Music and Theatre

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In poor condition, aged, worn and creased, with damage to edges. Tape was previously present as a border along all the edges, and the corners are still strengthened with tape, causing discoloration that affects the end of Handley's signature. Reads: 'B.B.C. / London / Dear Pte Dean. / In reply to Yours. I would send you a ticket with Pleasure but I have no control over same. I'm afraid you will have to write direct to the B.B.C. / Best wishes. / Tommy Handley'. Scan available.

8.5 x 14 cm glossy publicity photograph on post card. In good condition, lightly aged. Inscribed across the bottom of the image: ‘Souvenirs / Alice Delysia’. A soft-toned head and shoulders image in black and white, of a smiling Delysia, eyebrows plucked, lips made up, and short hair Marcell-waved. See Image.

Album page.. 22.5 x 18, sl. mottled, and Neilson's contribution sl. faded. Neilson writes in an expansive handwriting, And I am Nell - Nell of Old Drury | Julia Neilson. Ellen Terry writes below, And I am Nell! Nell of the old Lyceum! - and sister-in-law of Julia Neilson - the good & beautiful. | Ellen Terry [underlined] = Southport = 19-April - 1904 =. Note: Neilson starred in 'Sweet Nell of Old Drury' by Paul Kester but I have yet to find out which Nell Ellen Terry played unless, as seems likely, she's making a play on her own name. SEE IMAGE.

Paper, 12 x 7cm, some faint staining, but writing clear. See Image.

Olivier’s luminous achievements are well described in his entry in the Oxford DNB. An 8 x 11 cm photographic image, printed in black and white on an 8.5t x 13.5 cm card, with the actor's autograph signature mostly on the blank area beneath the image: ‘L Olivier’. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. An attractive image of the head of the young thespian, staring moodily to his right, hair slicked back, with part of white shirt and smart dark jacket just visible. Not present among the 114 portraits of Olivier in the National Portrait Gallery inventory.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB, which describes how she accepted Max Reinhardt's offer ‘to play the Madonna in a mime play, The Miracle. This was first staged in the USA from November 1923 to the following May, and again for the following three autumns and winters. It toured Europe in 1927, and London and the provinces in 1932; the last performance was in January 1933.

A brown-tinged print (not sepia), on 16 x 21 cm matt card, with 0.75 cm border. In fair condition, very lightly creased and worn. A full length shot of a smiling and clean-shaven Keel, in cowboy getup with ponyskin chaps and his cowboy hat in his left hand, opening what is clearly a stage-prop wicket gate, with backdrop of farm behind him. In Keel's autograph in light blue ink to the left of his torso: 'To Mary, / Best of Everything / Sincerely / Harold Keel'. See Image.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 9 x 6 cm calling card, with 'Mlle. Emma Albani' printed in copperplate in the centre. Above this, at the head of the card, she has written 'J. Bennett Esq.' And around the printed signature she has written the unsigned inscription: 'With [Mlle. Emma Albani]'s compliments & heartfelt thanks -'. Date by her at bottom left: '1876'. See IMage.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Menu printed in blue on one side of 4to leaf, folded into 16 x 15 cm bifolium-style card. Front cover with patches of discoloration, and back cover bearing evidence of previous mounting (layer of dried out glue), otherwise in good condition. Front cover reads: ‘Scottish Music Merchants’ Association / Festival Luncheon / Royal British Hotel, Edinburgh / Wednesday, 30th August 1950 / Chairman: / R. W. Cresswell’. In space between ‘1950’ and ‘Chaiman:’ is large clear signature ‘Betty Beecham.’ At foot of page is large signature ‘Thomas Beecham’.

On a postcard with a bromide print of a modernist architectural image of a flight of outdoor steps and its stone surroundings. Creased and worn. Addressed to ‘M. Calvocoressi, Esq. / 5 Bramerton Str / London S. W. 3 / England / Europe’. Reads: ‘Dear Mr Calvocoressi, [19 words in Cyrillic script] Helas the score is lost. I am so sorry I could not send it to you. / [3 words in Cyrilic script]! / With kindest regards, / Yours sincerely / Nicolai Malko’

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. On two 11 x 9 cm cards, plain but for the letterhead. Both in good condition, lightly aged. The recipient is not named. The card is signed 'E. T:' and is written in her forceful hand. Begins: 'I have no time - nor words - to tell you what I think - The boys health indeed! - if there's any use in talking, if signing petitions will do any good one would talk & sign all day! but in spite' - here the reverse of the first card begins, and the side is entirely deleted, except for the last line'.

The present image is not in the National Portrait Gallery, but the licencing rights are held by Getty Images, by whom it is dated to 1 May 1928. 24 x 18.5 cm bromide print, on 25 x 18.5 cm matt.In fair condition, discoloured and with light creasing at extremities. Chaplin's genuine signature is at bottom right: 'Yours Truly / Charlie Chaplin'. Wittzel's monogram (featuring 'WITZEL' and 'L A') is printed at bottom left. An excellent and unusual artistic image of a figure of world renown.

In good condition, lightly aged. The Osmond’s signatures are written with brown felt-tip pen on an 8.5 x 13.5 piece of pink paper with rounded edges, evidently removed from an autograph album. With portrait orientation. Alan Osmond writes: ‘Best Wishes - / The Osmonds / Alan Osmond’ and beneath this, one on top of the othe, are the signatures of ‘Donny Osmond’ and ‘Jay Osmond’. The names are written out in another hand at bottom right. On the reverse, with landscape orientation, the large signature of ‘Gary Glitter’. See Image.

See Michael Kennedy's assessment of Boult, in his entry in the Oxford DNB: 'In the music he admired most, Boult was often a great conductor; in the rest, an extremely conscientious one.' Good bold signature ('Adrian C. Boult') is centred on one side of an 11.5 x 9 cm piece of card. The signature and the space around it are clear, but the discoloured card has a smudge on it, and carries traces of previous mount on reverse. At foot of signed side, in pencil:Sir Adrian Boult - Conductor of the B.B.C.Orchestra London / Famous English Conductor'. See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Beecham’s signature (‘Thomas Beecham’) on an otherwise-blank 12.5 x 5.5 cm piece of paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of mount adhering to the reverse. The signature, which has no flourish, is tighter than usual, and rising slightly. See Image.

Clearly given in response to a request for an autograph. Neatly written and centred on one side of a 12 x 7.5 cm piece of pink paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with vertical crease close to the left-hand edge. Reads: ‘Best wishes - / Deanna Durbin’. See Image.

Both letters are addressed to ‘Dear Bonnie and John’. Both in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: TLS from Dolores Hope. Signed ‘Dolores’ in red ink (the letterhead is also red). 1p, 12mo. Reads: ‘The black peppered ham was a big hit at our house and Bob and I can’t thank you enough. We really enjoyed this tasty ham and your thoughtfulness in remembering us at Chistmastime. / Have a healthy and happy New Year!’ TWO: TLS from Barbara Sinatra. Signed ‘Barbara’. 1p, landscape 12mo. On the lower half of an 8vo leaf, which has been converted into a bifolium by a central horizonal fold.

Edward Knobloch’s play ‘My Lady’s Dress’ (‘in which’, as one newspaper wrote at the time, ‘the heroine’s dream takes her to the foreign [and London] scenes surrounding the manufacture of a costly gown’) premiered at the Royalty Theatre in London in 1914 and was revived several times through the 1920s.

Scarce: no other copy traced. Bifolium of laid 1856 Saunders paper. 4pp, 4to. Unpaginated. The front cover carries is headed ‘City of London Piano-Forte Manufactory.’ Beneath this are engraved the royal arms, flanked by the words ‘By Appointment / to the Queen.’ Peachey’s address is engraved beneath the arms in large letters. At the foot of the page, in red ink, are three lines relating to ‘Harmoniums.’, with the second page headed by another two lines in red. The two central pages carry much information in small type.

51pp, 4to, of autograph material, including 33pp with inscriptions directly on the page, and 28 items (almost all with signed inscriptions) laid down, the latter consisting of publicity photographs, parts of programmes, an Autograph Card Signed and an original drawing. In a superior 4to album of 116pp, on 58 leaves of good watermarked laid paper. The final 32pp are blank. Twelve pages carry empty corner mounts, and there are also signs of leaves torn out and other evidence of removal of material. With stationer’s ticket of ‘JOSEF HODEK / UMELECKÉ KNIHARSTVÍ / JAROMER’.

See Wendy Trewin, ‘The Royal General Theatrical Fund: a history, 1838-1988’ (1989), and Macqueen-Pope’s entry in the Oxford DNB. ONE: Carbon copy of letter from Macqueen-Pope to Allen, 15 May 1953, with three drafts of advertisement. 4pp, 4to. On four leaves. The letter, on the first page, is somewhat grubby, with rust spotting from paper clip, the other three leaves, each of which carries a proposed version of the advertisment, in good condition, lightly aged. The letter begins: ‘Dear Jack Allen, / Herewith three rough samples for the proposed advertisement concerning the Fund.

1p, 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and with slight creasing. Large firm signature. Presumably responding to a request for an autograph. Reads: ‘With my most abject apologies - but I have been away for three months / Robert Morley. See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice for postage. The letterhead is somewhat striking, with a band of green printed along the top, and the charity’s logo featuring prominently. The names of many officers and committe members are printed down the left-hand margin, headed by President Noel Coward, and including ‘Miss Gladys Cooper’, ‘Dame Edith Evans’, ‘Lady Du Maurier’, ‘Sir Laurence Olivier’, ‘Mr. Michael Redgrave’, ‘Mr. Jack Hawkins’ and ‘Mr. Kenneth More’. Attenborough features both as Hon.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The three TLsS (Items One to Three), each signed ‘Lilian Baylis’, are all 1p, 4to. They are in fair condition, creased and lightly aged, with Item Three having two punch holes for a binder. The portrait postcard is in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: TLS, 15 November 1921. Addressed to ‘Miss Ingham’. ‘I do hope you will have a big success with the enclosed card.

An attractive piece of juvenile ephemera, printed in black on one side of a piece of 23.5 x 36.5 cm wove paper. In good condition, folded twice. The document is excessively scarce, no other copy having been traced, and little has been learnt about the advertiser. In 1919 Punch carried an advertisement for ‘Punch and Judy, Conjuring, Ventriloquism, &c.’ from ‘James Portland, the Conjuror and Children’s Entertainer’. Four years later the ‘Model Engineer’ carried several advertisements from Portland as a supplier of ebonite.

On a ‘Lion Brand’ plain post card. In good condition, but with the hurriedly-written text somewhat smudged, and a small staple at one corner. Addressed to ‘Robt J Drury / 141 Chichester Rd / Cleethorpes / S. Humberside / DN35 OJL.’ The message on the other side is hurriedly written: ‘August 1 1995 / Dear Mr. Drury / I’ve no thought on the Academy Awards I’m afraid. Some are well deserved some not - but thats true of a [?] Alan Bennett.’

1p, 12mo. On grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed ‘Dear Mr Robinson’ and signed ‘Alan Bennett.’ A short response to a letter about his play ‘The Old Country’, whose run at the Queen’s Theatre had started on 7 September 1977. He thanks him for his kind letter, and states that ‘It’s nice to hear from people in the audience as I often feel the play goes on night after night & has nothing to do with me at all - one penalty for not performing very much.’ See Image.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The inscription, firmly-written in pencil, reads, ‘With best wishes / Deborah Kerr.’, and is written beneath a pencil portrait of a smiling Kerr’s face and shoulders, competently-executed in typical fifties style. On recto of 10 x 12.5 cm leaf of a tracing paper bifolium, the verso of the second leaf carrying, upside-down, an outline sketch of Kerr. The paper is somewhat creased and worn.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. After a stint as one of George Edwardes’ Gaiety Girls, she made her name in a number of revues, her performance in the lead role of the 1929 Broadway production of ‘Bitter Sweet’ prompting Coward to praise her grace and charm and assurance, which he said provoked one of the most prolonged outbursts of cheering I have ever heard in the theatre. She was less successful in Hollywood, starring in the Romberg/Hammerstein musical ‘One Heavenly Night’ (1931), a failure for Samuel Goldwyn.

Meyerbeer’s diary records (25 May 1853) a visit ‘from Raoul Allary, who makes wind instruments. He is an opponent of Sax, and came to me because he had heard that I had spoken to the emperor on Sax’s behalf’ (1999 English translation of volume for 1850-1856). A pencil note at the head of the present letter identifies the subject as ‘Louise Gned / 4 Rue [de] Bellefond [Paris]’. Gned (b.1810) was an Austrian soprano from a musical/theatrical family, who faded into obscurity.