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Coloured lithographic dioramic print, captioned 'Spooner's Protean Views, No. 8. St. George's Chapel Windsor Castle. In which the scene changes to the splendid ceremony of the interment of King William the Fourth'.

Author: 
William Spooner, printseller, 377 Strand [diorama; dioramic print; King William IV; St George's Chapel, Windsor]
Publication details: 
Undated [circa 1837]. 'London W. Spooner 377 Strand'.
£150.00

Dimensions of print roughly 17.5 x 13.5 cm. On original grey paper windowpane mount (28 x 23 cm). Engraved label (2.5 x 11 cm) beneath the print, with a couple of remarque-style illustrations. The print itself is good, although a little aged and spotted; the margins and mount being rather more heavily affected. Attractive and unusual item, the image changing when held up to the light. Two soldiers are shown dwarfed by the high ceiling of the chapel, which is decked with brightly-coloured flags. When held to the light the chapel is filled with the mourning congregation. Scarce.

Autograph Letter Signed ('D Brewster') to unnamed female correspondent.

Author: 
Sir David Brewster (1781-1868), Scottish scientist, inventor of the Kaleidoscope [Bank of England; optics; optical; physics]
Publication details: 
Morrisons Hotel | Monday Morning' [no date].
£56.00

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on aged paper, with light offsetting from another letter. Slight loss to one margin through removal from autograph album, slightly trimming a couple of words of text. He is 'much indebted' to the recipient 'for the trouble you have so kindly taken in obtaining for me sight of the Machinery in the Bank'. He will call 'to know if you have been able to make any arrangement'. The words 'inventor of the Kaleidescope [sic]' are neatly added in manuscript beneath Brewster's signature in imitation of type.

Coloured lithographic print, for display in a light box, captioned 'G. W's. Transparencies. Thames Tunnel.'

Author: 
G. W's. Transparencies' [the Thames Tunnel; Marc Isambard Brunel; Isambard Kingdom Brunel; transparency]
Publication details: 
Undated [1840s]. 'London: Published for G. W., by Reeves and Sons, Cheapside; W. Morgan, 49, Judd Street, New Road; T. Fisher, 1, Hanway Street, Oxford Street; and J. Reynolds, 174, Strand.'
£300.00

Dimensions of print roughly 12.5 x 18 cm. On original white paper windowpane mount (23 x 28.5 cm). Engraved label (3 x 9.5 cm), with text printed in gilt on navy blue paper. Bright, clean impression, on discoloured mount with creased label. Depicts fashionably dressed pedestrians proceeding along the length of the tunnel. Two children play on the cobbled central track. A series of small holes have been neatly cut within the alcoves of the tunnel. On display of the print within a lightbox, these would simulate the gas lighting used to illuminate the tunnel.

Coloured lithographic dioramic print, captioned 'Dawson's Diorama No. 4. The British Queen, a first rate Steem [sic] Ship, which on holding it up to the light changes to her Magesty [sic] Queen Victoria, attired in her Robes of State.'

Author: 
T. Dawson, London printseller [Queen Victoria; SS British Queen; diorama; dioramic print; optical illusion; naval and maritime]
Publication details: 
Undated, but between 1839 and 1844. 'London: Published by T. Dawson, 29, Bedeord [sic, for 'Bedford'] St. Covent Garden.'
£300.00

Dimensions of print roughly 13 x 17.5 cm. On original grey paper windowpane mount (22 x 28.5 cm). Engraved label (3 x 12.5 cm) beneath the print, with small remarque-style illustrations of the ship and the queen. The print itself is good, although aged and a little worn and spotted; the spotting and aging to the margins and mount is a little heavier. Attractive and unusual item, the image changing when held up to the light. The ship is depicted sailing on choppy seas, and the young queen seated with drapery around her on a verandah with stone balustrades and a landscape behind. Scarce.

Coloured lithographic dioramic print, captioned 'No. 17. Morgan's Improved Protean Scenery. Virginia Water. [...] upon holding it before the light, you will be presented with a splendid display of Fire-works, in honor of Her Majesty's Coronation.'

Author: 
William Morgan, printseller [the Coronation of Queen Victoria, 1838; Virginia Water, Runnymede, Surrey; Windsor Great Park; diorama; dioramic print; fireworks]
Publication details: 
Undated [1838]. 'London. Published by Wm: Morgan, 25, Bartlett's Buidgs. Holborn Hill, December 1st. 1838.'
£200.00

The portion of the caption, missing in the description above, reads '[...] Virginia Water. This Print at first represents this enchanting lake by day, and upon holding it before the light, you will be presented [...]'. Dimensions of print roughly 16.5 x 22.5 cm. On original grey paper windowpane mount (24.5 x 35.5 cm). Engraved label (4.5 x 18.5 cm) beneath the print. Good, bright impression, but with damage affecting an area roughly 2.5 x 2 cm in bottom right-hand corner. On lightly aged and spotted mount.

Coloured lithographic dioramic print, captioned 'Morgan's Improved Transformations. The Royal Magic Pear. This Print upon holding before the Light will undergo an entire change and will present [...] the Portraits of the Royal Bride and Bridegroom.'

Author: 
William Morgan, printseller [the Marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, 1840; diorama; dioramic print]
Publication details: 
London. Published by Wm Morgan, 68, Upper Harrison St. Grays Inn Rd. 15th. Feby. 1840.'
£300.00

Dimensions of print roughly 13 x 17.5 cm. On original grey paper windowpane mount (22 x 28.5 cm). Engraved label (3 x 12.5 cm) beneath the print, with small remarque-style Dimensions of print roughly 20 x 14.5 cm. On original grey paper windowpane mount (34 x 24 cm). Engraved label (5 x 19 cm) beneath the print. Worn and discoloured. An usual and attractive item, with a simple picture of a pear which transforms into a portrait of the royal couple, under drapes, when held up to the light.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Monsieur Huot, Rue des Gravelles No. 4. Versailles'.

Author: 
Grégoire-Louis Domeny de Rienzi (1789-1843 or after 1850), French adventurer, illusionist, fantasist, traveller and author
Publication details: 
Paris 10 aout [1830s]'; on letterhead of the Repertoire des Connaissances usuelles, Dictionnaire de la Conversation et de la Lecture.
£85.00

12mo, 3 pp. Forty-four lines of text. Difficult hand. Concerns the printing of one of de Rienzi's works by Huot, to whom de Rienzi will transmit all the printed leaves which have not been published. De Rienzi's works have him fighting at Wagram and Waterloo, for the Greeks in 1818 and 1822, with Bolivar in 1819, with the Carbonari in 1821, and under Mehemet Ali in 1823. After 1830 he was a professor of Geography in Paris. He committed suicide.

Pollard: Eleven Autograph Letters Signed (all 'Alan Pollard.') to G. K. Menzies, Secretary, Royal Society of Arts. Walker: Two Typed Letters Signed (both 'Emery Walker') to S. Digby of the Royal Society of Arts. With 23 printed diagrams.

Author: 
Alan Faraday Campbell Pollard (1877-1948) of Imperial College, Vice-President of the Society for International Bibliography; Sir Emery Walker (1851-1933), process engraver and typographer
Publication details: 
Pollard: All 1922; one from "Brancepeth", Hampton-on-Thames, the others on Imperial College letterheads. Walker: 4 and 29 August 1922; both on letterheads of Emery Walker Limited ('formerly Cockerell and Walker'), 16 Clifford's Inn, Fleet Street.
£250.00

Pollard's eleven letters: one 12mo (1 p); the other ten 4to (eight 1 p and two 2 pp). The first has a small spike hole affecting one word, otherwise the collection is in good condition. Four docketed and seven bearing the Society's stamp. Pollard was 'Professor of Instrument Design (Mechanical)' (later 'Optical Engineering') at Imperial College, and the correspondence relates to the publication of his 1922 Cantor Lectures to the Society on 'The Mechanical Design of Scientific Instruments'. Emery Walker's two letters: both 12mo, 2 pp (one of 15 and the other of 19 lines).

Autograph Signature of Pepper and part of Autograph Signature of Brewster.

Author: 
John Henry Pepper and Sir David Brewster
Publication details: 
Without date or place.
£80.00

Pepper (1821-1800) was an illusionist and educationist, famous for 'Pepper's Ghost', his 'spectral optical illusion' exhibited in 1862, illustrating Charles Dickens's 'Haunted Man'. Brewster (1781-1868) was a natural philosopher and academic administrator. On a clean, lightly-creased piece of paper, dimensions approximately 3 1/2 inches by 1 1/4 inches. Traces of previous mounting on reverse. Reads 'John H Pepper | Hony Director | <...>d Brewster F R. S | &'. Pepper was the Honorary Director of the Royal Polytechnic in Regent's Street.

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