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Author, Title, Summary Price
Willie Smith (1886-1982), World Billiards Champion in 1920 and 1923, said to be 'the greatest all-round billiards player who ever lived', also snooker player who lost World Championship final in 1933

[Willie Smith, World Billiards Champion, 'the greatest all-round billiards player who ever lived'.] Autograph Signature ('Willie Smith') in response for autograph.

On 8 x 11 cm piece of card. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount on reverse. A good bold signature, clearly in response to a request for an autograph. Reads: 'Yours Truly | Willie Smith | 1 – 2 – 24'. Smith has made a short line under the date, but the signature is not...

£25.00
Christopher Fry (1907-2005), playwright [Oxford University Press]

[Christopher Fry: 'The Dark is Light Enough', Corrected Proofs.] Revise Proofs of the first edition of 'The Dark is Light Enough' (Oxford University Press), with Autograph Emendations.

103pp, 8vo. Revises of the text of the play (and not the prelims) in unbound signatures. In fair condition, lightly aged. Red ink stamp at foot of pp.1 and 40: '15 APR 1954 | REVISE'. Numerous autograph emendations, nearly all minor and relating to accidentals, but with five verbal changes, of...

£350.00
Christopher Fry (1907-2005), playwright and poet, noted for his verse dramas, author of 'The Lady's Not for Burning'

[Christopher Fry, 1930s pantomime (author's first book?) by the writer of 'The Lady's Not for Burning'.] Printed play text: 'The Sleeping Beauty | A Pantomime | by | Christopher Fry.'

Possibly the author's first book (see below), from the Christopher Fry papers (despite the ownership inscription). 54pp, 12mo. Stapled into green printed wraps (title and words '(ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)'). Tiny ownership signature in initials ('R. G.') in top right-hand corner of title-page. No...

£250.00
Christopher Fry (1907-2005), playwright and poet, noted for his verse dramas, author of 'The Lady's Not for Burning'

[Christopher Fry, dramatist and poet.] "Thor with Angels" Copy of the 'Acting Edition for the Festival of the Friends of Canterbury Cathedral 1948', with anonymous manuscript copy letter, in two hands, of a rebuttal of a critical review in The Times.

From the Christopher Fry papers. PLAY: [1] + 47pp, 12mo. Stapled into buff wraps printed in red, including the statement that it is the 'Friends of Canterbury Cathedral Edition'. In fair condition, lightly aged, in worn wraps, with a trace of rust to staples. This edition of the play (the first...

£180.00
J. B. Rondeau [John Burton Rondeau] (1825-1862) of Salford, book collector [James Crossley; Cheetham's Library, Manchester; Bindon Blood; Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe; Bernard Quaritch, bookseller]

[John Burton Rondeau of Salford, Manchester book collector.] Autograph Letter Signed ('J B Rondeau') to a bookseller, explaining how he made purchases from the Bindon Blood and Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe collections.

2pp, 16mo. Bifolium with mourning border. Heavily aged, worn and creased, with traces of paper from mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. There is no salutation. The letter begins: 'It is impossible to make the best selection, out of 11 vols which I gave Quaritch, £8. for, from the...

£45.00
Lady Bulwer Lytton [Rosina Bulwer Lytton, née Rosina Doyle Wheeler] (1802-1882), Anglo-Irish novelist, wife of Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton [Lord Lytton]

[Lady Bulwer Lytton [Rosina Bulwer Lytton], Anglo-Irish novelist, wife of Lord Lytton.] Autograph Letter in third person to 'The Editor of “The Lady's Newspaper”' [Ebenezer Landells?], sending him a letter to read over, and referring to a 'Champion'.

4pp, 16mo. Bifolium. Forty-two lines of text. Letterhead of family crest in gold and red. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of white paper mount adhering to last page. Three fold lines. The editor's 'obliging Note' affords her 'sincere pleasure to have the opportunity of expressing...

£180.00
Patsy Hendren [Elias Henry Hendren] (1889-1962), noted Middlesex and England cricketer, prolific batsman, friend of Jack Hobbs

[Patsy Hendren, Middlesex and England cricketer.] Autograph Signature ('E. Patsy. Hendren.') on card in response to request for autograph.

On 5 x 9 cm card. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of glue from mount on reverse. The only writing on the card is the good firm signature 'E. Patsy. Hendren.', which is underlined twice with two short lines. At bottom right, in pencil, in a tiny hand: '1920'.

 £25.00
Christopher Fry (1907-2005), playwright [Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953; Laurence Olivier; Rank Organisation, London]

[Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953.] Typed and Autograph Drafts by playwright Christopher Fry, of prose and poetry for his screenplay of the documentary film 'A Queen Is Crowned'.

Seven items from the Christopher Fry papers, relating to the film 'A Queen Is Crowned', which was a British box office hit in coronation year, and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. At the time of writing Fry was at the height of his popularity: around this time he had four...

£350.00
'Chas. T. Jacobi, Managing Partner of the Chiswick Press' [Charles Whittingham and Co., London publishers and printers]

[Chiswick Press, London.] Small printed pamphlet: 'A List of Typographical and Bibliographical Works by Chas. T. Jacobi | Managing Partner of the Chiswick Press'.

[16]pp, 16mo (11.5 x 7.5 cm). Stitched unpaginated pamphlet, tastefully printed with decorative headpiece to title, and the Press's celebrated device to the colophon. A frail survival, aged, worn and spotted, with one corner of last leaf dogeared. At foot of title-page: 'Any volume will be sent...

£120.00
Sir Oliver Lodge [Oliver Joseph Lodge] (1851-1940), physicist and inventor in the field of radio, and Christian Spiritualist

[Sir Oliver Lodge, physicist, inventor and spiritualist.] Autograph Signature ('Oliver Lodge') for autograph collector.

The signature 'Oliver Lodge' is firmly written in the bottom of three rectangular panels printed in red, with no other writing on the page, on one side of a 12mo leaf removed from 'The Meredith Birthday Book', the other side featuring quotations from the novelist for 13 to 15 June. In good...

£23.00
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