FRANK

An interesting letter regarding a celebrated Victorian scandal. In 1884 Frederic had come to England with his wife and five children as the London correspondent of the New York TImes. He set up a second household with Kate Lyon, with whom he had a further three children. Lyons was a Christian Scientist, and when Frederic suffered a stroke in 1898, she tried to cure him by faith healing. At the instigation of Mrs Frederic, Lyon was tried for manslaughter, but was acquitted. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged.

2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter begins with a reference to W. Macqueen-Pope, 'who has been a close friend of mine in the worlds of journalism and the theatre for more years than either of us may wish to remember - at least forty'. Having applied unsuccessfully for seats at the premiere of 'My Fair Lady' he suggests a 'special performance' for 'those members of the journalistic profession who fall by the wayside'.

On 8 x 14.5 cm panel cut from front of envelope. In good condition, lightly-aged. All in Lyndhurst's hand, it reads 'His Grace | The Duke of Wellington KG | &c &c &c | Lyndhurst'. As is customary, the signature is between two horizontal lines, in the bottom left-hand corner.

A fascinating collection of material, casting light on a furtive and little-discussed aspect of the English antiquarian book trade. (For further information see 'Anatomy of an Auction: Rare Books at Ruxley Lodge, 1919' by J. I. Freeman and A. M. Freeman, and 'Out of Print and into Profit', ed. G. Mandelbrote.) Of the eight items, all but Item Two below are in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. It would appear that some of the material at least was published, but precise details are not known.

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.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In acceptable condition, aged and somewhat grubby. He thanks him for sending his article in the 'Musical Gazette', and comments that it is 'certainly curious about the Purcell Catch & the coincidence of the four notes, but it is difficult to say whether it was done purposely or by accident'.

[1] + 36pp., 8vo. The diary is in good condition internally, in worn and aged covers. The author is 'Frank' and 'FRW', a Radley old boy, belonging to what he calls 'more or less an Anglo-Indian & City set'. (The family's surname is not given, but family members include 'Sybil and Ella'.) An officer in a militia regiment, he sails out from England on the RMS Goorkha (Capt. Williams), and returns to Tilbury on the Oratava (Capt. Morgan). Preceding the diary is a list of 24 'Unpacked' items, from 'Hair brushes' to '2 Pr Pants'.

The collection is lightly-aged, but in good overall condition. It consists of five undated typescripts, twenty-four black and white photographs, and a few items of correspondence. The typescripts: ONE. Early draft of Longford's 1953 autobiography 'Born to Believe', published in 1953. 4to, 58 pp, paginated 1-55, 9A, 9B and 52A. Ends midway through Chapter 6. There are a number of autograph emendations, and the typescript exhibits differences from the published version. A second typed draft of half a page of text covers the earlier draft, which is still legible beneath.

1p., 12mo. In good condition. In stamped envelope addressed by Dicksee to 'Shirley Slocombe Esq. | 27 Warwick Gardens | Kensington | W.14'. He apologises for his late reply to Slocombe's 'kind congratulations', explaining that he is 'faced by over 500 letters all needing answers'. Dicksee was knighted the following year.

12 x 8.5 cm. Bifolium. Printed in red and black on thick watermarked deckle-edged laid paper. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Engraving in black ink on recto of first leaf, incorporating the words 'Rowfant Club' and '255 Erie St', showing a back-view of a man in a chair seated at a table, spreading open a large volume containing ''BOOK-PLATES'. Text on recto of second volume, printed in black and red, with the printed words 'Compliments of' followed by the autograph signature of 'F. H. Baer'.

2pp., 12mo. 33 lines of text. The first paragraph reads: 'Dear Miss Last: | I'm afraid I can't give you first-hand help on the choice between [Frank] Harris and [Hesketh] Pearson on Wilde - ignorance, madam, sheer ignorance. But I consulted a friend who is interested in Wilde and knows the literature well and he says that you should not accept either without the other, that they each offer views that are necessary for an attempt to get the figure of Wilde in reasonable view.

The letters total 104pp., mainly 12mo. In fair overall condition, with light aging and wear. Seventeen are signed 'H. H.', three 'Harry Hall', one 'H. R. Hall', three 'H.', one unsigned. Most addressed to 'Frank', others, in playful style, to 'Ryzt Worchypfull & very dere ffrend', 'Respected Friend and most admir'd Poet!' and 'the Scribe of the Admiral's | Yamen, Fa-erh-an-ki'. Also present is an Autograph Card Signed.

The letters total 104pp., mainly 12mo. In fair overall condition, with light aging and wear. Seventeen are signed 'H. H.', three 'Harry Hall', one 'H. R. Hall', three 'H.', one unsigned. Most addressed to 'Frank', others, in playful style, to 'Ryzt Worchypfull & very dere ffrend', 'Respected Friend and most admir'd Poet!' and 'the Scribe of the Admiral's | Yamen, Fa-erh-an-ki'. Also present is an Autograph Card Signed.

The collection is in good overall condition, with light signs of age and wear. As the following description indicates, much care was taken by OUP with the production of the book, the Press even going so far as to produce new type for it (examples of which are accompany a letter by the printer John Johnson). Unfortunately the book was not well received - a savage review [by Sir P. J.

Printed on one side of a 25.5 x 16 cm piece of cream paper. The portrait itself is 17 x 12 cm. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Printed above it is 'LIFE | FRANK MILES | October 18, 1879.' And below: '"VIOLET FANE" | Phototypie, 15, Quai Voltaire, Paris'. Inscribed at foot in pencil: 'To Mrs. Rolland from her affte. | "Violet Fane"'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'I've the vividest memory of starting at Bouverie St. 38 years ago, in 1911, & of the thrill of speaking to him (on the top corridor). The Abbey Co. was just then at the Court, so our enthusiasm about it & its works made two very shy people articulate! | Since then, how much real pleasure I've owed to him!! The News Chronicle will never quite seem the same again.'

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, but with loss at foot and traces of mount on reverse. The letter is addressed to 'Mrs Ashurst Morris | Victoria Hotel | ' (the last word damaged at the foot of the page). It reads: 'Dear Madam, | Thanks for your letter. Pardon my delay in answering, but our plans have been a little uncertain. We shall not be staying in London after the date mentioned, otherwise, we should have been very glad to continue our present sojourn at your comfortable flat.

24pp., 8vo, paginated 161-184. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Roberts contributes 'The Cult of Sherlock'; Frank Swinnerton, 'Holmes - World Figure'; Darwin, 'The Great Holmes Joke'; Howlett and Pointer, 'Holmes on Stage and Screen'; Paget, 'He made Holmes real' ('In this article Winifred Paget writes of her father, Sidney Paget, whose drawings, says Frank Swinnerton on another page, made Holmes "the most universally familiar imaginary figure in two hemispheres'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Consisting of a series of appalling puns, the letter reads: 'Dear Sir | Thanks for the Time Table it was a "rail" service and for your offer of a meal which will suit me to a "T" and for your selection of a bed, as I prefer Bedford to Bedlam, and for your instructions to change my train. It is easier to miss a train than to train a miss. | I feel now that I shall get to Royston with only the Hitchen that is necessary, and I am itching to get there when I feel that I am Warren-ted safe. | I remain My dear Sir | Yours truly'.

Robert Harding Evans has been described as 'the greatest of all auctioneers of literary property'. In a career spanning three decades he oversaw the dispersal of many of the finest libraries ever assembled, from the great Roxburghe sale of 1812 to that of the Duke of Sussex in 1845, as well as those of the books of Lord Byron and the manuscripts and copyrights of Sir Walter Scott. In an undated letter to Bodley's Librarian (copy in Item Four below) Marcham states that he is 'working on Evans the auctioneer and the list will be published.

15pp., 8vo. On twelve leaves torn from an album. With minor emendations, and an essay in another hand on some reverses. Unpublished. The piece begins: 'My collection of catalogues has grown much in the same way as other collections of books. At times I have got rid of many I missed later on and it was only by long experience I found that some things are desirable. First it is better to have each sale bound by itself and this I have carried out except where some association in an existing bound volume would have been destroyed.

[10] + 288pp., 4to. In original quarter-binding, with blue paper boards and cream buckram spine with gilt lettering. A handsome book, profusely illustrated, with 49 plates (some with guards) and the two signed 'Extra Plates', and numerous illustrations in text. Announcement on reverse of first page: 'THIS edition, with an original etching and an original lithograph by Frank Brangwyn, is limited to 65 copies, of which this is No. 41'. The etching, facing p.1, is titled 'A Back Street, Tours', and the lithograph, facing page 180, is titled 'Newcastle'. Both are signed by Brangwyn in pencil.

1p., 4to. On blue-grey paper. In good condition, lightly-aged. He has been trying to get her a acopy of the print, but will not be able to until the following Tuesday. He hopes that this is not too late, and it will give him 'much pleasure in sending it up'.

The four items (copy of typescript of Belcher's memoir; autograph letter from Belcher to Mills; copies of two typed letters from Mills to Rosie Llewellyn-Jones), from the Frank Mills papers, are all in good condition. The copy of the typescript is 47 + [5] pp., 8vo, including title-page, two-page contents, preface and full-page map, on 52 loose leaves; Belcher's letter to Mills is 2pp., 8vo; the copies of Mills's two letters to Llewellyn-Jones are each 1p., 12mo.

On rectangular panel cut from the front of an envelope, with address and frank by Drummond, and crown postmark in red ink ('PAID | 31 OC 31 | 1842') . The address, in Drummond's autograph, reads: 'Private | The Earl of Clanwilliam | Gill Hall | Dromore | Ireland | [signed in bottom left] Edwd Drummond'. In good condition, lightly-aged, and laid down on piece of paper cut from album, carrying contemporary manuscript caption: 'E. Drummond Esq | Priv. Sec. to Sir Robt Peel. | Assassinated in the street'.

Landscape on 16 x 12 cm paper. Dimensions of plate 12.5 x 18.5 cm. In very good condition, lightly-framed. Signed in pencil 'Frank Short' at bottom right outside the plate. The mezzotint itself (a cloudy view of a bay, with shipping in the background) is 5.5 x 10.5 cm., within a 7 x 12 cm printed frame. Outside the frame, in the bottom left-hand corner, is an engraving of a pheasant on reeds by a river. The title is at the head, with the list of the twelve engravings down the right-hand side of the mezzotint, and the publisher's details beneath it in the bottom right-hand corner.

32pp., foolscap 8vo, bound into white wraps with the six fold-out blueprints. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn wraps. Figure 1: '2-6-2 Diesel Locomotive V.1601 (showing the 'general characteristics' of the 'new 1400 H.P. Diesel locomotive'). Figure 2: 'General Arrangement of the small standard Shunting Locomotive' ('75 H.P. Diesel shunting locomotive made by the Deutz Motorenfabr, Köln, Germany'). Figure 3: 'general proportions' of 'the old "Flying Hamburger" and the new unit equipped with hydraulic transmission'). Figure 4: '150 H.P. Diesel-Hydraulic Rail Car'.

On piece of paper cut from front panel of envelope, 7 x 12.5 cm. In fair condition, with hole in paper made by seal or wafer (not affecting text). Red circular government postmark: 'FREE | 4 MY 4 | 1839'. All in Molesworth's hand, and reading: 'London May four 1839 | H H. Molesworth | St John Coll | Cambridge', with the signature as usual at bottom left: 'Wm Molesworth'.

On one side of an 8 x 10 cm piece of paper, cut from the bottom of a letter. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads: '[...] being that very many things demand my attention that have already waited too long. | Yrs. sincerely | Frank Dicksee'.

The 71 letters total 160pp. (18pp., 4to; 128pp., 8vo; 14pp., 12mo), and are in excellent condition, on lightly aged paper, with most accompanied by stamped envelopes, which are addressed to 'W. L. Stanton Esq | Armscote | Stratford on Avon'. The first couple of letters are on letterheads of the Hotel Tivoli, 'Ancon, Canal Zone', with the others from 1912 headed 'Casilla [i.e. postbox] 1004, Valparaiso'; and those from 1913 onwards headed 'Las Salinas [Valparaiso]'. W. F.