Autograph Letters

12mo, 1 p. Text clear and entire, on lightly creased blue paper, with a thin docketed strip neatly cut away at the foot of the letter. Traces of cream paper mount adhering to the blank reverse. Presumably refers to the play 'Alone in London', which debuted at the Olympic Theatre in 1885. Buchanan trusts that Fenn 'will be present in production of my new play & Miss Jay's debut on Wednesday next'. He asks whether to send the stalls, 'or do you get them from the Office? It will be indeed disappointing if you do not come, this time.'

12mo, 2 pp. Text complete and legible, on grubby and creased paper. Trace of grey paper mount adhering to blank verso of second leaf of bifolium. Crude caricature of a man's face in top left-hand corner of first page. Draper 'bolted from the Club last night' - Webber can 'guess the cause' - 'thereby depriving the committee of the unit necessary to form a quorum'. Had he not done so 'Marks would have shown you the drawing which he had brought down, finished, for your inspection.' Webber will 'bring it with me to the Circle to-morrow.

12mo, 4 pp. Good. A bifolium, attached by a strip along the inner margin to a leaf removed from an autograph album, docketed 'Mrs. Hobart Hampden, Authoress of "The Changed Cross" '. Postscript written vertically across the upper part of the first page. Concerns a photograph of the recipient's mother: a 'sweet souvenir of such a rare & precious jewel as your dear & beautiful Mother; whom we feel it such a privelidge [sic] to see and to know'.

4to: 2 pp. Text clear and entire on lightly creased, grubby and dogeared paper. Titled by Cousinéry 'Création d'un Musée des Travaux Publics, Envoi d'une Note à ce sujet.' The note is not present.

12mo: 2 pp. Very good. 'The Association for establishing depots of cheap food for the poor' has been formed, 'under the auspices of Lord Brougham, the Earl of Shrewsbury, Sir John Villiers Shelley, and others,' and Jerrold asks whether Raikes would 'permit us to add your name to the list of patrons', a position which 'entails no pecuniary responsibility whatsoever.'

12mo: 1 p. Text clear and entire on creased and slightly grubby paper. Asks Hyde Clark to 'make the preliminary report you suggest, & speak with Mr Crompton'. He feels that 'the thing is to be accomplished; & that there will be honour & profit to all who may concern themselves in the undertaking'. Asks to hear from Hyde Clarke 'in a few days'. The subject of the letter is unclear.

Dimensions of card roughly 8.5 x 11 cm. Good, with slight creasing. Twenty lines of text. Congratulating Hammerton on his appointment as editor of the 'London Magazine'.

3pp., 12mo, good condition. "It is not in my power to let any MS go out the Library or Muniment Room, without the consent of the Chapter . . . I should be glad if you would send me a formal application . . . describing the MS so as to identify it exactly . . . "

12mo, 2 pp. On foxed and aged paper. He has not seen Fawcett that night, despite 'looking out' for him. He would like to talk with him before the following Monday, and if Fawcett writes, he can visit him 'at any time'. 'I can easily drive over, if you will give me your new address.'

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly aged paper. In French. Difficult hand. Regarding 'la société musicale et littéraire de Meaux', of which he approves. 'Malheureusement plusieurs obstacles s'opposent à ma bonne volonté.' As a gesture of good will, he asks the Society to accept 'quelques ouvrages'.

12mo, 4 pp. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper. The 'appointment of examiners' is entirely a matter for 'the Commissioners of Intermediate Education'. However Trevelyan will be glad 'to send the papers on to the proper quarter, and will do so accordingly'. He is 'much obliged' to Fawcett for his 'kind expressions about my proceedings here. It is a very queer post, and I always feel as if on the brink of an appalling escape.' He has been 'much struck' with the success of Fawcett's policy at Trinity College, Dublin. The Trevelyans 'spent some days in Salisbury in 1879.

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly aged paper, with traces of a paper stub neatly adhering to the blank bottom right-hand corner of the verso. Apologising for his 'long neglect of the subject of your last notice - the Mill Hill Medal. The truth is I am scarcely able to find strength and spirits for the work I have to do, and so am constantly involved in difficulties as to time like those to which extravagant people fall into as to money'. He hopes 'to be able to enjoy the pleasures of our anniversary dinner', although he does not feel he deserves them.

Seven lines on one side of a piece of aged wove paper, roughly 12.5 x 10 cm. A hurried, smudged communication. Reads 'My Dear Sir | I have the ill luck to be obliged to attend a Council of the Royal Academy. We commence business punctually [last word underlined] at 8 oClock - Confound the R.A.!!! | Truly yrs | [signed] F Chantrey | Tuesday Morng'.

12mo, 3 pp. Good, on browned and lightly creased paper with some wear to extremities. In French. Long thorough order with instructions for delivery, casting light on the logistical problems encountered in international trade in nineteenth-century Europe. Pražak is sending 'six pièces d'or à vingt francs, ou une somme de 120 francs en or', and gives a list of four books he would like sent to him. There follows a discussion of the problems of delivering the books to Prague.

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. Laid down on a piece of grey paper removed from an autograph album. Accepting an invitation, and informing the recipient that 'Mrs Callcott has recovered from her last attack - but she is still slightly affected at times, and is very weak.'

Good firm signature on slip of paper roughly 2.5 x 10 cm. Laid down on slightly larger rectangle of grey paper cut down from leaf of autograph album. A little ruckled, otherwise very good.

12mo, 1 p, 14 lines. Good, on aged and lightly creased paper. Small red oval monogram in top left-hand corner. In French. As he was about to come and see her 'on est venu me chercher pour des affaires urgentes. il faut que je sorte à l'heure même'. The only news is that 'le ministre des finances refuse très inhumainement la petite maison d'Angivillers. S'il persiste, il y aura, plus que jamais, impossibilité de Loger plus à l'aise les Personnes qui réclament contre la première Distribution'.

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on aged paper. A formal letter in the third person. Windham 'is almost ashamed' of sending Sharpe 'anything so trifling as what accompanies this note'. His justification for doing so is the 'wish of having his opinions stated with tolerable correctness on a subject to which Mr Sharpe, as a matter of some interest at the moment, may happen in some degree to have turned his thoughts.' Sharp's name was often misspelt by contemporaries, and he is listed in the index to the online Oxford DNB as 'also known as Sharpe, Richard'.

12mo, 1 p, 16 lines. In French. Very good. Cancelling an appointment, and sending 'l'article que vous m'avez demandé pour la Revue': 'vous êtes parfaitement libre de tailler, couper, et rogner'.

12mo, 3 pp. Good, with traces of previous brown-paper mount adhering to the blank reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium. His 'time is too fully occupied' for him 'to attend the meeting of the Aborigines Protection Society'. Discusses the parliamentary prospects of 'Mr. Baines' motion relative to the emigration of certain inhabitants of the Eastern district of the Cape'. 'In the meantime however I hope Mr is aware that he is fully at liberty to call on Mr. <?> the Librarian of this Dept. who is authorized to submit to him Captain Stockenstrom's despatches on this subject'.

Irregularly shaped piece of paper, consisting of the front and sides of an envelope. Roughly 14 x 18 cm. Good, but with long vertical closed tear to right of signature, neatly repaired on reverse with archival tape. Reads 'London June Twelve 1832. - | Lady Frederick Bentinck | Bedford Hotel | Brighton | [signed] G. Bentinck.' Red ink postmark, circular and topped with crown, reading 'FREE | 12 JU 12 | 1832 | +'. Remains of red wax seal at foot. Docketed 'Bentinck' along right-hand edge.

5pp., 8vo. He discusses some proofs of engravings he has sent, for which his correspondent has shown insufficient enthusiasm. He would like them back. He says he is prepared to "make Pictures of Animals from Photographs, in fact he has done so. He discusses colouring, oil or water colour. His main line is portrait-painting, he says, either in London or at "Gentlemen's seats", giving his rates.

Celebrated connoisseur (1758-1833), whose picture-gallery, one of the finest in Europe, was at Bridgewater House in London. One page, 12mo. Formal letter in the third person. "The Marquis of Stafford sends his Compliments to Sir Egerton & requests that his name may be continued as Vice President for the Theatrical fund of Covent Garden Theatre, though he regrets that his health will not permit him to attend." Negligible traces of previous mounting on reverse.

One page, 12mo, good condition, laid down on grey paper, through which, with the help of light, the name and address of the correspondent can be discerned. Yarrell says simply: "Herewith I send you the particulars of the new swan - for your minutes and proceedings." Yarrell was the first to describe the Bewick Swan (1830), and name it after his friend, Thomas Bewick. Presumably it is now the subject of a learned contribution to the Journal of the Zoological Society.

12mo, 3 pp. Very good on lightly aged paper. Asking whether Gladstone would consent to the placing of his name on the list of the Institute's Council, 'to fill one of the vacancies'. 'You would be of great service to us in so doing - and the calls on your time would not be numerous - about a dozen times a year'. Six lines in shorthand (by Gladstone?) on the reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium.

4to, 1 p, 21 lines. On creased and lightly-foxed paper, with a couple of closed tears (not affecting text, which is clear and entire). May refer to the 1928 revival of van Druten's play 'Young Woodley' (previously banned by the censor), or (which is more likely) to his 'After All' (1929).

4to, 2 pp. Text clear and entire. On aged paper with a few closed tears to extremities and a thin strip of discoloration along one margin on reverse. 'The Royal Netherland Navy have made use of Coaltar for preserving certain parts of vessels of war from decay', but 'the Medical Department in the Netherlands' have confirmed that the use of Coaltar for that purpose has a prejudicial effect on the health of the Ships crews'. Asks to be informed 'of the results of any enquiries instituted on this Subject by order of the British Admiralty'. Docketed 'Netherland's under Secretary'.

On piece of paper roughly 6.5 x 13 cm. Good, on creased and lightly aged paper. Reads '<...> | yours very sincerely | H. Bismark'. On reverse '<...> looking forward immensely to my visit to you. I have just been asked to lunch with a very old lady <...>'.

12mo, 1 p, 6 lines. Good. Inviting him 'to partake a family dinner on Monday next at 6 o'Clock'. He hopes his son Charles will dine there, '& Catherine proposes to come in the Evening'. Written on the verge of Manning's death.

12mo bifolium, 4 pp. Good, on aged, laid paper. Good, on lightly aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Charles', and from a collection of papers belonging to Charles James Manning. From the context may well be written by the wife of William Manning's eldest son Frederick (Charles's brother, as well as Cardinal Manning's). The author has 'been quite stunned with the sad & awfully sudden news' [of William Manning's death]. The author's uncle, 'Col ' agreed 'that it would alarm [Frederick] to see me [at 'Pangburn']'.