PRESERVATION

Two printed items, both in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: 'London County Council. Order of Proceedings on the occasion of the opening by His Majesty the King, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, of Ken Wood, at 3.30 p.m., On Saturday, 18th July, 1925.' Signed in type at end by Clerk of the Council 'Montagu. H. Cox', at 'The County Hall, | Westminster Bridge, S.E.1. | 18th July, 1925.' 7 + [2]pp, 12mo. Stitched pamphlet with one loose leaf. The text begins: 'His Majesty, accompanied by Her Majesty, will leave Buckingham Palace attended by members of the household-in-waiting.

2pp., landscape 12mo. 28 lines of text. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with slight damage to one corner. Addressed to 'Dear Professor Chorley', the letter begins: 'I do feel we owe you a very great deal for coming on Saturday. Every body seemed pleased with the meeting and that was mainly due to the chief speaker. They liked what you said and who said it.' Considering the demands on Chorley's time, she is grateful to him for not cancelling the engagement, and for the fact that he did not 'pour coals of fire' on her head for the 'silly mistake about the train'.

As Chorley is described in his entry in the Oxford DNB as a 'conservationist' with a 'deep attachment to and lifelong concern for the English countryside', it is a surprise that no mention is made of the matter to which this collection relates, which created some public interest at the time and involved a landmark legal action. The first item in this collection - a copy of typed letter from Chorley to the Clerk to the Hendon Rural District Council on 24 October 1932 - sets the scene neatly.

12mo, 28 pp, paginated [225]-252. Disbound. Text clear and complete. On lightly-aged paper, with some leaves detached. Title page reads: 'An Address to the Guardian Society. London. 1817. No. XXI. Pam. Vol. XI. P'. The following gives an impression of the sceptical tone in which this pamphlet is written. 'Your Society is declared to be, "for the preservation of public morals," a most praise-worthy and highly commendable institution. But how do you propose to preserve the public morals?

The collection is in very good condition, on slightly aged and dusty paper. Several items bear the Society's stamp. An interesting and significant correspondence. The letters, in a variety of formats from 12mo to foolscap, are often long, and are written in an informal tone. Indicating Baines's deep involvement in the Society's affairs, they most significantly concern an appeal, organised by Baines on behalf of the Society, 'for the preservation of the cottage architecture of Great Britain', with the backing and involvement of Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.

The collection is in good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. The fourteen typed letters are all 4to, 1 p; the autograph letters are all 12mo, three of them of two pages and three of one page. Largely concerned with a lecture given by Chubb to the R.S.A. in 1916 on 'the Preservation of Footpaths & Rights of Way', for which Chubb requests '1,000 or 1,250 cards of admission'. The subject, Chubb comments (21 July 1915), 'seems in itself sufficiently important and interesting to warrant special treatment, and in lecturing I mostly keep footpaths & commons quite separate.

All items very good. A couple with slight staining at head from paperclip. Letter One (to 'The Secretary', 4to, 1 p, 5 lines): Apologising for delay in acknowledging the 'letter and enclosures of 31st ultimo': 'my office was only opened on Wednesday last and I have had much correspondence with which to deal'. Letter Two (to Luckhurst, 4to, 1 p, 18 lines): Concerning 'a booklet on the layout and design of small houses' which the C.P.R.E. 'is hoping to publish this spring'.