CENTURY

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with a couple of short closed tears along creases. The body of the letter, written on 9 October 1897, reads: 'Dear Sir, | I have published only one small volume of verse which has long been out of print ['The Prophecy of Merlin and other Poems', published in 1870]. I will see if from some friend I can borrow a copy to send you. | I have written some occasional and other verse besides that of the little book, but for some years have done little expect writing for the press.' In a postscript of 18 October 1897, signed 'J.

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-worn paper. Strachey has written 'Mrs. Shorter' in the bottom left-hand corner, but the note is addressed to 'Dear Sir', and corrected by him to 'Madam'. It reads: 'I enclose with many thanks cheque [sic] for your contributions during the past month'.

2pp., 12mo. Written lengthwise across the paper, so that the letterhead runs up the left-hand margin of the first page. She thanks him for his letter and 'the Cocteau profile (most interesting and infuriating - splendid misunderstanding - written down with such authority.)', as well as '"The Holy Terrors" notices'. She has been delayed in sending him the script of 'The Confidential Clerk' as she had to go to King's Lynn. She is sending the script now, and asks for it to be returned 'fairly soon, as it is Henry Sherek's and he may suddenly scream for it!' (Sherek was the play's producer.)

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He begins: 'You would see that we found room for an extract from the Camden Society report in last week's Chronicle'. He asks Nichol to 'find space for the enclosed letter in the Gentleman's Magazine'. He is 'acquainted with the pedigree in question', but does not think that 'Sir Bernard Burke's statements are in all cases to bee relied upon'. The letter continues: 'I do not know whether you are in Mr Potter's secrets.

On both sides of the 11 x 9 cm card. Very good, with light signs of age. He feels he must thank him for 'two numbers of the North American Review, both containing interesting articles'. despite 'their anti English spirit'. He was glad to read 'Bryce's article' to which he feels 'some injustice has been done'.

[10]pp., 8vo, paginated 157-166. Stapled. In grey printed wraps. Inscribed at head of front cover: 'to E. Spriggs | with kind regards'. Above this, in another hand in red ink, 'DIETETICS'. One manuscript correction to the text. A historical overview, with a four-page appendix (pp.162-166) giving a list in small type of 'perry pears hitherto heard of, met with, or identified'. This offprint is scarce: no copies traced either on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

Beales, also a sign painter and picture framer, was a successful and prolific photographer (he boasts on two of the items below of '3,400 Testimonials'), whose Parade Studio was at 5 South Bar, Banbury, from 1888 to 1911, with a secondary business at the County Studio, George Row, Northampton at around the same time. Beales claimed the Royal patronage of both Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, and aimed at the upper end of the market. Seven of the eight items in good condition, lightly-aged, but Item Four with minor damage (see description).

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In frail state, on aged paper with chipping and closed tears, and loss at the head of both leaves. The letter is addressed to 'John Trotter Esq | The Bush | near Edinburgh' and begins: 'My dear Trotter, | My better Half having expressed our delight at being again as it were, in possession of our old friend Bush, in the very admirable representation which has, thro' your kindness just reached us, I have only to echo her acknowledgment & thanks.

Printed on one side of 9 x 13 cm card, with rounded corners, edged in silver. A tasteful example of Victorian printing, by a printer whose calling card boasted of his 'Specialities in the best class of work.' Very good, lightly-aged. The word 'Sonnet.' is printed at the head in gothic type, the rest being in roman. The poem begins: 'O GREATEST Poet of the living age! | For many a year to come thy fame will ring | Throughout the land. Grateful to thee, I bring | A simple tribute, writ on simpler page.' Beneath the sonnet, to the left, is the date 'June, 1892.', with 'E.

1p., 4to. On creased and lightly-aged paper, with wear and chipping to edges. She thanks him for his letter 'and for your offer of original potrait drawings by yourself', in which she was 'greatly interested'. She explains that there is a limitation of space, 'and as a general rule we are exhibiting portraits only when we can associate with them some other relic or possession of the writer concerned'. In response to 'our appeal' she has received 'souvenirs of past writers, and I am concentrating on these. This being so, I feel I must very reluctantly decline your interesting offer'.

1p., 32mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The note reads: 'My dear Webster, | I have fasted all the week in joyful expectation of the 1st of December. | Every truly your's [sic] | Douglas Jerrold'.

1p., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. He assumes his correspondent refers to an article which 'appeared long ago in the North British Review'. He has only 'a slight recollection of its nature or contents', but the correspondent is 'welcome, so far as I am concerned, to any use of quotations from it that may suit your purpose'.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In a difficult hand. The letter reads: 'In reference to the last paragraph of your circular of May 27 I have to say that I have no "notable successes" of any of my students to report, since neither in any of the scholarships at Oxford or Cambridge for which our students compete do the subjects of my Lectures form any part of the examinations.'

5pp., 12mo. The letter proper is three pages long, on a bifolium, and is accompanied by a two-page 'list of times & places' on a separate leaf. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. With 18 x 23 cm letterhead, on the cover of which Thornton has written 'To | Sir Robert Head. Bart. | III | Zimmer Strasse 97 | Hier.', with his signature 'C. Thornton' in the bottom left-hand corner.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly aged and worn paper. The note reads: 'Ld Liverpool encloses a draft value 57 .. 12. 2 to Mr Broster he begs Mr Browster will acknowledge the receipt of this by a letter addressed as above'.

Written on a 4 x 11 cm piece of paper, cut from letter. Laid down on a 6 x 14 cm piece of grey paper, annotated in a contemporary hand: 'Admiral Sir George Willes'. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads 'Yours v. truly | George Willes'.

An attractive and varied collection of twenty-four items from the archive of Cheney & Sons, 'General, Commercial & Artistic Printers, Banbury', and produced by the firm for a number of clients in the wine and spirit trade. (The calling card of partner John Cheney describes him as a 'Printer in Gold, Silver, and Colours', with 'Specialities in the best class of work', and the company's high standards attracted clients from London's West End.

The two items in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. ONE: To 'C. Lavers Smith, Esq'. 21 April 1903. 2pp., landscape 8vo. He asks 'whether prints are to be had of Nell Gwynne's reputed birthplace at Hereford'. He made enquiries about the house in Hereford on the previous Saturday. 'It was pulled down in 1861; but in 1858 two photographs of it were taken, and I found an old photographer who had negatives which he promised to lend to me for a small consideration.

[8]pp., 16mo (10.5 x 8 cm). Stitched into card wraps. In very good condition. An attractive production, wtih the light-blue card covers printed in dark blue ink, with the club's device, featuring a lion on top of a wheel, embossed and printed in red. A list of names of the 'Executive' is inside the front cover. With the sixteen 'Rules' on the first two pages, and the other headings: 'Racing Fixtures', 'Executive Meetings', 'General Meetings'; the fourth page carries general notes.

Printed in brown within a decorative gold border, on one side of a piece of 25.5 x 20.5 cm light-blue paper. Nearly fine. Heading in fancy type reading 'W. JAMES RAE & CO., | Coach Builders.', with 5.5 x 11 cm engraving of the Midland Works beneath it.

Printed in purple ink on both sides of a 9 x 11.5 cm grey card with rounded edges. In very good condition. One side attractively printed, with fancy type, decorative border and floral vignette. The other more businesslike, headed 'W. J. Little, Stationery, Library, and Useful Present Depot, Next London and South Western Bank, High Street, Harlesden, N.W.' and carrying a list of prices for 'Special Value Writing Papers'. The printers' details are not given, but the item comes from the archive of Cheney & Sons, 'General, Commercial & Artistic Printers, Banbury'.

1p., 8vo. On recto of first leaf of a bifolium. Very good, lightly-aged. Nicely printed, in a variety of types and point sizes: 'Cricket and Lawn Tennis. | SEASON 1888. | Well Oiled & Seasoned CRICKET BATS | BEST MATCH BALLS, | Stumps, Pads, Gloves, &c. | The Demon, Champion, Challenge, Match, Eton, and other Racquets. | LAWN TENNIS BALLS, | By Ayres, Phillips (seamless), Feltham, Bussey, | and Slazenger. | A LARGE STOCK AT ALL PRICES. | AN EARLY INSPECTION RESPECTFULLY SOLICITED. | SPECIAL TERMS TO CLUBS. | T. J.

Both items in very good condition, lightly aged. ONE: Printed in blue on a 26.5 x 21 cm piece of light-green paper. In very good condition.. In a variety of fonts and point sizes. Among a number of different products advertised are 'Smokeless Cartridges', with the notice: 'T. M. WATKINS has for many years given special personal attention to, and has been highly successful in, the filling of Cartridges and Nitro Compounds, and can confidently recommend his make as the very best, and for shooting qualities equal, or superior, to anything in the market.' Also 'Schultze, E.C., or S.S.

10pp., 12mo. Stitched and unbound. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. In small type. Scarce: no copy traced. (The Bodleian holds seven of the Society's reports, from the sixteenth (1884) to the twenty-second (1892), but none so early as this one.)

Printed in letterpress on one side of a 28 x 22 cm piece of laid paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Tastefully printed in the customary mixture of fonts and point sizes. Reads: 'St. Nicholas Church, | Eydon. | Thanksgiving Services | In commemoration of the Queen's Jubilee, will | be held in this Church, on | Tuesday, June 21, at 12 o'clock (noon). | Wednesday, June 22, at 7 p.m. | Sunday, June 26, at 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. | The Sermon on Sunday Evening, June 26th, will be preached by the | Rev. C. F. Porterr, M.A., | Vicar of Banbury.

Printed in brown on one side of a 25 x 18.5 cm piece of cream paper. In very good condition, lightly aged. Beneath the heading is a 6 x 9 cm engraving of the machine, followed by twelve lines of description, and the prices for eleven different versions of the machine. The firms address is at the foot, with the printers' slug outside the border in the bottom right-hand corner. From the archive of Cheney & Sons, 'General, Commercial & Artistic Printers, Banbury'.

66pp., 8vo. In grey printed wraps. Internally very good, in worn and discoloured wraps. Bookplate of Henry Malo inside the front cover. On shiny art paper, and with eight pages of illustations, including five full-page photographs and five plans (two of the 'Station Buildings', two of the sailing yacht the 'Mermaid', and one of 'The Ark' carrying the laboratory). The last two pages (65-66) carry a list of 'Office-Bearers 1901' from which Todd's name has been extracted. Uncommon: no copy at the British Library, and only six copies on OCLC WorldCat.

An attractive piece of Victorian commercial printing. Printed in black on a 31.5 x 21 cm sheet of grey paper. In very good condition, lightly-aged. Beneath the words 'John Blanch & Sons' | Hammerless Ejector Gun | (PATENT)' is the engraving (roughly 8.5 x 15 cm), showing the area around the hinge-pin and trigger of the gun, with a cartridge.

Printed in blue ink on both sides of a piece of 12 x 15 cm grey card, folded once to make a 12 x 7.5 cm bifolium, with the outer covers individual pages and the central opening a double-page spread. In very good condition. A tasteful production, with each page enclosed within a ruled border, along the four sides of which are various details and offers.

Printed in brown on one side of a 20.5 x 25.5 cm piece of grey paper. In very good condition, lightly aged. An attractive production, with the text in a variety of fonts and point sizes. Beneath the heading 'Christmas Season, 1890.', the left-hand side of the page carries an engraving of eighteenth-century party-goers descending a staircase into a room in which is the sign 'Ludwig's Showroom for Xmas & New Year Presents.' On the right of the page the text reads: '84, High Street, Banbury. | J. H. Ludwig | Calls attention to his Season's Novelties in every Department | Showroom is now ready.