LANE

4pp., 12mo. Bifiolium. In fair condition, on aged paper. Macready had taken leave of the stage a month before the writing of this letter, with a farewell performance of Macbeth at Drury Lane on 26 February. An interesting letter, fifty-one lines long, revealing the great actor's response to the change of circumstances brought about by his early retirement. Macready begins by telling Jerdan that his 'friendly reminder of the 16th. inst' found him 'in all the external stillness of he most quiet of village towns, and with as much internal care as would satisfy the most excitement-loving person'.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with postmark, to 'John P. Aston, Esqre | Messrs. Ainsworth & Co | Solrs | Essex Street | Manchester'. Aston was Ainsworth's father's law clerk. The year after this letter was written the novel 'Sir John Chiverton', on which Ainsworth and Aston collaborated, was published to great success (and endorsement by Sir Walter Scott).

For information concerning Wilton, who had previously been associated with P. T. Barnum, see W. J. Lawrence's 'Life of Gustavus Vaughan Brooke, Tragedian' (Belfast, 1892). From the 1840s Brooke had toured England with increasing success, being favourably compared with Edmund Kean and called by several critics the greatest tragedian of his day. Although somewhat wooden in delivery, he was blessed with a splendid voice, but this had begun to fail towards the end of the decade, and he had been forced to seek medical help. At the same time his heavy drinking did not assist his acting.

The Oxford DNB's entry on Bunn states that from 1819 to 1824 he held the lease of the Theatre Royal, Birmingham. 1p., 8vo. Bifolium. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to '- Perkins Esq'. In fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. Bunn begins his letter: 'My dear Sir, | The dreadful bustle attendant on producing "Waterloo" must be my apology. The Music & Manuscript are herewith sent - & not a note or a syllable of either has been copied.' He thanks 'Mr Howes for his kindness', which he offers to reciprocate, 'whenever in my power'.

Jeffrey Richards, in his 'Imperialism and Music: Britain, 1876-1953' (2001), pp.272-274, discusses this piece at some length, beginning: 'There was a late entry in the imperial cycle, the now-forgotten The Song of The Drum, written by Fred Thompson and Guy Bolton, which opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on 9 January 1931. It starred Derek Oldham as Captain Anthony Darrell, Bobby Howes as comic relief Chips Wilcox, Peter Haddon as silly-ass "Goofy" Topham and Marie Burke as glamorous spy Countess Olga von Haulstein.

The two advertisements are variants of one another, with much the same text in two columns of small type, surrounded by a decorative border with oriental influence (featuring flamingo, vase, bamboo). Both printed in black ink on one side of a 33 x 26cm piece of tissue. They are frail and unusual survivals: aged and creased with wear and slight loss to the extremities. Both are headed 'UNITED KINGDOM TEA COMPANY | SUPPLY THE FINEST TEA IN THE WORLD | FIRST HAND, DIRECT FROM THE MINCING LANE MARKET.' One is headed, in fancy type: 'THIS PAPER IS MADE IN JAPAN & IS A CURIOSITY'.

8vo. 310pp. Red cloth, gilt extra, with ornate design to front board and spine. First edition with King's illustrations. A good copy of an extremely attractive book, in binding with light fading in parts, but gilt still bright, and with the merest wear at head of spine. Bookplate by Isabel Bonus for Annie C. Dolamore. Collated and complete. All of King's ninety-five illustrations are present, with twenty-four of them, including the frontispiece, on shiny art paper. A sumptuous item, produced at the high point of King's Art Nouveau period.

One: 'Ye 390th Meeting of Ye Sette of Odde [sic] Volumes, holden at Ye Imperial Restaurant (Oddenino's) on Tuesday, ye 30th daie of October, 1923.' 4pp., 4to. Bifolium on shiny art paper. In fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. Stylish caricature portrait of chairman Sir William Arbuthnot Lane ('Chirurgeon') on front cover, with two amusing small vignettes. TWO: 'Ye 415th Meeting of Ye Sette of Odd Volumes, holden at Ye Royal Adelaide Gallery (Gatti's) on Tuesday, ye 22nd daie of June, 1926.' 4pp., 8vo. Bifolium on shiny art paper.

In his obituary in the Independent, Lane was described as 'one of those writers whose published oeuvre is only matched by the supreme fiction of their own existence'. The present two pieces, both unpublished, date from his time studying theatre design at Wimbledon Art School, before 'launching himself across the globe, seemingly supported only by his verbal brilliance, good looks, perfect wardrobe and genius to amuse'. ONE: '"ANAGRAMS [no closing quotation mark] | A One Act Play - by Simon Lane'. [3] + 19pp., 8vo. Duplicated typescript on loose leaves held together by paper clip.

1p., 12mo. On bifolium. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with one dog-eared corner, and minor traces of previous mount to blank second leaf of bifolium. The text is neatly written out in the two men's autographs, as follows, with Chorley's writing in square brackets. 'My Autograph? With pleasure. Another Lady begged me to get an autograph of H. F. Chorley. She did not ask for mine. | I immediately wrote to Chorley, and he promptly replied. | [But not for Hope I pray, to day contriving | Tomorrow's dreams. | Only for Patience, through long years of striving | Against the stream.

The letter and draft each on one side of the same piece of 8vo paper. In good condition, aged and worn, with a short closed tear along one fold line.

Both items in fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. ONE: 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. The letter begins: 'Dear Mr Lane, | Conscientious research in Titmarshian activities seems to point to the fact that you owe to the club the sum of 22/- for two dinners in October 1907.' He continues on this theme for a while, before turning to Reynolds: 'I am very glad to hear that you are going to bring out the Holy Mountain & Poor Mans House by Reynolds. As partly responsible for the suggestion of the Mountain & the location at Acton, I take some interest in the book & also in its author.?>

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper, with cropped margins. He begins by explaining that O'Donnell's letter has been sent to him 'from Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, on the staff of which I am and whose whose [sic] historian I am too'. He continues: 'I fear a night vigil would be of little use so far as the Ghost is concerned. He is a day time visitant. Never yet has he been seen before 9 a.m. or after six p.m. Between those hours - frequently.' He refers O'Donnell to the 'full account' in his book 'Theatre Royal'.

1p., 8vo. Bifolium, addressed on reverse of second leaf 'To Thomson Hankey Junr.' In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter begins: 'Dear Thomson, | I give to you as a free Gift the Sum of Four Thousand Pounds & authorize you on 30th. of this Month to place that Sum to your Credit with our House by the Debit of my private Account. I also give you the one fourth Share of my two thirds Share of the Ship Elizabeth Capt.

3pp., folio. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Signed 'Isabella Hankey' and witnessed by 'John fforster Carey Street'.

[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. Aged and creased, mounted in windowpane on leaf removed from album. He writes: 'Gentlemen, | I beg leave to inform you, that I shall not have occasion for the Room I have taken at the St. Martins Lane Model Academy, after Michaelás Day next in the present year.' For more information on the Academy, see Sibley's 'Origin, Progress, and Present Condition of the Fine Arts in Great Britain and Ireland' (1841).

Letter: 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, foxed at head. He informs them that the article was on Dr Johnson's house, and will be published in the magazine's 'Autumn Number', writing: 'If I send you the proofs would one of you care to write a few appreciative words on Lord H? I shall add a short biography culled from The Times'. In an autograph postscript he requests 'an old wood-block or a stone-litho which I could reproduce in O. L. of Johnson's House'. Magazine: 46 + [2]pp., 12mo, in printed wraps. With foxing and pinholes to cover. Includes articles by W.

2pp., 4to. In bifolium, the recto of the first leaf of which is addressed by Mary Lane to 'Doctor Robert Lane, Mobile Point, Alabama Territory'. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Mary Lane is semi-literate, but her letter is infused with anguish. 'Dear Brother | I have written to you Since I received your letter, but perhaps mine has never reach'd you almost every one of the family has wrote to you before this period no doubt you heard of the deaths of our father and Brother.

2pp., 8vo. Neatly written out on two leaves of laid paper with watermark of Caxton Superfine Vellum. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The poem consists of twenty-eight lines arranged in seven four-line stanzas, the first reading: 'On lake and fell the loud rains beat, | And August closes rough and rude.

1p., 4to. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Engraved illustration of the Old House at the head (signed 'S. Holden'), with an engraving of the Plague-Stone beneath it, followed by the text: 'The Relic represented above formed the corner coping-stone of a garden wall, immediately above the spot indicated in the drawing by the letter A. It is traditional in the neighbourhood that about the middle of the 17th century, (probably in the year 1665,) several cases of The Plague occurred in this house.

Letter: 1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Neatly laid down on a page detached from an album, with border. In response to a note from the recipient, he explains that the 'hurry of professional business' has prevented him from making the following statement: 'I beg to assure you that on Monday Jany: 25th.

17 items, the collection in good condition, on aged paper. Item One: Autographs of sixteen individuals associated with the production, all signing to 'Sonia'. 2pp., 12mo. On bifolium removed from ruled notebook. The signatories are: Michael Bryant, Robert Hunter, Margaret Whiting, Hilda Braid, Vivian Matalon, Tony Church ('Sonia, our proletarian beauty | from hungry Hugo'), Jack MacGowran, Robert Adams, Prunella Scales ('Maggie'), Michael Balfour ('May you triumph over virtue'), Patrick Magee, Tony Robertson, Joby Blanshard, Anthony Jacobs, Lee Montagu and Ian Bannen.

40 + 3 + 4 pp., 12mo. With frontispiece, and three plates on one fold-out strip. In original grey printed wraps (giving the price as 2s 6d). In good condition, on lightly-aged and spotted paper, in worn wraps. Excellent frontispiece portrait, with tissue guard, captioned 'Rev. Joseph Nightingale. | Drawn by Shoosmith - Engraved by R. Roffe. | Published by J. Robins & Co. London. Feby. 1. 1824.' Six-page preface, dated 'Southwark Square, 1823.' Three plates on one fold-out strip, facing p.12.

8vo., 69pp. Unbound as issued. In fair condition, on lightly-aged and worn paper, with worn and chipped printed front wrap still present, with ownership inscription at head (''). 482 lots, with several of the books ticked in pencil. Included, as lots 95 to 112A, are 'specially printed copies of the various Lyceum Plays, as arranged for the Stage by SIR HENRY IRVING; they contain numerous manuscript alterations in the text in the handwriting of the great Actor, and are in consequence of very great interest'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Palgrave begins: 'My dear Inglis/ | I have had such avalanches [last word underlined] of business - and most of a confidential nature - that I have really been unable to write to you. By confidential business I mean business of a class which I cannot open to mhy clerks - and what must be either copied by my own hands or at home - If it had not been for Fanny Brown in addition to her sister I do not know what I should have done'.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium, with the reverse of the second leaf addressed to 'Mr Lee | Olympic Theatre'. Fair, on aged paper, with minor damage to second leaf on removal from album. The letter begins: 'R. Keeley's Compts to Mr Lee, will thank him to send his Salary per Bearer - R. K. is entirely without money and will thank Mr Lee to present the accompanying note to Mr Elliston's notice'. He asks Lee to oblige him 'with the date of the 2d. Week of the Leicester Season when I first resume my Sal -'.

2pp., 12mo. 34 lines. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. It has 'just flashed across' his mind that he neglected to answer the question in Wright's letter about the Syriac bible. 'We have no use for the Mod. Syr. Bib. in these parts & so do not keep it at hand.' He gives names of individuals to contact on the question, and discusses how copies could be procured. A postscript reads: 'What is the prospect for the completion of Lanes Lex. I have to the end of S - but since Lane died [Edward William Lane died in 1876] it seems as if most words were put off to the Supplement!!'

1p., 12mo. Fair, on aged paper, with short vertical closed tear at foot through the first name of Pyne's signature, unobtrusively repaired on reverse with archival tape. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | I left a message for you this morning asking for a Box which I am very much surprised at not receiving | Will you kindly send me one by bearer | It is for my Father | In haste | Yours Obediently | [signed] Louisa Pyne'.

19pp., 32mo. Stitched. In pink printed wraps. Lightly-aged, in worn wraps. The front cover duplicates the only different element being the central vignette. On the rear wrap is a list of twelve children's books, 'Just published, uniform in size with the present', 'The Series to be continued.' Stock engraving at head of first page, showing old man with stick at cottage door, admonishing three children, one of them crying. Final engraving shows man with hat and stick on tired horse, with accompanying dog in foreground and foliage in background.