MOUNTAINEERING

20pp., 8vo, green printed wraps, sunned at edges, mainly good condition. Bookplate of The Authors' Club. With Foreword, list of Chief Guides (Leslie Stephen, founder, Thoby Stephen, Adrian Stephen), biography of Leslie Stephen (including peaks climbed), history and anecdotes, , Properties and Customs of the Sunday Tramps, Procedures, Notable Events, "Notes from the Black Book of Stephen", "Further Extracts from the Red Book", "Members of the Sunday Tramp (1879-1894)" (includes Stephen, Julian Hawthorne, etc.), "Members of the Sunday Tramps (1904-1951)" (includes J.M.

9pp., foolscap 8vo. On seven leaves of grey paper, held together with green ribbon, three of the leaves carrying the embossed letterhead of the India Office. First leaf headed with printed text: 'Reference Paper. Statistics and Commerce Department', and numbered in manuscript '408'. On aged and chipped paper, with slight bloom on blank reverse of last leaf.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter carries a few autograph emendations and postscript. With envelope addressed to Mrs Strutt at 12 Somers Place, London. Belloc was an accomplished travel writer, and had published his classic book 'The Pyrenees' in 1903. He writes that he is giving her 'two addresses', 'only in each case you must write to the people before going there and the sooner the better, because the Season in these high places is very short'.

The collection contains 31 items and is in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Hunt's eight typed letters (three signed 'John Hunt' and five signed 'John') total 4pp., 4to, and 4pp, 12mo; his two autograph letters (one 'John Hunt' and one 'John') total 3pp., 12mo.

One pager, fold marks, minor defects not affecting text. "Dear Mr. Smith, | The 'Journal' is in preparation, but will be greatly delayed this year. I will notify you later. | Yours faithfully, | William T. Palmer | Editor".

The 1909 letter a little foxed but fair overall, the other items all good on aged paper. ONE: Letter, 4 January 1909; Allington. 12mo, 2 pp. He is enclosing a document (not present) which will show 'that the Bishop will replace me. It only remains for me to place my resignation in your hands for communication to the Com[mitt]ee., with an expression of my thanks to them for their cordial support & of good wishes for the continued prosperity of the League'. He is 'off to Switzerland this afternoon'. TWO: Note, 20 October 1910; on Allington letterhead. 4to, 1 p.

12mo, 4 pp. 41 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with slight discoloration to edges. 'It was high time that in England, whence so many mountain climbers and tourists go to the Alps, a protest should be raised against the ruin wrought in Switzerland by the construction of tourist railways up the slopes of the mountains'. Deplores the 'irretrievable harm' already done to 'some of the noblest landscapes in the world, [...] easily accessible from the populous cities of Central and Western Europe, such as those on the shores of the Lake of Lucerne'.

Item One: 12mo, 4 pp. On aged and foxed paper with slight wear causing loss to a couple of words of text. On two folded 4to leaves, with two pages written by Shepherd in German on the reverse. The list is undated, and the intended location is not named, but the voyage is a major one. Divided into sections including 'Saddles &c', 'Guns & Rods', 'Books' (beginning with 'Shakespeare - Ingoldby - Golden Treasure'), 'Food &c. Fortnum & Mason' (including two gallons of brandy and two quarts of whiskey).

From Bushell's own collection, and possibly in his hand. On both sides of a piece of light-blue paper, 27 x 22 cm. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with four labels from previous mounting (one with small closed tear) on the reverse. A delightful item, casting light on the social history of Victorian Cambridge. Thirty-six lines in couplets. Written from the point of view of Bushell's 'gyp' (college servant). Begins 'Oh! listen to me now all ye who give anyone the slip.

48pp., 8vo, original grey wraps, slightly dulled and grubby, mainly good condition. Contents include: Introductory Address; Edward Shirley Kennedy, The Ascent of Monte della Disgrazia (Leslie Stephen in party); William Longman, A Narrative of an Accident on the Aletsch Glacier in August 1862; wit Remarks on the necessity of making use of a Rope on Glacier Expeditions; F.F. Tuckett, A Night on the Summit of Monte Viso; Thos. S. Kennedy, Ascent of the Dent Blanche; Rev. Leslie Stephen, The Weisshorn; Notes and Queries.

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly creased paper. Lists four books about the 1924 Everest expedition. Suggests that the recipient 'ask the librarian of the Alpine Club, 74 South Audley Street London W.1. for the name of the bookseller who specializes in second-hand mountaineering literature'.

12mo, 2 pp. good, on aged paper, but with slight damage along the inner edge as a result of removal from stub. Text entirely legible. Docketed 'Professor Tyndall' in a contemporary hand at foot of second page. He wishes he 'could respond to half the invitations for which I am indebted to the kind acts of my friends'. The 'duties now pressing' on him 'render this literally impossible'. 'All I can do under the circumstances is to wish success to your young society'.

12mo bifolium: 1 p. 11 lines of text. Address and docketing on second leaf. Good, but with 1 cm hole in first leaf of bifolium, possibly caused by breaking open of blue wafer, which still adheres. Hole causing loss to two words, including latter part of signature. Asks the recipient 'de remettre a Mr. Pousin conducteur des ponts et chaussees, un double demi metre en Cuivre et un metre en cuivre avec quatre petites roulettes pointilles'. He will pay for the order in a few days time.

Octavo: 9 pp. Stitched. In original grey printed wraps. Good. Inscribed by the author to the embryologist Sir Gavin de Beer ('For Mr. G. S. de Beer [sic] With my best wishes C. E. Engel'), author of 'Early Travellers in the Alps' (1930). The article describes the correspondence amassed by Sherwill (a friend of William Upcott) relating to his ascent of Mont Blanc in 1825, quoting from letters of Catharine Hutton, Charles Fellows, Edward Bootle Wilbraham, Martin Barry and Comte Henri de Tilly. 'In 1840 he presented it to the Bibliotheque Royale de France.

Notebook, soft-covered, c.90pp., 12mo,covers almost detached, contents good. Contents as follows: Table columnised, 5pp., giving details of Dates, Proposed Itinerary, Result; List of things taken "Self" and "Ernest" from clothes to toothbrush to Baedeker to bovril malt (with comments on whether worn, lost, etc.).

William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge (1850-1926), mountaineer, writer on mountaineering and climbing history, sometime editor of the "Alpine Journal". Two-pages, 8vo, some marking but text clear. "Many thanks for your lists. I fear you have been anticipated in your ascent of the Stecknedelhorn from the Nadelhorn by Herr Eckenstein. I have his notes (now in type) before me & it appears . . . " He goes into detail, including Eckerstein's times for the various stages. He cannot therefore publish Thorp's note.

Hubert Smith was a man of many parts: local historian, town clerk of Bridgnorth, Shropshire; author of a book which combines a mountaineering interest with a gipsy interest ("Tent Life with English Gipsies in Norway"); linguist; etc. He was also a passionate pursuer of information about the Guitar and guitar music at a time when the instrument was not popular. [Smith kept autograph copies of all his correspondence.] Letter , 3 pages, 8vo, soiled but clear and complete. He thanks them for the latest payment of royalties on "Tent Life".

Poet and mountaineer son of Ernest and Grace Rhys. One page, 4to, good condition, suitable for framing, Poem, two stanzas, 16 lines, title at end "[On attempting Snowdon Aug . 09]", starting "When first afar I saw thy mighty height . . . fading in beauty 'fore thy gifted sight. / But when thy foot, O Searcher into Heav'n! . . . "Await," I heard, "thy better wiser year."

Botanist and mountaineer (1865-1944). 1 page, 16mo. Grubby and discoloured, with crease in top right-hand corner, and remains of stub adhering to otherwise-blank reverse. The recipient, Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer (1843-1928; DNB), was Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, 1885-1905, and the letter is stamped 'ROYAL GARDENS | KEW | 6 - DEC. 1904'. Letter reads: 'The Dinner is now definitely fixed for 7.30 at the Monico. It is with very great pleasure that we look forward to welcoming you.' Signed 'J. B. Farmer'.

Explorer in Japan. Good signature on pasaper, 3 x 1" approc. With: additional pencil note "Distinguished explorer in Japan made first ascents of many mountains" ascribed on the paper on which the signature is laid sown to "Dr [Howard] Somervell of Mt Everest Expedition" (1953 expedition, Somervelld.1975).