Autograph Letters

Paper, 9 x 12cm, small closed tear, good condition, marked at top No. 296 in a collection, saying I wish you success in this & on this & every other [?] that you undertake.

Three pages, 12mo, minor defects, text clear and complete. I fear I quite forgot to send you the names of the books on 'fungi', and now I have not got them with me. But as the messenger is going up to Christiania I am sending you some rather crude pictures, which may be of some use pending the arrival of better books which I shall recommend shortly. | But for heaven's sake be careful! Some are so poisonous that no doctor can be of any use.

Two pages, 12mo, bifoliate, section (presumed postal history or blank) from second leaf. Addressed to General Post Office, countersigned D'Eyncourt. Text of note: Mr. d'Eyncourt will be obliged to the officers of the G.P.O. to send his Letters to | No.1 John Street St James's Sqre | 6 June 1844. From 48 Dover Street in different hand at top of page. Verso of note is stamped No. [8527] Regd. June 7 1844 with notes by various employees of the GPO who were putting the request into effect.

4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. 87 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper, with wear to extremities and a spike hole to one corner. Written in ink in a Victorian hand, and with three changes in pencil. Docketed at head 'The art of Vocalization'. Towards beginning writes that the subject is one which he has 'studied many years in close connexion with the most eminent Masters of Italy, most of whom I may rank among my personal friends, and the pith of whose conversations, added to my own experience I propose embodying in a few short essays upon the Formation of the Voice'.

Four pages, 12mo, bifolium, small closed tear on fold, mainly good condition. "It has been represented to me that the Bill of which you have given notice for Tuesday the 8th is of a nature to affect the rights of the Crown in connexion with the Duchy of Lancaster.

In German. One page, 12mo, good condition, pencilled biographical note in French at bottom. See Scan on my website for text: http://www.richardfordmanuscripts.co.uk/catalogue

Total 10pp, 12mo, good condition. Subjects: (1) as executor of a lady who by her will directs that a copy should be made of the portrait of her husband by the late Sir George Reid to the Aberdeen Infirmary . . .; National Gallery suggested her; he wants to fix up appointment to discuss; (2) agrees to her terms; discusses the house being locked up by Sothebys who are conducting the sale; (3) commission discussed; (4) discusses the circumstances which lead to his asking he to copy the picture in his house; (5) Aberdeen Infirmary happy with her work.

One page, 12mo, good condition, saying Mr. J. Buzzacott was in my employment in the capacity of compositor (apprentice) at my printing works, 12 Wilson St., Finsbury, for about two years, and during the whole of that time was satisfactory with respect to conduct, work, & punctuality. He is a gentlemanly lad & I can recommend him. With Zangwill's calling card, name and address printed, adding With complements embracing his name.

8vo, 2 pp. 36 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Regarding a replacement for 'Mr Coggan', who is resigning the office of Chief Constable for the Isle of Axholme 'at the next Caistor Sessions'. Johnson has been 'for several years & down to the time of the new Commission o[f] peace the only acting Justice in the Isle', and expects 'some Regard' to be paid to his recommendation. He will 'give the Court some reasons which incline me to think that Mr. Gibbison ought to be preferr'd to his Competitor Mr. Gervas'.

4to, 1 p. 7 lines. Clear and complete. Fair on aged and lightly-creased paper. He is returning 'the leaf of your Peerage', which is 'quite correct in the part more immediately concerning me & in all other's [sic] as far as I have observed'. He makes a suggestion regarding Lord James Stuart'.

Landscape 12mo. 17 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and lightly-creased paper. For a graphologist Miss Baughan's handwriting is curiously angular and crabbed. Explaining that 'these together with some 2 dozen others were overlooked in the July packet - at least this was how it was - each week a packet is sent & I do the packets in rotation of their dates'. She is 'really now doing the September studies'. Continues in same vein. Baughan published a number of works on what would now be called 'new age' subjects in the 1880s.

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. 51 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. Chatty and spirited letter. 'I propose myself the honour and pleasure (seldom indeed, save in common parlance!) of paying you a visit, - to present you with a copy of "Westminster Abbey"', which has 'emerged from the press in the orthodox three volumes'. Does not want to give him 'an excuse for not flashing your eye through it'.

Landscape 12mo. 12 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, in envelope addressed by Lamb to Inglis. On 'seeing the picture after that long interval' he was 'not ashamed of it', but 'when it was new my friends used to rag me about my "Morgue" pictures', there being 'a few others of similar gruesome import'. Now that he is 'far past youth' he is 'painting mostly scenes of sweetness & serenity'. He is sorry that she is 'denied the priviledge [sic] I have enjoyed all these sinister times', that of being able to paint.

4to, 2 pp. Fourteen lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper neatly repaired with archival tape. Addressed to Barker as 'Collector &c'. Recommending the appointment of 'Colonel Freeman' as 'an Inspector of the Customs for the City of Philadelphia'. Freeman is 'a very active Democrat' and 'a very estimable man'. Should Barker appoint him, he will be 'gratifying the Democrats of the City of Philadelphia & will also oblige - | Yours truly | [signed] J B Sutherland'. In 1844 Sutherland himself received a similar letter from Edgar Allan Poe, recommending Robert Travers.

4to, 1 p. 15 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. In green ink. He is pleased that her 'footsteps are treading in high places', and hopes that this 'leads to as much golden reward as it seems to suggest'. He will see her friend 'Mr. Kennerley', but he cannot be 'encouraging' as he is not at present 'casting any picture', and will not be doing so for 'a month or so'. His 'activities now never seem to bring [him] to Hampstead', he hopes she will see him when she visits his 'neighbourhood'.

All in good condition on lightly-aged paper, and all but one (Letter Five) bearing the Society's stamp. Letters One, Two and Six docketed. Letter One (18 November): 12mo, 2 pp. Hoping that Wood, 'as an Ex President of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain', will 'help the Hurter and Driffield Memorial Fund [of which he is Honorary Treasurer] which is being got up [by the Royal Photographic Society] [...] to do honour to the memory of those famous workers in the Chemistry & Physics of Photography'. Letter Two (26 November): 4to, 2 pp.

C.18 x 12cm, good condition, with original gold envelope, sl. battered. Text: 8.40 Buckingham Palace | Miss A.J. Ramsbotham | Gladstone Cottage Eastcombe Nr Stroud Glos | The King and Queen are much interested to thear that you are celebrating your hundredth birthday, and send you Hearty Congratulations and Good Wishes. | Private Secretary.

4to, 2 pp. 46 lines. Clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. He thanks her for putting the commission of 'Mr Proger' his way, discussing the circumstances. 'Just 3 days before I received his letter, while Molly & I were making some sort of order in the Augean Stable which is my lower studio, workshop & general storage place I came across this little panel (a view of Burleigh) which I had thrown asside [sic] as a dud.

4to, 1 p. Fourteen lines, in pencil. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. In envelope addressed by Holloway to Inglis. He apologises for his 'rudeness' in not answering earlier: 'I plead rush of work'. He would be delighted to sit for her, but 'the trouble is that I may have to leave town on Monday to produce a play in the country and then on to S[tratford]-on-A[von] for the 7 weeks Festival'. Suggests a later meeting.

12mo, 1 p. Fair, on aged paper, with central horizontal crease, and traces of mount adhering to reverse. In response to a request for an autograph Harraden has signed, neatly in the centre of the page, 'Your truly | [signed] Beatrice Harraden'. The signature is underlined.

Three pages, 12mo, good condition. She expresses delight at receiving a bouquet from "Her Royal Highness" and wishes her thanks for the latter's "kindness and consideration for me" to be conveyed to the Queen, an her appreciation expressed.

Three pages, 4to, good condition. Harmsworth has obviously consigned two copies of the History of Little Goody Two Shoes to Dobell for evaluation and Dobell is now returning them with a learned disquisition on the publishing history of the work. He discusses the advertising and other background of the Newbery imprint, speculation on the rights being sold to a syndicate of booksellers (explaining worsening quality of printing), speculation on the undated one being pirated. He cites a memorandum by a British Library principal Librarian, J.

Both 12mo, 1 p; and both bifoliums. Both aged and creased. Letter One (recipient not named): Asking to be sent any works 'that would give information on the subject of Chaplaincies abroad in connection with the Government or otherwise', as well as 'a copy of the publisher's circular regularly'. Letter Two (to Smith): Asking if there 'have been any sales of Salverte since the Athenaeum Advertisement', and what Smith would give 'for the whole lot on hand (say per 100 copies) if willing to take them off my hands'.

Square of paper, neatly torn from letter. Lightly-aged and creased. On one side firm signature ('Yrs truly | Dudley Coutts Stuart'), with docketting at foot ('Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart | "The friend of the Poles" -'). On reverse: '<...> a select Committee - A short time I obtained a return of a memorial presented him to the Court of Directors'.

12mo, 1 p. Eight lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Asking if Webster requires a seat at a celebratory dinner for George Washington, 'Tickets not to exceed one Guinea'.

All three items in good condition, with texts clear and complete, on lightly-aged paper. Letter One: 9 January 1913. Typed. 8vo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Twenty-eight lines. Sending florid congratulations on Ormsby-Gore's forthcoming marriage, and describing him as 'one who is bearing burdens bravely & buoyantly in the public service, & striving honestly to do his duty to God & man'. His bride-to-be, Beatrice Edith Mildred Gascoyne-Cecil, is described as 'a maiden like-minded'. Letter Two: 28 April 1913. Typed. 4to, 1 p. Fifteen lines typed and a short autograph postscript.

Around the size of a modern cheque. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. A nice item, considering Rogers' background. A printed cheque for £40 cash, written out to himself (as 'S R'). With a lattice of five lines over Rogers' signature ('Saml Rogers') indicating payment. Denominations to be paid indicated on back.

Two pages, 12mo, one stain, fold marks, sl. grubby, text clear, as follows: The Prince of Wales has at the same time desired Sir W. Knollys to tell My Dighton that H.R.H. thinks the likeness of the King of the Belgians would be much improved if he could make the nose a little longer and the beard a little darker -- The portrait shall therefore remain in Sir W. Knollys's room should nr Dighton wish to take it away with the view of making the improvements which the Prince has suggested. A list of names in pencil (Dighton's hand) has been added, including Thomas Baring and Combermere.

Three pages, 12mo, black border, some smudging and other marking and minor damage, text clear and complete, as follows: I am not acquainted with Lord Effingham, and cannot undertake to write to him on the subject of the Mendicity Society. | I have for years belonged to, & made use of the machinery of that Society not only to detect imposture, but to relieve real distress, and I never heard before of anybody being deprived of lodgings on account of enquiries being made by that Society - | That you should wish to sell your work ought to meet with your landlady's approbation.

Two pages, cr. 8vo, bifolium, segment cut from bifoliate leaf, no obvious loss, fair condition, text clear and complete.