MANUSCRIPT

All three items good, on lightly-aged paper. All bifoliums. Letter One (1 July 1901): 12mo, 4 pp. 42 lines. He is pleased to have received Childers' life of his father (published that year). 'I knew your Father well, [...] I was in the House in the Parliaments of 68 & 80 when he had his most serious work'. Praises his 'amazing pluck in going out as he did to Australia [Childers was first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Melbourne] & in his conduct there in the early days & during the gold discoveries time, the story of which in his letters is very curious'.

4to, 2 pp. Seventeen lines. On worn aged paper, with the cropping of one margin resulting in minor loss to a few words of text. Requesting inclusion in 'any arrangement which may be made' regarding 'a move from Halifax [Nova Scotia]' as a result of a 'late vacancy at the Navy Board'. He is writing despite having 'neither claim or pretension' to Spencer's 'goodness', but 'having received an answer not sufficient to banish hope, in an application about 3 years ago', he is induced to try again.

Folio, 110 pp, comprising [i] + 68 + [ii] + 39 pp. Handsome volume in slipcase, tight and internally in very good condition, on lightly-aged thick Whatman paper. Well bound in black leather morocco, all edges gilt. Binding blind-tooled and with 'Early Days' and 'W. V. S.' in gilt on spine and motto on front board: 'Nourish the sentiments thy principles approve and put thy trust and confidence in God.' Binding worn and rebacked, in worn black cloth slipcase.

On rectangle removed from autograph album. In good condition. Reads 'Shura Cherkassky | 1929'.

On rectangle of pink paper, removed from autograph album. In good condition. Reads 'Wolfi Schneiderhan | 1930.'

On rectangle removed from autograph album. In good condition. Reads 'Albert Coates | 1929'.

Landscape 12mo, on a page of pink paper removed from an autograph album., with one set of rounded corners. In good condition. Signature, written diagonally across the page, reads 'Ania Dorfmann | 25th Novembere [sic] 1929'. Laid down in bottom right-hand corner is a contemporary newspaper photograph of 'MDLLE ANIA DORFMANN'. Laid down on reverse of leaf are newspaper photographs of 'Wolfi Schneiderhan' and another musician.

Black and white studio photograph, postcard format (13 x 8.5 cm). On leaf removed from autograph album. Good, on shiny photographic paper, with margin making dimensions of image 12 x 8 cm, captioned in bottom right-hand corner 'PHOTO | LAIRD | ABERDEEN'. Showing a kindly-looking Coborn seated in country tweeds, with spectacles in hand and paper on his knees. In addition to a facsimile in the bottom-left, the picture has Coborn's genuine dated signature across his chest: 'Charles Coborn | 28/5/29'.

12mo landscape, on leaf of pink paper removed from autograph album, with one set of rounded corners. In good condition. Butt's inscription is above Rumford's, and large in comparison. Reads 'Clara Butt - | Rumford' and R. Kennerley Rumford | 11 Oct. 22.'

Black and white studio photograph, postcard format (14 x 9 cm). Laid down on leaf removed from autograph album. Good, on shiny photographic paper, with margin making dimensions of image 12.5 x 8 cm, captioned at foot 'JOHN STUART' and, in smaller type, 'PHOTO BY | L. PROTHEROE'. Stuart's inscription, in bottom right-hand corner, reads 'Best wishes | Sincerely yours | John Stuart'. Stuart's two Hitchcock films were the director's debut 'The Pleasure Gardens' (1925), and 'Number Seventeen' (1932).

On leaf removed from autograph album, with one set of rounded corners. In good condition. Reads ' Good Morning - Bill! | With every good wish | Yours Sincerely | Peter Haddon | 1928 -'. Together with a loose newspaper cutting carrying a photographic portrait.

On piece of light-blue paper, removed from an autograph album. Firm signature. In good condition. Reads 'Robert Easton.'

12mo, 1 p. Fifteen lines. Text clear and complete. Very good on lightly-aged paper. The valediction ('Yours sincerely | C. Bradlaugh') in Bradlaugh's hand, the rest in a secretary's. Addressed to 'F. Harris Esq'. Docketed by Harris: '18 or 20th of Feb. or March. Length unlimited: but more valuable short.' Bradlaugh is working on the article, but 'must not send it' before the report is presented to parliament, which Lord Derby assures him 'will be within fourteen days of the Reopening of the House'. He asks about length and deadline.

4to, 3 pp. 106 lines. On aged paper, and with slight loss to a handful of words of text resulting from wear and closed tears to most of the letter's folds. Competently and unobtrusively repaired with archival tape. On the reverse of the second leaf Rocke's original address ('at Mr. M. Lewis's [...]') is scored through, and replaced in another hand by 'at Thos Elsted Esqre [...]'.

The handbill on the recto of the first leaf (headed 'The Lant Street Sunday Schools. | (In the Lower and Upper Rooms of the same buildings.)') and verso of the second leaf (headed 'The Lant Street Ragged Schools | For Boys and Girls, | Borough, Southwark. (Established A.D. 1862, and continued in active operation.)') of a 12mo bifiolium, with Newton's letter on the recto of the second leaf. Docketed on reverse of the first leaf. Texts clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper.

12mo, 3 pp. 44 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, and with the reverse of the second leaf tipped in onto a leaf removed from an autograph album, with manuscript caption reading 'Sir George Cox to Miss Cobbe | given me June 1902.' The letter itself docketed at foot of third page in a contemporary hand. Cox's hand is crabbed and difficult. He thanks her for sending 'Mr Wright's sermon', but can make little use of it: 'The historical portions I must leave on one side.

Seven documents, all in folio, a total of fifteen pages. Texts clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, with one document with rusted staple. All are police circulars, but only the first is clearly specific to Brighton. ONE: 'Police Box System - Going-off Points'. 3 pp. Short introduction, followed by a list of points to be deleted, and their substitutes. TWO: 'No. 6 District Police Training Centre, Larceny Act, 1916'. 1 p. Table giving 'Time', 'Place', 'Manner' and 'Intent' for four offences from Sacrilege to Housebreaking with Intent.

12mo, 3 pp. On bifolium, with the printed playbill for the 'Benefit of Mr. Chas. Calvert' at the Theatre-Royal, Newcastle, on the recto of the first page (including a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, with Calvert as Benedick and Miss Fanny Alexander as Beatrice. The letter is 42 lines long. She feels that, 'with but one rehearsal', the 'Merchante's Storye will scarcely go', and suggests performing 'Nine Points, The Household Fairy, and Head of the Family' instead, considering it 'a good bill' and 'lighter works for all the company'.

Foolscap bifolium (leaf dimensions 33 x 22.5 cm), 3 pp. On laid paper, with watermark of a horn on a crowned shield, from which dangles a number '4' and the monogram 'WR'. Ink faded, but text clear and complete, on grubby aged paper with some wear to extremities. Written in a neat seventeenth-century clerk hand. Docketed, on the otherwise-blank reverse of the second leaf, 'Establishment of his Maties: Forces'. First section [eleven entries] on first page headed 'His Maties: guard of hors Commanded by the Earl of Atholl'.

4to, 71 pp, with one 12mo page at end. In poor condition, damp damaged and detached from green cloth covers, but with texts legible and complete. Manuscript table of contents on recto of first leaf describes nine tales in German, told by Ascher Horowitz and T.

12mo, 55 pp. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Most pages ruled with red lines. Texts of poem and preface, in a number of different-coloured inks, on right-hand side, with the facing reverses carrying corresponding notes and half a dozen charming vignettes (woman at writing desk, cabman dying of apoplexy at dinner, his widow atop the moving hearse). In original quarter binding of cream paper boards with gold star design, and red leather spine; decorative printed endpapers (rear free endpaper lacking). A well-executed and extremely attractive item.

Both items in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Letter ('Tuesday Mo[rnin]g'): 12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Slight trace of previous mount on blank reverse of second leaf. She wanted to offer her 'a box for the Opera of "L'Elixir" this evening, but as we are not to give it I shall postpone sending to you 'till Thursday when we perform the "Trovatore" hoping you will do me the favour to come out and listen to my first attempt in that Opera'. Mentions 'His Excellency The Admiral' and the news of 'poor Mrs. Clay's child'.

4to, 5 pp. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged and folded paper. An highly interesting and significant letter, responding thoughtfully and in detail to questions posed by Gilbert (author, according to Allan, of the 'special study, "Children and Reading"'). Begins by responding to the question 'Why do I write for children?' Considers that children's books 'are at least a minor form of art [...] I am a professional author. I have published more than eighty books, all but one for young people. But every book I have written has been written because I wanted to write it, for myself.

Printed on one side of a piece of vellum, 19 x 20 cm. With two government stamps but lacking the Archbishop's seal. Copy of grant of administration to Walsh's daughter Philis, the estate being sworn under three hundred pounds. Mention made of Walsh's two other daughters, Katharine and Margaret. Ostensibly written on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury by George Gostling, James Townley and Robert Dodwell, Deputy Registers.

12mo, 3 pp. 28 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. He does not understand how they can have 'a record of a second edition [of Burns's poems] dated 1786, for the book was not published until April 1787'. He describes the two issues of the second edition ('a stinking or a skinking issue') and concludes that he will be glad to hear from them, should they 'meet with a 1786 second edition, or with a copy having the addenda incorporated in the list of subscribers, or one having Roxburgh spelled correctly'.

The letter is of 23 lines, written on the front and back of an opened envelope with the cancelled address of 'John Wickham Flower Esq, Park Hill, Croydon'. In good condition, on aged paper. The rear of the envelope carries a good impression of a red wax seal, and the letter begins: 'My dear Sir, I had written this letter having obtained my object through my friend the York Herald and I still send it on account of the Seal which was the counter seal of Richd Neville Earl of Warwick killed at the battle of Barnet'.

12mo, 1 p. Nine lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Docketed in pencil on reverse 'R. A. Bennett re T. P. O'Connor'. He is enclosing 'the promised note to "T. P". I see that he is ailing and going to the Riviera at an early date, so you had better try and catch him at once.' Bennett had to get the recipient's address from his publishers, as O'Connor left without passing it on.

Folio, 30 pp. In brown leather half-binding, with marbled boards. One simple pen illustration, p. 18, showing arrangement of 'Muraille' and 'Pont'. Good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. Neatly set out, in a secretarial hand, with a synopsis beside each paragraph in red ink in the widened left-hand margins. As a loosely-inserted printed slip explains in English, the manuscript sets out 'instructions by a French Official Commission for the preparation and arming of a fleet of steam ships to be equipped to carry marines to form an expeditionary force to the coast of Africa.

Two pages, oblong folio, folded, good condition. The writer of this manuscript reveals that Lord Gambier was in the Chair and then summarises what various people contributed to the discussion, columnising names then summary. He lists: Lord Gambier, Rev. Tho. King, Captain Pakenham R.N., Chas. Henty (Quebec), The Bishop of London, The Bishop of Gloucester, The Chaplain to the Royal Artillery- Quebec, A Lieut. of the Bengal Artillery just returned on sick leave, Revd Basil Wood, Captain Montague R.N., Major General Neville, Thos. Babington Esq., M.P., Benj. Shaw Esq., M.P., Willm.

Both letter and estimate clear and complete; both good, on lightly-aged paper. Letter: 4to, 3 pp. Bifolium. Addressed, with faint circular 'ABER | DEEN' postmark in black ink, on reverse of second leaf, to 'The Right Honourable | The Earl of Aboyne | Montrose'. The letter is in two parts: the first (12 lines) on the recto of the first leaf, informs the Earl that 'The Buttons were sent by yesterdays Mail', and that, 'Some days since', he 'sent by the Mail Coach a pattern Coat as a Uniform for the Band.