GRAHAM

"One of the top [literary] agents in London"The extensive correspondence, business and personal, between Elaine Greene and Elaine Greene Literary Agency, and R.P. Lister [Richard Percival Lister], travel-writer, novelist, poet, contributor to periodicals, and eventually friend. He published extensively in the USA. As well as the UK.Elaine Greene to Lister: Twenty-five (25) Typed Letters and Notes Signed ("Elaine Greene" becomes a cordial "Elaine"), total 27pp., 8vo and 4to, 14 Dec. 1962-10 April 1969.

On 8 x 18.5 cm panel cut from front of envelope. In fair condition, lightly-aged and worn. All in Graham's hand, it reads 'His Grace | The Duke of Wellington | K. G. | Apsley House | J. R. G. Graham'. As is customary, Graham's signature is between two horizontal lines, in the bottom left-hand corner.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium with black border. He writes that he had 'looked forward with great interest to seeing your academy pictures for this year', but that he is disappointed not to be able to do so, as a result of a heavy cold. 'I have no doubt they will more than sustain your reputation, and it will be a true pleasure to me to hail them on good places on the line in the R.A.' He ends by sending regards 'to Mrs. Faed & yourself'.

223pp., 8vo, of typescript, with additional manuscript page: 'Carbon Copy | Spanish Holiday | by | R. G. Dixon | during | May-June | 1960.' Typed single-spaced, with occasional minor manuscript emendations. Each page on a separate leaf, the whole held together by a metal clasp. In beige card folder with the following on inside cover: 'R. G. Dixon | April Cottage | Fernlea Close | Ferndown | Dorset'. The front cover of the folder carries part of a label from the previous use of the folder, providing a clue to the author's itentity: '"D" Co[mpan]y. Towcester Batt[ery]: | Home Guard.

[2] + 44pp., 8vo. In lilac paper wraps with title in silver on front cover. Internally in good condition on lightly-aged paper; in worn wraps with creased corner at rear and small square of staining from label on front cover. Inscribed on front pastedown: 'With best wishes | from | Virginia Graham. | 1946.' A charming collection in Grenfell mode, with poems including 'Café Triste' (beginning: 'Miss Tomkinson, do you suppose | That you and I | On this same day next year | Will still be sitting here, | Eating this vegetable pie | Covered white glucose?') and 'V J Day' (beginning: 'Hurray!

Both items in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Both 1p., 4to, and both signed 'Robert Graham & Co.' ONE (30 March 1829): Docketed on reverse: 'Letter from Sir R Graham respg Hunts Bill'. They have already informed him that his 'draft on Hunt of £20 was dishonoured & noted for nonpayment', and now 'have now to intimate that your draft on Foreman for the same amount has met the same fate'. Consequently they request a remittance. TWO (28 April 1829): They are 'rather surprised' that they have received no reply to their letter of 14 April.

[2] + 52pp., 8vo. In grey printed wraps carrying advertisements. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. With label and stamp of the Science & Art Department of the Educational Library, London. In tasteful modern quarter-bound boards of light and dark grey paper, with white printed label on front.

16pp., 8vo. Including full-page facsimile 'Specimen of Impromptu Conversation' and of 'the plan, recommended by George Dalgarno, of writing the alphabet upon a glove'. In grey card wraps. In good condition, on aged paper, with label and stamp of the Science & Art Department of the Educational Library on the front cover. In tasteful modern grey paper wraps with white printed label on front. No copies of this third edition on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat (but a total of fourteen copies of the first edition).

39pp., 8vo. Front cover of printed wraps present, with 'With the Author's Compliments' printed in top left-hand corner. In fair condition, lightly-aged, with shelfmarks, label and stamp of the Science & Art Department of the Education Library. In tasteful modern quarter-bound boards of light and dark grey paper, with white printed label on front.

[1] + 29 + [5]pp., 8vo. Advertisements at front and rear. With front cover of brown printed wraps present, bearing the title in a 'globe' design. Printed in a box in the top right-hand corner of the cover is: 'With compliments from | THE AUTHOR, | 1525, Thirty-fifth Street, | Washington, D. C. | Examination and comment requested.' In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight loss at edges of front cover. In tasteful modern quarter-bound boards of light and dark grey paper, with white printed label on front. Uncommon: four copies on COPAC.

43pp., 8vo. In good condition, on aged paper, with small label (with manuscript '7') on first page. In tasteful modern grey paper wraps with white printed label on front. Bell's presentation inscription, with the first line slightly trimmed at head, is on the title page: 'Lord Egerton | with the compliments of | Alexander Graham Bell' and '(Senate Document)'. Bell has also written, above the drop-head title (p.3): 'Suggestions by Alex. Graham Bell with regard to Defective Classes, Paper 31'. Bell's contribution, the longest in the volume, is on pp.31-37, with six tables in text.

7pp., 8vo. With front cover of grey printed wraps. In good condition, on aged paper, with label and stamp of the Science & Art Department of the Educational Library, London on front cover. In tasteful modern grey paper wraps with white printed label on front. Epigram beneath title: 'I would have a deaf child read books in order to learn the language, instead of learning the language in order to read books.' Uncommon: no copy on COPAC and nine copies (all in American libraries, including three at Harvard) on OCLC WorldCat.

32pp., 8vo. Includes seven full-page charts. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper, in worn and aged light-brown printed wraps. With shelfmarks, stamp and labels of the Board of Education Reference Library, London. A total of eight copies located on OCLC WorldCat and COPAC, with the only copy in British libraries at the British Library.

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Written in a difficult, eccentric hand. 'Dear Sir | Many thanks to you for your most kind letter. It was a great pleasure to me to <?> the & also an honour that you should wish it.?>

24pp., 8vo. Stapled and unbound. On aged and worn paper, with rusting staples. Two indexes in small print on title-page: 'Titles' and 'Places of printing other than London'. 101 items, ranging from the 1645 Mercurius Academicus to the Fleuron, 1923-1930, the last entry ending 'We take this opportunity of expressing our appreciation of the generous review of our TYPE SPECIMEN CATALOGUE [copies of which are still available at 3/6] which occurs on pp. 211-2 of vol. VII.' Those interested in the forger Thomas J.

2pp., 8vo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight discoloration to reverse of second leaf, which also bears traces of mount along one edge. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, to 'The Attorney General | &c &c &c | J R G Graham'. This letter - an unusually detailed survival for a communication from one officer of state to another during this period - concerns a House of Commons debate on the 'Moral and Religious Education of the Working Classes', held on 28 February 1843, and extensively reported in The Times, 1 March 1843, pp.3-4.

The case was fully reported in The Times, with the issue for 14 April 1842 reporting the pronouncing of the sentence of death on 'Robert Sandys, a stout built Irishman, having a pale and haggard appearance, who was found guilty at the last assizes for this county [Chester] of the diabolical murder of his children by poison, in order to obtain a few pounds from a burial society of which he was a member'. 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Headed 'Private' by Graham.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with slight creasing and chipping at head. In answer to an enquiry, he states regarding 'the Portrait of the Marchioness of Abercorn' that 'though Mr Moon & I have not yet completed our arrangements I consider that the Plate is his property & not mine as you appear to have been informed'. He concludes by thanking him 'for the favorable opinion you are pleased to express both of the plate in question & the engraving'.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on aged paper, with slight creasing and chipping at head. In answer to an enquiry, he states regarding 'the Portrait of the Marchioness of Abercorn' that 'though Mr Moon & I have not yet completed our arrangements I consider that the Plate is his property & not mine as you appear to have been informed'. He concludes by thanking him 'for the favorable opinion you are pleased to express both of the plate in question & the engraving'.

‘Quite a singular person’: The ‘delicate improprieties’ of Richard Blake BrownLiterary Papers, 1916-1968The present collection of the literary papers of gay writer Richard Blake Brown – novels, plays, poetry, travel writing and memoirs – consists of nearly 200 items, including:50 notebooks of autograph manuscripts;38 volumes of bound typescripts;39 unbound typescripts;2 autograph booklets;one unbound autograph manuscript;with around 60 miscellaneous items and seven of Brown’s published novels (five with annotations and extra material inserted).Richard Blake Brown (1902-1968) – hereafter RBB –

2pp., foolscap 8vo. 54 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged and worn paper. Addressed to 'The Hon. T. L. Graham, M.L.C., Prime Minister's Office, Cape Town.' Taylor begins by thanking Graham for his 'courteous letter' and is pleased to find that he has not been misunderstood. 'While siding with Dr. Smart it was on purely personal grounds that I wrote you. I cannot say that a number of your constituents differ from you; I do not know.

[1] + 23pp., foolscap 8vo. On 24 leaves attached in one corner by a metal stud. The title page carries the reference TM144D, and states that the producer was Cleverdon, and gives times of transmission, rehearsal and recording, with 'R.P. REF. NO.' and the details of the secretary who typed out the document. The piece was narrated by Barker, with the 'Speakers' are named as Burns, Carter, Crook, Crutchley, Meynell, Pollard, the Stones and Warde.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Addressing Bower as 'My dear Sir Graham', Bewes begins: 'Considering the terrible times that we are passing through and which I see are so badly affecting you, I think you are too generous in sending a contribution fitting for halcyon days.' After a reference to Bower's bronchitis, he discusses the conference at Oxford, concluding: 'The German members who have already accepted are few for conditions there are frightful. Simons [the German jurist Walter Simons] is taking a kur [sic] and writes that he is not sure to come.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Addressing Bower as 'My dear Sir Graham', Bewes begins: 'Considering the terrible times that we are passing through and which I see are so badly affecting you, I think you are too generous in sending a contribution fitting for halcyon days.' After a reference to Bower's bronchitis, he discusses the conference at Oxford, concluding: 'The German members who have already accepted are few for conditions there are frightful. Simons [the German jurist Walter Simons] is taking a kur [sic] and writes that he is not sure to come. PRIVATE.

2pp., 4to. On the rectos of the two leaves of a bifolium. Signed in type at end 'GRAHAM BOWER.' On laid paper with 'SOUTHERN CROSS | FINE QUALITY' watermark, suggesting, with the typographic style, that it was written during the period of that he served as Imperial Secretary. Very good, on lightly aged and creased paper.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. Very good, on aged paper. In a letter clearly written to dispel any suspicion of suicide, McSwiney begins: 'My dear Bower | I write to offer you mhy sincerest sympathy on the death of your brother Denis, which occurred through the accidental discharge of his revolver that he had taken up to unload prior to packing it up - he was to have started from Peshawar that very day to rejoin his regiment en route to England on a year's well earned furlo', which he had been looking forward to with so much delight. [last eleven words underlined] He like many other men on the N.W.

Both issues 32pp., small 4to. Both printed on art paper, and profusely illustrated with black and white photographs. The first issue with lilac cover, and the second with orange cover. Both in good condition, with slight spotting to the cover of the first. No. 1 has an editorial titled 'What It's All About', followed by articles on subjects including the 'Festival Of The Flower Children at Woburn Abbey'; the Flamingo Club in Wardour St; 'John Peel Gives His Views . .

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Very good.

4 pp, 12mo. Bifolium. 63 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Difficult hand. He thanks him for 'the Statistical Tables', admitting with 'some shame' that he needs 'an interpreter for part of the tables on page 68'. Describes the problem in detail, and discusses 'the sly remark that "the change is being made quite as abruptly as would be safe".

108 items, in a variety of formats, and including 17 Autograph Letters Signed; 14 Typed Letters Signed; 47 telegrams (on 51 leaves), a 'Statement of Election Expenses', a mimeographed 'Agent's Report. Year 1932' (4to, first 3 pp only); 3 election fliers; an 'Admission Ticket' to Davis's 'Adoption Meeting'; a printed notice by Davis 'To All Primrose Leaguers'; and seventeen black and white photographs. All but a few items laid down in a folio cloth scrapbook by W. Straker Ltd, London. All texts clear and complete, with the collection in fair condition on aged paper.