Autograph Letters

Autograph Note Signed ('Herbert Trench', twice) to unnamed female correspondent.

Author: 
Frederic Herbert Trench (1865-1923), Irish poet
Publication details: 
Undated; on letterhead of the United University Club, Pall Mall East, S.W. [London].
£40.00

Octavo, one page. Good, with stains from paperclip at head. Large bold signature on top half of leaf, and body of note, with signature on bottom half. 'I have pleasure in sending my signature. Yes I am the author of "Deirdre Wedded" & "New Poems" (including Apollo & the Seaman) which Methuen published.'

Autograph Letter Signed to Thomas Thompson of Liverpool.

Author: 
Catherine Hutton (1756-1846), English novelist and miscellaneous writer [AUTOGRAPH COLLECTING]
Publication details: 
Bennett's Hill June 1832'.
£600.00

Two pages, quarto. Well preserved, on good lightly-aged paper, but with the original piece of paper (which was roughly nine inches by seven and a half wide) now neatly cut into three strips (the top and bottom of which are two and three-quarter inches high, and the middle three and a half inches high). The text is extremely neatly written and entirely legible, and the whole easily repairable with archival tape. The whole of this long, interesting letter (thirty-five lines and a two-line postscript) is given over to the current craze for autograph collecting (for which see A. N. L.

Autograph Letter Signed "P. Goldsmith Medd" to "Cummings", collector.

Author: 
Peter Goldsmith Medd, theologian, one of the founders of Keble College, Oxford (DNB).
Publication details: 
University College, 9 Feb. 1867.
£40.00

2pp., c.12 x 14cms,remnants of laying down process obscuring af ew words. "I am not much in the habit of corresponding with great people, but I enclose you a few autographs." He then discusses a curacy and a pupil.

Keywords:

Autograph Letter Signed, in French, to unnamed male correspondent. With manuscript English translation.

Author: 
Eugenie Nau, French actress, active in the cinema between 1908 and 1924
Publication details: 
10 March [1919]; on letterhead of the Hotel Thorndike, Boston.
£75.00

Octavo, one page. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with the merest hint of a damp stain. English translation in contemporary hand on separate piece of 12mo paper, with slight loss at head (not affecting text). She has received no acknowledgement from him for 'the autograph which I sent you and a little book of verse sold for the benefit of the soldier who wrote them. The little book ought to be sold for at least 75 cents.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Spencer Todd') to autograph collector S[eymour]. C. J. Freeman-Matthews of Cape Town.

Author: 
John Spencer Brydges Todd (1840-1921), Executive Commissioner, Paris, for the Universal Exhibition of 1878, and colonial officer
Publication details: 
18 August 1900; on crested letterhead '112, VICTORIA STREET, LONDON, S.W.'
£30.00

One page, 12mo. Very good. 'Although I am surprised at your wishing to include mine in your collection of autographs, here it is. | I agree with Sir Alfred Milner that Work, Brains & Opportunity are necessary to success; and that the last is most necessary. But I think that Self-control should be added to His Excellency's list.' A printed biographical cutting is appended.

Ten Autograph Letters Signed (all 'E Walford') to a number of different correspondents (including A., F. and H. Barker, Mrs Ratcliffe and a newspaper editor named 'Taylor').

Author: 
Edward Walford (1823-97), topographer, genealogist, antiquary and editor of 'Once a Week' and 'The Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer'
Publication details: 
Five undated, the others 1860 to 1890; all but one (from Bracknell in Berkshire) from a number of London addresses.
£400.00

All items good, though on dusty and aged paper. Five items are addressed to sellers of manuscripts (probably the same individual). ONE (to H. Barker, 23 April 1885, on letterhead of 'The Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer', one page, octavo): Asks to be offered Wellesley autographs purchased at a recent Sotheby sale, of which he sent an account to 'The Times', which was 'crowded out'. TWO (to F. Barker, 25 April [1885], 'at T.

Autograph Letter Signed ("M. Howitt") to a "William Brown", autograph collector.

Author: 
Mary Howitt (1799-1888), miscellaneous writer (DNB)
Publication details: 
28 Upper [?] Road, Regents Park, [London], 22 Dec. [no year].
£100.00

Two pages, 8vo, creased, minor staining, left edge reinforced, text complete and clear as follows: "I have it not in my power to render you the service you request, and, I am sorry to say, cannot put you in the way of obtaining the autographs of Miss Jane Porter or Miss Edgeworth. Mrs. S.C. Hall's might be had I doubt not for the asking for - try addressing her at the Art Journal Office Wellington |Street (North) Starnd London." Mary Howitt's poem Father is coming", clipped from a newspaper is tipped onto the seecond page.

Eight Typed Letters, with cyclostyled signatures ('Arthur Pearson'), to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Cyril Arthur Pearson [Sir Arthur Pearson] (1866-1921), founder of 'The Daily Express', President of the National Institute for the Blind and Fresh Air Fund
Publication details: 
October 1916 to June 1917; all on letterhead of the Blinded Soldiers' and Sailors' Hostel, St. Dunstan's, Regent's Park, N.W. [London].
£150.00

All eight items are 4to, 1 p, and good on lightly aged paper. Seven items bearing the Society's stamp and four docketed. The correspondence concerns a talk given by Pearson to the Society, 'on the subject of the training of the soldiers blinded in the War'. On 19 October 1916 Pearson writes: 'I am a little afraid that I cannot properly carry out the suggestion you so kindly make. I am quite blind, and therefore am unable to read a paper.' The 'preparation of a formal paper' would 'demand more time than I am able to spare at present.

Autograph Letter Signed ('H. C. Colles') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Henry Cope Colles (1879-1943), music historian and critic of The Times of London [the British Red Cross; Royal Horse Artillery]
Publication details: 
11 November 1916; on letterhead of the R.A. Cadet School, Ordnance Road, St John's Wood, London N.W.
£38.00

12mo: 4 pp. On grey paper. Very good, with a small strip of discolouration over the Royal Artillery crest. Bearing the Society's stamp. He is glad that his 'article on the Red Cross' interested Wood: 'in other circumstances it would have given me much pleasure to follow up the article with an address to your Society on the subject', but 'the work of the Cadet school, which I entered a couple of months ago, takes up my entire time'.

One Autograph Letter Signed, one Typed Letter Signed, one Autograph Note Signed and one Typed Note Signed (all 'E. N. da C. Andrade'), to G. K. Menzies (3) and K. W. Luckhurst (1), Secretaries, Royal Society of Arts, with carbon of one reply.

Author: 
Professor Edward Neville da Costa Andrade (1887-1971), English physicist, poet and historian of science
Publication details: 
1931, 1932, 1933 and 1948; the autograph letter on letterhead of 69 Exeter Road, London N.W.2, and the other three items on University College, University of London letterheads.
£120.00

All items good. Two bearing the Society's stamp. Item One (typed note, 15 October 1931, 4to, 1 p): He is sending 'short summaries of the two lectures, in a form which I prefer to mere headings'. Item Two (autograph letter, 17 January 1932, 8vo, 1 p): He is sending 'summaries of the two lectures'. 'As you seemed in a hurry I have not waited to have them typed. I think that they are legible, but I will look at a proof if you like.' He has left it to Menzies 'to add any preliminaries or conclusions that may be necessary'.

Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Paul Vinogradoff') and two Typed Letters Signed ('P. Vinogradoff') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Paul Gavrilovitch Vinogradoff [Pavel Gavriilovich Vinogradov] (1854-1925), Anglo-Russian historian and jurist
Publication details: 
Typed Letters, 24 September and 2 October 1915, both from Court Place, Iffley, Oxford; Autograph Letters, 13 February and 12 March 1924, both on letterhead of 36 Beaumont Street, Oxford.
£128.00

All items very good. The typed letters are both 4to, 1 p, and the autograph letters both 12mo, 1 p. Three items bear the Society's stamp. Letter One (typed, 24 September 1915, 10 lines): He will have 'great pleasure in addressing the Society of Arts', but there is 'one point which must be settled carefully beforehand'.

Typed Letter Signed ('E. Ashworth Underwood') to 'The Editor, Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, John Street, Adelphi, London, W.C.2.'

Author: 
Edgar Ashworth Underwood (1899-1980), Director, The Wellcome Historical Medical Museum
Publication details: 
8 June 1949; on letterhead of The Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, 28, Portman Square, London, W.1.
£56.00

4to: 1 p. Very good. 18 lines. Concerns a 'lecture by Dr. D. A. Allan' (Douglas Alexander Allan, writer of several works on museums and exhibitions). 'It is very regrettable that Dr. Allan made the statements which he did without confirmation. They were completely erroneous and on the day following he called here and expressed his regrets at the incident. He has now full particulars in skeleton form regarding the activities of this Museum'.

Autograph Letter Signed to Sir Henry Trueman Wood, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Frank Cundall (1858-1937), English author, Secretary and Librarian to the Institute of Jamaica
Publication details: 
20 Feb 1916; on letterhead of the Institute of Jamaica.
£38.00

4to: 2 pp. Sixteen lines. Good, on lightly aged paper. Thanking Wood for his 'kindly notice of "Historic Jamaica"'. He hopes 'the good people of Jamaica will appreciate the book in time - I spoilt my 1914 holiday to produce it'. Wishes Wood could 'come out to Jamaica in these days of motor cars'. Cars 'make seeing the country very easy - the only drawback is that one goes too fast for seeing the country well'. The 'Examiner for the <?> Board' ('this year it is to be Dr Lloyd') is coming to the island the following month. 'I usually go with the Examiner, to keep him happy!

One Typed Letter Signed and two Typed Notes Signed (all 'Hanns Vischer'), to W. Perry, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Author: 
Sir Hanns Vischer (1876-1945), Anglo-Swiss educationist and linguist, Honorary Secretary General of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures
Publication details: 
1928 (2) and 1930 (1); one on embossed Colonial Office letterhead and two on letterhead of the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures.
£85.00

All three items very good, and the first bearing the Society's stamp. Item One (15 June 1928, foolscap, 1 p, 12 lines): He has received a notice of a meeting by 'the Dominions and Colonies Section Committee' and asks Perry to 'please explain the position to me'. 'I am not quite clear why I am being asked as I cannot remember ever having been put on this Committee. True, Sir Humphrey Leggett suggested over a year ago that I should join the Society again as he thought I might be of some use to your Committee.

Autograph Note Signed ('Anneliese'), to 'liebe Liesel', on reverse of photographic portrait postcard.

Author: 
Anneliese Rothenberger (born 1924), German operatic lyric soprano
Publication details: 
1956
£28.00

Dimensions roughly 14 x 9 cm. Very good. The photograph, captioned 'Anneliese Rothenberger', is a head and shoulders shot of a smiling Rothenberger. The note on the reverse, in green ink, reads 'dir, liebe Liesel, alles ! | diese | [signed] Anneliese | 1956'.

Autograph Note, third person, starting "Ch. Michelot", to [Aime Andre, bookseller]. In French.

Author: 
Ch[arles] [Auguste-Charles-Jean?] Michelot, geographer.
Publication details: 
No place, [?] 1827.
£38.00

One page, 8vo, dulled but text clear and complete. Name and address of the bookseller on bifolium, missing a corner, not affecting text. "Ch. Michelot prie M. Aime Andre de lui envoyer le plutot possible [underlined] 1 [nouvel?] exemplaire du dictionnaire geographique Mac carthy".

Autograph Letter Signed "C Cahier" to an auctioneer "Chaumette des fosses, chez M. Labitte . . ."). In French (En Francais).

Author: 
Charles Cahier, "French iconographer of medieval sculpture and decorative arts" (1807-82).
Publication details: 
No place, 22 October [no year given].
£86.00

He describes how he came to find a book which he desperately needs for his studies or "travaux du moment" ("vitraux"; stained glass) in an auction catalogue. He gives details of the book ("D, del Corro, Dissertation theol.", etc). He would like to buy it for 5 francs before the auction (taking place on 17 November). He makes another request on behalf of M. Vermeil.

Autograph Note Signed "Lapie" to "Monsieur Andre Libraire a Paris". In French.

Author: 
Pierre Lapie, sometime "Premier geographe du Roi", mapmaker.
Publication details: 
Paris, 12 December 1826.
£66.00

One page, 8vo, minor stains, good condition, text clear and complete. He explains the arrangement that was made for him to get a copy of a book ("la geographe de Mr. Mattebrun" on the account of M. Buisson). He asks for the volume to be consigned to the "porteur" with a second copy to which he has subscribed.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Rennell Rodd') to Harold Crawford (b.1888), son of Harold Marion-Crawford (d.1909).

Author: 
James Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell (1858-1941), British diplomat and classical scholar
Publication details: 
20 February [1902], on embossed letterhead of the British Embassy, Rome.
£38.00

12mo: 2 pp. Eleven lines of text. Very good. Having just received it from London, Rodd is sending Crawford the book he could not get in Rome which he wanted to send him as a birthday present. 'It is written by a great friend of mine who knows better than any one the history of the first voyages to America and the discovery of the Great Southern Sea. I think you will like it.' In an envelope, on aged paper, with postmarks and Italian postage stamp. Addressed to 'Harold Crawford, Villa Crawford, St Agnello di Sorrento'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('E: Lynn Linton') to 'Miss Shapland'.

Author: 
Elizabeth [Eliza] Lynn Linton (1822-1898), Victorian writer
Publication details: 
Thursday' [no date]; on letterhead of Brougham House, Malvern.
£45.00

12mo: 3 pp. 26 lines of text. Good, on lightly creased and aged paper. Chatty, apologetic letter. She thanks her for her invitation for the following day but she is already engaged. Unclear reference to 'Sir Boyle Roche's bird'. She would like to see her again, but 'I dare not make any engagements now, The weather is now my jailer'. She has to go to Malvern one day the following week. Suggests other possibilities. She may have to 'take my chance of finding you at home'. She was 'sorry to miss you when you were away & I called'.

Autograph Letter, incomplete, no signature page, to an unknown correspondent.

Author: 
[Alaric Watts]
Publication details: 
351 Strand, Saturday, no date.
£100.00

Four pages, 8vo, creased and somewhat soiled, small closed tears, soiled, remnants of laying down, mainly good. An interesting but puzzling letter (partly because incomplete). "I thank you for your note. I should have called yesterday had I not known from experience that Todays & Saturdays are busy days [for periodical publishers?]. I will do so on Monday. / The 'Spottiswoode Gang" charge me with [exposing?] their Coryphaeus in your journal. When I do take him in hand it shall be to some purpose. So even as the V.C.

Autograph Signature ('John Hullah.').

Author: 
John Hullah [John Pyke Hullah (1812-1884), Worcester-born English composer and teacher of music, who wrote an opera to words by Charles Dickens]
Publication details: 
Place and date not stated. [Parkins & Gotto, London.]
£20.00

On a piece of paper roughly 3.5 x 9 cm, with embossed details of stationers. Good, with tiny crease to one corner. A clear signature, in pencil.

Autograph Signatures ('Laurence Olivier' and 'Gladys Cooper').

Author: 
Laurence Olivier (1907-1989), English stage and film actor; Gladys Cooper (1888-1971), English actress
Olivier
Publication details: 
Dates and places not stated.
£48.00
Olivier

On piece of cream paper, roughly 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Good, on paper with a few light marks. Bold, firm signatures in pencil, one on each side of the leaf. Two signatures,

Autograph Signature ('J B. Hobbs.').

Author: 
Jack Hobbs [Sir John Berry Hobbs, 1882-1963], English cricketer
Hobbs
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£18.00
Hobbs

On piece of paper roughly 2.5 x 5 cm. Laid down on leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, from an autograph album. In slightly faded blue ink, and with a crease to the bottom left-hand corner, affecting the lower loop of the 'J'.

Autograph Signature ('George Robey.').

Author: 
George Robey (George Edward Wade, 1869-1954), British music hall star
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£28.00

On a leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, part of a bifolium taken from an autograph album. Very good.

Autograph Card Signed and Autograph Note Signed (both 'Margot Asquith'), both in French, to unnamed male correspondent ['Cher trest Cher Coq'].

Author: 
Margot Asquith [nee Margot Emma Alice Tennant], Countess of Oxford and Asquith (1864-1945)
Publication details: 
Card 1 July and Note 3 July [both no year, but before 1919]; both with printed address '20 Cavendish Square, W. [London]'.
£76.00

Dimensions of card roughly 8 x 12 cm. Very good though lightly aged. Asking her correspondent to dinner in the following week. Note, addressed to 'Cher tres Cher Coq', on one side of 8vo grey paper. Very good, though lightly creased. She will be 'enchante de vous voir chez moi' on Wednesday [6 July] at 1 o'clock. Both items written before the Asquiths 1919 move from Cavendish Square to 44 Bedford Square. Two items,

Autograph Note Signed ('J. J Stewart Perowne') to 'Mr Lewis'.

Author: 
John James Stewart Perowne (1823-1904), Bishop of Worcester
Publication details: 
9 March 1882; on government letterhead embossed with royal crest.
£28.00

12mo: 2 pp. On first leaf of bifolium. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with dogeared corners. Nine lines of text. The 'man for your purpose' is 'Mr G. Gray, the Diocesan Registry Peterboro''. 'He is intelligent & will do the work well I doubt not on receiving your instructions.' Loosely inserted is a leaf carrying biographical information in a contemporary hand.

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Maurice Chevalier (1888-1972), French actor and entertainer
Chevalier
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£35.00
Chevalier

On piece of pink paper roughly 8.5 x 11 cm. Laid down on slightly larger leaf from an autograph album. Good with a little paper and glue staining to the mount. Good bold signature, diagonally across the page.

Autograph Signatures ('Gertrude Lawrence.', 'Ivy St. Helier' and 'Joyce Carey').

Author: 
Gertrude Lawrence (1898-1952), Ivy St Helier (1886-1971); Joyce Carey (1898-1993); English actresses associated with Noel Coward
Publication details: 
Dates and places not stated.
£45.00

On a leaf of cream paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, part of a bifolium taken from an autograph album. Very good. All three signatures are bold and clear. The signatures of Lawrence and St Helier are on one side of the leaf, and that of Carey is on the other. Lawrence's signature is in ink, and the other two in pencil. Three signatures,

Autograph Signature.

Author: 
Noel Coward (Sir Noel Pierce Coward, 1899-1973), English actor, playwright and song writer
Coward
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated.
£35.00
Coward

On leaf of light blue paper, 8.5 x 12 cm, removed from an autograph album. Very good.

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