Autograph Letters

Novelist. Card, c.3.5 x 2.5", verso has traces of the laying down processs., slightly soiled by signature clear.

Novelist. One page, 8vo. "Thank you so much for your appreciative letter."

Poet and Man of Letters. One page, 4to, folded, minor spotting. "Dear Sir / Love is what you ask for: / Yours very truly / Maurice Baring".

P.J. Bailey, Poet. One page, 8vo, letter in good condition, the name "'Festus' Bailey" in red ink top left corner. He thanks his correspondent for a "little volume of poems" which have given him pleasure, and many of which "give evidence of pure and true feeling & graceful fancy". Collinson published a volume called "Autumn Leaves" in [1869] in London and _Nottingham_. Presumably he was a fellow-townsman of Bailey's.

Irish scientist. Original letter probably to David Brewster, sceintist, since he contributed substantially to the collection of which this was part (a collection made by his daughter-in-law). Part of letter, c.3.5 x 2". One side "Believe me, Dear Sir, / yours very truly / Dion Lardner". Other side, 21 words, talking about a "subject" and "extensive knowledge", and producing "about twelve s[heets?]", having enclosed a "specimen".

Singer (DNB). Bold, underlined Signature, c.3.5 x 1.5". Other side the following few words, "towns, will tempt me [to] make a trial, so I do [not?] think I shall visit".

Lord Chancellor of Ireland. One page, 8vo, sl. damaged but text only marginally affected. He asks his correspondent to dinner and reports on Lord Wensleydale's health.

Scottish engineer. Small part of letter, trimmed, formerly laid down, 3 x 1.5". One side, the subscription, "My dear Sir David, / yours faithfully / Wm Fairbairn". Other side, a few words about seeing Brewster and his wife and mentioning Hopkins who appears to be a visitor.

Author. Part of an autograph letter signed with much of text trimmed off, leaving piece of paper, 4.5 x 4.5", good condition. One side, "Believe me / dear Sir / Yours very truly / Anna Jameson [with address]. Other side, she wonders if an accident has intervened in something (a meeting?) but hopes to see him at the same time and place the following day.

French novelist. Signature "Pr. Merimee" underlined on piece of paper, 1.5 x 0.75"

Scientist and astronomer. One page, 12mop, margin with remnants of connection to album, good.He invites Brewster to dinner.

Suffragist. End of letter, "Yours ever [typed] F W Pethick-Lawrence [autograph]", c.3.5 x 0.75".

Suffragist. End of letter, "Yours sincerely [typed] F W Pethick-Lawrence [autograph]", c.3.5 x 1".

Suffragist. End of letter, "Yours sincerely [typed] F W Pethick-Lawrence [autograph]", c.3.5 x 0.5".

Suffragist. End of letter, "Yours ever [typed] F W Pethick-Lawrence [autograph]", c.3.5 x 0.75".

Suffragette. "Yours sincerely, Emmeline Pethick Lawrence"], c.4 x 1".

Suffragist. End of letter, "Yours sincerely [typed] F W Pethick-Lawrence [autograph]", c.3.5 x 0.5".

Anglo-Egyptian Administrator. Part of postcard, 4.5 x 2", part of address surviving (one side), other side, urviving words "Yours truly / John E. Gorst / 3.10.10."

(1777-1869), Principal Librarian of the British Museum. Three pages, 4to, fold marks, some marking but text clear and complete. He asks Reade to welcome a friend (Sir Reginald Warren) should he visit Tunis after visiting Egypt. He reports on a young man who will send a letter to Reade via Warren probably mentioning his progress in the Museum ("in the Arrangement of our Geography") and his important discovery of "a bird's eye view of your country [Tunisia]" which includes a view of the Palace in which Reade is living.

Ballet. Fletcher was a bookseller specialising in Performing Arts and founder of the Society for Theatre Research. One page, 4to, chipped, four small tears, fold mark, punch-holes, small hole in centre, but complete and legible. He thanks Fletcher for submitting a print to "us" (Leslie and Niles?) but they decline regretfully, requesting others from the Romantic Period as they occur. "The 'Pas de Quatre' is most beautiful and now graces our walls." He requests an English translation of "Stepanow alphabet les Mouvements du Corps Humain".

Colonial secretary , Van Diemen's Land. 1.5pp., 8vo. He discusses the physical composition of a necklace. (Bicheno's works on Law and the Irish economy are listed on the reverse in a different hand.)

One page, 4to, , sl. worn, text as follows: "I beg to acknowledge your letter of 21st. November, and I am glad to learn that the Council is doing such valuable work. Many thanks for keeping me in touch with the various activities.

Restaurateur/entrepreneur. One page, 4to, "Please forgive me for not having answered your letter earlier. It eally is most generous of you to promise to make our plans widely known, and I shall of course be very grateful for anything you will do in this respect."

Miscellaneous Writer (Poetry Society). Total 4pp., 8vo. He is enlisting Wilson's aid in selling his new book (favourably reviewed by Evelyn Waugh) and requesting a list of distinguished visitors to Bumpus's (bookshop) (Walter) Scott {Centenary] Exhibition to establish who was interested in Scott at that time. Frank Mumby describes Wilson as "one of the outstanding booksellers of the day" (1956 ed., p.235). Four items,

Poet and man of letters (1884-1958). One page, 4to, fold marks, sl. wear, text readable. " . . . I think the occasion for using that poem by Collins would be the next occasion on which we mention - as we are bound to mention - the Artist's Rifles [last work in ms.]/ It will go in very nicely if you will let me hold it up for a bit. I don't blame Wise about the Swinburne poems; I don't think there is a man in the world who could tell one Swinburne poem from another, once you have ruled out the few best.

Novelist. One page, 8vo, fold mark, good condition. "I cannot refrain from writing to thank you for two kindly notices of my work that you have given in recent numbers of "The Sphere"; & I trust you will not consider me troublesome for doing so, or for saying that it gave me much pleasure to see this recognition. . . ."

Litterateur and Poet (1757-1833). One page, 4to, fold marks, minor tears and staining, clear and good. Sotheby asks Jerdan "If there be time, l;et the Two last lines of the Proem [underlined] be -/ "And, in his grave while falls a Nation's tears,/ I strow these fading flours on Scott's untimely Bier".The equivalent text published in "the Literary Gazette", 3 Nov. 1832, p.699, runs as follows: "The golden close of F,me's unclouded day --/ Now strew these fading flowers on his untrimely tomb." In other words, Sotheby was too late with his changes.

American Crime Writer. One page, 4to. He refers to his just having been welcomed into the Crime Writers' Association but has been too busy to reply sooner. He has ben packing and trying to "finish a novel (which failed)". He very much appreciates meeting CWA members. He adds that "the book is now en route for Crime Club" giving him the opportunity to look about him. He would welcome CWA visitors and prmises a good cup of tea from his Australian mother-in-law".

Chief Librarian, British Museum (1797-1879). One page, 8vo, bifoliate, sl. marked, fold marks, text clear and complete. "Mr Panizzi presents his compliments to the Lord Mayor . . . and regrets very much that a previous engagement will prevent him from having the honour . . ."

Bookseller (Oriental and India). All eight items with fold marks, but good condition. They relate to the publication of Sir John Marshall's (ed.) "Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilisation" (3 vols., 1931), described by Probsthain himself in Andrew Block's "A Short History of the Principal London Antiquarian Booksellers" (1933): "[My] largest work . . . has for its subject the discovery of most ancient India . . . edited by Sir John Marshall, Director-General of Archaeology in India.