CIRCLE

['We might have paid a visit to the Pyramids': Samuel Rogers, 'The Banker Poet', member of Holland House circle, and acquaintance of Byron, Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott.] Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mrs Lister' [Lady Theresa Lewis], a flight of fancy

Author: 
Samuel Rogers (1763-1855), 'The Banker Poet', art connoisseur, member of the Holland House circle, and acquaintance of Wordsworth, Byron, Sir Walter Scott [Lady Theresa Lewis]
Publication details: 
'Friday' [no date or place, but before 1844].
£60.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is Lady Theresa Lewis (1803-1865), whose first husband was the novelist Thomas Henry Lister (1800-1842). The present letter is written before her marriage to her second husband the Liberal politician Sir George Cornewall Lewis (1806-1863). 2pp, 32mo. In fair condition, lightly aged, with traces of stub from mount adhering to one edge. Folded once for postage. A charming missive. Reads: ‘My dear Mrs Lister / I shall be delighted to come to you, if I can make my escape from where I shall be, in any decent time.

[Samuel Rogers, 'The Banker Poet', member of Holland House circle, and acquaintance of Byron, Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott.]

Author: 
Samuel Rogers (1763-1855), 'The Banker Poet', art connoisseur, member of the Holland House circle, and acquaintance of Wordsworth, Byron, Sir Walter Scott [Lady Theresa Lewis]
Samuel Rogers
Publication details: 
No place or date [on paper with 1837 Whatman watermark].
£150.00
Samuel Rogers

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The recipient is not named, but the item is from the papers of the author Lady Theresa Lewis (1803-1865), successively wife of the novelist Thomas Henry Lister (1800-1842) and the Liberal politician Sir George Cornewall Lewis (1806-1863), all with entries in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and folded for postage. Reads: ‘Many, many thanks for thinking of me! When I came to myself in the morning, I remembered something of a kind proposition you had made to me & resolved to call & learn more about it. / Monday the 9th.

[Samuel Rogers ('The Banker Poet')] Autograph Note Signed to Lady Burdett, declining with regret an invitation that would have given him pleasure.

Author: 
Samuel Rogers, 'The Banker Poet', art connoisseur, member of the Holland House circle, and acquaintance of Wordsworth, Byron, Sir Walter Scott [Lady Burdett]
Rogers
Publication details: 
No date or place.
£56.00
Rogers

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Removed from album, and closely trimmed, having been cut down to 9 x 7 cm, with corners cropped. Lightly aged, with one fold for postage. In neat close hand, reads: ‘My dear Lady Burdett / I am very sorry indeed that an Engagement from which I cannot release myself will deprive me of so great a pleasure. Yours ever / S Rogers.’ See image

[Les Nottle, ‘Magical Clown’ and Punch and Judy man.] Typed Letter Signed (‘Les’) advising bookseller Andrew Block, as ‘Secretary, Magic Circle Examinations & Certificate’, that he has elected to the Inner Magic Circle.

Author: 
Les Nottle, ‘Magical Clown’ and Punch and Judy man [The Magic Circle, London; Andrew Block, London bookseller]
Publication details: 
No date (early 1982); on letterhead of ‘The Magic Circle’ (motto: ‘Indocius Privata Locum’), London.
£100.00

The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. 1p, 4to. In poor condition, aged and worn. Folded three times.

[ 'George Franklin | The World's Worst Wizard' and 'original cod prestidigitateur'. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('F Spence.'), requesting a book from the Thule Press.

Author: 
'George Franklin | The World's Worst Wizard' [ F. Spence ] and 'original cod prestidigitateur'
Publication details: 
On his letterhead, with autograph address Green Gates, 55 Corton Road, Lowestoft [ Suffolk ]. 16 September 1948.
£50.00

1p., 8vo. In fair condition, aged and creased. The letterhead, in orange and blue, boasts that Franklin is 'The World's Worst Wizard', and is headed 'Too Tuubes [sic] | The original cod prestidigitateur with a new act which is packed with crazy comedy and clean fun'. He asks him to send 'Stevenson Toy Theatre Book', and asks if he has 'any books on Marionette & string Puppets'.

[ Charles Cole, cartoonist. ] Signed photograph, accompanied by Typed Note Signed to 'Mr. Wakefield'.

Author: 
Charles Cole, British cartoonist
Publication details: 
Note on letterhead of 'Charles Cole | Cartoonist', 1 Montrose Court NW11 [ London ]; 28 September 1945. Cole's inscription on photograph dated 1945.
£40.00

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.

[ James Morier, author of 'Hajji Baba of Ispahan'. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Morier') to 'Captn. Roberts', inviting him to dinner with 'Parkes'.

Author: 
James Morier [ James Justinian Morier ] (1780-1849), author of 'The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan' [ Daniel Roberts (1789-1869), Royal Navy officer, member of Pisan Circle of Byron and Shelley ]
Publication details: 
No date and place, only 'Thursday', but annotated 'Castellamare | 1830'.
£45.00

1p., 16mo. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and lightly-creased paper. Anotated in pencil 'From Mr. Morier' and 'Castellamare | 1830'. Addressed to 'Dear Roberts'. Begins: 'If you are a good fellow do come and dine with us today at 3. I know it is short notice, but our table holds only a certain number.' Also asks him to join a party to visit Pompeii the following Friday, which also includes 'Parkes who dines here'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Sydney Smith') from Rev. Sydney Smith to the future Lord Chancellor Henry Brougham, regarding his ambitions and 'objects in the Church'. With annotations by Brougham.

Author: 
Rev. Sydney Smith (1771-1845), author and wit ['the Smith of Smiths'], member of the Holland House Circle [Henry Brougham (1778-1868), Scottish lawyer, Whig politician and Lord Chancellor]
Publication details: 
Without place or date. Docketted by Brougham '1830 or 31', but in fact circa 1827.
£450.00

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. A thin strip has been torn from the head of the first leaf, resulting in loss to two lines of text, otherwise in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. A significant letter, in which Smith discusses his ambitions with a close and influential friend, and former colleague on the 'Edinburgh Review'.

Autograph Letter Signed from the author and wit Sydney Smith to Colonel Bagot.

Author: 
Sydney Smith (1771-1845), author and wit
Publication details: 
[London]; 12 May 1842.
£75.00

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed on reverse, which carries traces of the wafer, to 'Colonel Bagot | Davies Street | Berkley [sic] Square | 34'. A short letter with a good, emphatic signature: 'My dear Sr. | I am very sorry you have so good a plea for absence - only remember on some future occasion that I shall not ask your Company as a favor but insist upon it as a right | ever yours | [signed] Sydney Smith | May. 12. 1842'. Perhaps concerning the same breakfast on 14 May 1842 to which Smith invited Georgiana Harcourt on 10 May 1842 (Letters, ed. N. C. Smith, vol.2, p.756).

Autograph Letter Signed ('F Jeffrey') from Francis Jeffrey, editor of the Edinburgh Review, to Thomas Francis Kennedy, MP for Ayr, discussing sundry matters including 'Littleton's Irish tythe scheme'.

Author: 
Francis Jeffrey (1773-1850), Lord Jeffrey, Scottish judge and author, editor of the Edinburgh Review [Thomas Francis Kennedy (1788-1879) of Dunure and Dalquharran Castle, Whig MP for Ayr (1818-1834)]
Publication details: 
18 Berkeley Square, London; 21 February 1834.
£120.00

7pp., 12mo. On two bifoliums. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Written in a difficult, hurried hand. Jeffrey begins his letter: 'It grieves me to annoy you, in your retreat - especially with dull Scotch matters But they tell me at the Treasury that you are still the person to settle such things as this'. The first part of the letter apparently concerns the Edinburgh solicitors Robertson and Sands, who are to lose salaries of

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Miss Zeman'.

Author: 
Francis Lambert McCrudden (1872-1958), editor of The Raven Anthology ('Issued Monthly by the Raven Poetry Circle of Greenwich Village')
Publication details: 
Undated; on letterhead of the Raven Anthology.
£85.00

Octavo, 2 pp. 23 lines of text. Lightly discoloured and slightly creased. The letterhead gives the names of seven of the Anthology's staff, and features an illustration of a raven. Regarding a line missed (beginning 'O fool') in the printing of a poem of Zeman's, he is pleased that Zeman has been able to 'see the matter from my side', and doesn't think 'an explanatory note in our next issue would be adequate'. Zeman's poem is 'beautiful' and 'well worth reprinting'. 'As to the Soiree, in your honor, think no more about it.

Portrait photograph by Walter Baker of Birmingham and copy of his book 'Practical Conjuring.'

Author: 
James Carl (J. A. Wakefield, 1875-1955), 'the Derby Conjuror, Member of the Magic Circle, London', 'Society Magician'
Publication details: 
The book published in Derby by E. J. Furniss, 15, Exeter Street, in 1911.
£200.00

The studio photograph, with printed label of 'Walter Baker, 159, Mosely Road, Birmingham. Highgate Studios.' on reverse, and the manuscript number '24704 | 98'. is a good clear head and shoulders portrait (dimensions roughly three and a half inches by two and a quarter wide), in very good condition. Although untitled, it seems to be Carl, as represented on the title-page of his book, without the moustache and a little younger. The book is twenty-eight pages, octavo, in original coloured printed boards. Numerous line drawings.

Paper entitled 'DISCUSSION: (I) Philosophy Without Science'.

Author: 
Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, Sir Alfred Jules Ayer; Herbert Dingle
Publication details: 
Reprinted from PHILOSOPHY, Vol. XXIII, No. 84, January 1948.'
£45.00

12 pages, octavo. Unbound. Folded once, down the centre, vertically. Good, though grubby, and with marks from paperclip. Each of the three contributes a section. PRESENTATION COPY, with slip from Samuel, on his notepaper '32, PORCHESTER TERRACE, W.2.' on which is typed 'WITH LORD SAMUEL'S COMPLIMENTS'.

fragment of autograph letter signed, correspondent unnamed

Author: 
Henry Richard Vassall Fox, 3rd Baron Holland (Lord Holland)
Publication details: 
2pp, 16mo, without date or place
£45.00

Whig statesman. 'Sir | I find that some persons have been to see Colonel Fox's house in Addison road & objected that the number of bedsteads, & quantity of kitchen utensils & crockery were scanty - I <...> & effects [last word deleted] common ware goods with [last word deleted] from which they may be supplied - I would sooner buy a <?> him such common things than lose a rest [last two words deleted] the opportunity of letting his house to a respectable tenant - | Vassall Holland'. Recto discoloured by glue from attachment to album. Several crease lines. With closed tear.

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