CENTURY

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged. He asks him 'to forward these Cards immediately (I have sent one to Mr. Doane) as many have call'd asking if they are to be engaged'. He expresses his regret for 'the mistake in the Name card', but it is too late to alter it. The 'sole cause' of the error was his 'constantly thinking of the state of poor Walker'.

Two pages, 12mo, fold marks, good condition, text clear and complete. My first lecture I published in May last 'On the Classification & Geographical Distribution of Mammalia" | 8vo Parker's, Strand. | The matter of the other three lectures will appear in a work on fossil Mammalia in the Press (Murray) [presumably "Summary of the succession in time and geographical distribution of recent and fossil Mammalia " (1859)]

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by noting that they have not corresponded for a while, and that he has 'been abroad most of my time for several years'. He is sending him 'a set of advance sheets of a little book I am to publish with Cassells at the end of September' ('Recollections of Rossetti'), 'because I have a very grateful memory of all the kind, appreciative and very able articles which you have written about other books of mine'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. Written in a difficult hand, but with an accompanying contemporary manuscript transcription on a separate leaf. Addressed to 'Dear Friend'. He begins by saying that he is sending autographs, but explains that, so great is his 'horror', that it is his practice to 'destroy all that come into my hands. | Without reference to you in particular, I regard the Autograph and Album mania as the great pestilence of the day'.

1p., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Mr. Cathrall | Times Office | Manchester'. In reply to a letter 'requesting from me "an account of the origin and progress of the Manchester Agricultural Society"', he states that 'any information I possess is quite at Mr. Everett's service'. He suggests two times when Everett can call on him, and he will 'endeavour to promote his views in any way in my power'.

Two pages, 12mo, small closed tears at folds, mainly good condition. "Indeed I couldn't spare you on Thursday next the 15th instant at 6 o'clock. How is it that you did not [put?] this in your tablets. | You will meet in addition [at? the same party only Theodore Hook & Geo[orge] Hogarth. | How could I get on without you." Docketed by Jerdan, "R. Bentley | Feby 1838 | Gross flattery".

1p., folio. In good condition, with light signs of age. Addressed to 'Wm. Griffith Esqre. | Becket Street Chapel | Derby.' Informing Griffith that he has 'laid before My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty the petition from the United Methodist Free Church, Derby, requesting the alteration of the 93rd. Clause of the Marine Mutiny Act'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. Greenhill has offered to show Jerrold 'interesting rooms [...] with Thackeray associations', and Jerrold apologises for the circumstances preventing his acceptance of the invitation. 'The work in connection with the small Exhibition is much more than it seems and I fear the trying to fit this, or my portion of it, in with the must-be-done work of a busy penman has made me a shockingly neglectful answerer of letters.'

Both letters 2pp., 12mo. Both in good condition, lightly-aged, the second with the first page lightly crossed through in pencil. The letters relate to work done for the firm of her brother-in-law Marcus Adams (described in his Times obituary as 'the outstanding child photographer of his day and photographer to the Royal Family for more than 30 years'), at 43 Dover Street, Mayfair. She begins the first letter by explaining that she has 'endeavoured to make the Woodall miniature like the snapshot, but unless they are really satisfied I had better do another.

On one side of an 8 x 13 cm piece of paper. In good condition, with light signs of age, and central horizontal fold. Firm, bold signature, 8 cm long, with underlining flourish. Beneath the signature, in a small hand, is the message: 'M Guinot | M: Vigny vous adresse son nom pour vous remercier il ne connait pas votre adresse'. Addressed on reverse, 'à M. Eug. Guinot'.

On a gilt-edged piece of card, 13 x 11.5 cm., with rounded edges. In good condition, lightly aged. The illustration by 'E M W' on one side is printed in silver, yellow, light blue, grey and brown, and shows a snowy country scene with two tiny figures beneath a shining sun on a stone bridge over a stream. Captioned 'The Joy of Christmas be in your heart.' Cowan's eight-line poem, on the other side, is printed in grey, in variety of gothic fonts. It begins: 'Only its best and brightest history | May Memory relate you!

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Ornate letterhead printed in red and black, with engraving of a rising sun ('The Mark of Excellence'). Addressed to 'Messrs. Marcus Adams Ltd. | Child Photographers, | 43, Dover Street, | W.1.' The letter begins: 'I have in hand the production of a film somewhat of a national character, including all the episodes in the reigns of our Royal Family, from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee onwards, and I thought it would be a very nice idea to finish the film with a short length of little Princess Elizabeth.

4pp., 8vo, paginated 1-4. On two bifoliums. Aged and worn, but with the text clear and complete. From the Adams family papers, which also include an extensive archive of Walton Adams's papers relating to the British Israelites. An interesting artefact relating to an important figure in the history of British photography. (See also his obituary in The Times, 15 June 1934.) Untitled and unsigned, the unpublished account begins: 'As I am now over 90 years of age I believe that I am the oldest living British photographer, my first Studio was opened in 1864'.

The collection consists of 21 typewritten articles, with some drafts of the same; two folders of miscellaneous typed and autograph texts, a cloth map, a folding card model of 'The Pyramid' and a diagram of the 'City & Temple to scale'. BACKGROUND: Walton Adams, the founder of a family of notable British photographers and artists, including his son Marcus (1875-1959) and grandson Gilbert (1906-1996), was at his death 'believed to be the oldest professional photographer in the country' and 'the first photographer to use dry plates' (see his obituary, Times, 15 June 1934).

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed: 'Rev W Parish | R C.' For the background to this letter, which concerns the death of Heber's curate Martin Stow, see George Smith's biography of Heber (London: John Murray, 1895). The letter begins: 'My dear Sir, - | I am still here & in great perplexity at not receiving any letter from my wife or Miss Stow. It has occurred to Mr Masters that your Brother who is an excellent correspondent may have written to you since the news of poor Stow's death reached Calcutta'.

On one side of pink 10.5 x 13.5 cm leaf removed from autograph album. Reads 'Julian Bream | 19/10/65'. A magazine photograph of Bream has been laid down in the bottom left-hand corner of the leaf.

On one side of 9 x 11 cm piece of paper. In good condition, on lightly-spotted paper. Reads: 'I shall keep your clever little ode. Congratulations and good wishes. | Len. Harvey. | Cruiser & Heavyweight Champion | Jan. 1934.'

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper, with slight loss at top left-hand corner. He gives a date he has arranged for 'The Peep Show definitely to come to your club', and states that he will 'arrange a suitable programme for a one hour performance', adding that 'if the audience would like more at the time I am sure the puppets would carry on'. He notes that the performance will be given to 'an educated audience', and states that he will 'arrange accordingly'.

Both items are laid down on a leaf removed from an autograph album. Both in good condition, with light signs of age. The photographic print of Gladstone measures 9 x 5.5, with the head and shoulders image in an oval 7.5 cm high by 5 cm wide, and showing a middle-aged Gladstone with dark bow tie and frock coat, staring to the right.

Lengthwise on one side of 12 x 7.5 cm postcard. In fair condition, aged and worn, with two light postmarks over text, and the reverse carrying traces of paper and glue from previous mounting. Addressed, on reverse, to 'Miss Lewis | 10 Lower Sloane Street | London | S. W.', and redirected in another hand to an address in Essex. The message reads: 'Mr Gladstone with his compliments begs to thank Miss Lewis fo rthe presentation of her Translation and enters with much sympathy into the views she has taken of the deeper questions involved both in the Preface and the work.'?>

1p., landscape 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. He thanks him for his letter, but as he is 'not doing anything with one act plays' at present, he states: 'I won't trouble you to send me the manuscript'. The Oxford DNB gives the name as 'Gerald Du Maurier', but the signature clearly reads 'Gerald du Maurier'.

The sepia photographic print is 15.5 x 11.5 cm, and shows a sumptuous domestic interior, showing paintings around an ornately carved wooden doorframe, into another room, with hangings draped footstool, piano, and other accoutrements of high Victorian interior decoration. In pencil on reverse: 'The Lyric Club'. The cutting is 12 cm and forty-five lines long. It begins 'The new Lyric Club is starting on its career with every propsect of a brilliant success.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged, laid down on leaf removed from an autograph album. Inviting him to dinner, if 'disengaged'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He thanks de Boinville and his family for their 'kind wishes & feelings': 'I have thank God, quite recovered from my accident'. He is sorry that de Boinville and his wife 'have been suffering', and hopes to see them on his return to London. One of a batch of letters addressed to de Boinville in the 1850s.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, laid down on leaf removed from album. The note reads: 'The form of receipt is in the printers' hands. Addressed to Buller at the South Kensington Hotel.

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, with light signs of age. He is enclosing a cheque for two guineas towards 'The Frederic Fund', and writes that he had 'the pleasure of often meeting Mr Harold Frederic at the Savage Club some years ago'. He was 'deeply grieved to hear of his sad & untimely end'. He hopes enough money will be collected to be an 'appreciable help to his widow & children'. The letter relates to a celebrated Victorian scandal. In 1884 Frederic had come to England with his wife and five children as the London correspondent of the New York TImes.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, aged and worn, with minor traces of glue along one edge from stub. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Signor Massingham | Teatro di Principessa' [i.e. the Princess's Theatre, London]. The request reads: 'Al Reverendissimo Signor Massingham | Be pleased, I pray, | My salary to pay | To the ladies I send, | My very good friend. | I remain, (all alone) | Yours Truly - G Soane'. Soane's unhappy relationship with his father is described in both men's entries in the Oxford DNB.

For information concerning Wilton, who had previously been associated with P. T. Barnum, see W. J. Lawrence's 'Life of Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Tragedian' (Belfast, 1892). From the 1840s Brooke had toured England with increasing success, being favourably compared with Edmund Kean and called by several critics the greatest tragedian of his day. Although somewhat wooden in delivery, he was blessed with a splendid voice, but this had begun to fail towards the end of the decade, and he had been forced to seek medical help. At the same time his heavy drinking did not assist his acting.

The two signatures are on a reproduction of a drawing of Robeson, on a 15 x 11 cm piece of shiny art paper, cut from a programme from Robeson's 1934 tour of Britain. In good condition, lightly-aged. The head and shoulders portrait shows a moody Robeson in collar and tie. The two signature are at the foot of the image, with Robeson's, in blue ink, slanting downwards, and Brown's, in green ink, slanting upwards, around the line of Robeson's lapels.

xii + 959pp., 8vo. With three fold-out family trees. Two continuously-paginated volumes bound together, and including title-leaf to second volume. In fair condition, aged and worn. In worn contemporary grey buckram half-binding, with marbled covers. A weighty piece of biblical exegesis. A family copy of an uncommon book, the volume descending to Tyrwhitt's relation Thomas Colmer.