Autograph Letters

Two pages, 8vo, bifolium, second leaf tipped onto slightly larger paper, minor staining but text clear and complete. Sir I am sorry to inform you that the Crystal which you sent to Mrs Royce has not answered its purpose, & is, as she assures me, of a very inferior quality, for its Spirit has never yet been seen nor any other spirits perfectly, & my Seer could not see any thing in it.

Autograph Note, one page, 16mo, good condition, but part of a bifolium, the third page of which is a printed (possibly early Punch) cartoon with a gentleman exposing a lady's ignorance of literture. Spiegl's text as follows: Many thanks, Hunter. Hope you enjoyed the book (post facto!): you see, it's not really [underlined] an angry book. Have a good Christmas, | Greetings | Fritz. Someone (probably Davies) has added Fritz Spiegel [sic]. See Image.

Postcard, good condition. Typed text with MS adds in square brackets: 7 unrecognised wonders of London are the interior of Holy Trinity [Somerset House], Sloane Sreet (locked). St.Erkenwald's Church, Southend-on-Sea [deleted]; the entrance hall of the Natural History Museum, South Kensington. I could go on indefinitely [but only locally]. | Yours sincerely, | [Not signed]. There are four lines of obscure writing apparent;y in rubbed out pencil and by Betjeman. See Image.

Two pages, cr.8vo, fold marks, good condition, clear handwriting. Thanks you for having the courtesy to write. However, I just cannot allow you to think for a moment that I accept your explanation for misquoting me throughout the piece. You even deceive yourself [dotted line under] into believing that you gave a true interpretation of the interview. I again must emphasise that I did not [underlined] say that Billy was 'physically lazy and a dead ;loss'. I said in fact 'Oh!

About his Lecture On Some Instances of the Power of God manifested in his Animal Creation which was perhaps a side-swipe at Darwin?. Two pages, 12mo, some staining and edged with sellotape, but text is a scrawl and occasionally hard to interpret, including the loss of a couple of words under a stain. Full text as follows: By the post I forward to your Lordship a Copy of the Lecture [and scratched out] as printed by the Committee of the Y.M.

One page from an Album, 28 x 23cm, edges frayed, some staining but signatures clear. A vandal has however cut out and detached the signature of the President, Prince Napoleon and Mathiew[?], President of Committee, so lost. Thirty six distinguished signatories survive, led by Edmond Becquerel and including John P. Kennedy, Edmund K, Muspratt, etc - presumably leaders in the field. SEE Image.

Three pages, 12mo, bifolium, text very readable but item stained and damaged, with small loss of text (part of heading and half of a name). Dear Dr Sieveking | Dr. Thudichum called at this office yesterday and made a proposal relative to the management of a Hospital in Germany. Dr. Simon requested Dr Thudichum will call him again at 2 O Clock to day. I told him you would be at the officew about that time & that I wished to consulkt [with] you on the subject.See Image. Note: a.

Business Card of County Suppliers (Furniture) Ltd (printed), 9 x 6 cm, sl. worn. On Reverse, autograph signature Henry Cooper. See IMage.

Two pages, 12mo, bifolium, fold marks, good condition. With envelope addressed by Bates to Piffard (Royal Geographical Society insignia). Text: It gave me great pleasure to find that you had not forgotten me. Your memory with us is kept alive by occasional news of you given to us by Dr or Mrs Knaggs [see Note below]. Thankls for the Report of your Nat.Hist. Society. The accounts of your excursions are extremely interesting & I have found much that is new to me in the explanation of ancient British place-names given by the local antiquarians who guided your parties.

One of the great figures in world history. See his entries in Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Oxford DNB. On one side of piece of laid paper rougly 11 cm squarer, with partial watermark ‘J G’. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with traces of mount on blank reverse. Folded twice. Reads: ‘London March 7 1842 / F M The Duke of Wellington presents his Compliments to Miss Busby / Not being resident at Oxford he has no Controul [sic] over any matter relating to the Bodleian Library. / Miss Busby should apply to the Vice Chancellor.

An apparent forgery of a letter the text of which is quoted in Hallam Tennyson’s 1897 memoir of his father. 1p, 12mo. On discoloured wove paper. Aged, and with repair with archival tape at extremities on reverse. Folded twice for postage. Reads: ‘Aldworth / Oct 25 - 76 / My dear Mrs Gladstone / On Monday then - if all be well. As you are good enough to say that you will manage everything rather than lose my visit - you must manage that I may have my pipe in my own room whenever I like? / Yours ever / A Tennyson/’.

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.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Now viewed in a favourable light, Panizzi was a controversial figure in his own time, being dubbed a ‘fat pedant’ by Thomas Carlyle, who was moved to press for the creation of the London Library as a result of the Italian’s high-handed behaviour. On 7 x 4 cm piece of grey paper, presumably cut from an album. No othe writing on the slip other than Panizzi's compact and disciplined signature 'A Panizzi.' In good condition, lightly aged, Strips of sunning at top and right edge, but nowhere near the signature. See scan.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 11 x 7 cm panel cut from the cover of the envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on brown paper cut from album. The intial ‘C’ of the Duke’s name curls under the rest of the signature with a loop, and with end of flourish possibly trimmed in cutting the panel. (Comparison with other examples of the future king’s signature as Duke of Clarence indicate that whatever loss there may be would be minimal.) Laid out in the customary fashion. Reads: ‘Bushy. December twenty third 1827 / Mrs: Skelton / Sandridge Lodge / St: Alban’s / Street’.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On 10 x 12 cm leaf removed from an autograph album. He signs and dates floridly at the foot of the page: 'Austen Chamberlain / 4. 3. 27'. Slits have been cut into the leaf to loosely insert the cigarette card. In poor condition, worn and spotted, with border of discoloration (extending over the end of the signature) caused by tape. The caricature, in colour, by Alick P. F. Ritchie is No. 11 of 50 in the 'Straight Line Caricatures' series of cigarette cards by John Player & Sons.

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.

Three Pages, 12mo, bifolium, good condition. Dear Mr. a Beckett | I haved sent the circulars you forwarded to me to the under-mentioned Naval Officers, and hope some of them (they all reside in and about London) will respond[.] | Believe me | Yrs v. truly A| [squiggle] Markham. He begins his list of thirty (30) names of Admirals, Vice Admirals, Rear Admirals, Captains. creating separate lists of Active and Retired officers. SEE IMAGES of all three pages. Note: a.

Three pages, 12mo, bifolium, good condition. Docketed top left corner (see Image of first page). As the Artist & Printer are coming to see me here [underlined] on Monday forenoon next, with reference to tthe poster depicting a line of battle ships &c, will you kindly send me 'Nelson's' signal [England Expects] (which I sent to my Hartley) so as to be here at the same time? I received your letter last night, and at once wrote off to Admiral Fremantle, but he would only receive my letter this morning. I see his [underlined] is in today's Times.

Signature on paper, 13.5 x 7cm, good condition. See Scan.

Postcard, 13.5 x 8.5cm, good conditiuon. Text: You asked me to let you know when any English writers are here - Anthony Powell & his wife are at the Hotel d'Angleterre, [word not deciphered] Jacob. | I'm too busy with my party etc to organize anything at the moment, but I'm sure you would enjoy a chat with him & so would he. If not [word undeciphered] do ring him up [de ma part?]. See you I hope on Wednesday & Madame Antonini - it will be the world & his wife!

Letter One: [No envelope; undated] One page, 8vo, good condition. Text: Forgive me for not having written before to thank you for your very kind letter, but I have had something like five hundred letters & telegrams of congratulation & they have been a job to deal with. It was very kind of you to write. I am just off to England to receive the insignia. [Maugham was made a Companion of Honour in 1954 if that indicates the date of the letter(?)]; Letter Two: Postmark 24 Oct. 1934 and dated Oct. 34 (though the '3' looks like a '2'), Two pages, 8vo, good condition.

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

Letter 1 (9 March 1931): one page, 4to. fold marks, small hole with loss of two letters), good condition. Text: Dear Charlotte | Odette is still in bed, weak as a rat & [she?] had flu & I got [me?] it. I'm being an Angel to her, but its very quiet between whiles. Would you like to lunch with me & bring your Jan one day next week? If so telephone me one fine morning. The Casino at Juan les Pains - I mean the place on the beach - used to be bright & it seems a convenient half way house between us.

One page, 12mo, fold mark, good condition. Text in Lowell's hand: 22 April, 1882 | Faithfully yours | J.R. Lowell. Docketed with pencilled note at base with biographical details. See Image.

See his entry in Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. The four items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Each letter signed ‘Gotthard Lechler’. A total of 200 lines of closely-written text, on 11pp, 8vo, and on three bifoliums and a single leaf. ONE (20 May 1882): Addressed to ‘Lieber Freund!’ 3pp, 8vo. 44 lines. 3pp, 8vo. TWO (14 November 1882): Addressed to ‘Verehrter Freund!’ 2pp, 8vo. 42 lines. THREE (23 July 1883): Addressed to ‘Verehrter, geliebter Freund!’ 4pp, 8vo. 83 lines. FOUR (14 August 1883): ‘Lieber und verehter Freund!’ 2pp, 8vo. 31 lines. See scans of sample letter.

One page, 12mo, fold marks, good condition. Dear Baroness | I will send the picture as you dsire & shall be ready to finish Miss de Rothschild when convenient to her to sit.Note: a. A particularly significant portrait was of the 23 year old Hannah de Rothschild painted in 1874, four years before her marriage to Lord Rosebery. The small portrait (it was only 10×12) gave Lord Rosebery such pleasure that, after Hannah’s early death in 1890, he told Watts that he carried it wherever he moved as he could not bear to be parted from it; b.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB, together with A. N. L. Munby’s entertaining ‘The Cult of the Autograph Letter in England’ (1962). 1p, 4to. No fold. In good condition, on lightly aged paper extracted from a notebook. Signed at foot: ‘William Upcott / London Institution, / Finsbury Circus. Jan. 18. 1834.' Very neatly written out in Upcott’s best hand, which is more like type (including the signature) than the document offered separately, on the same watermarked paper.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. It was in October of 1806 that a sixteen year-old Sinclair was arrested as a spy near Jena, and brought before Napoleon, who examined him and ordered his release. 1p, 16mo. On heavily aged, creased and worn paper with light staining above the signature, and strip torn away at bottom left. Addressed on reverse to 'The Editor of the / Mirror of Parliament.' Signed ‘George Sin Clair [sic]’. He thanks him for his kindness ‘in sending yesterday for a copy of the remarks which I made as to the [Prussian?] loan’.

One page, 16mo (11 x 12cm), bifolium, apparently trimmed with loss of text only of docketed information in another hand, minor defects, but complete. See Image. Text: Gentlemen | Be so good as to forward the above as early as convenient & oblige [...].