] came upon a 2nd copy'.

Landscape card, 7.5 x 11.5 cm. Designed to show off the firm's capabilities, and printed on one side in purple, green, light brown and gold, with fancy lettering within florally-decorated body and border, around a small central illustration of three men working a press. Printers' details in small letters at foot, reading 'F. Bentley & Co. Lth' and 'Shoe Lane, London.' The almanac on the reverse is a more restrained affair, stylishly printed in purple and gold. Fair: lightly-aged, with small closed hole to one corner, and slight wear at foot of almanac.

Poley was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects Silver Medal for the 'Measured Drawings' which formed the basis of his book on St Paul's Cathedral in London, and his work is notable for its attention to detail. This collection (with very few exceptions his own work) gives a splendid indication of the nature and range of English commercial engraved illustration at the beginning of the twentieth-century. Around 150 loose 'pulls', varying in size from 18.5 x 14.5 cm to 4 x 6 cm. Including trade marks (The Cork Hat Company; Cook's World Travel Service; The Swifan; A. C.

All texts clear and complete, and good, on lightly-aged and worn paper. Several annotated in pencil, one extensively. Letter One: 27 January 1936; on letterhead of County Hall, London. 4to, 1 p. '[...] if it be the case that under a given government the finances are really getting into difficulty but that the Chancellor will not be frank with his colleagues and insist upon action, the civil servants concerned are put in somewhat of a difficulty.' Letter Two: 21 May 1943; on letterhead of the Home Secretary, Whitehall. 4to, 2 pp.

On a square of paper, circa 10 x 11.5 cm. Aged and lightly-creased. Evidently a reply to a request for an autograph. Bold signature, with the whole reading 'Your's faithfully | Clarendon'. Docketed with a few biographical details on reverse.

12mo, 1 p. Six lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Suggests a couple of alternative days on which he 'will be at liberty to give Sir W. J. Newton a sitting'.

Small 4to, 140 pp. Paginated by Whelen. Notebook of good laid paper, in boards covered in patterned paper, with the word 'BIOGRAPHICAL' in faded red manuscript at head of front cover. Text neatly written and clear and complete. Good: internally sound and tight on lightly-aged paper; in worn and chipped boards. The flyleaf is dated 1939, with Whelen's addresses given as the Royal Societies Club, St James's St, and 5 Place de la Taconnerie, Geneva.

Small 4to, 61 pp, with the first four pages unpaginated and the last ones paginated 1-57. In notebook of good laid paper, in decorative boards. Text clear and complete. Very good, on lightly-aged paper; in worn and chipped wraps, with 'U.S.S.R.' on spine and front board. Various addresses by Whelan inside the front cover, with the date 1936 amended to 1945 and 1950. Pages of slogans and abbreviations are followed by the notebook itself. The volume intersperses notes on the visit (ending at p.31) with extracts of quotations, statistics and other matter about the Soviet Union.

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Thirteen lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged and stained paper. With envelope, addressed in autograph. Addressed to Bowerbank in his capacity as Honorary Secretary of the Palaeontographical Society, London. Enquiring as to the publication date of four of the Society's books, 'to those members who have paid the whole of their subscriptions'.

8vo, 20pp. Stitched. Disbound. In original grey printed wraps (with 'VOL. II.' deleted in blue pencil at foot of title). Fair, on aged paper, with wear and loss to grubby wraps. Ownership inscription on front wrap: 'Henry Norman, April 26. 1881. G.18.' Signed in type 'B. R.' at foot of last page. Providing a detailed synopsis of Ferrier's teachings, with a fifteen-line 'Introductory Notice' of his life. Scarce. No copy at the British Library or on COPAC, and the only copy on WorldCat at Harvard.

12mo, 2 pp. 24 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Laid down on a leaf from an album, in such a way as the first line of the second page can only be read in mirror image by holding the item up to the light. Marvellously indicative of the patronising attitude of the governing British classes to their Indian subjects. On visiting Venables he will 'venture to bring with me my native servant' who 'does not require much in the way of accommodation'. If Venables 'has no corner for him' in his house, asks if he can recommend 'a little room somewhere near'.

12mo, 1 p. In a bifolium. Docketed by Stratford Canning on the reverse of the second leaf. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with thin strip of stub from mount adhering to one edge. He 'cannot resist' staying there the next day, 'as Lady C. & I hope to bring our Daughter up to London on Tuesday', a day on which, if convenient, he will be 'most happy' to see Stratford Canning at the Foreign Office.

12mo, 1 p. 6 lines. Clear and complete. Fair, on aged and slightly grubby paper, with strip of glue from mount on blank reverse, which has laid down on it a ten-line biographical newspaper cutting referring to Slade ('[...] one of the youngest major-generals on the Staff in the Army [...] His most recent appointment was that of Assistant Adjutant-General at Woolwich'). He is sending 'a missed lot of Soldiers autographs. Some that you already have may be useful in exchanging for others'.

12mo, 1 p. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. From the context of other items in the same collection, this letter relates to an 'Artists general Benevolent Banquet' (for which Dollman was acting as steward). Blomfield would be pleased to join Dollman, but has 'already promised my subscription to Pomeroy' (presumably acting as steward for a rival dinner). Addressed to Dollman at Hove House, Newton Grove, Bedford Park.

4to (22.5 x 18.5 cm), 1 p. Eighteen lines in four paragraphs. Text clear and complete, crisply printed in italic. On aged and grubby paper. Begins 'The lamented death of Mr. SMYTH having occasioned a vacancy in the Representation of our University, I am induced to offer myself as a Candidate for the honour of succeeding him in that distinguished situation.' He is 'unfettered by political engagements', and must forever feel 'affection and gratitude' for 'a Body, amongst whom I have passed some of the happiest and most profitable years of my life'. Hervey was unsuccessful.

All seven items 4to, 1 p. Each docketed and bearing the stamp of the Royal Society of Arts. All good, on lightly-aged paper. The first is in a secretarial hand, with the other six all typed. Item One: 4 December 1917. He doesn't 'quite understand' from Menzies' letter what it is that he wants him to do. 'From what Mr.

Letter: 12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper, with small rust stain at head from paperclip. She is writing to Harmsworth ('President, Dr Johnson's House') to ask him to accept a copy of 'my Journal in which mention is made of my Portrait of Dr Samuel Johnson which hangs in the Garrett of Dr Samuel Johnson house this was presented by H. B. Wheatley whom I knew for many years.' On a visit to the curator of Johnson's house she was 'pleased to see the picture still hands in its original place'.

12mo, 1 p. The purple ink of the letter has bled, otherwise in good condition. He does not 'think it likely that we shall soon see this neighbourhood again'. They have had 'frequent bad weather, constant illness, & general discomfort'. The Yateses 'hope to meet you at Hamburg, where we expect to arrive on Wednesday 5th. August. So be it!' Mrs Perkins was the wife of the wealthy brewer Augustus Frederick Perkins.

On rectangle of paper roughly 8 x 11 cm, with small triangles neatly cut away from corners. Aged and with traces of glue and paper from previous mounting. The letterhead has Roberts's Garter crest in the top left-hand corner and his address at top right. Firmly written: '[signed] Roberts, F.M. | 28. April 1908.' Slight smudging to the 'rt' of 'Roberts'.

12mo, 3 pp. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with a little damage to the four corners of the second leaf caused by removal from mount. Thirty-five lines of text. Clear and complete. He has been afforded 'very great satisfaction' by the announcement that the Hospital 'is now so nearly completed' that it will 'a few weeks hence be delivered into the possession and management of the Governors'. It is a 'new, capacious and very necessary addition to our metropolitan Hospitals'.

All four items clear and complete, on aged paper with wear to the extremities of item one. Item One: 'Leaflet No. 1. English League for the Taxation of Land Values. Statement of Principles.' 12mo, 4 pp, on unbound bifolium. Headings include 'Objects of the League', 'Meaning of Land Values', 'The Taxation of Land Values would be just', 'The Taxation of Land Values would promote general prosperity and remove social evils'. Item Two: '[...] No. 3. The Taxation of Land Values: What it would do. 12mo leaflet, 2 pp.

12mo, 2 pp. Thirteen lines of text. Good. The letter possibly relates to Furnivall's Early English Text Society, founded in 1865. He is enclosing a Post Office Order for a guinea, but, as he 'said to Mr Furnivall last year', he does not consider himself a subscriber, 'wishing to reserve the right of withdrawal in case of finding it inconvenient to pay, which will certainly be the case when I give up my official position'. Nevertheless asks Wheatley to remind him 'when the time comes for collection'.

12mo: 16 pp. Unbound. Stitched as issued. Aged and a little dogeared. From the Skey family archives, and inscribed by the author at the head of the title 'For my dear Mother.' A prose allegory, in small print, beginning, 'I thought there was an island whose rough craggy sides were lashed by the unwearying ocean.' Excessively scarce: no copy on COPAC or WorldCat. Skey was vicar of Weare for forty-five years, until his death at the age of 83.