&

The Patent Office - now the Intellectual Property Office - was established by the Patent Law Amendment Act of 1852, which simplified the procedure for obtaining patents of invention and reduced costs. In 1883 another Act of Parliament brought into being the office of Comptroller General of Patents, with, according to the National Archives, 'a staff of patent examiners to carry out a limited form of examination; mainly to ensure that the specification described the invention properly, but without any investigation into novelty'.

The letter is 2pp., 8vo, and the order form 1p., 8vo. In good condition, on aged and worn paper. A skilful facsimile: Bacon has even included an interpolation on the first page to make it look more like an authentic letter.

Both the engraving and the letter are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. ENGRAVING: Dimensions of image: 5.5 x 9 cm. Dimensions of paper: 12 x 18 cm. In black ink. The coffee house, with signage, is shown behind an old stone wall, in front of a country house. It is built like a barn with a taller structure beside it (possibly a reading room). LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium.

8pp., 4to. With illustrations of some covers. Unbound. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Begins with L. Leslie Brooke's 'Nursery Rhymes', 'The daintiest edition of the classic rhymes of childhood' ('This line will prove the exceptional merit of the higher-class books for children of entirely British production now being issued. ver 20,000 volumes have been subscribed on publication.' Two pages advertise 'Lawson Wood's Picture Books'.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. A long list, giving titles and published price. In columns headed 'ALL BOOKS are supplied on usual Trade Terms, as per our Wholesale Catalogue'. Includes two series of 'The Peter Rabbit Books', and 'PETER RABBIT'S SHOW CASE. Only supplied fitted with 49 1/2 net Books, and 1 2/6 net book. Trade Price with Contents, £2 7s. 3d.' Also 'The "Mr" Books' in four 'Styles', and works by Greenaway, Caldecott and Walter Crane.

Printed in black on one side of an 8.5 x 13.5 cm piece of blue paper. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with minor creasing to corners. Formerly an insert into a book, a nice piece of ephemera relating to one of the greatest English novels of the nineteenth century. 'Middlemarch' was first published in eight installments between 1871 and 1873, before its first complete publication in book form in 1874. No other copy of this item traced on either OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

24pp., 12mo. Yapp-bound in brown-paper printed wraps. Stapled. Very good. Printed in brown ink on glossy paper, with one book per page, each with an illustration of the cover. Begins with 'The Wonder Book | (Fourteenth Year of Issue.)' and ends with 'Animals All | By Ellen Velvin'. Includes four works illustrated by Margaret W. Tarrant, including 'Alices Adventures in Wonderland'. Scarce: no copies traced, either on COPAC or on OCLC WorldCat.

8pp., 4to. Illustrations of covers on every page. Stapled. In good condition, on aged paper, with rusted staples. The cover (with a central photograph depicting the covers of eight titles) is headed: 'Order Form. | A New Series of Children's Toy Books. | The Publishers offer in this new series one of the most striking and original Coloured Toy Books ever published. They will please little children. | These Toy Books will command an immediate sale in any part of the country. They are not expensive.' In right-hand margin of cover: 'A Selection of 49 Titles'.

Both items in good condition, lightly-aged. ONE: 'Nisbet & Co., Ltd. Juvenile Order List'. 4pp., folio. Bifolium. Blue addendum slip tipped-in onto front cover. Divided into 18 sections, including 'The Schoolgirl Series', 'Little Picture Books' and 'The Dominion Library'. With a heavy emphasis on R. M. Ballantyne, with four sections titled: 'R. M. Ballantyne's Famous Stories for Boys | The Copyright Edition', 'R. M. Ballantyne's Tales of Adventure', 'R. M. Ballantyne's Stories | Crown 8vo' and 'R. M. Ballantyne's Stories | Crown 8vo. Picture Cover'.

[36]pp., 8vo. Stapled in red card wraps with circular cartridge design in silver. An attractive and glossy production, profusely illustrated. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with dink to spine. Section titles read: '"Who is this C. Eley?"'; 'The Brothers'; 'Together now for 40 years'; 'New Century, new problems'; 'Crisis and congratulations'; 'Pastures new'; 'War and Peace'; '"A policiy of enlightened self-interest"'; 'Eley at 150 years old'. From the papers of the noted gunsmith C.

15 x 21 cm print laid down on 17.5 x 23.5 cm piece of card. Faded and aged, with wear to extremities of card (not print) and staining to reverse. The men are posing in four rows, in front of a large window in a brick wall. They are hatless, and wear single-breasted jackets with seven gilt buttons at the front, with black belt and metal buckle. Four numbers embroidered on either side of collars. In the centre of the group is a sergeant. Most of the men sport moustaches, and many pomaded hair and centre partings. From the papers of the gunsmith C.

Charles Harry Lawrence (hereafter CHL) was perhaps the finest gunmaker of the twentieth century. At the age of 14 he joined James Purdey & Sons as an actioner's apprentice, and he remained with the firm for the rest of his life. For fifteen years, ending in 1970, he was the firm's managing director. He was twice (1954 and 1962) Master of the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers, and was Chairman of the Proof House Committee for 27 years from 1954. Having previously received an MBE for his war work, he was awarded an OBE in 1978.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Clearly referring to his edition of Charles Lamb's letters, he begins by explaining that the 'trouble is that the size of the books will be conditioned by the circumstance that ultimately they are to go into Everyman's Library'. Even before his 'visit to America', he had assembled 'more than 250 in excess of any current edition'.

On 6.75 x 10.25 cm card. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Crane's illustration is printed in gold, blue, red, pink and brown, with the caption at foot, encased in a characteristic decorative border reading 'MAY NEW YEAR BRING FROM LOVERS TRUE | LOTS OF VALENTINES FOR YOU!' A winged Cupid in doorway to the right, dressed in blue cap and suit with knickerbockers and red stockings, delivers letters to three girls and a baby in a bath chair. Outside the border, at foot: 'ENT STA HALL MARCUS WARD & CO.' Printed in lilac on reverse is the poem by 'W. J.

Taylor's collecting activities are described in his entry in the Oxford DNB. His collection was sold by his widow in 1912 for the massive sum of £358,500.3pp., folio. Bifolium. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Tastefully-printed billhead, as one might expect, in black and red, with royal crests, boasting that the firm are 'Printsellers by Appointment to her Majesty, | Their Royal Highnesses The Prince Consort, The Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Kent'. Also the text: 'Established 1760. | Half price allowed for packing cases if returned immediately'.

Eight witty and attractive caricatures, in a sub-Punch style. All eight in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Each in black ink on a separate piece of paper, five of them 33.5 x 21.5 cm, and three of them 21 x 17 cm. The context of the caricatures is at present obscure, but would undoubtedly make itself clear with specialist research. The five largest illustrations are: ONE: Caption: 'Please to remember | The twenty-seventh of November | The "Bilk-Powder" treason and plot'.

For more information on Common, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. Both items on aged and worn paper. ONE: Typed Letter Signed. 31 March 1900. 1p., 4to. 'I bought a gross of balls of Hunter and paid for them on the understanding that I should take them as I wanted them'. He has a rough idea how many he has had, and will be 'able to say exactly when I look in my locker'. He ends by asking the firm to refer to Hunter's books regarding the matter. TWO: Typed Receipt, signed by Common over two red Inland Revenue penny stamps. 12 May 1900. 1p., 4to. 'Received of Messrs Emmerson & Co.

All five items rolled up. ONE: Cloth-backed map. Title in large coloured fancy letters at head: 'PLAN OF TREVAUNANCE COOMBE'. Dimensions: 99 x 353 cm (3 1/4 feet x 11 1/2 feet). 'Scale | 4 FATHOMS TO 1 INCH'. Oval stamp of Henderson & Son, Civil Engineers, Truro, in bottom right-hand corner, with manuscript date 31 March 1885. Drawn in black ink, and coloured in blue, grey, brown and red. In fair condition, aged and worn. Striking and attractive, with neat lettering, fancy compass (with projected line marked 'MAGNETIC | 1881'), and ruled border with decorative corners.

Around 190 items, fifteen of them loosely inserted. (The firm was already a century old at the time this material was assembled, boasting that it was 'established the year after Waterloo', 1816.) Contained within a sturdy album of grey paper (dimensions 48.5 x 33.5 cm.), stitched with string into covers with brown cloth spine. Label on front cover: 'ADVERTISEMENT FILE. | CHAS. THURNAM & SONS.' In manuscript on label: 'OLD MATTER | NOT TO BE DESTROYED'.

1p., narrow 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He explains that he has 'not written since my Vol in 1920 any Book on Le Blond except the one just published of which I enclose the Prospectus & do not contemplate any other'. He points out the differences between the two volumes and ends with an offer of help.

2pp., 4to. Carbon. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Begins: 'The third of a series of lectures arranged by the Norwich Printers' Joint Industrial Council was held at the Norwich Central Public Library on March 19, when the City Librarian (Mr. Geo A. Stephen, the author of "Commercial Bookbinding" and other works) gave a lecture on "The Making of a Modern Book". The lecture was illustrated by about a hundred lantern slides and exhibits. [...] Mr. F.S.

1p., small 4to. In fair condition, on aged paper, with spike hole (not affecting text). Listing seventeen newspapers, from 'The Times' to 'Drakard's paper', with note running up the right-hand margin: 'The Papers Mr Owens Pamphlet is to go'. Addressed on reverse to 'Robert Owen, Esqr.' From the archives of Cadell & Davies, publishers in 1813 of Owen's 'New View of Society'.

The collection of sixteen items is in good overall condition, on aged and worn paper. Includes: two lists of 'Messrs. Methuen's Sixpenny Books', one of them dated to 1908; lists for 1912, 1915, 1924 (two), 1934 (two: novels and 'new books'), 1939 (two: one in red of novels, and the other in blue of non-fiction). Also advertisements for: 'The Illustrated Pocket Library of Plain and Coloured Books'; 'The Heather Moon' by C. N. and A. M.

The collection in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. The catalogue stitched and in wraps; the other eight items with rusted staples, and unbound. Items One and Two: Copies of the 'Book Gazette' (both 32pp., small 4to), numbered 8 (October 1896) and 16 (September 1901), and containing Announcements, Literary Notes, and extracts from publications. Items Three to Eight: Six copies of 'Methuen's Monthly Bulletin'. All 8vo, and ranging in length from 20 to 32pp. The earliest of the six (July 1904) with announcement on front cover: 'Messrs.

Both sets of proofs unstitched and unopened (and both opening out into a folio sheet), and both with title-pages printed in red and black. Both in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, and both stamped on first page 'PLEASE PASS FOR PRESS | MARGINS' in blue, with purple oval dated printers' stamp. FIRST SET: 16pp., 8vo, paginated to xvi. Title: 'THE WORKS OF MR. FRANCIS | RABELAIS | [...] | Illustrated by W. HEATH ROBINSON | The Second Part'. Publishers' details at foot on pasted label at foot of title-page: 'MCMLIV | THE NAVARRE SOCIETY LONDON'.

24pp., 8vo. In good condition, lightly-aged, no wraps, disbound. Copies in copyroight libraries. None on market currently.

[1] + 10pp., crown 8vo. Held together with a metal stud, and placed in a brown card folder, with typed title on front cover. In good condition, with light signs of age and wear. Professionally presented, with the text typed out in columns and the sums and running totals written out in manuscript. An estimate, with costings for a large number of itemised elements, ranging from 'temporary lavatory accommodation for the workmen for all trades' to 'the removal of trees or shrubs as required, and grub up the roots - The timber will belong to the Contractor - and he must here allow for same'.

Each document with a substantial number of typed itemised entries, with each item costed in manuscript, and manuscript totals. ONE: Headed 'WINDEREMERE POLICE STATION. | Bills of Quantities for Scheme | Submitted by W. L. Dolman F.R.I.B.A. Winderemere. | May 1925. | Excavator, Drainlayer, Waller & Slater.' 5pp., crown 8vo. In fair condition, aged and worn, with rust-spotting from staple. Entries range from '24" wall next Lake Road of Langdale Rag Stone with selected stones for facing in mortar & including footings' to 'In stone walls girth of Main Quoins included.

xxi + 79 + [1] + 2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, no wraps, disbound. Ends with two pages of 'Works published by Emily Faithfull and Co., Victoria Press, 9, Great Coram Street, W.C. | Agent: - John F. Shaw & Son, 48, Paternoster Row, E.C.' No copies of the previous two editions traced. Three copies of this third edition on COPAC. No copy on market currently.

27pp., 8vo. In good condition, lightly-aged, no wraps, disbound. Several copies on CoOPAC, none of this first edition on the market currently.