POTTERIES

Two nice pieces of Potteries ephemera. No other copies have been traced. ONE: Booklet. In fair condition, on aged paper, in lightly worn and creased wraps. 36pp, 12mo, stitched into red wraps with title repeated on cover in black. Slips with printed emendations have been laid down over text on pp.8, 9 and 32 (the last slip, carrying rule 84, ‘Hours for Consumption’, is amended in manuscript). Eighty-four rules on the first 32pp, with fifteen bye-laws on pp.33-34. TWO: ‘MEMBERS TICKET, 1929.’ A nice item on card, roughly 7 x 9 cm, with central horizontal crease folding it down to 4 1/2 x 7 cm.

In 1907 the ‘Builder’ describes ‘Mr. W. F. Slater, Overhouse-chambers, Burslem’ as a ‘Surveyor’, and in 1909 the ‘Electrical Review’ refers to him as an ‘architect’ at the same address. Five years later ‘Building News’ reports that Slater is ‘architect to the education committee’. In 1921 (‘The Surveyor’) he is the ‘surveyor, Urban Council Offices, Wolstanton, Staffs’, and in 1926 (‘Public Works Weekly Surveyor’) he is ‘architect to the corporation’.

One page, 12mo, remnants of laying down in album on reverse, actual letter in good condition. I received yours enclosing an Envalope [sic] of Postage stamps, I have looked over all my Papers & old Letters & have been fortunate in finding a Letter written by Mr Wedgwood to Mr. Cox, which you Please accept, part of the Autograph is illegible.

S1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount on reverse. Addressed to 'Frederick I. Cowles, Esq., F.R.S.L., F.R.S.A., F.S.A.' Reads: 'Dear Sir, | In reply to your letter, I should have liked to oblige you but it is impossible for me to do so. The matter would require much more time than I have to spare.'

iii + 66pp., 4to. Duplicated typescript in printed card covers, with green tape spine. Internally in fair condition, slightly dogeared, in worn covers. Stamps of the London Borough of Southwark Reference Library. As Emery explains in the preface, the first bibliography of Bennett's works, produced to coincide with the centenary of his birth. Divided into 25 sections including 'Film Scenarios', 'Operas', 'Poems' and 'Bookseller's Catalogues', and ending with its own bibliography. An uncommon item.

The register proper consists of 50pp., foolscap 8vo, with ten births described over each of the 25 openings (total 250). It is preceded by a page carrying Johnson's details (her address is given as 9 Ashlands Crescent, Harpfield, Stoke-on-Trent, and her certificate number is 106889), facing the reverse of the front wrap, which carries a notice headed 'On no account must this Register be destroyed. It may be of importance for the defence of the Midwife herself.' In buff wraps, with 'Central Midwives Board. | Register of Cases' and the printing details on the front.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of glue from mount. It would give her 'very much pleasure' to accept the invitation 'to join you & other dear workers in the Temperance Work you are planning for April, but I am sorry to say at present I am quite liad aside from all work'. She describes how she has been ill since the previous October.

Freeman's letter is on the last of five folio pages, each on a separate leaf, sent to him by Simms, giving, for correction, the proposed entry on Freeman in the future 'Bibliotheca Staffordiensis'. In fair condition, on aged paper. On the first page Simms has given a brief biographical description of Freeman; the middle three pages comprise a numbered list of twenty-three of Freeman's books, with dates, and the last page carries a rather optimistic request by Simms for information regarding 'Contribution to Periodicals, Magazines, &c. Giving Number a year of Serial - Pages occuppied - &c'.

Programme: 12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Printed in green on orange paper. Text clear and complete. On lightly-aged paper with slight wear to extremities. Dargavel's signature is in pencil in the top left-hand corner of the second page: 'Best Wishes, | Bruce Dargavel'.

On one side of piece of laid paper, roughly 48 x 59 cm, watermarked 'J A | 1840'. Clear, complete and neatly written. Text in italic and headings in gothic script. Good, on aged paper, unobtrusively repaired on reverse with archival tape. Eighteen numbered tolls and duties are described, with their costs, in the following four subsections: 'Tolls for Cattle', 'Tolls for Goods &c exposed for sale in cases where Stalls are not used', 'Tolls and stallage Duties upon Butchers' and 'Other Tolls and Stallage Duties on Goods exposed to sale upon Stalls | either opened or covered'.

4to, 1 p. Four lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight staining from paperclip in top left-hand corner. He thanks him for his 'very interesting letter': 'The photograph shows an agreeable, and perhaps distinguished building. I return the picture thereof, and wish you every success therein.'

A collection of twenty-two items, with one printed envelope, all in good condition, and relating to a complex order to one of the United Kingdom's best-known business concerns. Interesting for the light it casts on the best business practice in the British building industry of the 1930s. Includes typed two-page foolscap estimate, dated 1 November 1930, initialed and on the firm's letterhead, addressed to H. V.

Chairman of the famous pottery firm Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, Ltd (1867-1930), and High Sheriff of Staffordshire. All items are very good, if somewhat grubby. The typed letters are one page, quarto and the autograph, one page, octavo. All are signed 'Frank H Wedgwood', and most are stamped and docketed. One letter from 1918, two from 1919, one from 1924, five from 1925 and two from 1926. Mostly brief.

Managing Director of the famous pottery business ('saviour of the firm') and the fifth in the family to bear the name (1899-1968), Member of Parliament. All six items in good condition, though grubby, and with the first three bearing pin holes in one corner (not affecting text), the hole in the first letter being decidedly marked. All but one item docketed and stamped. Letters one, two, three and six are one page, quarto; letter four, two pages, 12mo; letter five, one page, 12mo; letter six, one page, quarto. All but the third item, which is signed 'Wedgwood', are signed 'Josiah Wedgwood'.

Four manuscript leaves ranging from 16mo to 4to, with covering typewritten letter, the whole held together by a pin. Somewhat discoloured, but in good condition overall. The letter, in purple ink on Lintine & Co.'s florid black-and-white letterhead, is dated 1 January 1903 and addressed to Messrs Challoner & Shaw, Solicitors, Leek. No more than a note, it requests a list of the creditors to Birch's estate. With the cyclostyled signature of 'David F. Lintine'. The other, manuscript, papers are all clearly from the Challoner archive.