Art and Architecture

Landscape sketchbook of eighteen leaves. Leaf dimensions roughly 17.5 x 13 cm. One leaf loose. A further leaf has been removed. Drawings on twenty-five pages and the rear pastedown. Bound in rough grey cloth with printed design on front board. Printed stationer's ticket (label) on front pastedown. Grubby, and with the inevitable pencil offsetting, but good and tight on good paper, lightly-aged but unaffected by damp or stain. Contains some charming images, showing the promise that would win Wright a scholarship to the Royal College of Art three years later.

On piece of watermarked laid paper 12.5 x 13.5 cm. In fair condition: lightly-aged and creased. Clearly in response to a request for an autograph. Firmly written, with the signature 5.5 cm long. Reads 'A. N. Roussoff | Cairo 1892'. Roussoff famously wagered that he could produce a dozen pastels indistinguishable from those of Whistler. He lost the bet, and was 'obliged to take a course of mud baths after his defeat'.

Landscape bifolium card on good-quality paper. Leaf dimensions 18.5 x 27.5 cm. In good condition, on slightly-aged paper, with a couple of small light patches of coffee staining. Printed in black and yellow. Elaborate design showing a winged youth (something of a cross between Jack Frost and Mercury), with winged heels, clutching a bouquet of flowers, flying over a buiding of modern design surrounded by fir trees. Signed in pencil 'luc simon' in bottom right-hand corner, with the limitation 'H. C. 15/100' in pencil in the bottom right.

Folio, 1 page. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with an edge of the blank reverse bearing a small strip of the grey mount. A formal letter, attractively presented. He is 'directed by the Trustees of the British Museum, in the absence of the Secretary', to convey their thanks for the 'obliging Present to the Museum Collection of Prints, of a Portrait of the late Paul Colnaghi Esqr. Engraved by R Easton, proof'. Interestingly, the National Portrait Gallery does not possess any portrait of Paul Colnaghi.

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Attractive red letterhead, in the Arts and Crafts style. The writings she referred to in a previous letter have not come. 'You probably forgot to enclose them. I expect to read some of the papers in the days when I look in the P[all]. M[all]. G[azette].' He asks her to give him 'an idea of what the publisher proposes to spend on the illustrations, and also the size of them, and the style - pen & ink, or "wash".' He has heard news of her 'from Welsh, Ethel Johnson's husband, who is with me at the Haymarket'.

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper. He has been 'hunting among papers, & found a great quantity of notable letters from notable people but they are mostly confidential - or dealing with some private matters'. He would have liked to gratify her wishes 'in a more liberal fashion, 'but I hope the enclosed may serve'. He wonders whether she is 'packing up for India - - perhaps for Worthing'. The valediction on the final page ('Believe me | sincerely') is followed by a large bold signature which with its underlinings covers an area 11 cm square.

Novelist (1770-1844)(DNB). One page, 4to, bifoliate (blank except for Williams' name and address), some marking but text clear and complete. "I am much pleased with the design inclosed but have to observe that I think the tall boy a little too tall and that his trousers have more the look of a young sailor than those of e gentleman - the farmer boy is excellent - the lake scene very prettty and the whole satisfactory. I had great pleasure in naming you as an artist of great promise to Mr Newman who does a great deal of business & is a very worthy man and good judge of art . . . N.B.

4to bifolium (leaf dimensions 26 x 20.5 cm). The notification certificate is on the recto of the first leaf, and Highton's letter is on the recto of the second. Versos of both leaves blank. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with 5 cm closed tear to margin of second leaf caused by removal of letter from stub, traces of which still adhere to the verso of the second leaf. The certificate is tastefully printed in black, with the Society's crest in red in the top left-hand corner.

12mo bifolium: 2 pp. Text clear and complete. On aged, spotted and lightly-creased paper. Relates to the Lancaster landmark the Storey Institute, designed by Paley and his partner Hubert James Austin (1841-1915) for Sir Thomas Storey, built on the site of the old Mechanics' Institute, and opened in 1891. It now houses the Storey Art Gallery. Paley states that his firm 'will put the work in hand for the completion of niche of the Storey Institute & when this is finished in, say, a month we shall be glad to have the marble group down'.

4to: 8 pp (on the rectos of eight leaves of 28 x 22.5 cm). Unbound and stitched. The letterpress is printed in black on the green paper leaves. The eight engravings are in sepia on 18.5 x 16 cm white paper, laid down within the ruled 23 x 16.5 cm borders of the printed leaf. Cover with light wear and staining, with slight damage to bottom left-hand corner of engraved title. The seven illustrations by Wocher are in very good condition, with only the slightest damage to the top corners of the sixth.

Dimensions of paper roughly twelve and a half inches by fifteen and a half. Dimensions of plate roughly eleven inches by six and a half. On top of a stone plinth two eagles support a crowned crest with shell motif, showing a crowned eagle over a castle. The inscription on the base reads 'DIANAE FABVLAS | OLIM | A DOMINICO ZAMPERIO | PICTORE | VVLGO DOMENICHINO | IN PALATIO BASSANI | PRINCIPIS IVSTINIANI | DE PICTAS'. Apparently the frontispiece or engraved title to an oblong folio volume published in 1713.

National Portrait Gallery no: NPG D913 (only acquired in 1966). Dimensions of paper roughly nineteen and a half inches by fourteen wide. Dimensions of print roughly seventeen and a half inches by thirteen and three-quarters wide. Backed by a piece of cream card. Heavily aged and spotted, and with one small worm hole. Slight loss to lower right-hand corner, not affecting print. Closed tears to mount. Apparently printed before the name, and very likely a proof.

Soft-covered, c.12 x 17", sl. soiling, fold marks in one corner, o/w very good. INSCRIBED: "With best wishes for Xmas & the New Year from Biddy Lamb".

The archive is in very good condition, with very slight creasing and aging, and with all items entirely legible. Most items quarto, and most of two pages or more (one running to seven pages). One letter has the head and first paragraph cut away. All but the first two items, which date from 1953 and are signed 'Sidney R Campion', are signed 'Sidney'. The bulk of the correspondence dates from the 1970s. An important archive consisting almost exclusively of long, interesting and discursive letters addressed to a close and trusted friend.

On piece of paper 35 x 22 cm. Dimensions of illustration 32 x 19 cm. Striking illustration, predominantly in dark-blue, purple and grey, showing three City office blocks, topped with the names 'FRESHFIELDS', 'LINKLATERS' and 'CLIFFORD CHANCE', dwarfing a two storey Victorian house. Anonymous businessmen trudging zombie-like towards the blocks, and a smiling figure with his hand in his pocket walking towards the Victorian house, which is cheerily-lit in orange. A note (by Blower?), stapled to the margin in the top left-hand corner (not affecting the image) reads 'Colour match.

PRESENTATION COPY: inscribed on half-title 'Pour Louise | avec mon bien amical souvenir - | Cécile Aubry'. 32 pages, quarto. In printed coloured boards, with decorated endpapers. llustrated by Aubry in colour (one double-page and nine full page) and black and white (five vignettes) and red (final page and endpapers). On the poor side of good, with minor staining, spotting and wear; negligible damp damage to boards.

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'.

12mo, 1 p. Fair, on aged paper. Reads 'The Duke of Portland presents his Compliments to Dr. Taylor, and has the honor to acquaint him that he will be very proud of the honor of being elected a member of the Society of Arts -'.

Cartoonist and illustrator. Folio, boards nearly detached, 84 pages of drawings, including nudes, male torsos, heads, some comic. "No.4" written on first page. (Item purchased some years ago from the booksellers who bought Bentley's library - Waterfields).) An early sketchbook from the artist who illustrated T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"

Quarto: 140 pages. 62 plates. Somewhat grubby and with a few nicks and dogears, but good overall, on browning high-acidity paper. In original red printed cloth, stained and with cover becoming detached. Accession number in red in top-right hand corner of title-page.

74pp. used, c.17 items listed per page, description of clothes and materials, and cost, total cost given at the end of each page. Author unidentified, but occasional biographical entries (e.g "Left Ireland/ Bournemouth" (1900), "W. gave me pair of corsets" (1924)), obviously well-to-do and ultimately at least middle-aged (corsets needed in 1924). Sample page (Sept. 1916-Jan/Feb 1917) "Sepr Dressmaker (May) £4/ Hat (black velvet tri-corner & gold ornament 1.10/ Veil 2[s]3[d]/Navy coat Frock 8/8/- 8.15.6/ Nov.

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.

8vo: continuously pagined 1-187, followed by three pages of publishers' advertisements. A tight copy, in good condition, with the four parts (each of which retains its original orange printed wraps) bound together in contemporary brown cloth gilt and floral endpapers. An invaluable reference work, containing a total of 14293 items, each priced and with a brief description. Example: '4428 Hobart (Mrs.) Lady Buckinghamshire, caricature by Newton, Mrs. H. (very corpulent) driving over the weighing machine in front of a Weigh House, sinks down in the pit, folio, 1797, 4s'.

An attractive item, printed on one side of a piece of paper roughly 46 x 32 cm, folded twice to make a 23 x 16 cm card. Good, on lightly aged and spotted paper. On the front is a small illustration in yellow and black, roughly 2 x 8.5 cm, showing the word 'CHRISTMAS' within a floral border.

On a piece of good wove paper, roughly 415 x 260 mm. Dimensions of engraving 180 x 220 mm. On aged paper and with the margins of the leaf trimmed. Laid down along the right hand margin runs a strip of blue paper, 30 x 410 mm, which it may be possible for a professional restorer to remove. This edges the border of the print (which is clear and entire) and overlaps a few letters of the text. Neatly coloured in sombre tones.

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.

On one side of a piece of paper roughly 8 x 12.5 cm. Good, lightly aged. Reads ' Henry Colburn | 13 Gt Marlborough Street | Martin Arthur Shee | Peter North 22 Soho Square | Dominic Colnaghi'. Fragment of docketed manuscript record of the case on the reverse: '<...> 830 | <...>nes O'Connor | <...>ent Case | <...>y 12th. 1841'.

12mo: 4 pp. Bifolium with mourning border. 30 lines of text. Good. She has heard that he has 'been good enough to speak kindly of "Pauline" so far as it has gone', and wonders whether he would distribute, to 'such of yr. Friends as belong to Circulating Libraries', cards 'to let people know in time to order the book before it is out'. Her family are pleased that Macmillan has 'been able to spend a night at this beautiful sad home - It did my Father good, I know.

12mo: 1 p. Eight lines of text. Good, though creased. Letterhead printed with the words 'Joan Hassall' and a 5 cm short rule decorated with a tiny dove. She apologises for the delay in sending 'this signature': 'I lost your nice little piece of paper, and then I broke my pen.' Disspain's 'letters of appreciation' give Hassall 'very real pleasure' and she is 'most grateful' for his 'good opinion'.

On a piece of board roughly 45 x 30 cm. Foxed and discoloured, with the extremities chipped and worn, with loss and closed tears affecting the illustration's border, which is in gold in the style of the carved decoration of eighteenth-century furniture. The illustration itself, roughly 36 x 25 cm, is clear and undamaged. It features full-length depictions, each around 29 cm high, of two stylish figures: on the left a behatted lady, fan in hand, elegantly attired in eighteenth-century costume of orange compere-fronted gown and full yellow skirt.