TWENTIETH

Both items in fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with a little rust spotting from a paperclip. Macwhirter's letter is 2pp., landscape 8vo. The letterhead, featuring two engravings of coaches, is printed in blue, and boasts that Macwhirter is an 'Antiquarian and General Writer | Contributor since 1926 to leading journals', as well as 'Lecturer in New College, Edinburgh, to Scottish Church History Society, 1944 and 1952.' It also contains a three-line list of the journals he has contributed to.

The six items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The four photographs are all in black and white, and all around 12.5 x 9 cm. They show Brock swallowing and spinning swords, and balancing a microphone stand on his chin. The letter is dated 9 March 1969, and on his red and black letterhead ('New! Novel! Sensational! | Juggling Swords Balancing & Spinning Knives Illuminated Clubs'). It concerns the purchase of 'some old pro Photoes [sic] in JIMMY LYNTONS fit up article'. The pamphlet is a thin 12mo bifolium, with a drawing of Brock doing his act.

On 5 x 12.5 cm slip of good-quality laid paper. In good condition, lightly aged. In blue ink, and simply consisting of the christian name above the underlined surname: 'Maurice Chevalier'.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, aged and creased. The letterhead, in orange and blue, boasts that Franklin is 'The World's Worst Wizard', and is headed 'Too Tuubes [sic] | The original cod prestidigitateur with a new act which is packed with crazy comedy and clean fun'. He asks him to send 'Stevenson Toy Theatre Book', and asks if he has 'any books on Marionette & string Puppets'.

The collection is in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Two of Brock's three Typed Letters Signed are addressed to theatre bookseller Barry Duncan. In one of them, written on 18 March 1969, he writes: 'I have been knocking around for 60 years i think i have played every theatre of note and played with some of the best | but i am getting tired with this club stuff you play a diffrent club every night some time you double them in a night un [sic] packing and packing up. | so i am waiting for GALAS one show a day will do me'. The third letter is to 'Jimmy', i.e.

ONE: Letter: 1p., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. He asks Duncan to look out for books in a number of fields, beginning with ones 'on old-time stagecraft giving technical data & information on trick effects, transformation scenes, etc, with particular reference to pantomime'. TWO: Advertisement. Printed in black on one side of a 14 x 26.5 cm piece of blue card. Folded twice to make three 14 x 8.5 cm pages in concertina. In stamped postmarked envelope, with his device printed in red on cover, addressed to Duncan at the Thule Gallery, St Martin's Court.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with slight rusting at head from paperclip. He writes that there is 'no relationship between myself and any of the people you mention. I have no antecedents such as you suggest and I cannot recall having received a copy of your catalogue.' Turning to the character 'Horace' in his play 'Nothing Up My Sleeve' he writes: 'he's just a figment of my imagination and the whole play is just a piece of work without any intended resemblance to anyone, only types.' The carbon copy of Barry Duncan's letter is somewhat aged and worn around the edges.

ONE: Autograph family reminiscences by Rosa Mary George (née Grossmith). 19 pp., 12mo. Rough pencil notes, on ruled pages torn from a notebook. Seventeen pages on George Grossmith junior, with a page apiece on 'His Father' and 'His Uncle'. TWO: The two letters, totalling 9pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper.

ONE: Christmas card. 12mo bifolium, with coloured illustration of Christmas candle on cover. Pearson writes: 'FOR [corrected from 'from'] | Edward. A. Carrick | from his old inspirer | George Pearson | 1970'. The association between the two men was warm.

ONE: TNS. 1p., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged with nick to corner. Letterhead features two small cartoons: a caricature of himself and a lion. Covering letter sending 'herewith my autograph for your collection'. TWO: Signed black and white portrait photograph of Cole. 8 x 5.5 cm. In good condition. Signed at bottom right: 'Sincerely | Charles Cole | 1945'. Cole has rather disappeared under the radar.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. ONE: ALS. 1p., 4to. In stamped envelope addressed to Ducan in St Martin's Court, London. Begins: 'O, thank you for the beautiful print. I think it's really lovely - couldn't be more delighted.' She thanks him for 'the charming note', adding: 'If I'd known it helped I'd have smiled more often!' TWO: ACS. In red ink. Begins: 'How lovely - the programme. So pleased to have it'. She ends: 'Hope we manage as well as they did!'

1p., 4to. On shiny art paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with one dogeared corner. On letterhead which covers half of the page, with photograph of the pair, and text in red and black ('Presenting Comdey Cartoons and "Fashions from Rags" Dress Designing Extraordinary! Two or Three Entirely Different Comdey Spots if required introducing Monologues, Conjuring Numbers, etc. Evening Dress when required. | Special Clowning and Conjuring Act for the Children. | Road Show, Production, Panto, Variety or C.P.' The letter offers for sale 'a lot of old John Dick's "Penny" Plays'.

The collection consists of more than 2000 labels, laid down on 117pp of a substantial, heavy and thumb-indexed folio volume (38 X 27 X 7 cm), bound in brown cloth. The collection is in good condition, with the inevitable signs of age, in heavily aged and worn binding. Loosely inserted are seven pieces of card and one of paper, carrying around 50 more examples, and three more pieces of paper with sixteen examples of woven coloured ribbon, as well as three enlarged folded grid designs for the weaving of labels.

On 12.5 x 9 cm piece of cream paper. In good condition, with light signs of age. Boldly written and underlined, at the top of the page, reading 'Eric Linklater.' No other writing on either side of the leaf.

Both in good condition, on aged paper. ONE: 2pp., 4to. He reminds Macqueen-Pope that two years previously he was 'kind enough to receive me at your Office and, after a long and most interesting chat on things theatrical (over an hour, as I recall!) you wrote into my copies of your "Drury Lane" and "Carriages at Eleven" two very greatly appreciated inscriptions, by way of friendship'. He now has his 'delightful "Gaiety" and splendid 'Haymarket", and asks for 'another pow-wow' at 359 Strand.

108pp., 4to. On rectos only. In brown card covers. In fair condition, lightly aged, with bottom of front cover (probably pr`eviously carrying agent's details) cut away. 'RELUCTANT HEROES' is typed onto the cover, with 'by | Colin Morris' added in manuscript (probably by Morris himself). The play, Morris's most famous farce, was acted in London in 1950 (published version by the English Theatre Guild in the following year), and turned into a film, with a script by the playwright in 1951.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for his 'most generous & warming letter' about his 1927 comedy 'The Fanatics'. He has not answered sooner as he was 'suddenly caught up in some very hectic & engrossing rehearsals for "Rhinoceros" at the Court Theatre'.

16pp., 12mo. Disbound without covers. In good condition, on aged paper. Drophead title. The cover carried the author's name, publication details, and the full title: 'The Commune of Paris: Its Story and Meaning'. Scarce

Written on one side of a 10 x 14.5 cm card, beneath a stylish 'modern' letterhead. Somewhat aged and worn. The message reads: '1/6/65 | Dear Basil, | Very many thanks indeed for your letter - believe me your appreciation is tremendously valued. | All good wishes | Victor'. The recipient is identified in another hand on the reverse, with an address and directions.

Each letter 2pp., 12mo. Both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He starts the first letter by expressing 'great pride and immense joy' in sending 'my seventh book of French poems [...] According to the reviews, it is the best I ever wrote'. He continues with references to the recipient's 'short but memorable visit to Johannesburg', and to 'the uncomplimentary remarks passed by my confreres in Johannesburg', these being 'indeed compliments, for they indicate that I do not belong to them, in spite of our common profession.

Both letters 2pp., 12mo. Both in good condition, lightly-aged, the second with the first page lightly crossed through in pencil. The letters relate to work done for the firm of her brother-in-law Marcus Adams (described in his Times obituary as 'the outstanding child photographer of his day and photographer to the Royal Family for more than 30 years'), at 43 Dover Street, Mayfair. She begins the first letter by explaining that she has 'endeavoured to make the Woodall miniature like the snapshot, but unless they are really satisfied I had better do another.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Ornate letterhead printed in red and black, with engraving of a rising sun ('The Mark of Excellence'). Addressed to 'Messrs. Marcus Adams Ltd. | Child Photographers, | 43, Dover Street, | W.1.' The letter begins: 'I have in hand the production of a film somewhat of a national character, including all the episodes in the reigns of our Royal Family, from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee onwards, and I thought it would be a very nice idea to finish the film with a short length of little Princess Elizabeth.

On one side of 9 x 11 cm piece of paper. In good condition, on lightly-spotted paper. Reads: 'I shall keep your clever little ode. Congratulations and good wishes. | Len. Harvey. | Cruiser & Heavyweight Champion | Jan. 1934.'

The two signatures are on a reproduction of a drawing of Robeson, on a 15 x 11 cm piece of shiny art paper, cut from a programme from Robeson's 1934 tour of Britain. In good condition, lightly-aged. The head and shoulders portrait shows a moody Robeson in collar and tie. The two signature are at the foot of the image, with Robeson's, in blue ink, slanting downwards, and Brown's, in green ink, slanting upwards, around the line of Robeson's lapels.

116pp., 4to. (Paginated to 117, without a p.95, but with no text lacking.) No prelims. Each page typed on a separate leaf, and the whole bound together by string through punch holes. Text complete. Dog-eard and worn, with the first two leaves separated from the rest. No record discovered of author or title. The play is set during the Second World War, and begins: 'Afternoon fourclock ... Late spring ... side of road, North Cork district six miles from town of Kilneesh, Irishman trying to fix a tire ... car protruding from wings showing a flat.

118pp., of which the first 102pp. are in 4to, and the last 16pp. in folio. Stapled into red card wraps. Ownership inscription on inside front cover: 'Padraic Fallon, | Prospect, | Wexford'. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in heavily-worn wraps. The story is set among race-horse trainers in Ballinasloe in 1936. There is a curious example of typewriter slippage in the last line but three on the last page: '[...] and the woods and 5h3 5o2nw in 2hifh h3 hqe wp3n5 hiw lir3. Qne [...]'.

ONE: Typescript of '"Small Hotel" | A Comedy in Three Acts |by | James Gardiner'. 144pp., 4to. Bound with ribbon in blue card wraps with typed label. Text on rectos only. In pencil on title-page: '56 Welbeck Street'. In fair condition, on aged paper, in heavily worn wraps. 'The action takes place in the Lounge of the Bay View Hotel, near Dormouth, a South Coast Naval port.' No record of the play has been found, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC, or on the ITDb. TWO: Typed Letter Signed to Commander Vivian Ellis from Olive Harding of Myron Selznick (London) Ltd.

ONE: Typescript. [3] + 94pp., 4to. Stapled in green tyed wraps. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper; in aged and worn wraps. Stage directions underlined in red pencil, and a handful of minor manuscript changes. 'The action of this play takes place in Malta G.C.

[1] + 28pp., 4to. In good condition, on aged paper, bound with studs in worn light-blue paper wraps. In manuscript at foot of title-page: '2nd carbon'. The following is typed beneath the title, and has been deleted in pencil: 'Written in 1900 and Dedicated to Baroness de Grandcourt, to whom he is indebted for the idea'. With a few manuscript emendations. This piece was published in Boston in 1916.

96pp., 8vo. In exercise book, in blue ink with red underlining. With two additional passages on slips of paper pinned onto leaves. Aged and worn, in red card wraps with repaired spine. Nicoll notes an earlier title 'All for Him'. Set in the house of London stockbroker David Carne. Considering the play's popularity in the provinces, its fall into oblivion is surprising. Productions are noted at Southampton (1918-1919, 1930-1931), Oxford (1919), Swansea (1920), Sunderland (1924, the poster announcing: 'J. R. C.