CLARA

An interesting sidelight into a neglected area of Joachim scholarship, the 'Joseph Joachim - biography and research' website containing no references at all to Macirone. Joachim's acquaintance with England (where his elder brother Henry settled) had begun while he was still a child, when his teacher Felix Mendelson (himself a prodigy) had brought him to the country, where his playing caused a sensation. 14 letters, in fair condition, on aged and worn paper. The combined letters total 34pp. in 8vo and 12mo, with Joseph Joachim's eleven letters consisting of 25pp. of this amount, of which 15pp.

1p., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Docketted on reverse of second leaf 'Sir H Bishop June 17th/46' (17 June 1846 was a Wednesday, so probably a mistake for the previous day). He is much obliged by her 'kind thought, in sending me a Ticket for you Concert', but it is uncertain whether he will be in London at that time, 'but I wish you, most sincerely, every success'.

Printed on one side of a piece of 4to paper, with thick embossed decorative border in imitation of lace. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tears to frail border. Royal crest at head printed in gold and other colours and also embossed. Headed: 'BUCKINGHAM PALACE. | MONDAY EVENING, 16th. JUNE, 1879.' Fourteen pieces are listed, by Mendelssohn, Liszt, Wagner (2), Gounod (2), Bizet, Max Bruch, Rossini (2), Ambroise Thomas, Massenet, Schumann and Cimarosa. Apart from Patti, Kellogg and Trebelli, the performers are 'Herr Henschel', 'Mr. W. H.

Both items in fair condition, on aged paper. NOTE: 1p, 12mo. He thanks her for an invitation to one of her concerts, 'rendered, as it is, more agreeable by the compliment she so agreeably pays to the sister art which he pursues'. LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. He would have replied sooner to her concert invitation, 'but the arrangement of pictures for the Gt Exhibition occupied my time up to the last moment of opening and has done for many weeks'. He has been 'so wearied with my late work that I am proposing to get away from town for a little rest the very concert day.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged. The letter reads: 'My dear Miss Macirone | Mrs. Cowden has recd. your letter, & forwards the enclosure to Clara [the Countess of Gigliucci, another sister]. | Mrs. C. C's hands are so afflicted that she writes with greatest difficulty; so I write for her. We Villa-ites know no one of the name of "Macirone" excepting your own distinguished family. We rejoice to hear you have regained yr. health, & that sweet Minnie is flourishing. We all send kindest remembrances. Excuse gt. haste'.

Closely and neatly written on five bifoliums. Text totalling 14pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with minor damage at head of third letter, and wear to extremities of the fourth. The first two letters (1856 and 1859) addressed formally, the third to 'Angela & Minnie', and the fourth and fifth to 'Angela'. She writes the first letter (1856) before her sister Clara's 'approaching visit to England', to thank Macirone for writing to express the pleasure she had received from Charles Cowden Clarke's sister's writing.

The four items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with rusted staples. All four with shelfmarks, stamps and labels of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. The three college reports, each dated in type at the end, are all 4to, with that of 1898 consisting of 8pp; 1899, 9pp; 1907, 14pp. In addition to the reports, all three carry lists of officers and other information.

1862 Diary of Sergeant Browne, principal flautist in the Royal Artillery band, Woolwich, Over 425 pages. Played at the opening ceremony of the International Exhibition under Costa, having been at the rehearsal attended by Meyerbeer - good descriptions of both events - and at the Horticultural Gardens next door throughout the length of the exhibition and elsewhere (Crystal Palace, Willis's Rooms, private houses, Lord Mayor's Show "nonsensical custom").

2pp., 16mo. 17 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He begins by thanking him for 'the History of the Flitch of Bacon Custom at Dunnow. I well remember reading in the papers of 55 the celebration of the fete at which you & poor Made. de Chatelain were the hero & heroine'. He has called on de Chatelain to thank him for the 'Fleurs et Fruits' which he sent him, but did not find him at home. He will try again before leaving town for the autumn, 'which I shall do in a few days'.

2pp., 12mo. Very good, on two leaves of lightly-aged paper. In a difficult hand. The recipient is addressed as 'B. F. Ainger, Delegate to Editorial Committee, <?> Excursion'. The first two pages of the letter only, hence lacking Brainard's signature. Having seen Ainger's name 'among the delegates from Pennsylvania', he is 'strongly reminded of a Maj B. F. Ainger formerly of the 2nd. <?> Artillery with whom I had the pleasure of an acquaintance long ago when we were watching the Defences of Bermuda Honduras &c.

12mo, 2 pp. 23 lines. Text clear and complete. On first leaf of a bifolium, with the second leaf laid down on rectangle of paper cut from album. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Drawing her attentiont to 'the important, but as yet little attended to, subject of the compulsory drinking usages', a 'topic [...] of increasing moment'. His 'largest work' on the subject is 'at present out of print, & the reserved copies all exhausted', so he is sending 'a small tract extracted from it', together with 'another Vol.

12mo landscape, on leaf of pink paper removed from autograph album, with one set of rounded corners. In good condition. Butt's inscription is above Rumford's, and large in comparison. Reads 'Clara Butt - | Rumford' and R. Kennerley Rumford | 11 Oct. 22.'

On the recto of a piece of pink paper, roughly 17.5 x 23.5 cm, removed from an autograph album. Good, on lightly aged paper. Phillips's autograph is in the top left-hand corner, reading 'Montague F. Phillips | March 1927.' Above it are four bars of musical notation, marked 'allegro' and titled 'The Fishermen of England. The Rebel Maid" - both by Phillips).' Beneath this, and divided from it by a diagonal line, is Phillips's wife's autograph: 'Yours sincerely | Clara Butterworth'. The couple met while both students at the Royal Academy of Music.

8vo, 2 pp. Very good. She has been recovering from influenza at Brighton. 'I think your Paper is going on Splendidly [last word underlined] & I am so glad! [last two words underlined]'. 'Yes, isnt Margaret Ettinger a charming Creature! She told me you had talked together of me'. Asks for Ettinger's address. 'How's the home? - how's the charming wife? - & when shall we discuss the affairs of the world, the flesh, & the devil?!' She is well, 'all but my knee, which has been behaving like an ungrateful child'.

One page, octavo. Very good, on lightly aged paper, with embossed blue ink monogram at head. 'Dear Sir | My Sister Isabella, just arrived, tells me you desire my autograph, I have great pleasure in complying with your flattering request. [...]' The blank second leaf of the bifolium is carefully attached to a larger piece of neatly-docketed paper, and has the two newspaper cuttings partially laid down on it. The short Times obituary, dated 17 March 1908, states that 'She must surely have been the last person alive to whom Charles Lamb addressed a poem'.

Three pages, 12mo. Good, on lightly spotted and aged paper. Traces of glue and previous mount adhering to blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Concerns a 'concert on June 16yh in aid of the <?> L G[uild] at Mrs. Beudel's house'. 'It grieves me more than I can express to find that I shall be unable to attend, or give my services on that occasion, unfortunately my arrangements will not permit of my being in London then'.