photography

Roughly 9 centimeters by 14 centimeters. Lighly scuffed , chipped, and stained, but in reasonable condition overall. Small triangular piece of loss (roughly half a centimeter each side of triangle) to bottom left-hand corner. Atmospheric shadowy portrait of mournful-looking (actor's?) head wearing strange elfin-style hat looking to right and upwards. Faint reflective signature 'MAY | MOORE' can be made out with difficulty in bottom right-hand corner. Mounted on a large piece of creased grey paper. Attractive signature ' | 1920' diagonally on grey paper to bottom-right of photograph.

Antiquary (1803-85), first editor of Notes and Queries. Sepia. Dimensions roughly 2 1/4 inches by 3 1/2 inches. Faded image of a bespectacled Thoms knees upward, seated in profile at a table examining a small book on top of another book and leaning against a pile of six others. The oval is in a frame beneath which, in copper-plate letters (in the photograph and not manuscript), 'William J Thoms'. Stuck to a piece of card on the reverse of which is a grubby, foxed, nineteenth-century plate of William Cowper the poet.

Captain Charles Dickson Inglis, R.N. (born c.1835; fl. 1898), is best known for his offer in 1887 to buy South Georgia in the Falkland Islands for the purposes of sheep-farming. This collection of his correspondence is neatly bound in a crude octavo volume, and is preceded by a manuscript index by him. Items in good condition overall, with minor discoloration and spotting, mainly caused by the glue used in mounting the photographs. All the letters are 8vo and smaller, several of them being cropped at the head, but with the cropped strips loosely inserted.

Evocative picture with docks to the right viewed through tree branches, and a number of boats and ships clearly visible, with three three-masted ones in the foreground, one sideways on and the two beside it viewed from the bows. Dimensions: 2¼ inches by 3¾ inches. Mounted on a piece of pink board which is docketed on reverse in nineteenth century hand: 'Hudson River. N.Y. from Hoboken Docks.' The picture is a little creased in the bottom left-hand corner and there is minor discolouration due to ink stains and grime.

Austrian portrait, genre and landscape photographer and photographic inventor. Among other things he invented photogalvanography. Two pages, 8vo, good condition. "I have brought the proof of the plate which you have done lately, with two other proofs of plates from photographs taken by the same person to the gentleman by whom I have received the originals". He goes on to talk of the latter's connection with "people of high standing" and his expectation of orders "for impressions from him". He awaits word and anticipates meeting with his correspondent.

Essayist and dramatist (1830-1877). Portrait photograph, 3¾ inches by 2½, from the studio of Charles Watkins, 54 Chancery Lane, of a heavily-bearded Halliday looking to the right in jacket, coat and striped tie. The photographer's details and device are printed on the reverse of the mount, which is docketted "Andrew Halliday / 1873", and carries traces of glue and paper. Somewhat grubby.