JOSIAH

Thirty plates Illustrative of Natural Phenomena, with a short description annexed to each hand-coloured plate, 4to, 35 x 28cm, hf.bound, green cloth, black cf corners and sp., worn, gt bands on spine, 30 engraved plates with fine original hand colour (some spotted, one with small closed tear not affecting text), MS. list of images on verso of front free endpaper, with attractive MS. title "Phenomena of Nature"on recto of second free endpaper, images mostly by Whymper if not all.

Printed in black and red on one side of a piece of 14.5 x 20.5 cm brown card. Designed in a style showing the influence of Art Deco. Within a decorative border with floral corners. Text, in capitals, reads: 'Wedgwood | Aztec Lustre | On the original cane body | Reminiscent of the brilliantly coloured | pottery made by the Aztecs, a cultured | race who inhabited Mexico and the | northern part of South America | before the Spanish Conquest in 1520.'

2pp., 8vo. On the first leaf of a bifolium of laid paper with watermark 'WILLIAMS | 1803'. On aged and worn paper, with closed tears and chipping to extremities.

The three items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, the second letter having a few very short closed tears on fold lines. The first two signed 'W F Hook' and the third 'Walter Farquhar Hook'. ONE (26 July 1828): 2pp., 12mo. Apologising because 'waiting upon' the Corries will now be impossible, as 'Sir Robert and Lady Wilmot intend to come on a Visit': His Mother will not be able to see Sir Robert, so Hook will be 'compelled to stay at home to entertain him'. TWO (16 April 1829): 2pp., 4to. On gilt-edged bifolium.

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-stained paper. The note reads: 'Dr Sir, | I shall do myself the pleasure of waiting upon you the beginning of the week, when I hope to have something interesting to shew you for Mr Boydell - believe me | Dr Sir | Yrs truly | J Hassell'.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of mount to the corners of the blank reverse of the second leaf. The letter begins: 'Dear Gilbert | Thomas told me yesterday - at your gallery - that he had heard you had an attack of rheumatic fever'. He hopes that this is not true, as it is 'a most painful complaint', adding: 'I beg that you will give me a line as soon as you feel well, which we al must [hope] will be very soon'.

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-stained paper. The note reads: 'Dr Sir, | I shall do myself the pleasure of waiting upon you the beginning of the week, when I hope to have something interesting to shew you for Mr Boydell - believe me | Dr Sir | Yrs truly | J Hassell'.

23pp., landscape folio; on twelve leaves pinned together. Fair on lightly-aged and dogeared paper. The document is clearly official, perhaps relating to the Poor Law or Reform Bill. With numerous emendations in different hands. Each page is a printed form, divided into five columns: 'Number on Plan.', 'Description of Property', 'Owner', 'Lessee' and 'Occupier'. (The plan referred to in the first column is not present.) Properties range from 'Field (Glebe Land)' to 'Railway'; and from 'House. Barns. Stables yard & Garden' to 'Canal & towing path'.

1p., 12mo. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. He asks 'what good reason was there for indefinitely postponing the Republican Convention. It seems like a queer move up this way, and my neighbor of the Hampshire Gazette is pitching in'. He regrets that Vose is 'going away' and is 'not going to see the libel case through'. From the papers of Henry Vose. The portrait of Holland (extracted from The Magazine of Poetry, 1890) is in good condition, neatly presented and lightly attached to a paper mount.

On rectangle of paper, 11 x 5.5 cm, cut from front frank. Aged and spotted, with closed tear at head repaired on reverse with archival tape. The whole in Amherst's hand, with his signature (as usual on frank) in bottom left-hand corner between two horizontal lines. Launched in 1805, the Pomone was a 38-gun Leda-class fifth rate Royal Navy ship, built by Josiah and Thomas Brindley at Frindsbury. She saw action during the Napoleonic Wars, primarily in the Mediterranean, and was wrecked off the Needles in 1811.

4to, 2 pp. Thirty-six lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Rylands thanks Conder for the trouble he has taken 'about this plate of the Temple'. Discusses an edition of Josephus, and a possible painting by Parmentier of 'the building of the Temple and not the Temple built'. Discusses the origin of the plate Conder has sketched, with architectural references. 'Schott's engraving was often copied, [...] Fergusson, with all his study, did not come to anything better'. Rylands was initiated in the Lodge of Faith and Unanimity No.

On one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 10.5 x 17.5 cm. Good. Printed in top left-hand corner: 'To J. B. Nichols and Son. Printers and Booksellers. 25, Parliament Street, Westminster. ***Office, 10, King Street, Westminster.' Asks that the 'Subscription to Forby's Vocabulary 1 1 0' be paid to him or to 'Mr Wilkin, Bookseller, herewith'. Countsigned crosswise 'Received for S. Wilkin | [signed] Josiah Fletcher | Jan 25/30'. Docketed on reverse. BBTI has Wilkin as a bookseller in Norwich from before 1821 to 1830; and Fletcher as a binder and printer there from around 1820 to 1835.

12mo: 2 pp. 11 lines of text. The Bishop's note has reached him 'just as I am about to set out for Cambridge to spend the week there'. When he returns he will 'search for any papers we may have relative to Dr. Walker'. He will let him 'know the result of my enquiries'.

Arranging the three in what appears to be chronological order, the first (good, roughly four inches by two and three-quarters wide) has 'Josiah C. Wedgwood' in copperplate beneath a straightforward Victorian armorial design, with shield, coronet and motto 'OBSTANTIA DISCINDO'. The second (three and a half inches by three wide) dates from after Wedgwood's election as a Member of Parliament in 1906, having 'EX-LIBRIS JOSIAH C. WEDGWOOD, M.P.' on a scroll beneath a more modern armorial design, with helmet and leaves. It has slight damage to the bottom right-hand corner.

American physician (1763-1828), son of Josiah Bartlett, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. One page, octavo. On creased, discoloured paper. Several closed tears repaired on reverse with archival tape. Forty-four lines in a close hand, beginning 'The 2nd objection you make to my idea that "all Sin proceed from the want of wisdom" requires some explanation.' and ending 'I agree with you that the animal powers often lead people to do wrong actions'.

Managing Director of the famous pottery business ('saviour of the firm') and the fifth in the family to bear the name (1899-1968), Member of Parliament. All six items in good condition, though grubby, and with the first three bearing pin holes in one corner (not affecting text), the hole in the first letter being decidedly marked. All but one item docketed and stamped. Letters one, two, three and six are one page, quarto; letter four, two pages, 12mo; letter five, one page, 12mo; letter six, one page, quarto. All but the third item, which is signed 'Wedgwood', are signed 'Josiah Wedgwood'.