MUSEUM

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tear and tape stain at head. Reads: 'British Museum | Sept. 12. 1842 | My dear Sir | I was not at home when Mr Justice Norton presented your Note of recommendation to our Reading Room. I lose no time in enclosing a Card for him, with our Regulations. | Yours very truly | Henry Ellis'.

Five items. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. ONE: Three Autograph Letters Signed (all 'E. L. Pollock') to W. H. Prince. A total of 6pp. The writer, 'Miss E. L. Pollock', is Benjamin Pollock's daughter Louise, who with her sister Selina managed the shop after his death. All three letters are written in 1944, the year in which the sisters sold the stock to the bookseller Alan Keen. The letters respond to enquiries regarding the stock, and one (12 May 1944) includes an itemised bill of twelve items 'Bought of Pollock's late B Pollock | 73. Hoxton St. London.

The six letters in good condition, lightly aged and worn. The first five on grey paper, the sixth on white paper with mourning border. The first letter (25 September 1913) reads: 'Your letter in yesterday's "Morning Post" reminded me of your fine book on Handel. I read it on its publication, and it is always close at hand as I write in my study. But, alas, I am in my 83rd year and my memory is not what it was. I ought to have looked at what you said before writing to the M. P. In any case, I thank you for taking part in the fray, which I think is not being quite fairly fought.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to Allchin at 5 Chandos Street, W. He asks him whether it would be 'convenient to you to come across today to see my Son who has a swelled face, & whose mother thinks he is not in a condition to go outside the house'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. He wishes to explain the '2. things' he forgot in closing his letter of the day before: '1st. to mention that I enclosed a Cheque for £10 . 10s . 0d. in aid of yr. Fund for sending Poole Fishermen to see the Fisheries' Exhibition in London - & next that at the above Address I shd. be glad to receive the acknowledgment of my Cheque.' Pencil note in a contemporary hand at foot of last page: '2nd. Husband of Sir John Guests widow. (Sir J. G.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged, but with central spike hole through both leaves, from which a horizontal closed tear has been made through the fore-edges (not affecting signature or its immediate surrounds). The note is hurried, and reads: 'I find that we have the New Testament of 1538. I will therefore return your copies at once if you will be so good as to say by what mode they shall be forwarded to you.'

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with the blank second leaf tipped-in onto a leaf from an album. His only excuse for 'the long delay' is 'that all my time has been occupied in taking stock, which necessarily has been a most irksome job'. It will be the following month before he can 'put forth an appendix to my Catalogue, as it will be necessary for me to wait the coming event of something, that I may, or may not be engaged in.' He will have time 'to consider & reconsider' Huggins's 'advertisement'.

2pp., 4to. He begins by reminding Duncan that he recently wrote to him, 'in reply to your letter on the subject of your book respecting Portugal'. That letter was directed to Oxford, but as Disney has not heard from Duncan since, he wonders whether it might have miscarried. He is now writing to remind Duncan of his 'kind expressions in my behalf as a candidate on the list at the Athenaeum'.

1p., 12mo. Heavily aged and worn, with closed tear along fold line at head, and remains of mount on reverse. Horner's note, on the upper part of the paper, reads: 'Dear Sir | Be so good as admit Mr Phillips to the privileges of the Reading Room at the British Museum - | Yours faithfully | Leonard Horner | University of London | 11 Feby 1830'. Beneath this Ellis has written: 'My Dear Sir | Mr. Phillips can be admitted at the Age of Eighteen, but is not eligible for our Reading Room at present | Ever faithfully Yours | H. Ellis | L. Horner Esqr'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with unobtrusive traces of stub. The letter begins: 'Vixere fortes antes Agamemnona, all the Earls of Derby have of late been Edwards, in 1828 the Earl of Derby was the grandfather of the present one – I have known him – the great cockfighter – and husband of Miss Farren.' He asks him not to forget to send 'the book of diplomatic sports': he is leaving for the continent the following Saturday, but will not fail to return it.

On 10 x 11.5 cm piece of paper, cut down from a longer letter. Aged and worn, with traces of glue and grey paper mount adhering to the reverse, which is addressed by Elmes to Howard at the Royal Academy. Reads: 'I send with this one drawing for Exhibition with my name at the back of which the following is the description | "Design for a National Museum comprised in a space of two Acres | H. Lonsdale Hunter | 11 Park Street | Westminster'. Note: Perhaps he was quoting for St George's Hall(?).

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. With the Society's oval date stamp. He is sending as promised 'a note of the arrangements agreed upon between us at our interview to-day'. Undertaking to provide space at the Museum 'for the purpose of receiving, arranging for judgment, and re-despatching the designs submitted for the Owen Jones prizes for industrial design. The judging will be done by your nominees, and all correspondence in connection with the matter will be in your hands'.

Both items in fair condition, aged and worn. ONE: ALS. 28 September 1872. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. He is 'taking somewhat of a liberty', but having heard 'that you are parting with one of your Clerks', says 'a word in favour of a person in whom for many reasons I take a great interest, & of whom you & your Brothers may know something. | I mean Mr. Prothero for many years an Inmate of my House, & an Assistant Master in the School'. Prothero was 'for some years a Clerk in the County Court', but 'is obliged from paucity of business to leave it, & is now out of employment'.

Brown's collection of shells is now held by the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. The text of the letter is on the verso of the last leaf and recto of the first, with the central two pages each carrying a neat list, in double column, the first of 'Bivalves' and the second of 'Univalves'. Pinned at the head of the first page of the letter is an advertisement cut from a newspaper, reading: 'A DANISH COLLECTOR OF SHELLS | wishes to exchange Fine Specimens of Land and Freshwater Shells from Denmark, with Specimens from England and other places. Refer to DR. O. A. L.

Quarto. Pages [xvi] + 159 + [1]. Wraps lacking. Bound in worn and frayed black cloth. Loose, and on discoloured paper, with some leaves strengthened or repaired. A particular feature of the volume is that each of the more than eight hundred lots is neatly priced in manuscript, with many of the purchasers' names given. Ownership stamp of Newman & Newman Antiques, Beauchamp Place, London, on front free endpaper.

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with slight damage to corners from removal from mount. 20 lines of text. Regarding 'a Dr[af]t. on Snow & Co for twenty five pounds', he would 'willingly have put down the little trouble I had to the account of our mutual friendship in which I stand considerably your debtor but as you will have it otherwise I beg you will accept my sincere thanks for the inclosure, assuring you I consider it far beyond what I ought to have had'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He will have 'much pleasure in breaking our stones o'er again on Thursday', and will 'try & bring some sections with me - several specimens are in the lapidary's hands'. He ends by asking for confirmation of the hour at which he should call on him.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper, with traces of glue from mount at head of second page. Annotated at head in a contemporary hand. If mention of his name 'can in any way help you for the Welsh University or for any other post, by all means use it'. Regarding the 'next years cataloguing', plans are only in consideration, 'with the preparation of the estimates at end of the summer'. He explains that in the previous year these were 'framed by Dr. Smith', and that her application 'came just too late'.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. Addressed, with postmarks, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Nicholas Carlisle Esqr. | Society of Antiquaries Apartments | Somerset Place.' In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. He has received 'a Letter from Mr. Daniel Lysons 'respecting "some fragments of brass belonging to a sacrificial Vessel found near Chichester," which were entrusted by Mr. Dallaway to the care of Mr. S.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Dear Sir, | I am much obliged by your letter, and shall always be glad if you will point out unusual books. We have, however, both those which you mention, and must not buy duplicates.'

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. On two occasions, despite the urgings of his friends, he has declined to apply for 'the Curatorship at Sir John Soanes', but he has since 'thought my friends might be right, and that the appointment would afford means of study and relaxation'. He has been 'over worked lately', and is 'suffering from boils and nervous headaches, which came on the very day I had intended to leave for Paris and Berlin'.

Four 16mo letters, three of them of one page, and the other of two pages. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. In a crabbed hand. One addressed to 'J T Smith Esqre | British Museum', and another to 'J T Smith Esqre | 22 Carmarthen Street | an answer'. Little more than short notes. In one letter to J. T. Smith she asks him for 'Mr Vance's address, for a married gentleman', in the other she tells him that 'Mrs Martin of Liverpool, whose intimate friends are yours also, [...] wishes to be indebted to your obliging attention'.

In good condition, with stamp and postmarks. Addressed to 'Dr Rudolf [sic] Bergh | 6 Malmogade | Copenhagen | Denmark'. Reads: 'Dear Sir, | I have no record of any account of the soft parts of Amathina tricostata since the time of H. & A. Adams. I remember your visit to us many many years ago. With kind regards | Yours v. truly | Edgar A. Smith'.

The seven items in good condition, showing light signs of age and wear. Four signed 'Edgar A. Smith' and three 'E. A. Smith'. The letters totalling 10pp. A learned correspondence, with Smith attempting, not always successfully, to identify Lynge's specimens, passing comment and suggesting publications.

Four pages, 8vo, formerly bound into a publication (stabbing evident), sl. dulled and chipped, giving information about the Museum founded by Edward Donovan, and Donovan's publications. See Wikipedia for further information about the Museum, and an image of the first page of this item which they call a "catalogue"

American physician and explorer of Africa (1866-1939). The recipient (1830-1914) was Keeper of the Zoological Department at the British Museum, 1875-95, and Vice-President of the Royal Society, 1875-6. Two pages, 12mo. Very good, on slightly discoloured paper with a little light spotting. Traces of previous mount adhering to one edge. He is sending some 'spirit-specimens' from his collection and has written to Sir William Flower 'as to the disposition of the entire collection'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for 'the promptness with which you placed my request on behalf of Mr. Tennent before the Library Committee'. Tennent will himself thank Magrath 'for the obliging offer of the use of your private Room'. In another hand at bottom right: 'Librarian British Museum'.

Five items, in fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with slight rust staining from staple which held them together. Laver's two letters are both 2pp. long (one 8vo and one 12mo). The two relate to a collection of Dalziel wood-engravings, there being 'too many already in the Museum to justify our purchasing the collection in its entirety'. Laver suggests taking a selection of 100 engravings for £5, and with the second letter returns the residue, the price paid being £7 10s 0d. With Laver paying personally for two engravings damaged while in his care.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He informs him that 'the Duchess will be obliged to postpone her visit to The British Museum till next week', and asks what day would be convenient.

16pp., 4to. Unbound and unstitched pamphlet. On aged and worn paper. The first page has the Wesley stamp, and is headed 'Specimen Of First Seven Plates' It also carries nine lines describing the 'object of the author'. The seven plates are accompanied by captions, and there is also an explanation regarding them.