SINGER

On 9 x 13.5 cm newspaper cutting of photographic portrait of Jarred. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: ‘Mary Jarred / 1935.’ The photograph shows Jarred posing in a black dress and pearls, with left hand arranging her white fur coat to tastefully emphasize her bust. See image.

On 17.5 x 11.5 cm leaf of pink paper, with rounded edges, removed from autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged. Written in a large, expansive hand, diagonally and upwards. Reads: ‘With all / good wishes / Oda Slobodskaya’. See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Even towards the end of his life Bernard Shaw could remark that ‘he can still leave the next best tenor in England an immeasurable distance behind’. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount to inner margin. Folded once. Very nice embossed letterhead, printed in gold, brown, green and red, with bird perched on top of a treble clef, entwined with foliage and a twisted branch in the shape of the ‘R’ of ‘Reeves’. Reads: ‘Sir / This autograph with pleasure, according to your request / Yours faithfully / June 1872 / J. Sims Reeves’.

For Diaghilev Slobodskaya starred in the 1922 Paris premiere of Stravinsky's opera Mavra, and she toured Europe as principal soprano with Chaliapin’s company. For her serious operatic work she retained her real name, but she used the stage name ‘Odali Careno’ when performing in vaudeville and light entertainment. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Dated in another hand at foot: ‘24-6-30’ (the period of her appearance in a London Palladium production).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On strip of paper, roughly 10 x 3.5 cm, cut into an irregular rectangular shape. On one side is the valediction: ‘Yours very sincerely / Harry Plunket Greene’. On the other a fragment of three lines of the letter: ‘[...] I hope no [...] / started that things [...] / go on well. I am part[...]’. See image.

On 11 x 17.5 piece of shiny art paper, cut from a programme. The signature ?Paul Robeson? is written across Robeson?s front, beneath his smiling face in a black and white photograph. Beneath the photograph is the caption: ? ?A voice like his is worth waiting ten years to hear, and an art like his comes once in a generation.? / THE TORONTO EVENING TELEGRAM?. On the reverse are part of the lyrics from two songs, the second being ?Short?nin? bread?.

2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. Folded once. The first page is scored through in ink, with pencil annotations at head. The final page, with Saléza’s signature, is unmarked. He asks him for as many seats as possible for that evening. He would like ‘une bonne loge, deux Stalls et plusieurs petites places’. He will pass by the office to collection, and asks for them to be left in his name.

1p, 12mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, with two pencil notes at head, one in orange. Folded twice. He hopes he is not abusing the kindness of 'Monsieur Menager' (i.e. the house manager) by asking for two seats, for his wife and her friend, as they would like to go to the opera that night. After terminating the letter in the customary Gallic fashion, he adds a postscript asking for the reply to be left with the porter.

Clearly given in response to an autograph collector, and written for display on front panel of envelope. Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 cm. In good condition, lightly aged. Horizontal crease along bottom not affecting signature, which reads ‘Emma Albani Gye | 1883.’ In 1883, after several years of enormous success in Europe, Albani returned to Canada to give a series of recitals. Thousands turned out to greet her arrival in Montreal.

At top right-hand corner of part of printed English libretto to Leoncavallo’s ‘Pagliacci’. Dimensions: 13.5 x 17.5 cm. Sloping upwards towards the corner, and underlined: ‘Luigi Montesanto | 1936’. On shiny art paper and in fair condition, lightly creased and a little dog-eared at the corner of the signature. The cutting is headed: ‘Prologue (Pagliacci) ... ... ... ... Leoncavallo | LUGI MONTESANTO | PROLOGUE’, with thirty-two lines of English translation.

Page, 20 x 15.5cm, extracted from Autograph Album, one rough edge (extraction process), very good condition. See image.

According to his entry in the Oxford DNB, 'In 1844 Lover abandoned miniature painting as a result of failing eyesight but continued to paint and exhibit landscapes. He invented a new form of entertainment which he called Irish Evenings, a monologue of songs, recitations, and stories, all of his own composition. These he performed at the Princess's Concert Rooms, London.' Between 1846 and 1848 he toured North America with great success. 3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded twice.

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with thin strip of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf, one corner of which has been slightly damaged by the opening of the wafer. Folded twice. The letter begins: 'Mme. Goldschmidt presents her best Compliments to Lady Cullum and begs to express her sincere thanks for the most beautiful flowers she received this morning from Lady Cullum and which certainly do “enliven” her drawing room at the Hotel'.

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. With embossed armorial letterhead. Good firm signature: 'Clara Novello.' An interesting letter, casting light on the practical arrangement of musical concerts in Victorian Britain and Ireland. The recipient is not named, and the letter begins: 'Dear Sir, | I have not heard from Mr. Bussell of your Concert, but on receipt of your favor of the 15th. consider myself engaged to Belfast for the 1st.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Aged and grubby; folded several times. Reads: 'I am sorry to say I do not know Mr Alexander or would have been very pleased to give your friend an introduction to him. | Hoping you are well – with kind regards. | Yours sincerely | Decima Moore'.

2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. She writes that she will be 'happy to sing the following songs on the 16th inst', and lists pieces by Meyerbeer, Linley and Mendelsohn, as well as 'Scotch song “Bonnie Dundee”'. In a postscript she writes: 'After tomorrow may I trouble you to address me at Dilstone [i.e. Dilston, Northumberland]'. Endorsed on second leaf: 'Sans date | Miss Charlotte H. Dolby | Will be happy to sing the within mentioned songs &c'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, folded twice. An elegantly-expressed sentiment: 'Mademoiselle, | Les malheureux sont mes Amis, et l'oeuvre à la quelle vous vous interressez à [sic] toutes mes sympathies; malheureusement je suis si peu de choses que je ne puis vous témoigner que mon bon vouloir a l'oeuvre à la quelle vous vous interressez [sic]si vivement.'

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with lightly-rusted indentation from a paperclip. She thanks him for the 'lovely form of intrusion your letter proved to be - as though you could ever intrude!' She wonders whether, if she had been 'a more patient patient' the 'second attack' might not have happened' (a heart attack had forced her to retire from the stage), 'but I was never one for sitting and doing nothing'. She is 'trying very hard now as I have learnt my lesson'. She has 'so many interests that retirement is beginning to become a pleasure, thank heavens'.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with small trace of glue from mount at foot. Folded twice. Reads: 'Dear Madam | I have much pleasure in complying with your request & beg to remain | Yours faithfully | Charlotte H Sainton Dolby'. See her entry in the Oxford DNB.

On one side of 9 x 14 cm leaf of cream paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Reads: "'Sincerely Yours' | Very Lynn". A good, firm underlined signature, in a large sloping hand, with the words 'Sincerely Yours' in single quotation marks.

First two letters 1p., 4to; third letter 2pp., 4to. All three signed 'John Cartier'. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. In the last letter he states that he has received the 'envelopes', and has 'distributed them round to various singers and musicians who will eventually, I am sure, be sending you a photograph with best wishes'. He apologises for being unable to invite him to visit: 'You see, this is a very tiny flat and, in fact, I am very seldom here for any length of time as my work means continual journeying from place to place for concerts and shows.

Mary Endicott Carnegie was the daughter of William Crowninshield Endicott (1826-1900), Secretary of War in Grover Cleveland's first administration. She married the British politician Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914) in 1888 and moved to England. After Chamberlain's death she married William Hartley Carnegie (1859-1936), Sub-Dean of Westminster Abbey and Chaplain to the House of Commons. She was painted by Sir J. E. Millais and John Singer Sargent.

10 x 11.5 cm. In good condition, lightly aged. Christmas card with original engraving, signed in pencil, on cover. Addressed to the recipient 'and Colin', the message reads: 'Viele liee Grüsse von Deine Aulikki'.

14 x 11.5 cm Christmas card, with illustration of cherubs singing and message in German on cover. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The message, written in red ink, reads: 'Love and all best wishes for Christmas and New Year, your| Ljuba and Karl' Eleven-word postscript in German, signed 'Ljuba'. Regarding 'Karl', see Welitsch's obituary in the New York Times (6 September 1996): 'In 1956, when she was 43, Miss Welitsch caused a stir in Vienna when she married Karl Schmalvogel, a 29-year-old traffic policeman who had assisted her after an accident a year earlier.

In blue ink on one side of 10.5 x 14 cm. leaf torn from autograph album. Good bold signature. Reads: 'With best wishes | to you | & thanks | Paul Robeson | Mar 16/60'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight traces of mount adhering at head of reverse of leaf. 40 lines of text. The letter concerns a singing instructor named 'Mr. Arnold' who has offered to teach Mrs Ruskin or a member of her family 'at half fees'. Having been asked his advice Henderson begins: 'It is extremely difficult to give an opinion about the right kind of training required. The Bel Canto singing from the point of voice production is undoubtedly the very best. It means smooth even singing.

Printed in black ink on both sides of a 13.5 x 8.5 cm postcard. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Inscription reads: 'To F J Watt. | With best wishes | Tomasini | Feb 29/37'. The inscription is written on the photographic portrait of 'ALFREDO TOMASINI' (head and shoulders shot in suit and tie, looking dreamily upwards), which is captioned: '(Canadian baritone,) for the past nine years has been singing leading roles in the principal Opera Houses of Italy; Covent Garden, London; State Opera Houses of Finland, Latvia, and Estonia; and the Royal Opera House, Malta.

1p., 12mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper. She thanks him for his note and states that her 'terms will be ten guineas, and I shall be very happy to introduce Miss Gabriel's songs &c &c'.

14 x 9 cm black and white postcard. In good condition, lightly aged.. A head and shoulders image, with Turner's face looking to the left, looking downwards, hands clasped under her chin. Inscribed at foot: 'To Mr A Watt | Best Wishes | Eva Turner'.

The note and memo are on a 12mo bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. The letter is signed 'A. J. Hall' and addressed to 'My dear Doctor'. He explains that he would gladly visit him, 'if at liberty', but that he is 'at Wolverhampton that night with Madame Albani'. The biographical note, presumably in Stewart's autograph, is on the reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium, beneath the following, in red ink: 'Memo. by Dr. James Stewart ("Sheamus Rua") Hon. Secy.