STREET

British Liberal politician (1873-1954). Written while Chamberlain's Chancellor of the Exchequer. The recipient, Sir Arthur Beverley Baxter (1891-1964), was a Conservative Member of Parliament, author and editor of the Daily Express. One page, quarto. Lightly creased and grubby, with some wear at head. An amusing, chatty letter, beginning 'My dear B. B. | You were not among the faithful in the House last night when I wound up with a bee---autiful speech, which naturally was too late for a full report.

English artist (1809-42). One page, quarto, with the second leaf of the bifoliate bearing the address ('To | William Haines Esqr.. | Sol[icito]r. | Cannon Street | Birmingham'), with the remains of a red wax seal, and two postmarks. Discoloured, and with damp stains causing discoloration and damage to the paper, but not affecting the legibility of the text. Small spike hole through both leaves, not affecting text. Having been 'from home yestereday on a painting expidition' he could not acknowledge Haines' letter sooner.

Probably the most famous of the Fleet Street cartoonists (1916-95). One page, quarto. Folded twice. Good, but lightly creased. He thanks him for the 'very nice letter and compliments', but feels he 'must administer a small but friendly reprimand. The Jean Rook [a noted Daily Express columnist] originals you refer to were ones concerning her article of the day and were a personal presentation.' Discusses charity commitments, before remarking 'It may surprise you that I spend more time in the studio working for charities than I do earning my living!

Stanfield was a marine and landscape painter (1793-1867); Meredith was employed by the auctioneers Machin and Debenham of King Street. Paper dimensions roughly five and a half inches by four inches. Folded twice. Grubby and lightly creased, with dog-eared corners. Reads '[signed] Michael Meredith | No 6 Blomfield St | Finsbury Circus | [signed] C Stanfield R A | Mornington Place | Novr. 20th. 1825. From a collection of material relating to the Artists' General Benevolent Fund.

English antiquary and topographer (1771-1857). Paper dimensions roughly four and a half inches by two and a half. Folded once. Good, on slightly discoloured paper. Good clean signature. Reads 'Yrs very truly | John Britton | 17 Burton Street'. Lines above and below signature perhaps in another hand. Top line slightly cropped.

Scottish politician (1754-1835), President of the Board of Agriculture, opponent of William Pitt the younger and editor of Ossian. The recipient James Phillips was a bookseller and stationer. On piece of paper roughly eight inches by three inches. Grubby and lightly stained. Evidence of previous mounting. Repair to slight damage to one edge with loss of two words of text. Embossed four-penny receipt stamp (slightly damaged) on reverse.

1st edition, 2nd issue. 8vo. In original plain grey wraps. Fly leaf and half-title. Pages: xi + 100 + 4 pages of publisher's advertisements (dated February 1814). Without the words 'THE END' or the publisher's imprint on the last page. In poor condition: grubby, frayed and stained, and with loss to one corner each of rear wrap and to last leaf of advertisements. Also lacking, as a result of the partial removal of an ownership inscription, a small strip along the top edge of the title-leaf, but with inscription 'Sophia F. Stewart - 1814'.

The South-Western Polytechnic was opened at Manresa Road, Chelsea, in 1895, to provide scientific and technical education to Londoners. It changed its name to Chelsea Polytechnic in 1922. Renamed Chelsea College and formally incorporated into the University of London, 1971. An important collection, casting much light on the foundation of the College. In very good condition overall, despite being on paper discoloured with age and by glue. Five items.

Dimensions. Paper stained, discoloured and ruckled. Trimmed and mounted on a piece of brown paper. Reads 'Shall feel extreemly [sic] obliged if you will have the goodness to allow the Landscape on Copper sent to be placed on the Walls for the ensuing Exhibition at the Royal Academy has [sic] it will confer an obligation on | Sir/ | Your Most Obedient | Servant | G Kirkley | Landscape on Copper | George Kirkley | No. 3 Gilhams Fields | Worship Street'.

English Chancellor of the Exchequer (1766-1851). One page, 4to. Formal letter in the third person. Very good, with remains of brown-paper stub adhering to the verso of the blank second leaf of the bifoliate. 'Mr. Vansittart presents his Compliments to Mr.

Son (1854-1936) of the publisher John Murray and partner in the firm. The husband (1828-1915) of the recipient was a connoisseur and print collector. Two pages, 12mo. Folded three times. In very good condition. He cannot accept the dinner engagement for the 13th June. 'I have unfortunately an engagement on that evening to dine with friends in this neighbourhood.'

Scottish advocate and statesman (1742-1811). One page, quarto. Bifoliate on good laid paper watermarked 1798. Grubby and somewhat ruckled, and with small printed notice neatly pasted in bottom right-hand corner. 'My Dear Sir | I have your letter, and should be glad to see you before you see Lord Liverpool or any other Person. Will you dine with me tomorrow. | Yours sincerely | Henry Dundas'.

Inchbald ran a 'gentleman's boarding academy'. The recipient Ward (1781-1871) was a master cutler and diarist, and one of the founders in 1822 of the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society. Three pages, 4to. Dusty but in very good condition, with small piece of second leaf of bifoliate cut away in opening the red wax seal. '[...] I write to you [...] to impose upon you some possibly irksome task. - Things are here in a Train towards the establishing [of] a public library & reading room.

Dimensions roughly 5 1/2 inches by 4 inches. Must predate 1887, when the prefix 'Royal' was added. Amusing modern-looking cartoon-style illustration by 'F C' of furious pipe-smoking pianist jumping up to hammer the keys, with his hair forming into the 'S' of 'Society', with moustachioed cigar-smoking tweedy individual in front of piano being hit in face by whisky tumbler.

8 leaves, 4to. Printed on green paper. Unbound, and with remains of original stitching. Engraved title and seven sepia plates (all approximately 7 inches by 6 inches) mounted on rectos of leaves, with letterpress beneath. Versos blank. Frail item: extremities dogeared and worn. Title grubby, with '1805.' added in red ink. Plates clean and with minimal spotting. Slight damage to corners of two final plates.

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.

Peel (1829-1912) was a Liberal politician and Speaker of the House of Commons. Primrose (1846-1923) was a Privy Councillor, Secretary to Gladstone and Speaker of the House of Commons. Both items are 3 pages, on 16mo bifoliates. Both are creased and discoloured. Between 1873 and 1874 Peel was Patronage Secretary to the Treasury. The exchange apparently concerns an election or by-election in Exeter.

English soldier, father of Frank Abney Hastings (1794-1828; DNB). The condition of these items is not good: the paper being discoloured, brittle and flaking. A series of intemperate communications. Letter 1 is one page, 8vo, of a bifoliate addressed and docketed on the reverse of the second leaf. It reads: 'I have taken a copy of the enclosed, which I send you, that you may get it written fairly, and signed. I shall be easier when it is done'. Letter 2 is 1 page, 8vo, with the remains of the second leaf of the bifoliate docketed.

A piece of laid paper, 4 inches by 2. "<...> humble Servant / Robert Peel". Grubby and with minor discoloration from previous mounting.

Conservative politician (1818-87). 2 pp, 12mo. In the handwriting of an amanuensis. "I have promised Mrs Moncrieff, the writer of the enclosed letter, to mention the name of Silas to you. / If you could see your way to meeting her wishes, I should feel grateful to you on her behalf. I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Silas." Signed "Iddesleigh". Creasing from paperclip, and with four pieces of gummed paper adhering to the recto of the blank second leaf.