CONSTANCE

[Mary Whitehouse, campaigner against the ‘permissive society’, founder and president of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association.] Two Autograph Notes Signed on compliments slips, and her ‘New Address’ in Autograph.

Author: 
Mary Whitehouse [née Constance Mary Hutcheson] (1910-2001), campaigner against the ‘permissive society’, founder and president of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association
Publication details: 
None of the items dated, but from the 1960s or 1970s.
£100.00

A controversial figure much-ridiculed by the media, but nevertheless wielding considerable influence. See her entry in the Oxford DNB. All three items in good condition. Items 1 and 2 are 11.5 x 9 cm compliments slips for ‘The Secretary’ of the National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, with the address in the bottom left-hand corner: ‘MRS. MARY WHITEHOUSE | Triangle Farm House | Far Forest | Nr. KIDDERMINSTER | Worcs.’ and her phone number at bottom right. ONE: ‘The Secretary’ crossed out by Whitehouse and replaced with her signature ‘Mary Whitehouse’. Autograph message: ‘In haste.

[Gladys Cooper, star of stage and screen.] Gelatin silver print of Foulsham & Banfield photograph of Gladys Cooper in the play ‘My Lady’s Dress’, with a second photograph of her embracing Dennis Eadie in the same production.

Author: 
Gladys Cooper [Dame Gladys Constance Cooper] (1888-1971), English actress, over seven decades a star of stage and screen; Dennis Eadie (1869-1928), actor; Foulsham & Banfield, London photographers
Cooper
Publication details: 
Label on reverse dates the solo photograph to 27 February 1914, with the stamp of Foulsham & Banfield, 49 Old Bond Street, W. [London]. The photograph of Cooper & Eadie without date or place, but from the same production.
£100.00
Cooper

Edward Knobloch’s play ‘My Lady’s Dress’ (‘in which’, as one newspaper wrote at the time, ‘the heroine’s dream takes her to the foreign [and London] scenes surrounding the manufacture of a costly gown’) premiered at the Royalty Theatre in London in 1914 and was revived several times through the 1920s.

'Gluck' [English artist Hannah Gluckstein].] Typed Letter Signed

Author: 
‘Gluck’, pseudonym of Hannah Gluckstein (1895-1978), English artist, lover of Constance Spry, Edith and Shackleton Heald, whose painting ‘Medallion’ is seen as an iconic depiction of Lesbianism
Publication details: 
7 July 1959; on letterhead of The Chantry House, Steyning, Sussex.
£80.00

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In fair condition, aged and creased. Folded twice for postage. She begins by thanking her for her letter on her ‘portrait in the Daily Express’, which ‘is not finished yet and I have possibly another two months to do on it, but the Daily Express (because of the Liberace case) thought it would be nice to do it so I had to accede to their request’. Referring to her campaign to improve the quality of British paints she states that her ‘trouble with my paints is not yet over.

[Frederic Yates, English artist active in America.] Autograph Letter Signed ('Fredc Yates') to Mrs Oldham, describing in moving terms the funeral of Anne Oldham.

Author: 
Frederic Yates [born Frederic Keeping] (1854-1919), English artist active in America before returning to England and settling in the Lake District [Anne Oldham]
Publication details: 
17 May 1895, on letterhead of 3a Portman Mansions, W. [London]
£180.00

Yates studied in Paris before setting up a successful practice in San Francisco, also teaching there at the Art Student League. His portraits include the educator John Haden Badley and the only president of Hawaii, Sanford Ballard Dole. He returned to England in 1900, but was invited back to America to attend the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson and to paint his portrait. Wilson presented Yates with the flag that his hand rested on whilst he took his oath of office. The Oldham family moved in artistic circles, and Constance Oldham was John Ruskin's god-daughter and corresponded with him.

[Dame Eva Turner, dramatic soprano.] Typed Letter Signed ('Eva Turner.') to Constance Evans, whose claim that she was her 'earliest private accompanist' she accepts, with reminiscences.

Author: 
Dame Eva Turner (1892-1990), English dramatic soprano [Constance Evans of Darlington, piano accompanist]
Publication details: 
26 Palace Court, London, W2. 6 April 1962.
£100.00

1p, 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, with the top part of the blank reverse pasted onto a slip of paper cut from an album. Adressed to 'Miss Constance M. Evans, | Raventhorpe, | Carmel Road N., | Darlington.' She begins by stating that Evans's letter has been forwarded to her by Julian Herbage.

[ Lady Constance Wenlock, wife of Lord Wenlock, Governor of Madras. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Constance Wenlock') to J. D. Rees, on his appointment as Resident in Travancore and Cochin, with official copy of Lord Wenlock's letter of confirmation.

Author: 
Lady Constance Mary Wenlock [ nee Lascelles ] (1852-1932), wife of Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock (1849-1912), Governor of Madras, and daughter of Earl of Harewood [ Sir John David Rees ]
Publication details: 
Lady Wenlock's letter on letterhead of Government House, Ootacamund. No date [ circa April 1895 ]. Copy of Lord Wenlock's letter from Port St George 13 April 1895.
£90.00

ONE: Lady Wenlock's letter to 'My dear Mr. Rees'. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. 'I am sure you could hardly be more glad that [sic] I was when I heard this appointment was satisfactorily settled. I was miserable at the prospect of you & Mary going on in the same routine here for months without this desireable [sic] change'. After all Rees's wife has 'gone through' it is particularly important for her to have a 'thorough change': it is inevitable that she should 'suffer from just now after so much sorrow & fatigue'.

[ Connie Christie, writer and illustrator. ] Autograph Note Signed ('Connie Christie') to 'Mr. Adams' [ Royal children's photographer Marcus Adams ]

Author: 
Connie Christie [ Constance Mary Charlotte Christie ] (1908-1989), Australian children's writer and illustrator [ Marcus Adams (1875-1959)), children's photographer patronised by British royalty ]
Publication details: 
9 Millah Road, Balwyn, Victoria, Australia, on her illustrated letterhead. Undated.
£56.00

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. Letterhead in brown and black, with childlike self-portrait with dripping pallette. She is enclosing 'a few of my small picture books', thinking that they 'would be entertaining in a waiting room' 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. From the Adams family archive.

[Printed book.] Lavender Harvest.

Author: 
Constance Farmar [The Cayme Press, Kensington, owned by Humphrey Toulmin (1893-1971)]
Publication details: 
Printed at the Cayme Press, Kensington. 1926.
£120.00

50pp., 12mo. In light-blue boards, with white label on front board carrying title and illustration of sickle with sheaves of lavender. Internally good, on lightly-aged paper, in worn and aged boards. Uncommon: only three copies on COPAC (British Library, Oxford and National Library of Scotland), with a further four in American institutions on WorldCat. Farmar's only other book appears to have been 'Castles in Spain' (1907). She also produced the lyrics to a song titled 'Bluebell-time', with music by Ruby Holland.

[Printed pamphlet.] Beauty and the Beast. A Children's Operetta. Words by Constance E. Few. Music by Amy P. Woolley (Revised by B. Hale Wortham.)

Author: 
Constance E. Few [of Shalford, Guildford]; Amy P. Woolley; B. Hale Wortham [The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children]
Publication details: 
London: The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 7, Harpur Street, W.C. [Wilson's Music and General Printing Co., Ltd., 67b, Turnmill St., London.] No date.
£120.00

23pp., 12mo. Stitched pamphlet. In fair condition, on aged and chipped high-acidity paper with floral watermark. Elegantly letterpress printing. Priced at 6d on front cover. The third page carries an 'Index to Music', at the end of which the address in the following - 'Copies of the Music may be obtained at 7, Harpur Street, London, W.C., Price 2s.' - has been altered in manuscript to 'from Miss C. E. Few | Shalford | Guildford'. Excessively scarce: no copies on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mrs Middleton Walker'.

Author: 
Constance Williams
Publication details: 
No date (but docketed 'probably 1886'); '1, Campden House | W.'
£23.00

Two pages, 12mo. Very good. She is sorry that her correspondent should have 'taken the trouble to call twice & have found me out, but I am working at the school just now, & am very not returning as a rule until the evening | So I trust you will excuse my calling with kind regards to yourself & Mr. Middleton Walker'. Signed 'Constance Williams' and docketed in pencil, 'a very clever sculptor in wood'. Not traced.

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