GIPSIES

Author of "A few months in New Guinea". Vignette photograph of Stone, circa 3.5 x 6", one nick on margin, bottom trimmed, taken at the Exposne inter.fotog. Milano 1894. INSCRIBED by Stone: To my dear & valued friend Hubert Smith with sincere affection & loving memories of 'auld lang syne" / Octavius C. Stone, FRGS. / 4 May 1906". Note from net: "'The Scholar Gypsy' by John Sampson has several pages on Esmeralda Lock, including two portraits. She was married to Hubert Smith, the town clerk of Bridgnorth, but ran away for some time with a lover.

Hubert Smith was a man of many parts: local historian, town clerk of Bridgnorth, Shropshire; author of a book which combines a mountaineering interest with a gipsy interest ("Tent Life with English Gipsies in Norway"); linguist; etc. He was also a passionate pursuer of information about the Guitar and guitar music at a time when the instrument was not popular. [Smith kept autograph copies of all his correspondence.] Letter , 3 pages, 8vo, soiled but clear and complete. He thanks them for the latest payment of royalties on "Tent Life".