BACONIAN

Thompson was a well-known Boston astrologer in the early decades of the twentieth century, with a lucrative private practice and columns in the 'Ladies Home Journal' and the 'Boston Globe', the latter syndicated to nearly a hundred other American newspapers. In August 1933 she was unmasked as a fraud by a disgruntled secretary in an article in the 'Ladies Home Journal'. Seven items, in good condition, on paper with light signs of age. ONE: Typescript titled 'A Boston Woman Who Has Made Good | Catherine Howard Thompson'. Dated internally to 1916.

1p., on 11 x 9 cm card. Addressed on reverse 'To the Editor of The Book Buyer | c/o Messrs. C. Scribner's Sons | New York City | U.S.A.' With two postmarks. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, and postage stamp removed. Since posting a letter on the previous day, he has 'discovered another article satirising the Bacon-Shakespeare theory', as with the one 'in Macmillan', anonymous. It is titled 'Who wrote Dickens's Novels?', and appeared in the Cornhill Magazine, August 1888. 'The author humorously endeavours to prove that Gladstone wrote them!!'

Clarke is a forgotten Shakespeare editor, there being no reference to him (nor any copy of this item) on the COPAC or the Folger online catalogue. A bankrupt and bigamist (he was 'married' five times), he fathered 33 or 34 children, and worked in the booktrade as a commerical traveller and entrepreneur. 4to, 10 pp. One central horizontal fold. Fair, on lightly-aged paper with a little marking to the outer pages. Date in type at end of list of subscribers, 'AUGUST, 1894.', followed by a short note by 'A.