Music and Theatre

On one side of a 35 x 24 cm leaf of gilt-edged wove paper, extracted from the autograph album of novelist George Meredith's daughter Marie Eveleen (Mariette; 1871-1933), wife of Henry Parkman Sturgis (1847-1929), American-born banker and Liberal politician. In fair condition, lightly aged, with a small closed tear and slight creasing to extremities. Reads: ‘Recuerdo de un humilde artista en todas las Españas, y admirador de las bellísimas hijas de la Hermosisima Albiòn / Sarasata / 20 - 12 - 92’.

See his entry, and that of his brother, in the Oxford DNB. On one side of a 14 x 9 cm printed postcard. No stamp or address, the side that should carry them being blank. The other side carries an illustration of a British soldier in khaki firging a cannon behind a wall, as another soldier stands to attention beside a nearby flagpole, from which a large Union Jack flies, pited in red and blue. At the head of the saide is a snatch of musical notation, to the words ‘Under the British Flag well fight our way to glory’.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The programme is 8pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with minor rust to staples. The cover consists of the royal crest printed in red, and the rest in black: ‘ROYAL OPERA HOUSE / COVENT GARDEN’ above the crest, and ‘THE SADLER’S WELLS / BALLET / 1947’ below it. At an angle across the centre of the page, in blue ink, is the large signature ‘Margot Fonteyn’.

See his obituary in the Guardian, 5 April 2006. On irregularly-shaped trapezoid of ruled paper, roughly 8 cm wide at top, with one vertical side also 8cm, and the other 4cm, giving it a guillotine shape. Lightly aged and ruckled. Blank on the reverse. Reads: ‘Best / always / Gene Pitney’.

Black and white print of an 11.5 x 15 cm head and shoulders portrait of a smiling Carter on 12.5 x 21 cm piece of shiny paper. In good condition. Beneath the portrait, in red ink, Carter writes: ‘for Michael Robuck / Elliott Carter, March 28, ’72.’ On the reverse, in another hand, is the note ‘4. 3. 72 / Elliott Carter Composer’. See Image.

See the article ‘Glory days of the man with the golden trumpet’ in the Lancashire Post, 17 March 2017. On one side of 12 x 8.5 cm leaf of cream paper with rounded outer edges, torn from an autograph album. In good condition, with blank reverse. Large sprawling signature covering the whole page. Reads ‘Sincerely / Eddie Calvert’. See Image.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. A nice item, printed on shiny card. Bifolium folding to 21 x 14.5 cm. In good condition, lightly aged. On the front is a photograph of Scales and West by Jane Bohn. On reverse of first leaf is the menu, on recto of second the ?Toast List?, and the verso of the second a list of officers. McEwan?s inscription, in a good firm hand is at top left of the menu. It reads: ?With Best Wishes / Geraldine / McEwan?. From the papers of Kenneth Sephton. See Image.

On one side of 15 x 10 cm grey-blue card, with facsimile of her signature at the head. Addressed to ?Dear Kenneth?, and with bold stylish signature at bottom right. The subject of the letter is the Piccadilly Theatre production of ?Gypsy?, which had opened a few days before on 29 May 1973. She thanks him for his ?kind letter?, adding ?Thank god you were right about the show and it has turned into more of a success than I could have ever hoped for.? She is sorry he couldn?t attend the first night, as ?it was a good show and I know you would have enjoyed it?.

Photograph and signature in attractive frame. See Image. Label on reverse: Waterloo Galleries, Waterloo Street, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1LA [...]. Photo, 9 x 13cm; Signature, 8.5 x 5cm.

Calling Card, 9.5 x 5.5cm, some staining but text clear. See Images. Printed text (recto) is as follows: Léo Delibes || Membre de l'Institut || 220 rue de Rivoli. He has written the following; Mille remerciements bien affectueux, cher collaborateur. Vous permettez ce titre, sinon a l'auteur du Roi l'a dit [underlined], du moins a celui de 'Lakmé'! | L.D.

One page, cr. 8vo, fold marks, faint foxing, good condition. See Image. Text: It is delightful to read that August Manns [conductor - see Wiki] is still remembered. I was born within sight of the Crystal Palace and can even remember the great fire on one Sunday afternoon when part of the 'Tropical End' was burned to the ground. Those Courts [with?] the fine casts of statues of all periods taught me how to look at their originals in many places.

One page, 12mo, blue paper, good condition. See Image. I am so sorry - I have got no photograph so just the autograph must do -.

Stapled pamphlet. 20pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Sargent’s unusual bold stylized signature, in blue pencil, almost occupies a 5 cm square. All but the top centimeter which touches the printed date at points, is written on blank space on the cover. See image.

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. In good condition. 11.5 x 9 cm card, without illustration. Printed in red at head: ‘MICHAEL REDGRAVE.’ The message concerns the London production of Fry’s ‘The Lark’ (a translation of Anouilh’s ‘L’Alouette’), which opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, on 11 May 1955. Redgrave would star in Fry’s next play, ‘Tiger at the Gates’ (a translation of Giraudoux’s ‘La guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu’), which premiered in New York on 3 October 1955.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Eleven items, in fair overall condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. All six of Arnold’s communications are signed ‘Tom Arnold’. Arnold’s two TLsS are dated 2 October 1942 and 23 July 1959. In the second of these (1p, landscape 8vo) he thanks MP for a producing a piece of writing which ‘suits the mood’: ‘I appreciate your doing this, and the speed with which you tackled it for me.

See Image. Signature and date ('Beryl' Formby | 1941) on piece of paper, 6 x 4, rounded corners, good condition, laid down on larger piece of paper, 12 x 6.5cm. On reverse the signature of Leslie Henson, actor etc. Note: She was positive in his career in some aspects but was obviously difficult. After her death, Formby publicly said that 'My life with Beryl was hell'.

A scarce item: the only other copy located is at the Foundling Hospital, London. 30pp, 4to, with a further 7pp of advertisements at the back. Stapled into grey wraps printed in red. A delicate survival, on browing high-acidity paper, in worn wraps chipped around the edges. On the front cover the item is described as ‘Book of Words & Programme for the Rehearsal Day’.At top right-hand corner of the title-page are the pleasing ownership initials of ‘A. G.

Meyerbeer is said to have been the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century. He encouraged and supported the young Wagner, who turned on him viciously later in life. Lady Molesworth (née Andalusia Carstairs, d.1888) had herself been a professional singer. She was the widow of Sir William Molesworth (1810-55), founder of the London Review and owner, under the editorship of John Stuart Mill, of the Westminster Review.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On watermarked wove paper. In good condition, folded once. Centred on the page, and clearly written for an autograph hunter. Reads: ‘with kind regards from / G. Colman / 21st. July. 1828. / Brompton Square.’

A very nice piece of musichall ephemera: a signed self-caricature by one of its leading lights. See Robey’s entry in the Oxford DNB. On a 7 x 8.75 cm piece of card, cut from a plain printed postcard. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of the four paper label mounts on reverse. On the front, which is entirely plain apart from Robey’s writing, is his Autograph Inscription, in a close hand with stylized signature: ‘Good luck. Geo Robey.’ This is at the foot of the page, beneath a well-executed self-caricature in blue and red ink.

Underlined signature on 9 x 1.5 cm piece of wove paper, apparently cut from letter. In good condition. Reads ‘Joan Sutherland.’ Reverse blank. See image

The present autographs were taken within a few years of the quartet’s formation in 1931. Accompanying the item is an 11 x 9 cm newspaper cutting of a photograph of the youthful members of ‘THE FAMOUS GRILLER QUARTET - often heard over the wireless - which created a very favourable impression last night at the first concert for the season of the Aberdeen Chamber Music Club.’ The autographs are on one side of a 16 x 11 cm leaf with rounded edges, extracted from an autograph album. The signatures are one above the other, with Sidney Griller’s large and bold.

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 the entries for Warner and Macqueen-Pope in the Oxford DNB. Such was the popularity of Warner’s portrayal of George Dixon, that the Queen told him it had become part of ‘the British way of life’, and he was carried to his grave by six real officers from Paddington Green Police Station. LETTER: 1p, 4to. Folded twice. In good condition, lightly aged. Signature ‘Jack.’ and salutation to ‘My dear Popie’ in Warner’s hand; the rest typed. Letterhead with his name. He is sending ‘the long promised photos’, delayed because he ‘had to get some new prints of the “pipe” one.

See the recipient's entry in the Oxford DNB. Both letters signed ‘Elsa’. ONE (7 December 1951): 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded three times. Thirty-eight lines of text. She received his letter while wishing to contact him, and wonders if this is a coincidence. ‘And my wanting to write you grew out of an intense yearning to be in London again’.

Dating from what his entry in the Oxford DNB describes as Askey’s ‘prime professional days’: ‘In 1938 Askey joined Powis Pinder's Sunshine concert party at Shanklin, Isle of Wight, where he performed successfully for the next eight years. In 1938 the BBC also engaged him for a new radio show called Band Waggon, in which his partner was Richard Murdoch. The show, first broadcast in January 1938, was an enormous success and its innovative style was perhaps Askey's greatest contribution to the entertainment business.’ On one side of a 12.5 x 8.5 cm piece of light-green card.

On 15 x 11 cm card, with vertical central fold making it into a bifolium with front and back covers, and central text across the opening. In fair condition, a little aged. Perforated outer corner removed from bottom of second leaf, no doubt as proof of use; with slight creasing to first leaf at same point. Printed at the head of the back cover is the word ‘AUTOGRAPHS’, and here in blue ink is the signature ‘Victor Silvester’. There are no other autographs. The front cover is headed ‘T. F. Firth and Sons Ltd.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 9.5 x 11.5 cm leaf of blue paper, with rounded outer corners, torn from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged, with spotting on reverse. Reads: ‘Best Wishes / Tom Walls.’ Good bold writing, with stylistic flourish linking the cross-stroke of the T in ‘Tom’ with the S of ‘wishes’, and two small vertical strokes at the centre of the underlining of the signature. See image

Orloff left Russia in 1921, and toured the world as a leading interpreter of Chopin. He settled in Grantown-on-Spey in 1948, becoming a British citizen four years later. ONE: 6.5 x 14 cm bifoliate Christmas card, with blue and black illustration ‘Designed by Kris’. Dated at head by Orloff ‘1963/64’. Beneath the printed message he writes a large signature on two lines: ‘Nicolas Orloff’. Recipient’s name written at foot, in another hand: ‘Alan Lockhart’. The verso of the second leaf of this card is laid down on the verso of the following item.