LIVERPOOL

Hale is best-remembered for singing ‘Spread a Little Happiness’ in the musical ‘Mr. Cinders’ (1929), and for strarring in ‘No, No, Nanette’ (1925). 9 x 13 cm postcard, printed in light-brownish grey. In good condition. Nice signature ‘Binnie Hale’ running diagonally across lower right-hand corner. She looks wistfully at the camera, with a Marcel wave and pursed made-up lips. Not among the 32 images of Hale list on the National Portrait Gallery website. Scan on application.

A scarce and interesting piece of Queen Mary ephemera. No other copy traced. 13 x 16 cm bifolium card. In fair condition, lighly aged and worn. Printed on the front cover in metallic grey and bronze is an image captioned on the back cover: 'One of the three large mural carvings by John Skeaping, Starboard Gallery, Promenade Deck, R.M.S. Queen Mary.' On reverse of cover: 'KOCKTAILS / AND / KISSES / With HARRY HAYES / To-day's great thought: / Are You happy in your work?' On recto of second leaf: 'Amongst the Guests: / Bill Bailey and Liverpool Staff / Dr.

1p, foolscap 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Addressed to ‘Dear Paul Furness’ and signed ‘Roger McGough’. On the subject of Furness’s ‘fascinating pub study’, he names ‘the ones I was associated with during those poetry-reading days’: ‘O’Connors Tavern in Hardman Street (Liverpool all), The Philharmonic (corner of Hope St. & Hardman Street), The Grapes, Pilgrim Street’. In addition there were ‘clubs which we took over on quiet nights i.e. Monday at Chauffeurs Club, Hope Street’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, foolscap 8vo. Forty-three lines. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded for postage. Signed in red ink ‘Adrian Mitchell’, and with red ink underlining and one manuscript addition. Addressed to ‘Mr Furness’ (One of a number of letters from British poets in response to enquiries from Paul Furness with regard to their pub memories.) Begins: ‘Pub I think of with the Merseylads is the Phil.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium with thin mourning border. In poor condition, aged, worn and discoloured, with chipping and closed tears, but text clear and complete. The recipient (‘My dear Friend’) is not named. The letter’s valediction reads: ‘Your’s my dear Brother / most affy. / Hugh McNeile’. (Whether or not McNeile’s actual brother is unclear.) He explains that the bearer of the letter, ‘Monsr. Rossellot’, is ‘the Pastor of a Protestant Church in Orleans’, and that there is ‘at Orleans a female Orphan Asylum, on behalf of which he is going to England’.

This forgotten case of identity fraud predates the celebrated Titchborne case by more than a decade.

Tarleton has become a quasi-mythical figure in the early history of the United States, his actions misrepresented and his character traduced. See his entry in the Oxford DNB, and the magnificent portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, in the National Portrait Gallery, London. The present item is 1p, landscape 12mo, on one side of an 18 x 10.5 cm piece of gilt-edged watermarked laid paper. In fair condition, aged, worn and lightly creased, with central horizontal and vertical folds, and evidence of mount on the blank reverse.

1p, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse. Folded once.. A neatly-written letter of fourteen lines. The recipient is not named, but is Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool (1729-1808), whose country seat was Addiscombe Park in Surrey. Mansfield served in the First Pitt Ministry with Liverpool (then Lord Hawkesbury), the former as Lord President of the Council, and the latter as President of the Board of Trade.

An interesting letter, attacking the serving Tory Prime Minister Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (1770-1828), who had stood against the Duke of Sussex (noted for his liberal sympathies) in the election for President of the Royal Society of Arts. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. The recipient is not named, but is identified in an endorsement on the reverse of the second leaf as 'Earl St Vincent'. Written in a hurried, untidy hand.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Beecham’s signature (‘Thomas Beecham’) on an otherwise-blank 12.5 x 5.5 cm piece of paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of mount adhering to the reverse. The signature, which has no flourish, is tighter than usual, and rising slightly. See Image.

Dodd’s entry in the Oxford DNB by Michael Billington concludes with the assessment that he was ‘the greatest theatrical comic of his age and the last link with the hallowed days of music hall’. The two items are in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: TLS, 9 October 1957. 1p, 4to. Good large signature ‘Ken Dodd’. The male recipient is not named. He apologises for the late reply to the recipient’s letter. ‘May I also thank you for the compliments paid to my performance on Television. / I am a Liverpudlian, residing in Knotty Ash Liverpool.

The founder of the greatest of London’s ‘Great Estates’. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In good condition, on light-grey paper, with thin neat strip of windowpane mount adhering to edges. Folded three times for postage. Good firm signature ‘Westminster’, and with the name of the recipient neatly cut away: ‘Major <...> / 1st Lancashire Eng[ee]r. Vol[un]t[ee]rs.

Two-sided leaflet, edges have been in the Wars, fold marks (quartering), with 2 small holes with no loss of text. See image of recto. See descriptions by my colleagues on abebooks for comment on its status as a first edition, scarcity, etc. WITH: Another two-page leaflet, but 8vo, City of Liverpool | INVASION EXERCISES | Advice to the Public [...] W.H. Baines. Good condition. See image of verso.

1p, 12mo. On recto of first leaf of bifolium of pink patterned paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. The sonnet, which does not appear to have been published, begins: ‘Midst the young eyes that on this book shall shine / Kindling with genius or with feeling bright, / Lit up with all youth’s visions of delight, / There yet shall gage no dearer ones than thine!’ Signed at end ‘J E R.’ See image.

Four pages, 4to, fold marks, good condition, closely written, pages joined at top. He thanks Davis for writing at such length. But as you still attribute to me ideas wh[ich] I repudiate, you must put up with a rejoinder.

NOTE 1: One page, 12mo, very good condition. Mr. James L. Bowes presents his compliments to the Editor of The Academy and has pleasure in forwarding for his acceptance copy of his new work on the Art of Japan entitled 'Japanese Pottery' and he ventures to draw attention to the Notes with which the volume concludes. Letter 2: Mr. Bowes presents his Compliments to the Editor of The Academy and begs to say that he has sent a Copy of his Monograph on Japanese Enamels entitled 'Notes on Shippo' for review in the Columns of his journal.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged. A daughter from Lady Derby's first marriage was married to the Earl of Galloway, from whose seat Derby writes. Addressed to 'G. [sic] Norbury. Esq.' Having received the letter of the unnamed male recipient, he feels he 'must decline to give my name as patron of the now proposed society of water colour painters in Liverpool: not because I do not approve of the formation of such a society, but because your invitation to join it is the first intimation I have received of any such project being in contemplation'.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of yellow paper mount adhering to the blank reverse. Reads: 'Mr & Mrs. Bohn present their compliments to the Mayor of Liverpool and Mrs. Hubback, and have much pleasure in accepting their polite invitation for the 15th. proxo.'

On 12.5 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, trimmed at edges, laid down on part of leaf from album. In fair condition, aged and worn, with central spike hole (made by the chemist?). Six-line prescription in the usual medical Latin, ending: 'J C | Mr Carpenter | 24 Sepr. 1804'. At foot of page, in a contemporary hand, 'Dr J Currie author of Life of Burns'.

2pp, 4to. On two letterhead leaves with border in blue. The following endorsement printed at the foot of each leaf: 'ANNA PAVLOVA wrote after visiting the School: "It is with pleasure that I record the very good impression made on me both by the School and your method of training. I wish you the fullest success which I think your School deserves"'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice. The letter begins: 'My dear Lloyds, | However I may grieve at any misunderstanding between you and James - I cannot interfere.

3pp, 4to. Bifolium. On wove paper with Whatman watermark dated 1820. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight loss of paper at one corner of second leaf, resulting in loss of one word of text. Folded twice. From the papers of William Jerdan, editor of the Literary Gazette, who published the poem with one other ('In the Ivy'), in the edition of 23 June 1821, giving the identity of the author given in a footnote: 'We have to thank the elegant pen of MRS. HEMANS, for these two exquisite poems. Ed.' Heman's manuscript is endorsed by Jerdan: 'Poetry origl | 231 | W J | Mrs. Hemans'.

See the appreciative entry on Buckstone by Donald Roy in the Dictionary of National Biography. Interesting and informative letters, shedding vivid light on the day-to-day workings of early-Victorian theatre, written by a leading London actor-manager and dramatist and sent to a provincial actor-manager, regarding the arrangement of engagements, benefits, and plays. Of particular interest is the fourth letter, which refers to Mrs Fitzwilliam [Fanny [Frances Elizabeth] Fitzwilliam, née Copeland] (1801-1854), with whom Buckstone toured New Orleans and the South, c. 1840-1841. Five items.

For information regarding the conspiracy to murder Lord Liverpool and his entire cabinet, see Thistlewood's entry in the Oxford DNB. A rare item, with no other copy found either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC, and intended for distribution in the streets of the North-East of England as the sensational news of the Conspiracy broke. In small print apart from the heading (which is in the usual mixture for the period of typefaces and point sizes, with fancy rules), on one side of a 42 x 13 cm strip of laid paper.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium, endorsed 'Clarke' on reverse of second leaf. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. The letter begins: 'My dear Webster, | Charles Kean has requested me to give him information respecting Theatres in England, in which it is probable he may form engagements on his return from America, as he wishes his plans to be arranged if possible previous to his departure from the United States, so as he may see his way clearly on his arrival in England.' He asks whether it would answer Webster's purpose 'to make any proposal to him'.

1p, 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, and folded several times. The main text reads: 'Gentn | By inserting the following correct [last word underlined] Statement of Benefits at the Liverpool Theatre (this season) in your next Mirror you'll particularly oblige your most obt. Servt. | Edwd. Murray'. Beneath this is a list of the names of 15 individuals, with the amount of money made by each one's benefit, coming to a total of £2665. The list begins with 'Miss Murray £263' and ends with 'Mr Simmons 101'. The penultimate entry is for 'Mr Wild (Prompter) 103'.

For information on the recipient the physician William Frederick Cleveland (1823-1898), see his obituary, BMJ, 3 December 1898. The letter concerns the twenty-seventh annual meeting of the British Medical. Association, held at Liverpool, 27 to 29 July 1859.. 2pp, 12mo. Lightly aged and worn, with small square of paper cut from head, slightly affecting the address, and thin strip of paper from mount adhering to the reverse. The letter begins: 'Dear Sir, | The balloting list is of no use excepting to those who attend the Genl Meeting at Liverpool'.

Letter, 2pp., 12mo, some aging and a fold mark, but mainly good; Typescript, 6pp., 4to, fold mark, good condition. In the letter she writes, in a hurried difficult hand, that she has made a "few corrections" and thinks the author/interviewer has done her best to give interest with sparse material. She concludes "Don't let them cut out the bit about the Local Gov. [Franchises?]" which she thinks the most "new & interesting".

56pp., 12mo. Disbound pamphlet without wraps. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. A series of seventeen letters, written from Jerusalem in 1865. The author was the daughter of Owen Jones, and these letters are edited with a preface by Owen Jones. The book went to at least seven editions. No copy of this first edition at the National Library of Wales, and no other copy on COPAC either. Now scarce.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He very much regrets that his 'occupation and residence for 1/3rd of the year in the S[outh]. of France render it almost impossible for me to be of use in the way you propose to the L[iver]pool. Arch[itectura]l. Society: for your Session commencing just at the time, when I ought to set out for the Continent.' He will do his best to delay his departure for that year, 'so as to enable me to comply with your request, if you can manage to give me the first week in October'.