SONG

Novello’s three decades of unprecedented success began with the First World War song ‘Keep the home fires burning’. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 8.5 x 13.5 cm publicity photograph on postcard, printed in sepia. In good condition, with tiny dink at top left. Captioned at foot ‘MR. IVOR NOVELLO’. Prim-looking with side-parting in white shirt, tie, and dark double breasted suit, the darkness of which makes the signature ‘Ivor Novello’ rather difficult to make out. Scan on application

The second of these ballads, 'Silver Threads Among the Gold', by the American Eben Eugene Rextord (1848-1916), was immensely popular on its release in 1873 with music by Hart Peas Danks (1834-1903). The earliest reference to the first ballad, 'Could you lend my mother a saucepan?' is in an 1885 number of 'All the Year Round'. The song is an absolute hoot, but its text is not to be found anywhere on the internet.

See his entry and Chantrey's in the Oxford DNB. On one side of a trimmed-down piece of paper, roughly 11 cm square. Discoloured, and with damage to the corners (affecting one word at top right) from removal from mount. With postage folds, and evidence on otherwise-blank reverse that Cunningham was re-using an envelope: part of address in another hand to 'Mrs Pa[...]'. Reads: 'Mr. Allan Cunninghams respects to Mr. Tindal and begs to inform him that Sir Francis Chantrey is at Holkham at present and will not likely be back till after Christmas: should he come sooner Mr A. C.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Signed ‘H. P. Greene’. Truly atrocious handwriting. Apparently addressed to ‘Dear Miss Salt’, and beginning: ‘I’ll be proud.’ He gives a date which will ‘suit me best’, and asks to be informed ‘if there is anything special [?] like [?]’.

See Cunningham’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Neatly written out in his distinctive hand. The present holograph gives the words to one of his most popular songs (an American version substitutes ‘Columbia’ for ‘Old England’). It was first published in the London Magazine in August 1822, and by 1834 was well-enough known to be discussed - and dismissed as ‘Puling nonsense’ - in ‘Sailors and Saints, by the Author of the Naval Sketch Book [i.e. William Nugent Glascock]’ (1834). 1p, 4to, on gilt-edged leaf of wove paper extracted from an album.

See her entry and the recipient's in the Oxford DNB. The two items are in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The letter is lightly creased and the card has a central vertical fold. ONE: ALS. 1p, 12mp. Signed ‘Marjory Kennedy-Fraser’. Once the recipient has ‘got what you want out of the Vol III herewith’, she asks her to ‘kindly return it to Mrs. Matthay at 96, Wimpole St’. TWO: ACS.

The plaque referred is ‘attached to the rock face fronting Regent Road immediately to the east of the steps leading from the end of Waterloo Place to Calton Hill’, and was unveiled in 1894. The entry with Canmore ID 302221 gives some detail, but has no mention of the present appeal. 1p, 4to. On recto of first leaf of bifolium of laid paper. Discoloured and worn, but with text intact and clear. The authors are named as: ‘DAVID PRYDE, M.A., LL.D., / President of the Edinburgh Burns’ Club. / JAMES CRICHTON, Hon. Secy. / JOHN WALKER, Acting.

On 11 x 14.5 piece of paper, cut for an autograph collector from the conclusion of a letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with light patches of discoloration and a couple of pin holes; laid down on piece of cream paper from album. One fold line. Reads: ‘[...] I will be very pleased to look through it and if it suits me to sing it. / With kind regards to all / Believe me to remain / Yours faithfully / Mary Davies’.

3pp., foolscap 8vo. On a bifolium of laid paper. In fair condition, aged and worn. The first poem, 'Balooning [sic]', covers both sides of the first leaf. No evidence has been discovered that this poem was ever published, but it is inspired by the exploits of 'Mr. Green' in a humorous essay titled 'Ballooning', which appeared in Charles Dickens's 'Household Words' on 25 October 1851. The choice of two phrases ('pipes & backy' and 'Mounted Meershaums') is given in the present manuscript, these variants perhaps suggesting that this item is authorial rather than a transcription.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. Aged and creased, with chipping and closed tears to edges. Engraved title-page states that the work is 'Copyright 2/- net | No. 1 Low Voice | No. 2 Medium Voice'. Inscribed at top left-hand corner of title-page: 'To my friend Sir Courtenay Mansel with kindest regards from | Julius Harrison | Oct. 26th. 1920'. Moore's poem is printed on the reverse of the first leaf, and facing it, on the recto of the second leaf, is the score. On the reverse of the second leaf is a 'Revised List' of 'The Enoch Art Song Library', with the date of issue ('June, 1920.') at bottom left.

On one side of a 6 x 11.5 cm slip of grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with small strip of glue staining along right-hand edge. Reads: 'A mile of daughters - | Family of Furlongs having 8 girls | 8 furlongs = 1 mile. - | T. Hood.' A joke on the surname of the person who requested Hood's autograph, as explained in Walter Jerrold's 'Thomas Hood, his Life and Times' (1907), which states that in 1838 Hood wrote to his friend Wright: '[…] only think of a mile of daughters! There is a family of Furlongs coming to live here, whereof eight are daughters – 8 furlongs = 1 mile.'

Script, titlepage plus 6pp., folio, folded, very good condition. Converstaional interchange between "Announcer" and Herman Finck with background (and foreground) of Finck's songs, starting with "In the Shadows" and with Finck giving the history of the song. Finck "asks" John Rorke to sing 'The Constant Lover@ and teslls a story about the revue, Then comes Rorke singing "Gilbert the Filbert" with Finck narrative, followed by anecdote about soldiers singing one of his songs. Betty Huntley-Wright then sings "To Make a Man of you".

2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. He writes that he is sorry that he could not sing the song 'Nancy's Hair' at Preston. He had not brought it: '(I only got your letter on arrival at the concert hall.) Funnily enough I picked it up before leaving home to put in my case as a possible encore & then put it back.' He is 'delighted to know that your mother liked my singing of it, I most certainly enjoy singing it & I hope to be able to help it along'.

Both items printed on pink paper, with similar cover designs by Arnold Riches. Both in fair condition, aged and worn. The song sheet is a bifolium, 4pp, 4to, It dates from before 1939, when, following Ridgeway's death, the Player's Theatre moved to the Arts Theatre from King Street. The front page advertises performances 'Every Night (Except Sundays)', with 'THE ARTISTES' listed over twelve lines, and including 'Alec (Laneworthy-Figg) Clunes', Peter Ustinov, Bernard Miles and 'Leonard Sachs (Chairman)'.

Handbill, one page, crudely coloured border with images of a black troubadour with banjo[?] , a native American, and a trapper [?], 26 x 17cm, three stanzas each eight lines plus chorus, edges chipped, laid down on a larger page. Commences, "Oh! listen a while., a story I will tell; | It will please you to death, I know berry well [...]" Decorative border signed "E A Sparks" ("Printed within colored pictorial border (De Marsan trapper border J, in Wolf, E. Amer. song sheets)." One copy of this imprint listed by WorldCat, two of another imprint (later).

8pp., 12mo. On four bifoliums, placed inside one another to make a booklet. Each bifolium with embossed [West Point?] letterhead of a letter 'W' within a shield. A fair copy, with the title reading: 'Benny Havens, Oh! | as sung | by the | U.S. Corps Cadets - | 1864.' The twenty-two line introduction covers the whole of the second page.

The text area is about 13.5 x 30 cm, on the top half of a slip of paper around twice as long. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The lower half of the slip is blank apart from the pagination 196. Headed 'EPILOGUE | COWKEEPER'S TUNE', and beginning 'Unless your window is fitted with very strong iron bars and, just to make sure, your window locks, | Do not attempt to keep a Dexter cow in your window box.' Signed in type at end 'M.

Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 230 x 90 mm. On pitted, aged paper. Text complete. Approximate 30 x 50 mm piece torn away from top right-hand corner, causing loss to small illustration at head, which appears to be a crude woodcut of a woman lying in a coffin. The poem consists of thirty-six lines arranged in five stanzas. The first stanza reads 'Dear Peggy, read this letter, | its the last one I'll send, | Our long correspondence, | is now at an end.

On one side of a piece of thin wove paper, roughly 260 x 95 mm. Aged and creased, with internal 25 mm closed tear affecting four words of text (all of which can be completed from the context) repaired on blank reverse with archival tape. Otherwise text and illustration clear and entire. Small (30 x 40 mm) woodcut at head, showing two early nineteenth-century country coves outside a cottage. The poem consists of ten four-line stanzas.

Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 280 x 95 mm. Aged, creased and spotted, with chipping to extremities, but with text and illustration clear and entire. Curious small (roughly 40 x 65 mm) crude illustration at head, showing dove with olive branch and acorn. Forty-line poem arranged in five stanzas. Interestingly-garbled nineteenth-century folk song with ancient antecedents.

On leaf of light blue paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Very good.

Two pages, quarto. Very good, on lightly aged and creased paper. He is sorry that he has not been able to 'become personally acquainted with' Watts since coming to town, but will 'very soon make another attempt', hoping to find him at home.