photography

Neither print is ascribed, but in an unpublished typescript in the Adams Papers, Rosalind Thuillier (author of a 1985 monograph on Adams) quotes her husband Gilbert Adams (Marcus's son) as follows: 'Another phase of his activities as a photographer was into a device called "photo sculpture". [...] At the time of Munich he went round to the photo-sculpture's studio, and I accompanied him, to photograph Neville Chamberlain. Neville Chamberlain was photographed in this way and some many hundreds of these casts were made of him.

4pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly-aged and worn. Long closely-written letter, friendly and informative. Topics include the breaking of his right arm, the weather in Johannesburg ('I do not take my landscapes in winter - but our Transvaal summer is my time to operate with the camera to record the trees - the clouds & all the mood that goes with it'), Adams's support for 'the London Salon panel of prints'.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Ornate letterhead printed in red and black, with engraving of a rising sun ('The Mark of Excellence'). Addressed to 'Messrs. Marcus Adams Ltd. | Child Photographers, | 43, Dover Street, | W.1.' The letter begins: 'I have in hand the production of a film somewhat of a national character, including all the episodes in the reigns of our Royal Family, from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee onwards, and I thought it would be a very nice idea to finish the film with a short length of little Princess Elizabeth.

One page, 12mo, good condition. A difficult hand. "I send by book post some more Copy for Part 1 of 'Light' in Good Words & to morrow or next day you shall have the rest - which [will make?] somewhere about 12 or 13 more Columns more of letterpress. | The figures are [?][open?] so that they may be put into the wood-engravers hand without the MS. | Be so good reduce the MS & let me have proofs in duplicate." Note: These articles on "Light" did not appear in "Good Words" until 1865. This leeter is presumably to the Editor, Norman Macleod.

Thirteen Typed Letters Signed: seven to Marcus Adams, four to Gilbert Adams, and one apiece to 'Miss Farr' and 'Mr Murray'. Totalling 16pp., and with eight on Dover Street letterheads, and five on Park's personal Pinner letterheads. Five signed 'Bertram', one 'B.P.'', the other seven 'Bertram Park'. The thirteen items in good condition, with light signs of age and wear.

4pp., 8vo, paginated 1-4. On two bifoliums. Aged and worn, but with the text clear and complete. From the Adams family papers, which also include an extensive archive of Walton Adams's papers relating to the British Israelites. An interesting artefact relating to an important figure in the history of British photography. (See also his obituary in The Times, 15 June 1934.) Untitled and unsigned, the unpublished account begins: 'As I am now over 90 years of age I believe that I am the oldest living British photographer, my first Studio was opened in 1864'.

The collection consists of 21 typewritten articles, with some drafts of the same; two folders of miscellaneous typed and autograph texts, a cloth map, a folding card model of 'The Pyramid' and a diagram of the 'City & Temple to scale'. BACKGROUND: Walton Adams, the founder of a family of notable British photographers and artists, including his son Marcus (1875-1959) and grandson Gilbert (1906-1996), was at his death 'believed to be the oldest professional photographer in the country' and 'the first photographer to use dry plates' (see his obituary, Times, 15 June 1934).

The two prints are in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. The 'Sing As We Go' (1934) photograph is 24 x 19.5 cm. In pencil on the reverse: 'Gracie Fields | S.G.P 4 | "Sing as we go" 1935 [sic] A.T.P. Studios' and is stamped 'CYRIL LEESTON | LONDON | TELEPHONE 3884 PADDINGTON'. It is a head and shoulders shot of Fields, leaning slightly forwards as she looks straight into the camera, smiling. The 'Look Up And Laugh' (1935) photograph is 25.5 x 19.5 cm. It has in pencil on reverse: 'LL | P.24 | Gracie Fields in "Look up & Laugh" | A.T.P. Studios 1935'.

The collection of 26 items is in fair condition, aged and lightly worn. The 24 black and white photographic prints, of which there are 23 different images and one image duplicated in a smaller size, range in size from 29 x 24.5 cm to 8.5 x 11.5 cm. The pictures are tender and affectionate, in an informal style unusual for Baron. One picture, stamped 'UNRETOUCHED ROUGH PR<...>', shows Owen sitting on Baron's knee, on a wooden bench, the two smiling. The four largest are studies of Owen's smiling face, staring into the camera.

Both items in good condition, with minor signs of age and wear. The black and white photographic print is 24.5 x 19.5 cm, and depicts a chubby Hall, in shirtsleeves and tie, leaning over a seat at the back of a darkened theatre, with a positive look of concentration on his face, as he stares at the stage, a playscript in his hand. The reverse carries two stamps by 'Tony Armstrong Jones, one of them declaring his copyright. Also on the reverse are pencil calculations of dimensions for cropping for publication.

ALS, on letterhead of Millais House, Cromwell Place, South Kensington; 22 June 1915, one page, 4to, He is glad he 'liked the parboils - it was a great pleasure to me to make them'. Asks him to accept two copies: 'I have a library of signed Author's Copies and if you can spare me a copy of one of your admirable books I should treasure its possession.' Brief note at top by Maire on identity of letter-writer.

In very good condition, on the usual card mount. Each of the two prints roughly 8 x 7.5 cm, with curved top corners, the two on an 8.5 x 17.5 cm. mount. Showing the queen's carriage processing before a grandstand of onlookers in front of a fine building (in the Mall?). The photographs taken over the heads of a crowd held by by three rows of policemen (in the foreground). Caption in English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish and Russian printed on the reverse of the mount.

144 original black and white photographs, uniformly 6 x 11cm. In excellent condition, in two matching photo albums of worn green cloth, one containing 89 and the other 55 images. Some of the photographs have pencil captions on the mount, giving a date and a number. Loosely inserted is a 3.5 x 8.5cm contact sheet, showing four and a half frames from a film of two men examining a chart.

Thre leaves, last leaf blan, folion, fold marks, small closed tear on middle fold, mainly good condition. The agreement covers "Improvements in and relating to Colour Photography and Colour Cinematography" a Patent Application #5271/28 20th Febryaury 1928. Signed C.A. Bolton and Anthony Bernardi, with the Company Common Seal of Raycol, witnessed by two directors and a secretary.

Thirteen of the fourteen photographs are in black and white, with the largest 21.5 x 15.5 cm (with slight paint staining at edge), another 17.5 x 12.5 cm, and the other nine roughly 12.5 x 9 cm. The other print is a colour polaroid, with paint smudges from Sonnabend's portrait on the white mount. Other than the paint marks to three of the prints, in good condition, although six of the smaller ones have aged due to acid in the paper stock.

Beales, also a sign painter and picture framer, was a successful and prolific photographer (he boasts on two of the items below of '3,400 Testimonials'), whose Parade Studio was at 5 South Bar, Banbury, from 1888 to 1911, with a secondary business at the County Studio, George Row, Northampton at around the same time. Beales claimed the Royal patronage of both Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, and aimed at the upper end of the market. Seven of the eight items in good condition, lightly-aged, but Item Four with minor damage (see description).

The collection consists of four items. All four in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight creasing. ONE: Typed Memorandum. 3pp., foolscap 8vo. Signed over a stamp by Campbell, and witnessed by Florence Campbell of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Campbell agrees to teach Langsford 'how to prepare the photographic paper called "Gelatino-chloride glossy printing-out paper" by the same formula and process as he uses and put him in the way to start and carry on a business for himself'.

The black and white photograph is 24 x 19 cm, and is laid down on a 36.5 x 28 cm mount. The photograph is in good condition, on lightly-aged matte paper; the mount is brittle, chipped and discoloured, with closed tears and a detached corner reattached on reverse with archival tape. Facsimile signature in bottom right-hand corner of mount: 'Yours sincerely | R. M. Ballantyne'. On reverse, in contemporary hand: 'R. M. B. about 1893' (although the photograph does not look as if it dates from the year before Ballantyne's death), and at head of reverse, in the same hand: 'R. M.

The album is landscape, 13 x 19 cm. Internally clean on lightly-aged paper, stapled into worn and spotted printed covers. It contains 26 photographs (10 full-page and 16 half-page), on 18 leaves separated by tissue guards, a mixture of indoor and outdoor scenes, and some posed. Images include: 'Les Mariages de Plougastel-Daoulas. - Le Défile des Mariés'; 'La Gavotte Bretonne'; 'DOUARNENEZ. - Toilette de la Mariée'; Arrivée du Cortege au Bourg'; 'Le Repas de Noces.

Most of the photographs are 7.5 x 10.5cm in size, with the smallest 4.5 x 6.5cm and the largest 10.5 x 15cm. Loosely inserted in a 16mo album bound in green moire cloth. Both photographs and binding are in good condition, lightly aged and worn, with the occasional photograph with a dog-eared corner. Most of the photographs are captioned on the reverse, and seventeen are accompanied by captions on the pages of the album.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium with mourning border. In fair condition, on aged paper. She begins by explaining the reasons for her silence, and apologising if she has 'seemed neglectful': 'the truth is that I quitted Chester Squr on Monday, for Miss Squire's of Blackheath [...] I return to London to morrow mg, to spend a few days with Mr. Murray's [publisher] family in Albemarle St. & then think of takg the railroad to Derby [opened in 1844] to fulfil a long promised visit.' The letter continues with references to 'Mrs Reese Sr.' of Chester Square, 'dear Kath:' and 'dear Matty'.

An evocative collection of photographs, in which, unusually, a Victorian servant has been allowed to make a record of his masters, their country house, and household. The 53 photographs are laid down on 17 leaves of a contemporary stitched 4to album. In fair condition, lightly-aged, and with the brown marbled wraps of the album detached and separated from one another. Three of the photographs are lacking from the album.

49 photographic prints, laid down on 48pp. of a small (16.5 x 13 cm) contemporary 4to album, quarter-bound with brown leather spine and brown cloth boards, with yellow endpapers. No captions: the only manuscript in the volume being the ownership inscription of 'Sybil M. Hubert | 1883' on the front free endpaper. A fragile survival: aged and discoloured, with occasional staining from damp, which also caused some of the photographs to stick to one another, with slight damage occurring on their being detached; binding also in poor condition, with boards detached and leaves loose.

On 20 x 24 cm piece of thick laid paper. A spirited and highly-finished cartoon, apparently unpublished. The two photographers have emerged from neighbouring doorways to solicit a portly Englishman, attired like John Bull, who holds his hands up in a gesture of exasperation or refusal. He is accompanied by a young boy, hands in pockets. The photographer on the left is dressed in the French or Italian style, back to the viewer, waving his cartes de visite around.

An albumen print, mounted on a piece of plain white card. Dimensions of print: 94 x 57 mm. Dimensions of card: 104 x 64 mm. Aged and faded. The card is entirely blank, apart from the date '1853' written at the head of the reverse. Clearly an early portrait of black people: if the date on the reverse is correct it pre-dates by a year the patenting of the carte to visite by Disdéri. The couple are seated side by side, gazing slightly to the right of the camera.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium, on grey paper embossed with crest. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight damage to second leaf and with part of the paper to which it was attached still adhering to the blank reverse. He begins by declaring that he is 'much vexed' over a mix-up about a parcel of books 'I wrote expressly to London to desire that they might be sent here. As there is no help for it now I must beg you to believe it was not through carelessness of mine'. He asks her to send them on to Dartington, and to let him know the cost, which he will remit in postage stamps.

The nine large prints are in good condition, lightly-aged with slight wear to corners. The smaller print is lightly-creased. In worn blue faux-leather album, with large facsimile signature of 'Lenare' on cover in gilt, with the address 'Portraiture | 28, GEORGE STREET | HANOVER SQUARE | LONDON, W.1.' ONE to FOUR. A series of four head-and-shoulders portraits of Driberg, each signed in pencil by Maurice Beck, and with the stamp on the reverse: 'Photograph by | Maurice Beck | F.R.P.S.' Each on a piece of 37 x 29.5 cm.

Black and white portrait of Driberg from the waist up, by Converse Studios Inc., New York. In good condition, in lightly-worn printed card folder, 35 x 25.5 cm. The image is mounted behind a 23.5 x 18 cm windowpane. Driberg, in his early thirties, in a double-breasted pin-striped suit, white shirt, and tie, faces the camera with hands in pockets. From Driberg's own papers.

The image is 9 x 5.5 cm, mounted on brown card, 10.5 x 6.5 cm, printed on both sides in red, with large facsimile of Disdéri's signature on reverse. In fair condition, somewhat aged. Page is shown seated at a table with a sculpture of a stag on it, with legs cross and the sole of his left show showing, smoking a pipe. In addition to being an MP, Paget held several positions in the Royal Household, acting as Equerry to Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1841. The present image is not among the four representations of Paget in the National Portrait Gallery collection.

An attractive Gothic Revival item, tastefully printed in red and black. Printed on nine 13 x 9 cm panels, laid down on a cloth backing opening out to 39.5 x 28 cm; in original 14 x 10 cm printed card cover, with engraved title on front, within a gothic arch. In fair condition: aged and worn in worn and rubbed covers, with small white circular label on front board. Arranged, appropriately enough, in four columns headed: Name of Style; Reign A.D.; Illustrative Examples; Characteristics.