THEATRE

2pp., 12mo. The letter is on the recto of the first leaf of the bifolium, with the list, in three columns, on the recto of the second. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. Dibdin reminds Davidge that at his 'first Anniversary Dinner' he expressed a great wish to serve Dibdin by his patronage, but that 'absence from Town' prevented him. 'The Company were so well pleas'd that each present sign'd a Paper to come again - it is now fix'd for my Birthday (the 21st. Inst) and I take the freedom of enclosing you a List of the Patrons in the Hope I may be allow'd to add yours and enclose you a Ticket'.

2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Divided into eight four-line stanzas, each with the same two-line refrain. The first stanza: 'Fashion was formed when the World began, | And Adam I am told was a very smart man, | As for Eve I shall say nothing more or less. | |But that Ladies of Fashion now copy her dress. | Yet barring all pother of this that & tother we all bow to Fashion in turn'. Containing witty references to the fashion for hunting boots and crops, New Bond Street, Tudor and Stuart clothing, Whigs and Tories.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on the reverse of the second leaf to 'T: P: Cooke Esqre | Royal Coburg Theatre', with two postmarks. The two men do not appear to have been related. TSC requests TPC's 'friendly interference to endeavour at getting from Mr.

3pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Blanchard and his wife 'very seldom go out of a Sunday but should the weather be at all favourable' they will 'make a vigorous effort to avail ourselves of the strong temptation you have so kindly thrown in our way'. They will be 'quite content with an afternoon ramble in your beautiful garden and a chat with dear Mrs. Keeley'. He is sending 'impromptu lines written by my father nearly a Century ago' (not present) that he believes ought to be in Burgess's possession 'as a double ancestral inheritance'.

Albumen print, 14.5 x 19.5 cm, with arched top, laid down on original cream backing paper, 18.5 x 24.5 cm, with border to photograph and company details all printed in gold. A good photograph, showing Buckstone staring at the viewer, while seated in a plush chair at a writing table with tablecloth, his right hand holding a pen over a piece of writing paper. The print is in good condition, on slightly grubby backing. Buckstone has signed 'John Baldwin-Buckstone', in black ink at the foot of the mount.

1p., 4to. 15 lines. On aged and worn paper. The letter reads 'Dear Sir/ | A general meeting of all the Dramatic Authors will take place at the Garricks head in Bow Street on Monday nexxt at One o'Clock.

1p., folio. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with slight staining to blank reverse. Fairly written out on a piece of Britannia laid paper. 'Lord Chamberlain's Office | 10th. November 1849. | The Lord Chamberlain thinks it right to draw the attention of the Manager of the Theatre Royal Covent Garden to The Queen's Proclamation of the 6th. Instant, in which Her Majesty, for the Reasons therein stated, earnestly exhorts that the Public Day of Thanksgiving, the 15th. Instant be reverently and devoutly observed'.

3pp., 12mo. Fair, on aged paper. Mathews begins by quoting contradictory passages from letters of Charles Mathews, one from Mrs Mathews' 'Memoirs of Charles Mathews, Comedian' (1839) and the other from Bunn's 'The Stage: Both before and behind the Curtain' (1840).

On one side of a piece of laid paper, approximately 11.5 cm square. Minor traces of glue to corners on the reverse. Good, firm signatures, provided for an autograph hunter. The husband signs first: 'Charles Kean | Friday | 25 June 1852'. Beneath this is the wife's signature: 'Ellen Kean'.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with negligible glue from previous mounting to the corners of the blank reverse. The letter reads: 'Sir, In reply to your note, I write to say that as it is not my intention to close the Princess's Theatre during any portion of Lent, it will not be in my power to avail myself of your offer.'

3pp., 12mo. 37 lines. Fair, on worn and discoloured paper. An interesting letter, casting light on the relationship between two great actors who, according to the Oxford DNB, 'disliked but respected each other'. Macready is not named, but Young ends by sending his 'Kind Comts to Mrs Macready'. Macready had taken over at Drury Lane on 4 October 1841, but the season would not begin until 27 December. The letter begins 'My dear Sir!

1 p, 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper, and still attached to a leaf removed from an autograph album. His troupe 'play in Manchester on the 11th. Jany. for one week. Now, observe! Can you effect an engagement for a week previous to or subsequent to that period - or both subsequent and previous.' Knowles will be in London, 'please God, next week', and the recipient's 'attention deserves and has' Knowles's gratitude. A postscript reads: 'Miss Elphinstone achieved a complete triumph in Edinburgh, the reception was great indeed. You know our terms'.

2 pp, 4to. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with slight wear to extremities. On one leaf, with both sides ruled with red borders. In Payne's neat and distinctive hand, and attributed to him in pencil at head.

All three items are on stubs, within a card wallet. All good, on aged paper. Letter One: 'Weston Green 10th: July'. 1 p, 4to. On bifolium, with verso of second leaf addressed to 'Mr: Whitaker | St: Pauls Church Yard | London', with two postmarks (one 'KINGSTON - T | 12'), and docketed 'Mr; T.

2 pp, 4to. 25 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with minor traces of stub still adhering to one margin. Addressed to 'Dear Mother'. He is displeased with his aunt, but pleased that his mother is 'so much better'. He goes to Hatton (where Parr had set up a school in 1786) on the Tuesday, 'with the Dr: [i.e. Parr] who desires his Compts. I went with him last night to see Mrs. Siddons who he likes very much.

One page, 16mo, fold mark, good condition. I finish my London season June 21st therefore shall not be able to sing for you. I an extremely sorry.

A total of 8 pp, 4to, all on Palace Court letterheads. Dent's notes both signed 'Jock Dent.', and the copies both signed 'James Agate'. Two important, energetic and vivid letters by Agate, totalling 6 pp, 4to, defending Coward's play and his position on 'the intellectual and the popular', against the 'pseudo-intelligentsia' of the barristers Shearman and 'Jack' St John Hutchinson (1884-1942).

Unbound, 4-16pp, 8vo and 4to, minor damage to two, mainly good condition. Articles, reviews, programmes, information, advertisements. In the first number, for example, there is an introductory, anticipations of Gorki's "Lower Depths", a Brieuz, and Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra", "New Members Elected" (inc. Mrs Pethwick-Lawrence), events, former productions, "Managing Committee", "Rules for 1903-1904", "Bye_law (e.g. removal of hats by Ladies), and advertisements.

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He had meant to write to him 'at the end of the series' (of articles by Macqueen-Pope?): 'We took a great deal of trouble in putting the series over well, and I am glad you liked the results.' The 'nonsense at the beginning' was caused by 'a series of misunderstandings'. Ends: 'No doubt we will knock into each other shortly.'

Printed for display, on one side of a piece of paper 24.5 x 49.5 cm. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, with one closed tear and bottom right-hand corner lacking, causing slight loss to the last letter of Mathews' name at foot of document. Heading in bold type in a variety of point sizes. Giving a 'brief statement of my fourteen years' struggle and of my latest difficulty'.

Irregular (12 x 23.5 cm), 32 pp. In fair condition, aged and lightly worn. In original wraps, with cover design, in a variety of types and point sizes, imitating an early nineteenth-century handbill, stating that 'all Profits for the Benefit of the Deserving Actors' Orphanage. | Free list entirely suspended | Fees payable in advance are 2s. per copy'.

Not bound, 27pp., folio, first and last leaf, and another, loose, others conjoined, somewhat stained, main body presumably lacking leaves but covering the period 18 September 1933 to 24 May 1934, typed title and headings for columnised pages, c.39 entries per page (many names repeated, visitors and members signing in): Date | Visitor's Name | Address | Members Name. A club which catered to the theatre and arts, but usually at the level of people whose fame has not survived them But there are a few interesting names.

12mo, 1 p. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Docketed by Blanchard in top left-hand corner: 'Sent to Sat.

4to, [iii] + 76 pp. In original orange titled wraps. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, in worn and frayed wraps. A three-act adaptation of Collodi's children's classic, with cast of characters, 'Synopsis of Scenes', and 'Musical Contents' listing the plays twenty-six songs.

[170]pp., 4to, title label, brown wraps, stabbed, sl. wrinkled edges, sl. aged, typed ownership sticker back cover, John Furnell, 'Woodend', 24 Chessel Avenue, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Hants. Final page (additional , p.[170]) includes a list of Author's suggestions for settings. With a sprinkling of corrections and additions.Opposite p.38 (beginning of Act II set in the Foyer of the St James's Theatre, an illustration from a Max Beerbohm book (Some Persons of the Nineties), with names from Wilde to Mallarme, 10 names presumably in Furnell's hand.

Colour photograph in grey card wallet frame. Dimensions of photograph 13 x 18 cm. Dimensions of frame 18 x 23 cm. In good condition. A head and shoulders shot of a smiling old Ashcroft in overcoat outdoors in the countryside. Captioned by Balcon on frame at foot of photograph 'Peggy Ashcroft at Vine Cottage (called by her "The Tiny Palace")'. Part of Balcon's own collection.

Black and white matt bromide print photograph in card frame with covering flap. Dimensions of photograph 20 x 25 cm. Dimensions of frame 25.5 x 32 cm. A head and shoulders shot of Balcon, staring across the photograph from the right, left hand at right shoulder, with the bust of Day-Lewis facing her from the left. Inscription in pencil on frame beneath photograph: 'London. Mark Gerson. AIBP/ARPS'. Photograph and inscription in excellent condition; frame aged and worn.

On rectangle of paper, laid down on leaf removed from autograph album. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Reads 'Good wishes | Anna Neagle.' With two newspaper cuttings carrying photographic portraits, one loose and one laid down to the left of the signature.

12mo, 3 pp. 30 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper. He sends a 'list of pieces' which he considers 'suitable for a Short Company'. The first piece named is 'The Silver Lining (the St James's Comedy)', in which he says there are 'only 4 Men & 3 women exclusive of Helen Maltravers'.

12mo, 3 pp. On bifolium, with the printed playbill for the 'Benefit of Mr. Chas. Calvert' at the Theatre-Royal, Newcastle, on the recto of the first page (including a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, with Calvert as Benedick and Miss Fanny Alexander as Beatrice. The letter is 42 lines long. She feels that, 'with but one rehearsal', the 'Merchante's Storye will scarcely go', and suggests performing 'Nine Points, The Household Fairy, and Head of the Family' instead, considering it 'a good bill' and 'lighter works for all the company'.