ASHTON

1p., 4to. On lightly aged and creased paper. Ashton has made two emendations in manuscript: 'Dear Sir' is changed to 'My dear Ernest', and 'Yours faithfully' to 'Yours ever'. The letter reads: 'I beg to offer you our sincere thanks for the gift of a design for La Bohème, Act II, by Hans Strohbach, which we have much pleasure in accepting for inclusion in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum.'

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Forty-nine lines of text, clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In a neat, childish hand. Begins by asking for ten pounds to be paid to the bearer, Thomas Fairfax Carlile, on Hey's account. A 'hand bill' has been 'published on the occasion - but without effect', and fifteen of his 'near neighbours' have - 'without consulting me' - subscribed ten pounds each. 'A man was apprehended - but for want of sufficient evidence he was liberated to appear before the magistrate when called for, upon penalty of 40£.

4to (22.5 x 19), 2 pp. Text complete in forty-three lines. On aged and stained paper, with wear and closed tears to extremities. The first three lines are 'This is the Bridge that was blown into air. | These are the Miners who had the care | Of mining the Bridge that was blown into air'. Three corrections in the same hand. The poem was printed in the Morning Chronicle, 24 November 1813, under the title 'Buonaparte's Bridge', and reprinted in 'The Spirit of the Public Journals for 1813', that version containing a couple of minor variations [authorial?] from the present text. A. M.

Undated. Dusty, but veryy good, on black vinyl with yellow label and triangular insert. In lightly worn, creased and grubby original sleeve printed in green and yellow, carrying a lengthy note by G. J. Ashton, beginning 'On this record you can hear parts of an actual sale of tobacco held on the floor of Tobacco Auctions Ltd., Salisbury, introduced by BOB CAGE. Mr. Cage, a native of Halifax, Virginia, has been auctioneering tobacco for over fifteen years in the United States and Rhodesia.

Director (1897-1983) and Secretary, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1945-55. Both items one page, quarto. Both in very good condition. Typed letter bearing R.S.A. stamp. Both items concerning a projected lecture. TYPED LETTER: Perry will have a typescript by the end of the month, 'but as a good dea of my lecture is extempore you may find it rather shorter than you had anticipated. The written part will be roughly two thousand words.' Signed Leigh Ashton'. AUTOGRAPH LETTER: Perry will 'have to be content with the length of M.S. I send in. It may possibly run to 3000 but not more.