POSTCARD

On a gilt-edged piece of card, 13 x 11.5 cm., with rounded edges. In good condition, lightly aged. The illustration by 'E M W' on one side is printed in silver, yellow, light blue, grey and brown, and shows a snowy country scene with two tiny figures beneath a shining sun on a stone bridge over a stream. Captioned 'The Joy of Christmas be in your heart.' Cowan's eight-line poem, on the other side, is printed in grey, in variety of gothic fonts. It begins: 'Only its best and brightest history | May Memory relate you!

Chappell gained a degree of fame with the publication of this poem in the Daily Express of 22 August 1914. The poem is addressed to the German people, and concerns the supposed toast among German army officers in the lead-up to the First World War, 'Der Tag' (i.e. 'the day' on which the war with England would commence). The poem is printed in portrait alignment on one side of a 14 x 8.5 cm postcard, within red and blue ink borders, giving a 'red white and blue' effect. Beneath the title in square brackets is the following: 'The author of this magnificent poem is Mr.

79pp., 8vo. In stout, thumb-indexed diary for 1930. In fair condition, on aged paper, in heavily worn binding, lacking spine and bowed by the excess material it contains. Ownership inscription by Richardson on flyleaf: 'A E Richardson ARA | Avenue House, | Ampthill Beds. | St. Catherine's College Cambridge, | 1939-1940 | University College, London.' Richardson published a number of works on architectural matters, but nothing on the history of art.

Fourteen lines on the back of two-tone Dutch postcard, the front being tined light blue. Addressed to 'Edw Draper Esq, 3 Vincent Square, Westminster, London, England'. Aged and grubby, with two creases and slight traces of previous mount on front. Hatton's hand is difficult, but the note, addressed to 'My dear Friend', defending his use in a story of the following version of the celebrated quotation: 'When Greeks joined Greeks". Concludes 'You are right about the tinder box of course.'

Six leaves, each 35 x 28 cm, in original red printed wraps. The first four leaves consists of eight coloured postcards, each 8.5 x 13.5 cm, with perforations between them for ease of removal. The last two leaves each carry full-page landscape photographs, the first of Blackrock and the second of Blarney Castle. The wraps are heavily worn, and there is occasional staining and wear to the photographs, but overall this is a most attractive and evocative production, and a rare survival in its complete state (no other copies traced).