[ Vero Kemball Shaw writes to his publishers 'Messrs Geo Routledge & Sons'.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Vero Shaw') concerning the production of his books 'The Encyclopaedia of the Kennel' and 'The Encyclopaedia of the Poultry Yard'.
4pp., 12mo. Bifolium on grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. The letter would appear to concern both of the books which Shaw published with Routledge in 1913: 'The Encyclopaedia of the Poultry Yard' and 'The Encyclopaedia of the Kennel'. He begins by explaining that he is finally sending in 'title page, & dedication, which I should have sent in earlier had I not been awaiting Mr T[?]s permission to dedicate the book to him. I only received his letter this afternoon.' He next turns to the illustrations, regarding which he was 'under the belief that you had arranged with Mr Fowler to endeavour to obtain some of dogs for you'. Shaw cannot find any individuals 'to pay the price asked for illustrations of their animals. Whether it is that times are bad, or that there are now so many illustrated papers in existence, I dont know, but the fact remains that I have been unable to get the price.' He will be seeing Fowler, and feels 'sanguine' that he 'can get some advertisements. When I last saw him he was waiting for some specimen pages.' He asks for 'pulls of all the Poultry blocks you have in hand', and undertakes to 'see that the number is completed'. The author of this letter is not to be confused with the cricketer Vero Shaw (1854-1905), latterly Vero Shaw-Mackenzie.