FISHERMEN

Around 150 items, tipped in or laid down on 88pp. (on 59 leaves) of a 4to album. In good condition, on aged paper, with workmanlike repairs to the spine of the volume. An attractive and informative volume, gathering together material from before the Great War relating to a significant organisation in the British cultural landscape, profusely illustrated and with manuscript additions and captions.

Letter One (12mo, 2 pp; good, with glue from previous mounting to reverse of blank second leaf of bifolium): Jesse hears 'that there has been a violent attack made on my lectures to the Brighton Fishermen in "the Field" of last Saturday'. He 'published these lectures in the hopes that they might be useful to many people'. He 'gave the Copyright to Mr. Booth the publisher & never recovered one farthing profit for them'. 'They were written for an ignorant club of men without any pretension'.

One page, on leaf roughly six and a half inches by eight wide. Aged and creased. Unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. Attractive letterhead (according to which the firm, previously at 41 Coleman Street, was established in 1819) with illustration showing a gentleman angler in top hat fishing in rushes by river beside a crouching servant holding a net. 'ARTIFICIAL BAITS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION MADE BY H. J. ALFRED.' In the spirit of the times Fellows took all of eighteen months to pay a bill of thirteen shillings. Signed 'Recd W H Alfred'.