GRAND

Both items are laid down on a leaf removed from an autograph album. Both in good condition, with light signs of age. The photographic print of Gladstone measures 9 x 5.5, with the head and shoulders image in an oval 7.5 cm high by 5 cm wide, and showing a middle-aged Gladstone with dark bow tie and frock coat, staring to the right.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with a couple of short closed tears along creases. The body of the letter, written on 9 October 1897, reads: 'Dear Sir, | I have published only one small volume of verse which has long been out of print ['The Prophecy of Merlin and other Poems', published in 1870]. I will see if from some friend I can borrow a copy to send you. | I have written some occasional and other verse besides that of the little book, but for some years have done little expect writing for the press.' In a postscript of 18 October 1897, signed 'J.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. The letter begins: 'I beg a thousand time pardon, dear Mr Cartwright for my coming too late yesterday at your house.

163pp., 12mo. In a sturdy notebook, with brass clasp, covered in grey paper. Wright has written '4 | N W' on the front board. On the recto of the first leaf he gives the addresses of 'T', 'C', 'J', 'Adml Campbell' and 'Young'; and on the verso he writes the title 'DIARY OF THE WAR | VOLUME II', above the oval stamp 'SUPPLIED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE'. He signs 'Noel Wright' at head of the recto of the second leaf.

The card is 4.5 x 7.5 cm, with 'Le Comte Moltke | Grand Veneur du Roi.' engraved in copperplate. In fair condition, aged and with slight staining from previous mounting on the reverse. The Moltke family originated in Mecklenburg, and by the eighteenth century members were prominent figures in the Danish court. Friedrich Philip Victor von Moltke settled in Holstein in 1805, and was left impoverished when the French army plundered his town house in Lübeck, and burned his country house. On 2 January 1819 the Journal de Paris carried a report from Berlin that on 22 December 1818 'M.

1p., 12mo. On aged and ruckled paper, with pinholes to one corner. He is 'in the thick of this "Week in the Country" business'. 'When I come to town I'll come & see you about your proposition of the series for the Grand Magazine, but I'm a rotten short story writer, you know.'

Printed source: History of Lodge Dramatic and Arts No. 757, 1888-1938, Prepared in celebration of the Jubilee of the Lodge by Brother J. Hamilton Birrell, Past Master, Grand Bard (Published by Andersons Edinburgh Limited, [1938]). Contains biographical entries on the thirty founders and 'outstanding brethren'.[Hereafter 'Birrell'] The items in this collection date from the period covered in the first five chapters, pp.9-60.Seventy-one items, dating from between 1888 and 1909, concerning the Freemasons' Lodge Dramatic and Arts No.

Folio, 3 pp. Bifolium. On watermarked laid paper. Headed 'A La Gloire du Grand architecte de L'univers sous Les auspices et au Nom du Serenissime G M | Le Grand orient de france a tous les Maçons reguliers, | union force salut'. Apparently regarding relations 'Entre Nous & Les directoires

4to, 1 p. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper. He has been 'asked by the firm in Braunschweig' to give his opinion on two questions relating to 'Concave Sharps'. He puts the questions to Richter, adding that the Sharps are 'a special patent of Grotrian Steinweg', adding that Richter will 'see from the enclosed leaflet [not present] the reception they found in the musical circles in Berlin'. He asks Richter for his own opinion.

4to, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. Good, with minor traces of previous mount on reverse. He is returning 'the Franks that you sent to me last night', with the assurance that he is ready 'at all times to be of service' to him. He is sorry that he will not be able to see him before his 'Tour', and hopes to see him 'in good Health' on his return.

4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Very good on lightly-aged paper. Minimal damage has been caused to the second leaf (affecting two or three unimportant words of text) by the breaking of the red wax seal. Addressed by Guthrie 'To Charles Sharpe of Hoddam Esqr [Hoddam Castle] | Provenance Grand Master for Dumfries Shire'. Small circular red ink postmark. Docketed. Guthrie's letter, in a secretarial hand but signed and with an initialed postscript by him, covers the two centre pages. He writes that 'a great proportion' of the lodges are in arrears, 'some of them 20 years and upwards'.

On a piece of grey paper roughly 25 x 22 cm, with card backing. The backing is rough-edged, the picture having been removed from its mount, but the edges of the print itself are undamaged. A little grubby, and with minor spotting and staining. Depicts the moustachioed sitter's head in profile, looking to his right, wearing a white guthra with decorative igaal. The image includes a reproduction of Jemmett's signature in the bottom right-hand corner, with the sitter's signature, in Arabic script, reproduced in the bottom left-hand corner.

Three volumes, 8vo, xii.476 plus four page Index and folding map (discreetly repaired); 564 plus 7-page Index; 696 plus eight page index, rebound in workmanlike but pleasant green cloth, sp. gt with Royal Institution insignia, by the Royal Institution Library from which they were purchased by Dr Nehemiah Asherson, Harley Street ENT specialist. Asherson's bookplate is present in the first volume (same bookplate removed from the other two volumes with some faint signs remaining).

4to, 2 pp, 14 lines of text. On aged and creased paper, with traces of cream paper mount adhering at foot of reverse. Showing the grammatical indifference of the English eighteenth-century upper classes. '[...] nothing but indisposition shall prevent my attendance at the meeting you was to good as to inform me that is to take place on Monday next of all the Catholicks of great Britain'. He is 'ill with a violent Cold sore Throat and fever' and doubts whether he will be 'well enough to undertake the journey to Town so soon'.

4to. 36 leaves and 18 engravings. Bound in plain and worn black cloth, with remains of two ribbon strips on back board. Some of the plates are heavily foxed, but otherwise the volume is in very good condition. Examples of the two attractive alternative decorated bindings are attached to the front and rear endpapers. Over the front pastedown is laid an example of the front board of the dark blue cloth binding of the six-volume edition, heavily decorated in gilt with masonic insignia (all-seeing eye, chain of office, dividers, etc.) inside a decorative gilt border containing other insignia.