CARTOONIST

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged, with minor traces of mount on blank reverse. Folded once. Addressed to ‘My dear Spielmann’ and signed ‘Harry Furniss’. He asks if Spielmann is ‘at home on Sundays’, as he will be in town between Saturday and might be able to ‘look in for a minute sometime but I’ll not say exactly when’. ‘I’ll have so much to do, but probably it will be sometime in the morning before noon. / Leave all till then. / You don’t say how you are’. Postscript: ‘Lectures going very well’ (last two words underlined four times).

See his entry by Ruari Maclean in the Oxford DNB. The recipient Vere Henry Collins (1872-1966), was an author and grammatical stickler. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. With Bentley’s distinctive stylized signature ‘Nicolas Bentley’. After thanking him for his letter he writes (apparently with reference to a newspaper article): ‘I am sorry if in using the phrase “I am afraid” I ruffled your grammatical sensibilities. I used it because I meant it.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. A bold, untidy and yet stylish signature, in exactly the state one would hope to find Bairnfather moniker. It gives the impression of having been sent post-haste from the trenches, scrawled in pencil on a piece of vertically-ruled paper torn out of a notebook, ruckled and grubby, and laid down on an unruckled and clean 15.5 x 9.5 cm leaf with rounded edges, torn from an autograph album. The signature ‘Bruce / Bairnsfather’ is across the head of the landscape page, with a jagged line (intended for the flourish?) by Bairnsfather across the foot.

See the entries on Sambourne and Meredith in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and folded twice for postage. Addressed ‘To George Meredith Esquire / O.M.’ and signed ‘Linley Sambourne’ with the usual five underlinings. Begins: ‘Dear Mr Meredith, / I venture to write & let you know how very much it rejoices our Household that his majesty has confered [sic] on you the Order of Merit. I, amongst countless others have always felt the incompleteness of that most distinguished body with your name absent.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item is a nice piece of printed ephemera relating to the man described in his Guardian obituary as ‘the dominant cartoonist of the western world’. In 1937 Goebbels had told Lord Halifax that Low’s cartoons were harming Anglo-German relations, and after the war it was revealed that his name was in the ‘black book’ of individuals to be ‘liquidated’ on German conquest of Britain. In good condition, lightly aged.Small 4to bifolium printed in brown ink on thick wove paper.

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry and that of her father in the Oxford DNB.) 6pp, the first four on two 4to leaves, the last two on a 12mo leaf. Signed ‘E. Winnie Parsons / nee / Winnie Burnand’. In fair condition, lightly aged and with some creasing, particularly to the last (12mo) leaf. Slight rust staining from paperclip. A delightful letter, written in a strong and energetic hand, with various words underlined in red pencil for emphasis. She is staying with Desmond Lysart, ‘who in his lovely study has all your delightful books’, and they are both great admirers of MP.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. On rectangular slip of paper, roughly 11 x 3 cm, cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, lightly aged, slightly spotted and laid down along one edge on thicker piece of paper. In an elegant calligraphic hand he writes: ‘Believe me / Yours truly / Geo du Maurier / Apr. 26, 83’. The ‘eo’ of the ‘Geo’ of the signature is presented as a stylish squiggle, looking a little like a ‘W’. See image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. A scarce item: no copy in the British Library and the only copies on COPAC at Cambridge and the V & A. In fair condition, lightly aged and with slight creasing to outer edge of front cover, on which a label has been laid down, carrying an inscription (repaired at one corner with archival tape) by Thomas: ‘From one child to another - Love and I cant thank you enough for everything - I’ll look forward to Janiuary - Muh love I’ll writer later’. A stapled pamphlet in brown card wraps. 16pp, landscape 8vo.

See his entry by E. V. Knox in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged, with dog-eared corner. Folded once. Reads: ‘Dear Mr. Denselow, / If my erratic and unenviable handwriting has any interest for anyone - except my tailor (who seldom sees it!) you are very welcome to a fragmentary example of it, at its word’. The signature is no doubt deliberately emphatic, with colons to the initials, and a period on each side of the end of the final flourish. In a postscript Reed expresses gratification to hear ‘that my work “touches the spot” occasionally, that’s what it’s “for!”’

See Gould’s entry in the Oxford DNB, with that of Lady Lyte’s husband. The Lytes were Somerset neighbours of Gould. 1p, 12mo. In good condition. He is glad to hear that ‘Mr Logsdail has done the drawing for you for he would be able to do far more justice to it than I could possibly have achieved’. On the occasions when he is called upon to ‘put sentiment into a cartoon’ he is ‘always conscious of failure and it is well to know one’s limitations’.

See Gould's entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. In good condition. The two leaves of the bifolium on which the letter is written have been separated, and each bears minor evidence of mounting on the blank reverse. He thanks Ashford for allowing him to ‘look through your very interesting collection of autographs’, which ‘does equal credit to your energy and to the good nature of mankind in general’. He continues: ‘The pages of an autograph book always make me realise that people are not so crabbed and disagreeable to each other as pessimists imagine or profess to believe.

See Gould's entry in the Oxford DNB, with those of Newnes and Hobhouse. All eleven items are 12mo and signed ‘F Carruthers Gould’. Some show evidence of previous mounting. The collection is in good overall condition. As assistant editor of the Westminster Gazette he thanks Mrs Elizabeth Lee for her ‘suggestion about an article on the German Theatre’; and Macleod Yearsley for his ‘sketch of Macrurus’ (‘I already had the creature in my mind as the likeness is certainly a striking one’).

See both their entries in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition. He has ‘just read with much grateful pleasure’ the ‘very kindly reference’ to him in her ‘delightful book’ (presumably her second volume of reminiscences, ‘Leaves from the Notebooks of Lady Dorothy Nevill’, 1907). He is ‘just in the middle of it and enjoying it keenly’. The only fault he can find is that he will soon come to the end of it. It deserves great success and he hopes she will ‘give us more reminiscences’.

Two pages, 12mo, bifolium, first and lst pages grubby but text clear and complete. Text: Thank you very much for sending Mr Henley's book which I shall have much pleasure in reading, and my wife will get hints for 'style' as she doth peruse it. It is nicely got up, but is not so sweet to handle as the 'Book of Verses' which is a gem. He relates that he has a drawing of the new Steamer 'Duchess of Hamilton' [which] I think I might utilise [...] if you can introduce something in next week's notes about the remoteness of Arran getting diminished. It is really a fine boat and very swift.

1p, 12mo. Aged and worn. Reads: 'I should very much like to use your article, but we are so crowded with matter that I am afraid there is little chance of finding space for a considerable time and I therefore return the MS with much regret.'

On 5 x 10 cm slip of paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'Yours faithfully | George du Maurier'. The first line lightly inked, the signature itself bold and strong. Nothing else on the card, except for the number '92' in a contemporary hand at top left above the signature.

Both 1p., 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged and worn, with paperclip stain to first letter. Unusual signature, in block capitals. Both addressed to Brooks at the Savage Club, with both salutations to 'Collin'. ONE: 18 April 1947. Begins: 'My dear Collin, | I consulted my firend in the Process Department here and he said that a half-tone block would not be very successful, as there is a dash of colour in the picture and the half-tone would not bring it out very well. He thought that a photograph on a piece of Matt bromide paper would look much better and not spoil the detail of the drawing.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by acknowledging Armstrong's letter: 'I assure your Committee that I appreciate the honour they do me by asking me to become a Vice-President of the Golders Green Literary Society.' He has for some time felt that in the interest of his health he must 'enter no fresh engagements for a while', and therefore does not feel 'able to accept even this one, which I am sure would be pleasanter than most'. He ends by offering his 'sincere regrets'.

On 10.5 x 19.5 cm piece of paper. in good condition, laid down on part of a leaf removed from an album. Good firm signature and strong handwriting. Reads: 'Dear Mr. Bull | It is a pleasure to accede to your request | Truly yours | A: Pearse'.

Cartoonist and illustrator. In black solander box. Folio, boards nearly detached, 84 pages of drawings, including nudes, male torsos, heads, some comic. "No.4" written on first page. (Item purchased some years ago from the booksellers who bought Bentley's library - Waterfields).) An early sketchbook from the artist who illustrated T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats"

1p., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged. He is enclosing 'Squeaker Toys', which are 'a few of a large series which I designed for a toy Firm'. He thinks they may assist Adams 'to get interesting "expressions" on the faces of some of your less sophisticated sitters!' He concludes: 'They would be a variation of the old request to "Watch for the dickey bird."' Adams was Britain's foremost children's photographer, patronised by the Royal Family, and was famed for his Dover Street studio disguised as a children's playroom, complete with toys.

ONE: TNS. 1p., landscape 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged with nick to corner. Letterhead features two small cartoons: a caricature of himself and a lion. Covering letter sending 'herewith my autograph for your collection'. TWO: Signed black and white portrait photograph of Cole. 8 x 5.5 cm. In good condition. Signed at bottom right: 'Sincerely | Charles Cole | 1945'. Cole has rather disappeared under the radar.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium on card. In good condition, lightly-aged. A bold and characteristic cartoon by Low, depicting the evening's chairman. The central two pages, under the heading 'LADIES' NIGHT', give a humorous description of the planned celebrations, beginning: 'The June Meeting of the Sette is nominally dedicated to the graces of feminine society. Actually, it is an overt act of self glorification on the part of the individual members of the Sette.' Among those referred to are: 'the Master of Ceremonies, Bro. S. K. Glanville (Ushabti)', 'Bro. Vyvyan Holland (Idler)', 'Bro J. G.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. On behalf of himself and his wife Madeline he writes: 'Like everybody that knew Robert we shall miss him keenly - For me the world will be a poorer place. Words don't come easily to me to express my sorrow.'

Printed personalised Christmas card, 9 x 11cm, of cartoon by Low depicting an irate Father Christmas announcing 'Gad, sir, something must be done about this Depression. Low must wish the Lynds | A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.' With TLS to RL. 3 Rodborough Road, Golders Green; 23 July 1940, 'Cartoon idea being digested and will issue soon.

1p., 4to (22.5 x 18cm). On laid paper. In fair condition, aged and with slight chipping. The sketches are crude but attractive, headed with a line of three girls in black stockings and petticoats shaking a leg, with the phrase 'The poppy' in the top left-hand corner, and a line of girls at the foot, with an oriental male figure with cane in the background, captioned 'Mamma's Alabama Coon'. Two sketches of the 'Shepherdess' at bottom right, with usual broad-brimmed hat and crook. Hattie Starr's 'Little Alabama Coon' took London by storm in 1894.

2pp., 16mo. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper, with small hole through both leaves at top inner corner. Beneath the signature the faint stamp of the St. James's Budget, 15 Dorset Street, EC. Raven-Hill points out that the Pall Mall Budget had only the right to use his drawings 'in that paper', and that he holds 'the entire copyright of all my drawings that appeared' in that magazine. 'If you want any of mine you could of course get the blocks from them & we could come to some arrangement about using them'.

On one side of a 4.5 x 13 cm strip of paper, cut from the bottom of a letter. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. All in Partridge's hand. Reads: '[...]ment of time occupied. | With many regrets, | I am truly yours, | Bernard Partridge.'

12mo, 2 pp. Eighteen lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Reed'. He thanks him for his note and is glad he likes the cartoon on 'the Educational Model'. He had 'been hoping the Tories would tread on the Nonconformists' toes to shut them up and now they have done it.' He doubts whether his agent has sold the original drawing, and is writing to him 'to let you have an offer if possible'.

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Attractive red letterhead, in the Arts and Crafts style. The writings she referred to in a previous letter have not come. 'You probably forgot to enclose them. I expect to read some of the papers in the days when I look in the P[all]. M[all]. G[azette].' He asks her to give him 'an idea of what the publisher proposes to spend on the illustrations, and also the size of them, and the style - pen & ink, or "wash".' He has heard news of her 'from Welsh, Ethel Johnson's husband, who is with me at the Haymarket'.