SIR

The three items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. One is slightly creased, and the other two carry minor traces of rust from a paperclip. All three are accompanied by their envelopes, each bearing a circular royal stamp in purple, and a 'LONDON SW1 OFFICIAL PAID' postmark in red. ONE: 28 May 1954. 1p., 12mo. 'I am commanded by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to thank you for your letter, and for the leaflet announcing a reproduction of the "Album of Redouté".

On a piece of 8 x 8.5 cm paper. In good condition, lightly-aged, with fold line. The side of the letter with the signature reads '<...> at once signed | believe me - | Very faithfully Yours | Luke Fildes'. The reverse reads: '<...> two other Sums of £150 & £200 which I have had. The forms I have mislaid & cannot find them. <...>'

1p., 8vo. On grey paper. Aged and worn, with chipping, glue stains and remains of gummed label. Laid down on leaf removed from album. The document reads: '548 [i.e. the number of the despatch] | Kabul 28 Decr | To O.C. Jagdalah. | In continuation of this office No 544 the O.C. is directed to request he will at once arrange to send a sufficient party to hold Seh Baba. | He is also to arrange to escort the <?> sent with Capt Tucker as far as Lataband or Butkhak if necessary, on their return journey. | They should return on Wednesday'.

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, on lightlhy-aged paper. In reply to a letter from the anonymous male recipient Legge writes: 'Mr. Russell was commanded to attend at Windsor Castle by the German Emperor with the approval of the King and though permission was afterwards given to publish the photograph you will readily see that no such statement as appeared should have been published without authority - incorrect as it was'.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with a small closed tear to one edge. He informs the recipient that his portrait of Garrick is 'the second state of the engraving: the first is before all letters. | The person who engraved the lettering evidently made a mistake.' He notes an inscription sometimes found on impressions of the second state of the engraving, and change made in the third state.

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. Addressed on the reverse of the second leaf, with red wax seal and postmark, to '- Stevens Esqr | Surgeon | Redborn'. The letter reads: 'Sir Astley Cooper presents his compliments to Mr Stevens and would feel obliged, if he could bring him the Pheasants on Sunday next, as the place he intends keeping them in will not be ready till then -'.

On a rectangular label, gummed on the reverse. In fair condition, on aged paper, with traces of paper adhering to the gummed side. The notice reads: 'The Librarian regrets that he has to inform you that owing to your breach of Stat. Cap. XLI 9a (Consumption of Edibles) he must forbid you the use of the Bodleian and Camera until the matter can be dealt with by the Curators. | Dr. H. Koeppler, | Magdalen College.'

2pp., foolscap 8vo. On two leaves, with the second attached at the head of the blank reverse to a piece of grey card. In fair condition, on aged paper. He writes that he will be 'very glad to sign the memorandum enclosed with your letter of the 14th instant in support of Professor Gilbert Murray'. He proceeds to remark at length on a 'statement in the last paragraph of the memorandum as to the working of Proportional Representation'.

The list of officers and members is printed on one side of a piece of 49 x 31 cm paper. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight damage caused by removal from an album. The Club's President is named as Herbert, the Treasurer as Viscount Wolmer MP of University College, and the Secretary as E. W. Benison of Magdalen. Five committee members are named, followed by the members in alphabetical order in two columns, from 'Amery, L. S., All Souls College' to 'Yerburgh, R. D. T., University College'.

46pp., 4to. In attractive honey-coloured velvet cloth binding with 20 x 14 cm panel of old embroidery set into cover, decorative endpapers, and all edges gilt. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding. An illuminated title-page carries the following poem: 'To Hospitality, this book we dedicate, | To Ivy House - and all whose happy fate | Leads them to bide awhile beneath its roof.

3pp., 8vo. 72 lines. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. Clark is writing again 'at the instigation of Friends', and hopes that 'in a Case of such vast public as well as private Importance, involving the Rights the Liberty & the Property of the Subject, you will extend to me your generous & powerful aid, at the Bar, or in the Senate'. His petition to the king (regarding 'Slotts Well'), certified by Horne, was suppressed, and he 'applied to Lord Eldon to present a Petition for me to the House of Peers'.

The signature, reading 'Jos. D. Hooker', followed by (printed) "Director" is on a piece of paper roughly 3 x 10 cm., stiff paper (suggesting from a displayed notice, pin-holes on both lateral edges, not affecting text. On the verso there are a few lines of printed text, some affected by cut but thisparagraph surviving: It is particularly desired that Visitors will abstain from handling speciments with ut permission from the person in charge of them

The list of officers and members is printed on one side of a piece of 49 x 31 cm paper. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight damage caused by removal from an album. The Club's President is named as Herbert, the Treasurer as Viscount Wolmer MP of University College, and the Secretary as E. W. Benison of Magdalen. Five committee members are named, followed by the members in alphabetical order in two columns, from 'Amery, L. S., All Souls College' to 'Yerburgh, R. D. T., University College'.

13pp., 8vo. Stitched, in grey printed card wraps. In very good condition. Originally printed as an appendix to the 'Report of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association held at Hot Springs, Virginia, August 26, 27 and 28, 1903.' Scarce: no copy on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

The five documents are all in good condition, on five half-skins, the vellum having discoloured and aged in the usual way. Eton College was granted Chalcots by Henry VI in 1448. The history of the estate is dealt with in detail in the Victoria County History for Middlesex, vol.9 (Hamstead, Paddington), which includes the following relating to the present five items: 'In 1615-16 Eton leased Chalcots and Wyldes for 21 years to Philip Barrett (d. 1630), who left it to his wife Elizabeth.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. He thanks him for his letter. 'The two Seymour books have no arrived and I will let you have the review as soon as I can get round to it.'

1p., 12mo. Bifolium. Addressed by Thynne, with two small seals in red wax, on reverse of the second leaf, 'For Wm. Blackett Bart | At Mr. Morlands in Manchester Court | Cannon Rowe | Westm[inste]r.' In fair condition, on aged and dusty paper. The letter reads: 'Sr | Had I not Recd yors of this day I should not have failed of Sending you the acquittance for the mony Recd upon the Bill you sent me which was very punctually paid, for which I Returne you many thanks and also the Usuall acquittance for theh Same. I am wth. great respect | Yor very humble Servt | H. Thynne'.

A significant letter, filling gaps in the provenance of Bellini's Crucifixion, now in the Louvre. All that has been known hitherto about the painting's provenance is that at the beginning of the twentieth century it was in the Paris collection of the banker Rodolphe Kann, and that before the Second World War it was owned by the Florentine dealer Alessandro Contini Bonacossi, from whose heirs it was acquired by the Louvre in 1970.

Bannister achieved his record on 6 May 1954 at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, with Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher providing the pacing. The signature ('Roger Bannister') is firmly written on a piece of 4 x 9.5 cm paper, laid down on an 11 x 16 cm leaf removed from an autograph album. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Laid down next to it is a 14.5 x 5 cm black and white photograph of Bannister running, cut from a magazine.

1p., 4to. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one edge. Regarding their previous correspondence, Calvert has 'directions to request' Ridge to inform him, 'if you are aware of any Steps having been taken, for conveying back the Clothing for M: General Wattevelle's [sic] Regiment, from Sicily to Cadiz - where that Corps is now stationed'. From Cadiz the Watteville's Regiment would be transferred to Upper Canada, where it would take part in the War of 1812.

17pp., 8vo. Stitched. With label and shelfmark of the Education Department Reference Library. The letter is dated on 19 June 1882, from Gresham College, London, EC. Scarce: no copy in the British Library, or on COPAC.

The Campden Hill Club was founded in 1907, 'in affectionate memory of Byam Shaw, and as a tribute to his teaching', and comprised, according to the Studio magazine in 1922, 'mainly of past and present students of the Byam Shaw and Vicat Cole School of Art, with which it keeps closely and stimulatingly in touch'. The three items are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn bindings. ONE (Visitors Book, 1958-1976): 190pp., 4to. Ruled notebook bound in red cloth, with 'Visitors' stamped in gilt on the front cover.

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.

Both letters in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Each in its envelope, addressed to Mrs Strutt at 12 Somers Place, Hyde Park. Letter One: 1p., 12mo. He apologies in florid style about a clash in dinner engagements. 'I made a desperate attempt to avoid a dinner-party tonight with the Wimbornes and was told that I should

5cm. etched clear cut-glass figurine of the god Vishnu, for domestic worship. Wrapped in a 4 x 8.5 cm packet, made from a folded piece of 10.5 x 18.5 cm Whatman paper, with 'Penates' written on it in a Victorian hand (presumably that of Eleanor Avena Blackburne, see below). Both figurine and packet are in very good condition. On the inside of the unfolded packet, in the same hand: 'Penates from Nepaul | Mrs Legh of High Legh gave it to me who received 3 from Capt Everest on his return from thence'.

A substantial letter, 3pp., foolscap 8vo. 100 lines of text. Bifolium. In very good condition, on aged paper, with one closed along crease line neatly repaired with archival tape. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with Chatham postmark, frank, and black wax seal, to 'Viscount Ingestrie M:P. | 2 Wilton Crescent | Belgrave Square | London'. An interesting document, in which a distinguished Victorian naval architect makes detailed criticisms of an innovation in his field. (HMS Gorgon was designed by Sir William Symonds and launched in 1837.

8vo, in worn and damaged black cloth. Three sample spines in green cloth are laid down on the front free endpaper, and three sample brown leather spines gilt on the rear pastedown.

The 40 items range in size from 25 x 19cm to 5 x 4.5cm. All in good condition, lightly-aged, and all but five laid down on the grey paper leaves of a heavily-worn album, with back cover loose, and with ownership signature of Sir Michael's wife Elisabeth Clapham at head of first page. The couple married in 1935, and one of the 40 items is a card with text in red featuring Elisabeth's maiden name. It conveys 'Good wishes for Christmas & the New Year from Elisabeth Rea | 6 Barton Street, S.W.1'.

In addition to his pioneering cinematographic work, Herkomer was a theatrical innovator. As Lynda Nead points out in her 'The Haunted Gallery' (Yale, 2007), it was shortly after the opening of his art school that 'he and his students created an auditorium, modelled on Wagner's Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, for public performances of plays, written, directed and, indeed, performed by Herkomer'. See also M. A. K. Taylor, 'The New Stagecraft' (1953); J. Stokes, 'Resistible Theatres' (1972); and L. M. Edwards, 'Herkomer: A Victorian Artist' (1999). These five items all relate to the project.

ONE (Elliott's letter): 3pp., 12mo. 34 lines. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, loosely attached to the title-leaf of the book by a small piece of gummed paper. The letter begins: 'My dear Driberg | I ought to have acknowledged your letter sooner, but I only received it on my return from abroad, and since then I have been busy struggling with the arears which always accrue during absence.' He thanks him for sending his 'son's little volume', which he has read 'with much interest & congratulate him on the neat & modest appearance he has made in print'.