DAME

1p., 4to. In fair condition, aged and creased, with slight tearing at edges. She begins: 'Please forgive me for not answering your letter before, but I have been so rushed!' She is not able to 'sit for Mr. Priest just at present': 'We are just on the point of starting rehearsals for several plays to be toured and, in addition, my two small girls are ill, so that I want to spend all my spare time with them.' She is trying to 'get out of' sittings for another artist.

39pp., 8vo. On good thick Whatman paper, dated 1874, in luxurious black embossed leather binding by J. Y. Knight & Co. of Leeds and London, with brass lock by Bramah (lacking key). In very good condition, in worn binding. Stamped in gilt on front cover is 'PRIVATE MEMA. | A. H. PAWSON'. On the first page Wedgwood has written: 'Cicely Veronica Wedgwood. | Her Book. | presented to me in March 1933 | by | A. H. P. | born 20th. July 1910 | educated | Norland Place School. 1915-1926. | Lady Margaret Hall. 1928-1931 | London School of Economics. 1932-5'.

In black and white on 34 x 23 cm shiny art paper. Possibly extracted from an unnamed periodical. Lightly aged and worn, and ruckled from being laid down on paper backing. Tiny chip lost at foot. Sixteen female figures are shown, in costumes representing newspapers from the 'Daily Mail' to 'The Sketch', and including 'Mdlle. Zangfretta as Fashion', around a central representation of a scene from the ballet, featuring Adeline Genée as the Liberty of the Press.

All four items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. All four in a bold, expansive hand. The two letters accompanied by their envelopes, addressed to Child in London. Letter One: Address: 'c/o Mr & Mrs G. W. Williams, | 615 East Genesee, | Saginaw | Michigan. U.S.A.' 4 July 1957. 4pp., 4to. She is 'on the first lap of my Vacation' and has asked 'Anne' to contact him. 'During the University year I am so frightfully taxed for time - my own correspondence and my personal affairs suffer in consequence and are perforce relegated to the background.

52pp., 4to. With an additional 6pp of plates on art paper, including frontispiece of painted portrait of Brock by Maurice Codner. Stapled. In blue wraps with 'M. Dorothy Brock | 1886-1969' in gold on front cover. In good condition, with slight wear and discoloration to wraps. Well laid out, with numerous contribution by those who knew Brock. Foreword by Rachel Pearse, the headmistress of the school at the time, and 'Appreciation' by Major Walter F. Pothecary of the Clothworkers' Company.

Caen's Hill was the property of Mrs Locke King's husband, and opened as a hospital with 32 beds in 1914, with Mrs Locke King as Commandant of the Voluntary Aid Detachment. Two years later it had 44 beds. It shut in 1919. After the war the Locke Kings developed motor racing in the area, with the celebrated Brooklands track. For more on Locke King and her distinguished war work, see her entry in the Oxford DNB and two articles in The Times, 6 and 14 August 1956. Both items 1p., 4to, in good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

The material is loosely inserted in a copy of 'Passionate Nomad. The Life of Freya Stark' by Jane Fletcher Geniesse (New York: Random House, 1999). xxvi + 402 + [2]pp., 8vo. Very good, in like price-clipped dustwrapper, and inscribed to Drower by her daughter. Drower is described on p.296 as 'daughter of Freya's old Baghdad friend Lady Drower, [who] followed Pam Hore-Ruthven as her assistant and spent two years trying to get repaid for the cost, not to mention the enormous effort, of packing up Freya's belongings and sending them to Asolo after the war'.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. He thanks him 'for the valuable additions to our theatrical wardrobe which you have been so kind as to send us this morning', adding that he can assure Guy 'that we shall make good use of them and will remember with gratitude the source from which they came, for Madame Albani was one of the best beloved friends of the College since its earliest days'.

2pp., landscape 12mo. On cream paper. In matching envelope addressed to 'Miss M. Lynd | 5, Keats Grove | Hampstead | N.W.3' Good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn envelope docketed by Gaster 'From Rose Macaulay re Fascist meeting in the Albert Hall 1935 [sic]?' The letter is addressed to 'Dear B. J.' ('B. J.', short for 'Baby Junior', being Maire Lynd's family nickname). Macaulay begins: 'Many thanks for this, which I return in case it is wanted.

Macaulay's Autograph Letter Signed: '20 H. H. | 29 April'. 2pp., landscape 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Written, in a shaky and difficult hand, in blue ink and signed 'Rose', with 'Macaulay' added in black ink. Addressed to 'Dear Jacqueline'. Apparently written during or immediately after the Second World War, and concerning petrol coupons 'issued so lavishly to the generous & amiable young nobleman

3pp., 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, on aged paper. Her letter to him is 'the essence of sweetness': it has 'touched me deeply and will not soon be forgotten'. He supposes that she is unaware that 'Parratt and I travelled down to Windsor in the same train with you - indeed in the same carriage'.

In black ink on 5 x 8 cm card, with rounded edges. In very good condition, lightly aged, with evidence of previous mounting on the marbled reverse. Reads 'Alicia Markova | 1933.'

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with small hole through both leaves. He will be too busy over the following days to visit Clark in person, 'and so I send you the first act of the MSS I talked to you about - I may say I read the 1st. act one afternoon to Miss Terry who wanted to take it to Webster - but I was disinclined'. If Clark 'had anything to do with it - the Blacksmith would be the [last word underlined] part'. He asks Clark to return it as soon as he can: 'as this is the American copy - and they expect it (but of course won't get it) by next mail'.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Warre repeats what he has already told Gye, that 'nothing has given me greater pleasure than the news of your recent appointment, though we will miss you in London'.

1p., 4to. Fair, on aged paper. He offers Gye his 'very best wishes' on his 'new appointment', adding: 'of course do not trouble to answer for this deserves none'.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'dear Ernest'. Marked by Gye 'Ansd.' He is sending Gye 'a word of congratulations on the august appointment to Tangier'. He apologises that he cannot be 'part of the celebration on March 23'. He concludes: 'I hope you are pleased and that everything will prosper. | No answer required of course'.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with a couple of unobtrusive creases. 'We shall be very pleased to come to tea with you on Sunday - I hope you will not mind if we are a little late - I shall be so glad to see Mrs. Arkwright also. With kind regards and many thanks | Believe me | Yours very sincerely | [signed] Emma Albani Gye'.

Each wIndow is 22 x 20 cm, with a central 16 x 14 cm panel of white glass, surrounded by a border made up of eight pieces (2 x 2cm corner squares with stars in orange glass, connected by 2 x 14cm rectangular purple panels). Each window has a set of two metal loops at head, for hanging. Metal frame rusted on both, and two border panels cracked on one, otherwise in good condition, with both white glass reliefs undamaged. The two housed in a contemporary silk-lined black leather box with brass clasps.

2pp, 4to. Very good on lightly-aged paper. Docketed by Luke at head of first page. Having received Luke's letter of 5 October, Wilkinson reports that 'Mrs. [Freya] Stark is at present on a tour of south-western Anatolia, visiting places like Halicarnassus, Cnidus, Loryma, Telmissus, Xanthus and so forth.

Totalling 5 pp, 4to. All texts clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. He begins the first letter 'I am venturing to address you on the assumption that you are the son of the revered singer DAME EMMA ALBANI, and most sincerely trust that my letter may not come amiss.' Harvey is writing an article for Albani's centenary the following year 'for Sir Compton Mackenzie's magazine The Gramophone - for November, 1952' and is 'very anxious to obtain definite details of the two UNPUBLISHED Records which Madame ALBANI made for The Gramophone Company in 1904', of which he gives the details.

1 p, 4to. 20 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper. In response to a letter from Gye states that he did not hear Albani sing 'until her last two Canadian tours when she was approaching 50', when he 'thought her best in her singing of Mozart, which revealed her rare vocal finesse'. Charlesworth was told by the 'late Edwin R. Parkhurst, a Toronto music critic, 30 years my senior who had heard her frequently in his younger days in London', that 'these appearances gave no adequate idea of how glorious her voice had been in the seventies'.

Colour photograph in grey card wallet frame. Dimensions of photograph 13 x 18 cm. Dimensions of frame 18 x 23 cm. In good condition. A head and shoulders shot of a smiling old Ashcroft in overcoat outdoors in the countryside. Captioned by Balcon on frame at foot of photograph 'Peggy Ashcroft at Vine Cottage (called by her "The Tiny Palace")'. Part of Balcon's own collection.

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.'

8vo, 72 pp. Stapled and unbound. Complete. On aged paper. The outer leaves are worn and coming apart at the spine. Otherwise the item is sound and tight. 1976 items. Items 783 to 883 concern 'the Bacon-Shakespeare Controversy'. Items 888 to 893 are 'Books from the Library of the late Dame Ellen Terry.' ('Only a few Books from her Library were sold, and Association Books are very difficult to obtain.'). Items 894 to 982 are 'Books on the Drama and Shakespeare, from the library of Henry Arthur Jones'. Items 983 to 1976 are 'Books on the Drama'.

Scottish novelist (1869-1902) of the 'kailyard school'. Paper dimensions roughly four and a half inches by three inches. Very good. From autograph album. Mounted on larger piece of pink paper. Reads '[...] Let me add that your suggestion as to the poets of the early part of the last century is one which appeals to me much. | I am, dear Madam | yours faithfully | George Douglas. | Miss S. E. S. Mair, | [...]'. Docketed in pencil.

The six-line letter, which is laid down on a slightly larger piece of lilac paper, was originally on one side of an octavo leaf, but it has had a strip (presumably carrying the name and address of the recipient) beneath the address cut away. It is now in two pieces: 5 x 15.5 and 12 x 15.5 cm. Otherwise very good. Laid down on the top piece is a slip of paper in Hill's hand, reading 'From: Air Commodore Dame Felicity Hill D.B.E. WRAF (retd)'. In the bottom right-hand corner of the second piece of paper is a strip carrying Hill's autograph.

On blue paper 10 x 18 cms. Good, with trace of previous white paper mount on reverse. Printed receipt, filled in in manuscript. Reads 'No. [32] 5, VIGO STREET, | W.1. | [June 2nd 1937] | Received a DONATION of [One Guinea] | from [The Misses Ruck] | for the ARTISTS' GENERAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. | £[1] : [1] | [-] | [next word deleted] Secretary | [next two lines cyclostyled in purple ink] most gratefully | Laura Knight'.

Soldier, policitician, economist, eugenicist (1850-1943) and son of Charles Darwin. The recipient Dame Mary Scharlieb (1845-1931) was an early woman doctor. Two pages, quarto. Good, but on slightly discoloured and lightly creased paper, with staple stains to both top left-hand corners. An interesting letter concerning the efforts of Scharlieb's Committee to 'establish a Home where the wives of professional men could be certain to obtain excellent treatment at moderate fees'.