ETHEL

The two signatures are on one side of a 14 x 18cm leaf of cream paper removed from an album. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with laid down. Good clear examples. Beecham's signature 'Thomas Beecham' is above that of 'Ethel Frank'. Probably given on Franks first visit to Britain in 1921. Small magazine cutting of photograph of three musicians laid down on reverse.

12pp., 8vo. Stapled. In green printed wraps. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one corner and a few light marks to cover.

Letter: 2pp., 4to. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, tipped-in onto the front pastedown of the book. He is sending the book registered, 'as a precaution against confiscation', and is looking forward to her 'new book', and has 'told N. Testament scholars in the U.S.' to look out for it. 'Like Lloyd, I am sure I will disagree with parts of it!

Boileau was extremely popular throughout her career, her novels propounding her philosophy (as expounded in 'Turnip Tops') that 'Courage is the foundation of all character and achievement.' In 1936 'John o'London's' magazine described her as the author of books 'whose editions have run into tens of thousands'. Her novel 'Turnip Tops', published in 1932 (and in America by Dutton as 'A Gay Family'), had sold 28,000 copies by 1936 ('one of the merriest sellers of the last few years', according to Maboth Moseley), and 25,000 copies of 'Ballade in G Minor' (1938) were sold before publication.

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.

2pp., landscape 12mo. 28 lines of text. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with slight damage to one corner. Addressed to 'Dear Professor Chorley', the letter begins: 'I do feel we owe you a very great deal for coming on Saturday. Every body seemed pleased with the meeting and that was mainly due to the chief speaker. They liked what you said and who said it.' Considering the demands on Chorley's time, she is grateful to him for not cancelling the engagement, and for the fact that he did not 'pour coals of fire' on her head for the 'silly mistake about the train'.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. She asks him if he can 'shed any light' on a book or paper (not named), 'or indicate what amount of interest it is likely to have': 'The author wrote it in 1904, added to it in 1907. Council [of the University of Cambridge] accepted it for publication in 1916. It was returned to the author, at his request, in 1928!' She could send it to Driberg, 'to look through, if you like (or rather if you are willing!)' A postscript regarding Sir E. E. Evans-Pritchard, emphatically underlined, reads: 'Is it true that E-P is married???'

1p., 12mo. 10 lines. On bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. She explains that her only publications up to that point are 'Stormbeaten and Weary' and 'Spectre Stricken' ('a Christmas Story'). 'I wish to remain unknown until I can write a book I consider sufficiently good to have my own name - for this reason I have called myself "Evelyn Burne".'

Landscape 8vo album with 82pp. on 73 leaves of different coloured paper in original cloth. Aged and loose, in worn binding. The autographs are mainly theatrical, and although lacking any first-rate actors, provide a tantalising glimpse into a lost world. Laid down are signed postcards from.Stella Gastelle, Ethel Ward and Ben Albert ('To Miss Rothsay | Best Wishes from her Dad's Pal Ben').

On light-yellow page (roughly 11 x 14 cm) removed from autograph album. Four glue stains showing through from the reverse (not affecting the signatures), otherwise good. Reads 'Dora Stevens | Ethel Hobday | Marjorie Hayward | Cedric Sharpe'. Lightly docketed in pencil.

Wife of Philip, Viscount Snowden (1864-1937), British Labour politician. Two pages, 4to. Folded twice. Good, but with minor staining to reverse. Neither she nor her husband has forgotten her correspondent and her husband: 'We often speak of you both.' But they are 'in a difficulty' about accepting the invitation: 'We have no servants at present and my hands are horny with honest toil. We expect a couple in about eight days time. If and when they materialise the first thing we shall want to do is to come and see you.