HAGGARD

[Frederick Courteney Selous, explorer and hunter, inspiration for Rider Haggard's 'Allan Quatermain'.] Autograph Letter Signed ('F. C. Selous', giving permission to quote from his book, 'Travel and Adventure in South East Africa'.

Author: 
F. C. Selous [Frederick Courteney Selous] (1851-1917), explorer, big game hunter in Africa, inspiration for Rider Haggard's 'Allan Quatermain', friend of Theodore Roosevelt and Cecil Rhodes
Publication details: 
On letterhead of Heatherside, Worpledon, Surrey. 11 June 1902.
£220.00

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. He begins by informing the unnamed recipient that the reason for the delay in answering his letter is that Selous has 'just returned to this country from a trip to Hungary'. For his part, Selous will be 'very pleased if you will quote anything you like from my book, “Travel and Adventure in S. E. Africa”. He presumes that 'the publishers, to whom the book I suppose really belongs, will have no objection either, as to quote any passage from a book is to call attention to the book itself, which may result in the sale of a copy'.

[Rider Haggard writes to Rudyard Kipling's wife.] Autograph Letter Signed ('H . Rider Haggard') to 'Mrs. Kipling', discussing in detail the flowers he has sent her.

Author: 
H. Rider Haggard [Sir Henry Rider Haggard] (1856-1925), author of adventure novels including 'King Solomon's Mines' and 'She' [Caroline Starr Balestier Kipling (1862-1939), wife of Rudyard Kipling]
Publication details: 
On letterhead of Ditchingham House, Norfolk. 13 December 1909.
£320.00

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, with one central vertical fold, and patch of small holes at head of second leaf. Interesting letterhead, with image of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Someone (probably Mrs Kipling) has written 'orchid' on the first page. The letter begins: 'Mr dear Mrs. Kipling, | I sent you a few flowers today by post, also (by rail to Etchingham) a Cypripedium Insigne, a Blush Rambler & a Lady Gay rose. The Cyp: Insig: is very fairly hardy but I should not stand it in too violent a draught.

[ Michael Winner, British film director. ] Typed and Signed 'Memorandum from Michael Winner' to screenwriter Jack Pulman, regarding '"People in the Mist": Meeting November 25th' (a proposed adaptation of the fantasy novel by H. Rider Haggard).

Author: 
Michael Winner (1935-2013), British film director [ Jack Pulman (1925-1979), screenwriter; H. Rider Haggard ]
Publication details: 
No address (letterhead reads 'Memorandum from Michael Winner'). Dated 25 November 1969.
£80.00

1p., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and a little ruckled at edges. Winner's signature, in blue ink, is somewhat stylised. The document deals with eleven points raised at the meeting (which relates to a film project which was not realised), the first of which gives a feel of the tone: '1. We could do something in scene 305 with LEONARD who is not too full of character at this point. This applies also through that section to the end of scene 308. In this scene Leonard is a little too on-the-ball and decisive.

[Agricultural Restoration of Belgium and North-Eastern France] Printed scheme (by Sir Rider Haggard?) of an appeal to British farmers and landowners for crops and breeding stock, 'to be offered and sent to French agriculturalists ravaged by invasion'

Author: 
Edward T. Brown, Secretary, Agricultural Restoration of Belgium and North-Eastern France [Sir Henry Rider Haggard; the Great War]
Publication details: 
Agricultural Restoration of Belgium and North-Eastern France, 39, Queen Anne's Chambers, Westminster, London, SW. Main document undated (late 1914 or early 1915), with appended letters dated 25 November and 1 December 1914.
£180.00

4pp., 4to. On four leaves attached at one corner by a brass stud. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The proposal of the 'scheme' covers the first two pages, with the first page headed with the associations name and address, with a list of the eleven members of the 'Central Committee', headed by the Marquis of Lincolnshire, and including 'Sir RIDER HAGGARD' (who must surely have had a hand in the document's composition), and the secretary E. T. Brown.

Original ink caricature by Furniss of Haggard in the character of Don Quixote.

Author: 
Harry Furniss (1854-1925), Anglo-Irish Punch illustrator [Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925), English author; Don Quixote]
Publication details: 
Without date [but circa 1887?] or place.
£225.00

On paper roughly four and a quarter inches by three and a quarter wide, with corners snipped to make an irregular octohedron. Good clear illustration on ruckled, aged paper. Tipped onto a larger piece of aged glue-stained paper. An amusing caricature showing Haggard astride Rozinante, in a full suit of armour, with an inkpot and quill pen as hat, holding a lance inscribed 'LITERATURE' in one hand, and a baby wrapped in a large roll of paper inscribed 'SHE M.S.' in the other. Unsigned, and attributed to Furniss in pencil on mount.

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