Social history

Shaw (1872-1938) was Secretary of State for War in Ramsay Macdonald's Labour administration. Twenty pages, quarto. Paginated by author. On one side each of twenty leaves of high-acidity paper, discoloured with age and fraying at extremities. Text entirely legible, but with some loss at head of each leaf and particular damage to the final one (affecting signature). A singular psychological case: the astounding rantings of a lunatic, replete with underlinings, capital letters and exclamation marks.

A bifolium, with the text printed landscape on the recto of the two leaves, each of which are 21 x 33.5 cm. On laid Britannia paper watermarked 'G. PIKE | 1809'. The first two words in gothic script, nine-line marginal note in italic, and the rest in roman. Thirty-three lines of text, with spaces for manuscript insertions. Neither of the two parts (presumably one for the master and the other for the apprentice's family) has been filled in. Prepared for completion in the 1810s ('in the Year of our Lord 181[gap]').

Hf.lea., folio, pp.1-325 used , mainly fully, indexed. Handwritten records of purchases from breweries, wine merchants et al (including Bass & Co., Schweppes, Booth's, Buchanan, Brandies of France, Commonwealth Wines, Kia-Ora,Sandeman, Vintage Wines, Ltd, Worthington & Co etc., etc. Enclosures: a small quantity of invoices from some companies Whitbread, Schweppes, Coates etc.), many saying just "goods" but others more specific.

4to: 12 pp. Unbound. On stained and aged paper, with rusted staples and a hole (2 x 1 cm) in last leaf. Closed tear of 5 cm to one leaf. Containing a 'Roll of Honour' ('This List brings the total number of those serving to about 1950.') With 23 photographic portraits of Bart's men who died in army service. Loosely inserted are an application form for subscription to the St Bartholomew's Hospital Journal, and a leaf removed from the March 1917 number of the Journal, containing an article entitled 'A Bart.'s Dinner at the Front.'

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'.

16mo bifolium (leaf dimensions 11 x 9 cm): 2 pp. 17 lines of text. Very good on lightly aged paper. Wonders whether Lockyer would like to spend his Easter holidays at Altnaharra, for a fortnight from 14 April. (The Altnaharra Hotel was used by anglers visiting the nearby lochs.) 'It is an expensive journey; but the sport is good - at least it has been good this last fortnight, but now we are sadly in want of rain. The weather is like June, only more so.' Forty salmon have been killed 'in these two weeks, averaging 11 lbs each'. Black's publisher was Alexander Macmillan.

12mo: 8 pp (a 43 x 27 cm leaf, printed on both sides and folded twice to make four unopened leaves). Pamphlet. Text clear and complete on lightly-aged and spotted paper. 'Conditions of Sale' on reverse of title. 170 lots, with lots 48 to 68 priced and named by the auctioneer, who gives the total as £4 9s 6d, with 'Commission & Exps.' of £0 8s 6d. Interesting manuscript note at head of title: 'Lot 65 not sold - is the Drawers & Dresser in the Storeroom in the Parlour which were not a part of the Tenants Fittings and belong to the Landlord - and were not taken by Mr.

Octavo: 28 pp (paginated 203-230). Unbound and stitched. In original orange printed wraps. Fold-out lithographic plate (c.21 x 45 cms, containing figs. 2 to 6) by C. F. Kell of Castle Street, Holborn, and three illustrations in text: fig.1, a 'useful portable silo [...] made by Messrs. Reynolds', fig.7, 'a simple form of silo with Reynolds' pressure', and fig.8, 'a suggested design for a silo'. The aim of the paper is to 'bring before The Surveyors' Institution some recent phases of the sewage question'. Very good, if a tad dusty at head.

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: 4 pp. Bifolium. 66 lines. Text clear and complete, on aged, spotted and worn paper. Letterhead with printed mottos in decorative borders: 'Total Abstinence is the only certain Preventive of, or Remedy for Intemperance.' and 'INDIVIDUAL ABSTINENCE. | STATE PROHIBITION.' In conclusion Gell apologises for 'what you no doubt will stigmatize as an absurd letter', and to the modern reader this item is certainly unintentionally-amusing. Since his correspondent 'went up', 'one of my Tasmanian friends along with Mrs.

Good, bold signature on slip of laid paper (presumably cut from letter) roughly 3.5 x 11.5 cm. In good condition. Simply reads 'Beatrice Webb'.

12 pp. Complete and clear, on browned high-acidity paper. According to one authority 'The People's Convention (P.C.) began life as the People's Vigilance Committee, set up by the Hammersmith Labour Party and Trades Council in July 1940. The leading figure was Denis Noel Pritt, a recently expelled Labour M.P., but the aims were very much in line with the policies of the Communist Party (C.P.) in that period of the Phoney War.' The Convention met in January 1941 and folded at the end of the year.

Printed on one side of a piece of thick wove paper, 21 x 17.5 cm. At the head of the page is the engraving, enclosed in an oval 12.5 cm high and 15 cm wide. A clear impression of a scarce print, on grubby, spotted paper. Within the border is engraved in red 'Part of Christs Hospital taken from the Stewards Office 1765.' According to the six lines of copperplate text at the foot of the page 'It was 129 feet long and 31 feet in breadth, [...] It was furnished with Books at the expence of £556 . 10s of which £400 were given by the founder, and the remainder by Dr.

Items One to Three: three 'Co-operative Holidays Association General Notes' pamphlets, all 4pp, on unbound 8vo bifoliums. Text clear and complete, on aged and worn paper, with a 3 cm closed tear to both leaves of the second number. Each issue ends with a long list of 'Rambling Clubs and Secretaries'. Headings of notes include 'One Shilling Literature Subscription', 'Sir William Mather', 'Canadian Guests', 'Personalia'. Also a report of the annual general meeting.

Bifolium (leaf dimensions 24.5 x 18 cm), 3 pp, on paper watermarked 1817. Text and image clear and complete on grubby and lightly-creased paper. The two leaves have been gummed to one another along a thin vertical strip, and it may be that they were originally separate. An unusual and scarce piece of ephemera. At the head of the first page is a characteristic neo-classical engraving (roughly 7.5 x 11.5 cm) showing a group of five cherub-artists, holding portolio, palette and bust, appealing to a winged goddess on a cloud, with a temple in the background.

12mo, 15 pp. Stitched as issued. Text clear and complete on aged, worn and foxed paper. Can be dated from references in text, and from quotation on title from 'Arthur Arnold, M.P.' (Arnold's career in the House of Commons ending in 1885). Carries a few contemporary marks in light pencil, and a column in shorthand on the blank reverse of the last leaf. Excessively scarce: no copy in the British Library, on COPAC or on WorldCat.

4to: 1 p. Printed on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium of paper watermarked 'R BARNARD | 1828'. Fifteen lines of text. Text clear and complete on aged, creased paper with chipping to extremities, and the two leaves of the bifolium nearly detached. Docketed in contemporary hands '819' at the head of the printed page, and 'No. 72' on the reverse of the second leaf 'No. 72'.

4tp bifolium: 3 pp. Text clear and complete on aged and lightly-creased paper. The first page is headed by the crest of the City of London. Gives the timetable for the ceremony, and the routes to be followed by the holders of 'three distinct Cards [white, pink and blue] assigning seats in different localities'. 'The Prime Warden and Wardens of the Fishmongers' Company will present Lord Milner with the Freedom.

8vo: 47 pp. Disbound. A tight copy, with the text clear and complete, on aged paper with light waterstaining throughout. The title continues: 'To which are added, a sketch of her benevolent exertions in favour of the widow and the orphan. - Comprising the history of the Widows' Society, and the Orphan Asylum; together with the last scenes of her pious life.' WorldCat reveals eighteen copies in American libraries, but scarce in Europe: no copy on COPAC (microfiche at University of Scotland).

12mo. 32 pages. Unbound. On browned high-acidity paper. Loss to margins of first and last leaves, but text clear and complete, save for the dating in bottom left-hand corner of the title: <...> 8. 81. Cancelling all previous Editions of this Catalogue.' Line in blue pen around the words 'for Children' in the title, and pencil markings (by a child) to p.30. Circular engraving beneath title captioned 'Goldsmith introduced to Newbery by Dr.

8vo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Sixty-eight lines of text. Complete and legible, but damaged: grubby and creased, with short closed tears and small hole at gutter. Interesting and informative letter. Stuart's message of condolence on Benjamin Whitworth's death is one of many which 'have been very acceptable more especially to his widow who has been laid aside so long with bad health, his daughters have been quite worn out'. Describes how his brother's health 'began to break down after a slight attack of paralysis some two or three years ago when at John Brown & Co Ld.

On one side of a piece of wove paper, dimensions roughly 365 x 255 mm. Laid down on a larger leaf. Lightly creased and a little spotted, but good overall, and with the text entirely legible. The upper part of the item consists of the quotation from Pettis's manuscript book, consisting of nineteen lines in single column and twenty-six lines in double column. It begins 'The day was usher'd in with Ringing, Music, and Versing from door to door. At Eleven o'Clock a Cavalcade was formed in the Court Yard, West of the Church, which made a gallant appearance, in manner and form following'.

Printed on one side of a piece of paper roughly 680 x 430 mm. Good, on aged paper with a little spotting and one short closed tear. Text complete and entirely legible. Heading printed in a variety of types and point sizes, with the Rules and Articles, dated 'Slough, April 20th, 1897. and 'Signed on behalf of the General Body of Subscribers, EDMUND J. CRASKE.', in double-column beneath. Final list of subscribers, in four columns, beginning with 'ABORN, Edwin, Eton' and ending with 'WOLLASTON, H. U., East Burnham'.

4to: 1 p. Good, on lightly aged and spotted paper. Regarding 'certain verses concerning this street', Walpole will 'find an explanation of the whole circumstance in this week's Notes & Queries'.

A collection of items indicating the panic felt by the bourgeoisie around the time of the Great Chartism Meeting on Kennington Common, 10 April 1848. Items Two to Five are laid down on a piece of grey paper removed from a scrapbook. Item One: Printed warrant signed by two magistrates, appointing Cater a Special Constable, it appearing, 'upon the oath of a credible witness, that a tumult or riot may be reasonably apprehended'. On one side of a piece of laid paper roughly 320 x 210 mm. Watermarked 'W H FELLOWS 1847'.

8vo (dimensions of leaf roughly 265 x 180 mm): twenty-four unpaginated pages on twelve leaves, with four pages in a bifolium inserted, and a price list printed on one side of a loose leaf. Unbound. Stitched as issued. Good, clean and tight, on lightly-aged paper with a little spotting to the outside pages.

8vo: 8 pp. Unbound. Stabbed as issued. Very good, on rough-edged wove paper. The seven-page advertisement, signed in type by Cobbett, is succeeded by a page headed 'New Books, published by COBBETT and MORGAN'. (Eight titles are listed.) The advertisement is a personal address from Cobbett, the second paragraph casting valuable light on his motives and intentions: 'When I first undertook the Register, I was fully persuaded, that the plan, which, indeed, I had long thought of, was well calculated to ensure a wide circulation, and to produce an extensive as well as a lasting effect.

On one side of a piece of light-brown laid paper, dimensions roughly 240 x 125 mm. Text clear and entire, on lightly creased paper with chipping, short closed tears and loss to extremities. Crudely printed. A thirty-two line poem, arranged in four four-line stanzas, each with a different chorus. An excessively scarce piece of music hall ephemera. No other copy of this particular item, possibly produced for distribution to Hurley's music hall audience, is present on COPAC or anywhere on the web.

12mo. In original brown-cloth binding, with 'South Place Discourses' blind-stamped on spine. Internally tight, on aged and spotted paper. In worn, discoloured binding. Preceded by title and contents leaves to the collection. Waterlow and Sons are named as printers in six items: Item One at their premises in Great Winchester Street; Items Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven at London Wall. The first six items are by Conway. ONE: 'Intellectual Suicide', 16 pp. TWO: 'The First Love Again. A Discourse Delivered in the Church of the Redeemer, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov.