WALTER

4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. 59 lines of text. Clear and complete. On lightly-aged paper, with 4.5 cm closed tears to the outer edge of central horizontal fold to both leaves. A large part of the letter would appear to concern washing machines, including a reference to a new one on the American market, called the 'Waterflex'. A few lines in English at end: 'Many thanks for your Birthday-carte. Sorry year it arrived 1 month to [sic] late.' Sends love to 'Dorothy', and reference in text to 'Kajitan': 'Das wird Dir bestimmt Freude machen. Das ist alles viel besser als die Politik.

On a piece of card roughly 9 x 11.5 cm. With embossed government crest of the Board of Education in the top left-hand corner. In fair condition, lightly-aged and with small triangular areas of discoloration to two opposing corners caused by previous mounting. Good bold signature, presumably sent in response to a request for an autograph. Reads '[signed] Walter Runciman. | 6 March | 1911.'

All four items tastefully and crisply printed. ITEMS ONE AND TWO ('Catalogue' and first number of 'Album'): Both 8vo, bound together in original dark-green wraps. 'Catalogue': 12 pp; 'Album': 22 + [i] pp. All edges gilt. Wraps creased and worn, with slight chipping at head of spine. Some creasing to prelims and last few leaves. Note to 'Catalogue' (by 'D. L. | S.') explains that the 'following List contains the titles of such Books as have been printed for the Bannatyne Club since its Institution in February 1823'.

Disbound. Octavo: four pages. Good: slightly aged and with some creasing to extremities. Thirty-one lines of text, followed by a double-column list of subscribers, and amounts subscribed.

Scottish poet and writer (1784-1842). One page, 8vo. In very good condition, if somewhat grubby. Folded three times. Reverse bears remains of glue from previous mounting along one edge. An interesting letter from an important literary figure of the period, contributor to 'Blackwood's' and the 'London', friend of James Hogg, Scott, Carlyle, Charles Lamb and many other writers, and for many years secretary to the sculptor Sir Francis Legatt Chantrey. He thanks his correspondent for his 'clever Book' and 'kind offer'.

12mo: 8 pp. Unbound. On art paper. Fair: lightly-aged with a little spotting to outer pages. 'Six poems, associated with, or in the autograph of, Williamina Belsches Stuart, who, when Sir Walter Scott's courtship of her was not countenanced by her parents, married Sir William Forbes, 7th Bart., of Pitsligo, are in the National Library of Scotland.' Uncommon: COPAC lists copies at five of the six deposit libraries, at St Andrews and at Edinburgh.

Scottish historian (1762-1818), friend of Charles James Fox and Sir Walter Scott. 1 page, 8vo. Bifoliate, in very good condition, addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'Mr. John Mounsey | Furrier | Sunderland'. Difficult handwriting. 'Dear Sir. | <?> the beginning of March I sent to Lowth, by Mr Sir Joseph Banks, to be forwarded to you at Sunderland, Two matts or packages of Rabbit skins, containing 2127 Skins.

One page, minor defects, text clear and complete. He would like to see some drawings which have beeen mentioned, and will call in. "Our contributions to the Scott Exhibition were returned this morning in excellent conditio, and I would like to congratulate you and Miss Hughes on a most excellent show. | By the way, Miss Hughes has never let me have back the Scott's butler's MS., which I lent her some time ago. I wish you would mention this to her." He concludes by asking Wilson to address letters to "Archie Black" or "A.A.G. Black" to avoid confusion with his father.

One page, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium (leaf dimensions 32 x 20 cm). 14 lines. Text clear and complete. On aged and somewhat grubby laid paper with Britannia and 'GATER | 1811' watermarks). Chipping and wear at head and extremities. Printed at head: 'By Sir RICHARD BICKERTON, Bart. Admiral of the White, Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels at Spithead, and in Portsmouth Harbour, and on the Guernsey Station.' Written in a secretarial hand and signed by Bickerton and, 'By Command of the Admiral', by Hulbert.

Landscape, on one side of a piece of thick paper 24 x 30.5 cm. The print itself is 22 x 27.5 cm. The print is clear and entire on lightly-aged paper, with wear to extremities and some repair to reverse, to which a tissue guard has been attached. Enclosed within a decorative border of birds and flowers printed in burgundy, brown and gold, is a delicate illustration (9 x 15 cm), somewhat akin to a Baxter print, showing a sylvan scene with two young lovers in seventeenth-century attire.

12mo: 26 pp paginated 101-126. Stitched. In original worn, creased and grubby green printed wraps. Internally clean, except for the first two leaves, both of which are grubby, with loss to the first leaf affecting two lines of text. 'Farmer Brown's Blunders' is a dialect poem, with explanatory footnotes; the other item is a spoof letter by 'Hannibal Hollow'. There are no records of first or second editions of this item, or of any other edition in which the two pieces are printed together. Scarce: the only copy on COPAC, dated to 1860, at the British Library.

12mo (dimensions of leaf roughly 15.5 x 10.5 cm). Fifteen leaves each with a page of letterpress, and twelve engravings. Uncoloured. Foxed and slightly dogeared, in aged, worn and spotted wraps. Each of the twelve engravings is accompanied by a leaf carrying a page of letterpress with an illustrative quotation from Scott's work. First leaf with printed page listing four works 'Designed, Etched, and Published by G. Cruikshank', with prices; printed title; final leaf with printed page listing six priced 'Works Illustrated by George Cruikshank.

Not paginated but twelve pages (Months!), 4to, with detached original front wrap, chipped and marked, missing back wrap, contents good, in unrelated folder. INSCRIBED top right of front wrap by Beatrice Crane, Walter's wife, and collaborator on this work (the verse): "Marguerite Marigold / from / Beatrice Crane/". Not listed in Masse.

12mo, 2 pp. Seventeen lines of text. On lightly aged and creased paper. Attractive arts and crafts letterhead. Sending his 'mosts profound sympathy in the danger which threatens Chelsea'. He will sign 'the paper [...] with the greatest of pleasure', although he anticipates 'very little good as a possible result'. Suggests a time at which the paper can be sent to him.

Clearly assembled by an enthusiastic collector or dealer-collector (possibly - from an inscription reproduced below - Harold Child, writer?). While the title-leaves and prelims are in variable condition there is no evidence that the prints, which are for the most part very well preserved, have been removed from volumes. The number of duplicates (as many as five copies of the same item) would indicate that this is unlikely, and it is probable that they were acquired separately. The box, measuring 31 x 24 x 5 cm, is half bound in brown cloth with worn leather spine, on which 'VOL.

8vo, iv + 38 + [ii] pp. Strangely paginated, the leaves in fact numbering 28. Advertisements front and rear. Bifolium advertisement for the 'World Wide Atlas' tipped in at end. In original printed wraps with strikingly-modern illustration by Edgar Wilson on front, and full-page advertisement for Carl Hentschel & Co, photo-engravers on back, featuring an attractive Arts and Crafts design. Internally clean, but with the leaves loosening, in wraps discoloured with age and chipped at spine (but with the text and illustration clear and entire).

On one side of a piece of paper roughly 24 x 14.5 cm. With card backing. Good, though lightly aged. Headed by the Royal warrant, the top-half of the handbill features, in a variety of types and point sizes, the announcement of Tuck and Sons' intention to award 'Upwards of 4,000 prizes, of the value of 3,000 guineas, and a number of judges' diplomas', with Besant and Stone as judges. The lower part has two columns featuring fifteen testimonials, by newspapers ranging from 'Windsor and Eton Gazette' to the 'Sheffield Telegraph'.

On printed postcard, with a postmarked postage stamp. Addressed by Crockett. Aged and creased, with paperclip markings. Asks to see a copy of 'The Maple Leaf', 'so that I may have an idea as to the sort of thing you want for the Xmas. no.'

Dimensions of card roughly 8.5 x 11 cm. Good, with slight creasing. Twenty lines of text. Congratulating Hammerton on his appointment as editor of the 'London Magazine'.

12mo, 2 pp. Creased, and with an unobtrusive 1 cm closed tear. He thanks her for her 'charming letter of appreciation'. He is delighted that she 'so enjoyed' 'The Door' ['The Door in the Wall' (1937)]: 'a similar story (or rather one dealing with Phillip Markham & Baikie) will be appearing in the autumn probably in early October'. 'It always cheers an author up to know that he has pleased his readers - & if they do him the good turn of recommending his book to their friends he is vastly obliged!'

On a leaf from an autograph album, 11 x 17 cm. Good, on lightly aged paper. First line by Landauer. Reads 'With best wishes | [signed] Walter Landauer | [signed] Maryan Rawicz'.

12mo, 1 p, with mourning border. Good, on lightly creased paper. Asking Leon to forward the book he wishes to have autographed. 'I will do so with pleasure.' The envelope is addressed to Leon at 6 Brendon House, Great Woodstock St, London W1. Docketed in red ink above address on front of envelope.

8vo: 1 p. 7 lines. Good, but with some foxing, and with a corner of the blank reverse tipped in onto a card mount on which the envelope is laid down. He thanks him 'for the catalogue containing the Moore item'. Would be 'very glad' if Hodgson 'could call here on Thursday next & join us in a meal at 7 o'clock [...] I suggest Thursday because then we shall not be alone, nor dull'. Hodgson was the author, in 1927, of 'Brief notes on the history of the hamlet of Penge with Anerley'.

Octavo: 52 pp. Stitched and unbound. Good, if a tad grubby. In alphabetical order from Queen Adelaide to the Duchess of York, but lotted 236 to 553. Tastefully printed, and including letters of Charles I, Coleridge, Dr Johnson, Samuel Richardson, Rossini, Sir Walter Scott, Laurence Sterne and Horace Walpole.

12mo, 3 pp, 35 lines. Good, on lightly aged paper, and with a thin strip from mount adhering at head of blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Discusses 'the restriction on the importation of paper and paper making materials', imposed 'with the object of securing more tonnage space in incoming vessels'.

One page, 12mo. Very good. 'I have much pleasure in sending you my signature, as I am told you wd. care to have it.

The notes, on three 12mo bifoliums, cover three pages, with a few lines on a couple of others. In excess of eighty lines. Very good. Brief chronology and list of notable residents, presumably an outline for the description of the district in Besant's 'London' (1892) or another of his many writings on the city.

All items unbound, grubby and creased. ONE. Handbill (12mo, 1 p), dated 'August 1894', annoucing as 'NEARLY READY' William Jolly's 'Ruskin on Education'. TWO. List (quarto, 4 pp), dated 'December 1, 1894', of 'Books Published by George Allen [...] During the last Twelve Months'. THREE. Pamphlet (octavo, 32 pp), dated 'December 1894', of 'Works by John Ruskin, Augustus J. C. Hare and others, Published by George Allen'. Includes full-page advertisement announcing as 'in preparation', T. J. Wise's edition of Spenser's 'Faerie Queen', with illustrations by Walter Crane.

Octavo: 39 pp. Stitched. In original orange wraps, with grey printed paper boards. On spotted, aged paper, with insect holes to a couple of leaves. Wraps stained and worn. First English printing of an essay noted for its coupling with Henry James's piece of the same name (not present here) in an American edition of 1885.

English writer and critic (1829-1919), brother of the painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the poet Christina Rossetti. The letter is docketed as to '(Besant)', presumably the writer Walter Besant (1836-1901). Four pages, 12mo. On a piece of grubby, discoloured paper, torn in half and neatly repaired with archival tape. Traces of glue from previous mounting on verso of second leaf of bifoliate. Docketed as 'About Keepsake MS'. He returns the book with thanks.