Social history

Printed postcard with manuscript additions, minor defects. The printed heading describes him as ""The Autograph King. Unchallenged. Owner of the largest collection of Modern Autographs in the World", lists the Exhibitions at which he has displayed his stock, and adds his address and a request to the recipient to write their autograph ("Request Register No. [17861]". The recipient of this was Philip Yale Drew who added "Young Buffalo" to his full clear signature on the reverse. In this same year, 1929, Drew had been arrested as a suspect in the the murder of tobacconist, Alfred Oliver.

The collection is in good condition. Three of the communications bear the stamp of the Royal Society of Arts, of which the recipient Wood was the Secretary.

4to: 1 p. Very good. 18 lines. Concerns a 'lecture by Dr. D. A. Allan' (Douglas Alexander Allan, writer of several works on museums and exhibitions). 'It is very regrettable that Dr. Allan made the statements which he did without confirmation. They were completely erroneous and on the day following he called here and expressed his regrets at the incident. He has now full particulars in skeleton form regarding the activities of this Museum'.

12mo: 4 pp. On grey paper. Very good, with a small strip of discolouration over the Royal Artillery crest. Bearing the Society's stamp. He is glad that his 'article on the Red Cross' interested Wood: 'in other circumstances it would have given me much pleasure to follow up the article with an address to your Society on the subject', but 'the work of the Cadet school, which I entered a couple of months ago, takes up my entire time'.

Five pages, folio, folded, good condition. A list of 141 names and addresses, a few with a line through, ticks or crosses at the side of many, and the letters "C" or "L". Names include the Marquis of Normandy, the Earl of Zetland, Vicars, women (inc. "The Hon. Miss Dawney") and others (no celebrity as far as I can judge). Addresses usually Whitby or close.

On one side of an irregular piece of paper, dimensions 13.5 x 18 cm. Ruckled, and with traces of glue from mounting on reverse. Signature clear and complete, but with minor damage to signature caused by removal from mount. Reads 'I request that you will be pleased to order that all Letters for me may be sent here.' Docketed on reverse (with slight cropping along right-hand edge), '21 Augt. 1836. Feversham Rt Hon S. Lushington M.P.', beneath which, 'Mr Johnson | to be attended t specially | 22 Augt.', and 'ansd 22nd Augt | DWP316 | Attended to | [signed] <?> Laurence | 23 Augt 1836.'

8vo: 3 pp. Bifolium. Very good. Written in French. After an 'etude attentive de rapport de M.M. de Lacretelle et Millas et des autres documents en ma possession' on the Exposition's foreign returns he finds 'certaines lacunes et certains points douteux' concerning which he hopes Berger can enlighten him. He gives a list of seventeen officially-participating countries, each with the subsidy it has received in francs, complaining that 'huit de ces chiffres sont douteux'. This is followed by a similar list of six countries which did not participate officially.

8vo: 1 p. Good, with slight wear to outer edge, and strip from previous mount neatly adhering to reverse. With name of recipient at head, and docketed on reverse. He has 'seen some charming & useful Leaflets advocating Humanity to Animals' and has been 'led to understand they may be obtained through' his correspondent. He would like a hundred of the leaflets to be sent to him, 'for which I will gladly send stamps'. Hall was a sanctimonious figure, supposedly the model for Dickens's Pecksniff.

Paper dimensions roughly 9 x 11 cm. The lower part of the last leaf of a letter. Good, on lightly discoloured and aged paper. Ten lines of text on reverse, including the comment (apparently referring to 'drainage works') 'Mr. Lawson would do the work very well, and is to be commended as Mr. Rawlinson was for never exceeding his estimates.'

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.

4to: 4 pp. Unbound bifolium. On lightly discoloured and spotted paper, lightly worn at extremities. Central horizontal fold. Gives details of eight lectures, by, successively, H. Finer ('Impressions of America'), Montague Fordham ('The Rural Problem'), R. B. Forrester ('Co-operative Marketing'), Professor R. Peers ('Can we educate the Community?'), Arthur Greenwood, M.P. ('The Present Position and Future Policy in regard to Housing'), C. S. Orwin ('Land Tenure'), Rt. Hon. [sic] Sidney Webb, M.P. ('Poor-Law Reform'), and (with the 'syllabus' covering an entire page) H. St. J. B.

Octavo: 18 pp. Unbound: stabbed and unstitched. First leaf and leaves with pp. 15/16 and 17/18 loose. Leaves with pp.3/4 and 15/16 half-separated. Paper discoloured and chipping at edges. Extends to 918 lots. The odd number of leaves implies the loss of a final leaf, possibly bearing text. Stamp of the Public Library Ford Collection. Docketing in pencil notes a duplicate at the New York Public Library. No other copy traced.

Author, associate of Arthur Astor Carey (1857-1923), philanthropist and social worker, of Waltham, Mass. Four, three and two pages, 8vo, respectively, good condition. (1915?). She speculates that she didb't answer his letter because "I think I wanted at first to consider asking my publishers what they thought of publishing a cheap edition of my books - as you suggested - and then I decided that they would not think it advisable . . ." She praises a pamphlet he has sent, "Libraries as Workshops", describing her early experience in libraries.

12mo. In original waxed cloth. Good, with slight wear to binding. Entries on forty-one pages. Short, informative, account of an individual who was presumably a member of 'Pop', there being several tips to servants. Begins on 20 January with expenses including 'Porters' for the 'Journey to Eton', a pocket knife, '2 Fives balls' and a copy of the Strand magazine. Other expenses include 'Tips to Armourer', a penny on motor cycling, one shilling and twopence on a 'Box of C. chocolates' and eight pence for 'Gramophone needles'. Ends 18 February 1916.

Three pages, 12mo. Good, on aged paper, but with the verso of the second leaf of the bifolium covered by previous brown-paper mount. 'Mr Cecil' has passed on Procter's letter. 'The object of your Society is highly commendable, & I wish it much success.' He is 'promoting the same end, by giving what [he] can spare, to Ministers in the neighbourhood'. Praises 'Gentlemen in London' for their 'liberality in assisting poor Ministers at a distance'. '[I]n the country we have as many in our neighbourhood as we are able to relieve'.

Two pages, quarto. On slightly stained, aged paper, with a few closed tears and some wear to extremities. Black wax seal adhering to second leaf of bifolium. Docketed 'March 1814 | Manchester | Revd. R. H. Whitelocke', but the signature appears to read 'Whitelock'.

All five items good, on lightly aged and slightly dusty paper. A couple of with a little rust staining from a paperclip. Text clear and entire. Wrapped in a grubby and frayed piece of covering paper, bearing the title. ONE: Typed Letter Signed (one page, folio) from the Chief Clerk to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to John A. D. Milne, Town Clerk of Shoreditch, on New Scotland Yard letterhead, dated 28 May 1913.

One page, quarto. On aged and creased paper. The letterhead, in purple and red, features an illustration of a theatre curtain. He is 'looking forward to receiving a set of Galley Proofs' of Vale's book ('Trust House Story', 1952?). On receipt he will 'make a number of rough sketches for the Wrapper and send them along to you; then if you think any of them are interesting I can produce more finished versions for you to see.'

T.J. & J. Smith's Pocket Almanack and Diary, 16mo, a week per page, spine crudely repaired, some staining and chipping, hinge strain, complete and mainly legible.

Two pages, small octavo. Good, on lightly aged paper and ruckled paper, with some staining to the verso of the blank second leaf of the bifolium. His correspondent's 'paper on the high death rate in Liverpool' was not returned to Clay after being read at Manchester, 'nor can the Secretary of the Department (Captain ) obtain any intelligence of it from the reporters'. One of the reporters has sent the Captain an abstract prepared by the author. Clay asks whether he has the manuscript in his possession, and if so, whether he will send it to him.

One page, 12mo. Black border. Good, on aged and ruckled paper, with small glue stain at head (not affecting text). Asks to be released from 'coming to Oldham Road' on 4 July, as 'Saturday is an evening wich I usually make a rule of keeping to myself for the purposes of preparation for the Sunday'. Docketed at head in contemporary hand, 'Revd Arthur Mursell, Manchester'. Mursell's most interesting work would appear to be 'Bright Beads on a Dark Thread; or visits to the haunts of vice, etc.' (London, 1873).

On a leaf roughly 17 x 12 cms. A small strip is missing from the foot, but this does not appear to affect the texts. Aged and ruckled, with a little staining from previous mount at head and foot of printed side. In the Letter Moseley opines that 'the closing of Public Houses during the whole of Sundays would be attended with great inconvenience to the public, and I cannot therefore agree to the object of Promoters of that scheme'. Docketed in the top left-hand corner 'Mark name on list as unfavourable'. The handbill, signed in type by John Garrett, D.D.

Two pages, small octavo. Good, on slightly ruckled and aged paper. Some glue stains from previous mount adhering to verso of blank second leaf. He is arranging 'a Conference and Public Meeting on Monday 12th. Nov.' The League's committee 'wish you also to favour them with your help by giving a physiological speech'. Asks to be favoured with an early reply.

Dimensions of paper roughly eight inches by five; dimensions of print four and a quarter inches by three and a half. Good clean image, on paper aged and creased at extremities only. A wild-haired octogenarian Gent leans on a pile of books in a stone archway, holding open a copy of his History of Rippon (1733). Taken from Thorpe's edition of Gent's 'Life', published in 1832.

Striking advertisement, in red ink, on one side of a piece of paper roughly seven inches by seventeen wide. With something of a prewar feel, it reads 'DORKING URBAN DISTRICT | BOOK, WASTE PAPER | and CARDBOARD DRIVE | [in box on right] 12th April | TO | 1st May | 1948 [end of boxed text] | Save the Nation from having to import Waste Paper from abroad | PROVIDE | MORE Employment = MORE Cartons for Food | = MORE Materials for Housebuilding ='.

Printed in red and black on one side of a piece of paper roughly fifteen inches by nineteen wide. Good on aged paper with some offsetting. A few closed tears skillfully repaired on blank reverse with archival tape. Striking and attractive production with ornate thick decorative border and printer's slug in red ink, enclosing text in a variety of types in black, with 'ORDERS RECEIVED WITHIN' at foot. Two dates neatly corrected in a contemporary hand.

Two pages, 8vo, fold marks but good condition. He apologises for not returning a book he had borrowed from the Baron ("L'almanack Medical"). He had taken it to the country "pour en lire quelques passages a mon frere" and forgot to bring it back. He plans the eventual return. "L'etat de la sante de mon frere ne s'ameliore que peu et bien lentement - Il reviendra de la campagne probrablement avec moi mardi prochaine." Heconcludes with politenesses at length.

Newman established the Orphans' Printing Press in 1873 to enable orphans to earn money and learn a trade. One page, 8vo. Folded twice. Good only: paper slightly discoloured with some closed tears and creasing. 'Dear Friend/ | We should be much pleased if you will come & lodge with us at our approaching Quarterly M[eetin]g. on the 16th & 17th Instant | I suppose E. L. Squire is off to America & will be unable to come | Your sincere Friend | Henry Stanley Newman'.

Two pages. On both sides of a piece of paper roughly twelve and a quarter inches by eight inches wide. Illustrated on both sides. An unusual piece of Post Office ephemera, and something of a period piece, on aged paper, with fraying to extremities. Begins 'The object of these instructions is to secure the apprehension of men and women who are negotiating stolen postal order forms and stolen penny stamps, the proceeds of thefts from Post Office. [...]'.

One page, quarto. Very good, though slightly aged and creased, and with minor damp staining at foot, affecting bottom three lines including signature. Wilkinson has written to say that he 'has not the space' Smith has 'named'. '[Y]ou express an opinion that Circus business would pay, & I, from my personal knowledge of Brighton & experience therein, feel sure a really good Circus would prove an immense attraction & a paying one, & would stand some time by introducing fresh novelties'.