LITERATURE

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On brittle, discoloured paper, cropped at foot. Signed (‘J. Oxenford’). The recipient is not named, but is clearly the editor of the Athenaeum. Reads: ‘Sir/- / In the name of Mr. C. A. Feiling and myself, I beg leave to thank you for the very handsome and prominent notice of our “German Tales” which appeared in the Athenaeum of the 30th. ult. - You will confer a further obligation by letting the gentleman who wrote the article [know] how much we feel indebted to his kindness.’

See Belloc’s entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is Colonel Frederick Hugh Langston Oldham (1876-1965), D.S.O., D.L., of Overley Hall near Wellington. The three items are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: ALS, 5 October 1922. 1p, 4to. With mourning border. Folded twice. Giving details of the train from Paddington he is proposing to take to Wellington for ‘[t]he lecture’ on 13 October. ‘It is most kind of you to have asked me to stay with you & I am much looking forward to it.’ TWO: TL, 11 October 1922. 1p, 8vo. Folded twice. The signature ‘H.

Pritchett’s ‘The Gentle Barbarian: The Life and Work of Turgenev’ appeared in 1977; the present letter is clearly addressed to his editor at the book’s publishers Chatto & Windus. Pritchett’s entry in the Oxford DNB describes his handwriting as ‘legendarily ugly and difficult to decipher’, but the present example is no worse than an average hand. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Two fold lines. He is sending his ‘Turgenev’, and explains: ‘As you will see I have marked passages from the book in purple crayon, and my own summary bridges in green.

Plain 11.5 x 7.5 cm card, with letterhead in red. The card reads: ‘Dear Herman Hart / I can barely write even today with rheumaticky right hand. I have written to Thring to say that I propose you & have known you for years. It gives me great pleasure to do so / Yrs sincerely / Douglas Sladen’. On reverse, in contemporary hand, ‘Author of Japanese Marriage.’

1p, landscape 8vo. In fair condition; a little creased. Folded twice. Nicholson’s signature is a stylized squiggle, and there are a few minor autograph corrections to the typescript. The letter begins: ‘Dear Eric / I think the correspondent is probably right and that it is Windermere and not Coniston Water which can be seen from near Stickle Tarn.’ Nicholson cannot speak from experience, ‘as the tarn is metres above the level my legs would take me, but the map does seem to confirm what the two correspondents say’.

An evocative artefact of the interesting connection between Powys and the man who supplied him with the books for his translation of Rabelais. Writing on 24 September 1940, in 'Letters to Sea-Eagle', Powys gives a lengthy account of 'Our Jew Book-Pedlar' and the bombing by the Germans of his Russell Street address.

Adams was the author of more than one hundred books. He was criticised by Louisa May Alcott for his use of slang and depiction of ‘low’ characters such as bootblacks, elements which make him sound like a proto-Mark Twain, and should attract renewed attention today. Without date or place. On 4.5 x 9.5 cm slip of wove paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of mount adhering to blank reverse.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letter and invitation have been repaired with archival tape after being torn in half; otherwise in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Letter of 11 March 1904. 2pp, 12mo. She has ‘heard from Mr. Tierny’ that Miss Parker and her sisters ‘have very kindly offered to sing in the Anthem on the occasion of my daughter’s wedding. It is most kind of you to give your time in this way, and we are sure that the music will be a very great addition to the service.’ She hopes that the sisters will see her ‘in the Library after the service’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. At the time of writing he was Professor of English Language and Literature at Leeds. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Reads: ‘Mr Lascelles Abercrombie regrets his inability to attend the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Bodleian in the Divinity School on June 22nd. / June 10th. 1926’.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on aged paper, with patches of lighter and darker discolouration from varying exposure to sunlight. Good firm signature, enclosed in circular flourish: ‘Dr Arnost Kraus’. See image.

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’.

Williams, who has an entry in the Oxford DNB, became a close friend of Spalding and her sister Anne after lodging with their parents during the Second World War. The present item is a transcription, made and printed out around the 1980s, of the 1961 radio programme, on one side each of 34 numbered pieces of A4 paper, loosely gathered by a black plastic spine.

On one side of a 12.5 x 8.5 cm piece of thin white card. Clearly given in response to a request for an autograph. Written in a large somewhat old-fashioned hand, with ‘Edith Pargeter.’ centred towards the head of the page, and ‘‘Ellis Peters’.’ at bottom right. See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 11 x 5.5 cm rectangle cut from the foot of a letter. In fair condition, aged and lightly creased, with traces of glue from mount adhering to the blank reverse. Folded once. Reads: ‘Yours in great haste, / most cordially / Thomas Moore’. See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 16 x 10 cm rectangle cut from leaf of an autograph album. On lightly aged wove paper, with crease to one corner avoiding the writing. Boldly written: ‘W. Harrison Ainsworth / Dunsnow. / July 19th. 1855.’ Nothing else written on either side of the leaf. See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 16 x 10 cm rectangle cut from leaf of an autograph album. In good condition, on wove paper, lightly aged and creased. Nothing on the leaf apart from the signature ‘John Herman Merivale’, with the helpful addition ‘(Dead)’ in a near-contemporary hand beside it.

See Tony Lopez's obituary in the Guardian, 11 April 2021.The letter was sent, with Items One and Two at least, while Guest was Lecturer in English at Yokohama National University, 1966-1972. All four items are neatly written in black ink in a close hand. The first three items are in good condition; Item Four is in fair condition, on aged paper and with wear to the outer edges. The parallel drafts of ‘Climbing a Volcano’ in Item One present an excellent example of the working process of a poet in the pre-digital age. ONE: Autograph Manuscript (2pp, folio) on one leaf.

For information on Cook see his biography in the Oxford DNB, which points out that the subtlety of his later fiction was lost on his contemporaries, being written in a style that ‘was not sufficiently sensational’ for the period. The present item is the complete text of the last thing Cook ever wrote: a story which appeared in the weeks following his death, in Hood’s Comic Annual for 1884 (London, 1883).

32pp, 8vo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged laid Whatman paper with watermarked date 1830. Ruled in pencil by Campbell, and written out in his attractive calligraphic hand. With occasional emendations, and with an entire revision of the twentieth page made by overlaying another leaf of paper over the top of the original with wafers in each corner. (The two versions can be separated from one another with ease.) Campbell's essay was the leading article in the first issue of 'The Metropolitan', published in London by James Cochrane and Co.

See Procter’s entry in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition on lightly-aged paper. 85 lines of closely- and neatly-written text. He begins by thanking Sutton for ‘the welcome portrait of Sir Edward Lugden’. He gives an example of Lugden’s ‘happy election repartee’(a joke about ‘Lather’ and ‘the present price of “Soap”’), for which, if no other reason, he ‘deserves a niche in my tonsorial gallery’.

1p, 12mo. On laid paper, folded once. Informing her that ‘Fanny’ will be returning in a few days, and that ‘we shall be very happy to come to your Garden Party on Thursday 10th. which is one of my chief pleasures of the Season’.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border (her mother had died the previous December). In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of paper to which the item was glued still adhering to reverse of second leaf. Having been informed by her sister ‘Miss Kingsley’ (her elder sister Rose) that Combe is ‘kind enough to wish for my autograph’, she has ‘much pleasure in sending it you - but I wish my pen was a better one, more befitting this serious occasion!’

172pp., 8vo, rebound in modern grey boards and eps, substantially unopened, small closed tear on original endpaper, long tears pp.9-10 and 103-4 repaired (page obviously turned too vigorously not taking unopenedness into account), p.172 (the last) and adjacent ep sl. marked, text ow clear and good. Very scarce. Copies apparently held by the BL, National Trust Libraries, and four world libraries incl. University College, Dublin. The author also published Thoughts on the Moral Order of Nature and The fairies, and other poems, and others.

1p, 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely written text. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down on a leaf from an album. The recipient is not named, but is addressed as 'Monsieur le Comte'. The letter concerns the count's 'ami et protégé' 'M. Leharivel' [author of 'Grammaire Francaise Pasigraphique, Simplifiee Et Regularisee, Pour Servir de Base Fondamentale; Et Anecdotes, Et Contes Historiques (1839) ].

LETTER: 3pp, 4to. Bifolium addressed on reverse of second leaf, with Saint Quentin postmark, 'A Monsieur | Monsieur Mathias | pour inspecteur des Douanes.' in good condition, neatly written, with repair to corner cut off in breaking of the wafer, and with stub from mount adhering. 43 lines of closely-written text. A warm letter of good length, addressed to 'mon cher Camarade'. The handwriting is difficult.

Piece of paper, 7 x 2cm, good clear signature. See image.

Small piece of paper, 6.5 x 1.5cm, good condition, clipped from something (perhaps the end of a letter) with a clear signature.

One page, 8vo, prominent fold mark but ow good. Would you mind giving me some details about Captain Christmas' work. I think it would be better for me to be able to speak of it with more knowledge than I have at present, when I mention it to my niece. I was so glad to see you again & to meet your son, covered with glory! - How nice for you! Note: Presumably referring to the Danish author : Walter Christmas (born Walter Christmas-Dirckinck-Holmfeld) [...] Danish author who is best known for his children's books.

Paper, 20 x 11.5cm, punch-hole (one only, the other having been cut off (as stated above) - perhaps filed formerly). Text: My name may perhaps be known to you as that of a well-known Scottish poet and essayist, author of a number of books on Scottish literary, historical, sociological, economic and political matters. I enclose a leaflet giving some information about my work. | I will be glad to write and submit an article along the above lines immediiately if I hear from you that you are willing to consider this.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The item is a nice association between Austin and his birthplace. An 8 x 13.5 cm post card, printed on both sides. In fair condition, aged, with central vertical fold. The form is a request for a ticket to the degree ceremony, but Austin has altered the text in autograph to read: 'I shall be glad [if you will kindly admit the bearer of this] ticket [to] the Degree Ceremony, at the Town Hall, Leeds, on Thursday, October 6th, 1904.' He signs 'Alfred Austin' at bottom right, underlined with two short lines.