BEARDSLEY

Austin (1895-1973) was a British etcher, engraver and watercolourist. R.A. Walker (born 1886), whose bookplate is on the front pastedown, was a connoisseur and Aubrey Beardsley scholar. Quarto, twenty-six leaves. Internally tight, clean and sound, in worn and stained half-leather binding, with 'ROBERT AUSTIN' in gilt on spine. The item contains a total of forty-seven reproductions of Austin's works, many gleaned from magazines, etc, and tipped in throughout.

24pp., 4to, paginated 71-94. In brown wraps, printed in black and brown, with illustration by P. Ruty on the cover. Bifolium of advertisements (4pp., 4to) loosely inserted between cover and first leaf. In fair condition, with the first page browned by the loosely inserted advertisements. Wraps (stamped 'Spécimen') chipped and worn. The article on Legros covers pp.71-79; and the Beardsley obituary is on p.90. Also present is a seven-page article (83-89) on 'Murailles'by E. de Crauzat.

4to, 2 pp. On bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Text clear and complete. The letter, of 39 lines, requests Herbert's opinion of 'the feasibility of a plan for the domestication of the Primated Grouse of the western prairies in this section of the country'. He writes because 'some few passages in your own writings have led me to know that one who has the heart of, and a desire to be a true sportsman, would not, if requesting a favor at your hand be overlooked'. Signed 'Titrao Cupido | Box 841 O.O. | Cleveland Ohio'. This has been lightly crossed-out in pencil, with the signature 'Jno.

[8] and 8pp., 4to, original beige decorated wraps, rusty around staples, mainly good condition. Monograph No. 1 contains Beardsleyesque black and white drawing of puppeteer for title and front cover by "Allan Odle", poem "Villanelle of Montparnasse" by "Adolphe Roberts" [perhaps the Walter Adolphe Roberts, active in Jamaica from 1906] with a Beardsleyesque border, an anecdote entitled "A Gypsy-Freemason", concluded by an image imitating a woodcut, concluding with a reproduction of an "old Print" "Football in Crowe Street".

On piece of laid paper roughly 6.5 x 13. Good, with a couple of spots. Interesting signature, roughly 1.5 x 7 cm. In black ink and with a broad-nibbed pen, giving it a calligraphic quality.

One page, quarto. Poor, on creased, discoloured paper, with two punch holes in left-hand margin and short closed tears along the central fold. 'It is as well that you underlined your name in print, for I cannot detect the faintest resemblance between it and your signature. Is this the fault of my imperfect eyes or your powerful hand? | As to your humorist - I think the Forceps Saga is funny, but Punch has a number of people who do things rather like it. Still, he should certainly let the Editor see this specimen together with something new.