AUTOGRAPH

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) The Clan Chattan Association is a confederation of highland clans. 2pp, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged, with slight creasing to one corner, and rust staining from paperclip. Folded twice for postage. Addressed to MP’s London address in Coventry Street. ‘I’ve heard about your James MacQueen. His name appears in quite a few locally published papers &c. on Culloden. His new teeth are quite famous up here.’ He accepts the proposal for an article: ‘if you could go to 900-1000 words I’d be happy’.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) Both items in fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Pinned together. ONE: DM to MP. Signed ‘Mollie and Donovan Maule. / (Mollie Shiells)’, but the husband is clearly the author. 1p, 4to. Folded twice for postage. He thanks him for his ‘inspiring book’ on the Haymarket Theatre. ‘My wife and I (both ex-Haymarket artists) feel inseminated ith fresh optimism and jope while battling with the municipal authorities and Kenya Government to establish the first professional theatre ever known here.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry and that of her father in the Oxford DNB.) 6pp, the first four on two 4to leaves, the last two on a 12mo leaf. Signed ‘E. Winnie Parsons / nee / Winnie Burnand’. In fair condition, lightly aged and with some creasing, particularly to the last (12mo) leaf. Slight rust staining from paperclip. A delightful letter, written in a strong and energetic hand, with various words underlined in red pencil for emphasis. She is staying with Desmond Lysart, ‘who in his lovely study has all your delightful books’, and they are both great admirers of MP.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) Letter: 1p, 4to. On cream paper. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice for postage. The letterhead, headed ‘”The Meaning of Versatility” / Fred Lewis / Creating a good impression.’, has an illustration of a series of footprints up the left margin, some with faces in them, and such slogans as ‘Mirthful Medleys’ and ‘Brilliant Burlesque’. The feet creating these ‘impressions’ are disappearing at the head of the page.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 2pp, foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with creasing at head, which is annotated by MP ‘(author)’. After thanking him for his letter he writes: ‘It is fatal to have a book published without seeing a proof. In my “G[ilbert] & S[ullivan] Dictionary” I had occasion to mention “The Yeomen of the Guard” 14 times. The comp[ositor], aided by the reader, deliberately channged them to “Yeoman”.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) The subject of MP’s article is the press agent and publicist Guido Orlando who came to the United States from Italy with his family in 1917. (MP may have come into contact with Orlando in his own position as press agent for Drury Lane and other theatres.) He was most active in Hollywood from the 1930s to 1960s. His papers are in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, 16mo. Signed ‘Bill Owen’. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Hailing him as ‘the greatest living authority on British Theatre’, he asks for advice. ‘My job is acting, and it has always been an ambition of mine to portray the life of Dan Leno, either on film or TV.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, 4to. On light-blue paper, with letterhead in dark-blue and red. Signed ‘Ralom’, with ‘RALOM & ROSA’ typed beneath. In good condition, lightly aged. Writing to MP at the Evening News, London. ‘There has [sic] been quite a few remarks passed by critics of the “paucity” of Acts in the Variety profession.

A unique and irreplaceable item in the field of women?s education: the earliest archives of the first institution in the world to award academic qualifications to women (or, as Mrs Alec Tweedie put it in 1898, ?The first College open to Women?), founded in 1848 by theologian and social reformer Frederick Denison Maurice. Consisting of around 340 different pieces of printed ephemera, dating from between 1853 and 1912. Laid down in a nineteenth-century album, with cloth spine and marbled boards, of 102pp, folio. Openings numbered 1-52, with leaf 43/44 lacking.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) Interesting London ephemera: the plans for the Refectory Club were clearly ambitious, but there is little to be gleaned about it, and it is unclear whether it even opened. Zinkeisen and her sister Dora are the subject of a 2022 monograph by Philip Kelleway, Emma Roodhouse and Nicola Evans. The four items in good condition, lightly aged, but with rust staining from a paperclip. Folded for postage. ONE: Typed Letter to MP, signed ‘D Mallett’ (but with ‘For Secretary’ typed beneath this). 1p, 4to.

From the papers of the evident recipient, theatre historian Walter James Macqueen-Pope. See his entry, and hers and her husband’s, in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Large bold signature ‘Sybil’. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded once for postage. The letter almost certainly relates to the unveiling ceremony of the Ivor Novello Memorial at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 2 May 1952. The bust, by Clemence Dane, was unveiled by Thorndike with the reading of a poem by Mary Ellis. The preent item reads: ‘My dear. Of course I[’]ll do anything you want me to do for our beloved Ivor.

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'.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Begins: ‘Dear Mac, Im going great and I dont use THE MIKE. I enclose Bill of Last Week / I first Worked 60 Years ago. Mac I want to get. to Broadcast. THIS. IS. Your. LIFE / I Started when I was 9 Year Old. Im now 82. Can anyone beat my Record.’ He gives details of booking at the ‘Metropoliton [sic] Music Hall Edgware Rd. I was first there. 1901. NOVEMBER 4 Weeks / Of cours [sic] I was There many Times. Mac you ought to try and get me on Television. or. Radio.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See MP’s entry and those of various members of the Harmsworth family in the Oxford DNB. The three items are in good condition, lightly aged, with the first with rust staining from paperclip, and all three folded twice. Each signed ‘Geoffrey Harmsworth’. ONE: 9 August 1951. 1p, 8v. He doubts whether MP will remember their previous meeting. He is ‘engaged on a full-length Life of Northcliffe’ (written with Reginald Pound, and appearing in 1959), and is having to do ‘much digging to find out information about the early days’.

One page, 12mo, fold mark, corner torn without loss of txt, minor staininggood condition. I beg you to thank the President and Vice President of the R Coll: of Surgeons for the honour they did me in asking me to dine with thenm on Feb./ 14, & to state that as I have only just returned from Egypt I was unable to accept the invitation [that?] awaited my arrival.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) 1p, 4to. Aged and creased, on discoloured high-acidity paper. Folded twice for postage, and with closed tear at head of vertical fold. Slight damage and rust staining from removal of staple. The letterhead incorporates two photographic portraits of Lauri, with press comment from ‘Everyone’s Magazine’ and career resume beginning: ‘Ernest Lauri / (The Singing Anzac) / STARRED IN AUSTRALIAN PICTURES / Versatile Vocalist and Monologist’. Macqueen-Pope is not named, but is presumably the recipient.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. Poke’s two letters are in good condition, lightly aged, the second with slight rust spotting from paperclip; the carbons of MP’s letters to Poke on aged, worn and discoloured cartridge paper. ONE: Poke to MP, 12 March 1951. 3pp, small 4to.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers, and evidently received by him. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) Of Dunn an online source states: ‘On the 10th of November 1917, the Stage Gossip feature in the Yorkshire Evening Post recounted the career of Finlay Dunn, a stage actor. According to the report, Dunn performed as what he refers to as a stand-up comedian.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry in the Oxford DNB.) For several decades Humphrey Joel was a leading British commercial photographer, providing the London magazines with scenic and architectural views. In 1914 he was described as the ‘Special Photographer to Fry's Magazine’. 2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. The letterhead incorporates a reproduction of a drawing of Dryden Cottage. Signed ‘Humphrey Joel’.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 4to. Sixty lines of text. Aged and worn, but entirely legible. Signed ‘H. F. Maltby’ and addressed to ‘My dear Pope’. Most of the letter concerns the tomb of ‘Maggoty’ Johnson: ‘I first met that interesting old gentleman over forty years ago, when I was playing at the Theatre Royal Macclesfield with the late Mrs Bandman-Palmer. It was my landlady who advised me to visit the tomb as one of the objects of interest in the place.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See his entry and hers in the Oxford DNB. Caird was Northcliffe’s right-hand man, and mainly associated with the Daily Mail. The four items are in fair condition, lightly aged and creased, with slight rust spotting from a paper clips. Items Two to Four are on carbon paper. ONE: ACS from Tutin to MP. Small unillustrated postcard, signed ‘Dorothy Tutin’. Reads: ‘I remember you very well - your fascinating letures at the Academy [i.e. London theatre school RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art] - and shall be very happy to meet you for this article.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The three items are in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. The first has slight wear to one edge, the second and third are pinned together. ONE: BA to MP, 10 January 1956. 1p, 4to. Folded for postage. Begins: ‘I wonder if I may introduce myself by means of the enclosed press notices? I am also noted in Whos Who in the Theatre and have letters of personal recommendation from Sir Desmond MacCarthy, Sir Beverley Baxter, J. C.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See both their entries in the Oxford DNB. The four items in good condition, lightly aged and creased, with slight spotting to one corner of Item. Folded for postage. ONE: ALS dated 28 December 1950. 2pp, 12mo. Before sending seasonal greetings she begins: ‘My dear Popie / I returned home to find your wonderful book waiting for me.

From the papers of W. Macqueen-Pope. See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. The National Portrait Gallery holds McBean’s portrait of MP, but not the present item, of which no other copy has been traced. 17.5 x 25 cm. In fair condition, with two corners dogeared; the reverse, carrying McBean’s stamp, is rather discoloured. Also on the reverse, in pencil is ‘Moya Macqueen-Pope’. Plain background.

Four pages, bifolium, with thin neat strip of windowpane mount at edges, good condition, large handwriting. The 'notice' of the death of George [Miles?] was sent to this office by the parish Constable, as is usual on such occasions. It also appeared that the Registrar had declined to register the death. The inquest was held because the child had died from a violent cause. About three months since the poor little fellow fell into a basion of boiling water.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See MP's entry in the Oxford DNB.) Nash made around 70 films between 1912 and 1927, and was a key figure in the creation of Elstree Studios. His career as a film maker was effectively ended following the screening of his 1921 film 'How Kitchener was betrayed'. See Bernard Ince, ' “For the Love of the Art”: The Life and Work of Percy Nash, Film Producer and Director of the Silent Era’, ‘Film History’, September 2007. Both items in good condition, lightly aged, each with light rust staining at one corner from paper clip. LETTER: 1p, 4to. Signed ‘Percy Nash’.

From the papers of W. J. Macqueen-Pope (see his entry in the Oxford DNB). Addressed in autograph to MP care of the BBC, and then forwarded to his office, 359 Strand. Pencil annotation by MP. On one side of an unillustrated postmarked printed British ‘Indian Postage’ air mail card with Indian postage stamp. In good condition, aged and lightly-worn. Also in Singh’s autograph is the salutation to ‘Dear Pope’ and the valediction ‘Your sincere / St Nihal Singh ST NIHAL SINGH’.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers (see his entry in the Oxford DNB). Merriman was accorded the honour of an episode of the BBC’s Desert Island Discs in 1964. 2pp, 12mo. Signed ‘Percy’ and addressed to ‘Dear Popie’. In good condition, lightly aged, with one dog-eared corner and folded twice for postage. Begins: ‘Am not of course seeking any publicity over your book on St. James Theatre [published in 1958] only wish I could help more. / You know of course Allan Ainsworth [sic, for ‘Aynesworth’] is alive the doyen of the Garrick Club! He played often with G[eorge]. A[lexander]. - in Pinero & Wilde.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition. Signed ‘Ralph’ and addressed to ‘Dear Popie’. It was ‘extremely good’, ‘and typical too’, of MP to write to him ‘about the new Award’. He is ‘at Newcastle now with the Val Parnell Summer Show and we ring up on Monday’. MP will know ‘what we shall be going through at the moment!’ He ends by thanking him ‘VERY [sic] much for writing’.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. Air Mail letter, 2pp, 4to, written within a few months of his death. With large signature ‘Matheson Lang’, and addressed to ‘My dear Pope’. Lightly-aged and worn, with slight damage from removal of postage stamp. Thirty-three lines of text, neatly-written and complete.