JAMES

Learned and witty, Spedding was a popular figure within the literary scene of Victorian London. As he lay dying following an accident, Tennyson rushed to the hospital and begged admission to his bedside. When approached by Delia Bacon, he dismissed the Baconian theory with contempt, and was the first to realise that the play 'Henry VIII' was a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher. Both of the present letters are signed 'Jas Spedding' and addressed to 'My dear Mrs. Pollock', and both in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with minor traces of glue from mount.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper. He hopes he is not 'premature' in asking for 'a box for Richard 2d for tomorrow - Tuesday - night!' If he is not he will be 'thankful'; if he is he will 'wait patiently for a future occasion'. Kean's Richard II opened at the Princess's Theatre on 14 March 1857 and ran for 112 nights.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse to 'Mr. Everett | Market Street | Manchester'. Brailsford has been 'desired by the Missionary committee connected with this place to write you & earnestly to request the favour of yr. Services at their approaching Anniversary which is fixed for Monday Oct. 22nd. by preaching a preparatory Sermon on the Sunday eveng. Oct 21.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Written in response to a request for an autograph, and signed at foot 'Yours Truly | Jas: C. Hook'. Above this, beneath the heading 'Lincoln', Hook has transcribed twelve lines from 'Ode Recited at the Harvard Commemoration, July 21 1865', beginning 'He knew to bide his time, | And can his fame abide,' and with 'J. R. Lowell.' at the end.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. Addressed to 'Mr Cornish | 33, Piccadilly | Manchester'. The letter begins: 'Mr. Ormerod has received Mr Cornish's enquiry whether Mr O. has "any Io [i.e. folio] Paper Hist: of Cheshire for sale.' He replies that he 'has now only two Io Paper copies of Hist: Cheshire One is extensively illustrated and bound in ten Volumes in Morocco - This, of course, cannot be parted with.' Ormerod would part with the other set 'for £100, (one Hundred pounds) Cash - not less'.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. After beginning 'Dear Popie / | How are you?' she asks what the 'immediate prospects' are for her to 'get a book and a series in the paper running', as she has 'scanned a tremendous amount of George's material' since moving to 'The Lawns'. In a postscript she describes the material as a 'wonderful story for T.V. too to say nothing about the films!', adding that she has 'got G. to record a lot of his old & recent material ready!' Macqueen-Pope was an admirer of Robey's, as his 'The Melodies Linger On: The Story of Music Hall' makes clear.

ONE: Typescript. [3] + 94pp., 4to. Stapled in green tyed wraps. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper; in aged and worn wraps. Stage directions underlined in red pencil, and a handful of minor manuscript changes. 'The action of this play takes place in Malta G.C.

ONE: Typescript of '"Small Hotel" | A Comedy in Three Acts |by | James Gardiner'. 144pp., 4to. Bound with ribbon in blue card wraps with typed label. Text on rectos only. In pencil on title-page: '56 Welbeck Street'. In fair condition, on aged paper, in heavily worn wraps. 'The action takes place in the Lounge of the Bay View Hotel, near Dormouth, a South Coast Naval port.' No record of the play has been found, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC, or on the ITDb. TWO: Typed Letter Signed to Commander Vivian Ellis from Olive Harding of Myron Selznick (London) Ltd.

George James Firmage was born in New York; attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1947-48) and College of the City of New York (1949); BA, New York University, 1952; pursued graduate study, University of Massachusetts, 1952-54; publications supervisor in advertising and marketing services department, First National City Bank, New York, 1954; wrote several books, including E.E. Cummings: a Miscellany (1958) and E.E. Cummings: a Bibliography; editor of A Garland for Dylan Thomas (1963) and of E.E. Cummings' Three Plays and a Ballet (1967).

1p., 12mo. Bifolium, addressed on second leaf to 'Rd. Wilson Esqr | Lincolns Inn Fields'. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear. The letter begins: 'My dear Sir | I have so much responsibility on my shoulders in the new farce that I really dare not venture into society on those days on which I perform in it.' If he had a holiday he would accept Wilson's 'polite invitation', 'but so situated I am sorry to say it is impossible'.

ONE: The earlier of the two drafts, titled 'It Was Top of the Bill | The Story of Music Hall. | by | W. Macqueen-Pope.' 14pp., 4to. Paginated 1-12, with two further pages carrying material to be inserted. With a few autograph emendations, including an addition to the ending. Macqueen-Pope writes knowledgeably and with a passion for his theme, which is that 'Music Hall reflected public taste even more accurately than did the "legitimate" Theatre because it was created by the people themselves. The basis of the Drama of the Theatre - was religion.

148pp., 4to. Bound with pink ribbon into grey card wraps with typed label on cover. In fair condition, on aged paper, in worn and aged binding. Pencil note on title page states '40000 words'. An interesting piece of social history during wartime. In a foreword Macqueen-Pope thanks a number of individuals for their assistance, adding that 'the leading characters in this real life story must perforce remain anonymous'.

For more about Corrie see his entry in the Oxford DNB, which states that 'His most effective mature work, A Master of Men, about the conflict between a mine manager, the mine owners, and the miners, was performed by the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre in 1944.' 111pp., 4to. On paper of various colours. Autograph title-page: 'English Version | A Master of Men | A Play | Joe Corrie | Hill's Hotel | 41 Princes Sq. | London W2 | Tel. Bay. 0118'. (Many of Corrie's plays were written in Lowland Scots.) In good condition, lightly-aged, in worn buff card wraps. With a few autograph emendations.

3pp., 12mo. Writing in a difficult hand, he thanks him for his very curious & interesting letter respecting Chr. Smart, of whose birthplace I had been previously ignorant, tho' his name was not unknown to me in connection with Horace'.

The fourteen items are laid down on three pages, on two leaves of grey paper, removed from an album, on the reverse of one leaf are two coloured coaching scenes by Randolph Caldecott, one featuring a highwayman. The overall condition is fair, with creasing and signs of age. The Autograph Letter Signed is from Crane to 'My dear Stanley Little'. 1p., landscape 8vo. With letterhead of Beaumont Lodge, Shepherd's Bush, featuring an illustration by Crane of a shepherd and sheep. 20 September 1892.

Full title: 'Catalogue of a Miscellaneous Collection of Modern Useful Books, many in choice bindings, the greater portion the Property of a Gentleman leaving England, also some interesting Archaeological Manuscripts, by William Bromet, Esq., M.D., F.S.A.' 15pp., 12mo. Unbound and side-stitched pamphlet. Aged, worn and grubby. 308 lots. Lot 181 is 'Caumont (M. de) Histoire del' Architecture au Moyen Age, some manuscript memorandums and illustrations added by the late Dr. Bromet | Caen, 1838'.

6pp., 12mo. Bifolium and single leaf. On aged and worn paper, with 4 cm closed tear to all three leaves. A highly interesting letter, illuminating Victorian Fleet Street and City of London practices. The author's signature is frustratingly illegible, but may well be that of sports journalist Charles William Alcock (1842-1907). The recipient is possibly James Clarke (d.1888), editor of The Christian World. The author opens the letter with the 'conclusions' he has arrived at regarding the 'various schemes' which he 'maturely reflected upon' in a discussion with Clarke the previous week.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He explains his 'great and chief excuse' for breaking his promise to call on her that morning. 'The fact is I have to give an address on Monday evening as President of the Society of Chemical Industry'.

xi + 67pp., 12mo. Disbound and without covers. The preface to the first edition is dated from 'Liverpool, 1869', and that to the second from 'Lincoln, 1871'. In the latter Goy writes that he is in 'failing health', but that 'the whole has been thoroughly revised, and much additional matter introduced. The chapter on Artificial Teeth has been enlarged, and the character of the work altogether improved.' Scarce: no copy of any edition found on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat, and none in the Wellcome Library.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper, with slight show-through on first leaf. Expressing, 'on behalf of the Eagle Committee', a 'joint sense' of Powell's 'kindly interest in the magazine', whose 'circulation, hitherto, has been restricted to members of the College'. Powell's 'helpful offer' will be considered that week, when his letter is laid before the committee, who are desirous of inserting, 'more systematically, intelligence respecting members of the College in London'.

1p., 4to. 31 lines of text, written in a neat and close hand.

16 x 20 cm booklet, consisting of a bifolium stitched with black green thread into covers of thicker paper. In fair condition, aged and worn, with remains of clear plastic front covering. On the front cover is a heavily-inked art photograph superimposing an image of a musical score over the edges of an fanned-out signature. On the inside of the back cover is a facsimile of a calligraphic inscription in Latin, in Renaissance style. The inner contents consists of two facsimiles.

1p., 4to. In good condition. The large and unusual letterhead is the point of interest: it is roughly 17 x 11.5 cm, and mostly taken up with an illustration, printed in red, yellow, green, blue, orange and black, depicting an idealised scene in a Victorian bookseller's shop, with a young lady with bonnet and parasol, two schoolboys in top hats with Eton collars and a bespectackled master in mortar board and robes, the last of whom is examining a book shown to him by an elderly bookseller.

Printed in black on white within oval border, roughly 5.5 cm high and 8.5 cm wide. In good condition, laid down on a piece of brown card. Tastefully presented in a style characteristic of the period, and employing the long s. Reads: 'Jas. Kerby, | BOOKSELLER & STATIONER, | NO. 190 | Oxford-Street, near Grosvenor-Square. | Sells all kinds of Papers, Writing & Account Books, | Pamphlets, Magazines, a large Assortment of | Gentlemens & Ladies Pocket-Books, Inks, Quills, | Pens, & every other Article of Stationery. | N.B. News-Papers served at any Part of | Town or Country.

Two stitched pamphlets of uniform design. 15pp., 12mo, and 19pp., 12mo. Tastefully printed, with covers in red and black. Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. The first volume - 'A First List' - has a full-page 'Advertisement' by 'D. H.', in which he aspires to 'offer a fair proportion of what is alive in modern writing - a hope which is my raison d'etre as a publisher [...] nothing, if not lack of sense, or lack of the desire, need stop one from printing whatever is available, and has intrinsic vitality or permanence'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He considers that 'the scraps of Irish Architects' might be 'very useful for reference', and suggests offering them to the Royal Institute of British Architects or Association of Architects. In the latter part of the letter he makes suggestions regarding a meeting the following week.

[36]pp., 8vo. Stapled in red card wraps with circular cartridge design in silver. An attractive and glossy production, profusely illustrated. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with dink to spine. Section titles read: '"Who is this C. Eley?"'; 'The Brothers'; 'Together now for 40 years'; 'New Century, new problems'; 'Crisis and congratulations'; 'Pastures new'; 'War and Peace'; '"A policiy of enlightened self-interest"'; 'Eley at 150 years old'. From the papers of the noted gunsmith C.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. Scharf had illustrated her 'Life in Ancient India' (1856), and she writes informally, expressing regret at the news of his move 'from the Classic No. 1., a house consecrated to the Arts by your occupation of it & ever to be remembered with respect, regard, pleasure & all good feelings'.

15 x 21 cm print laid down on 17.5 x 23.5 cm piece of card. Faded and aged, with wear to extremities of card (not print) and staining to reverse. The men are posing in four rows, in front of a large window in a brick wall. They are hatless, and wear single-breasted jackets with seven gilt buttons at the front, with black belt and metal buckle. Four numbers embroidered on either side of collars. In the centre of the group is a sergeant. Most of the men sport moustaches, and many pomaded hair and centre partings. From the papers of the gunsmith C.

8pp., 8vo. Disbound. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Sixty titles, with prices and some information, arranged under five headings: 'Important Works on the Corn Laws, &c. &c.' (24 items); 'On Banking' (6 items); 'The Chinese and Opium Question' (4 items); 'On Education' (7 items); 'Political' (19 items). No copy traced on either COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.