DON

[William Archibald Spooner, Warden of New College, Oxford, who gave his name to the 'spoonerism'.] Autograph Letter Signed ('W. A. Spooner -'), regarding arrangements re accommodation for exams.

Author: 
William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who gave his name to the 'spoonerism'
Publication details: 
5 November 1913. On letterhead of New College, Oxford.
£80.00

2pp, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice. In a letter sadly lacking in spoonerisms, Spooner writes that he is sending the unnamed recipient 'a form of Entrance for our Scholarships', advising him 'to come up as early in the day as possible', as the examination is held in term time, and 'I fear you may have some difficulty in finding lodgings'. He continues, regarding lodgings: 'If we can hear of any we can recommend notice of they will be sent to the Porter's Lodge, and you should make enquiries there'.

[ Don Ameche, American Oscar-winning actor. ] Autograph signature.

Author: 
Don Ameche [ Dominic Felix Amici ] (1908-1993), American Oscar-winning actor
Publication details: 
On letterhead of the Savoy Hotel, London. Undated.
£30.00

Good firm inscription on 19.5 x 16 cm letterhead. In good condition, lightly aged and creased, with slight rust staining to top left-hand corner from paperclip. Inscription reads: 'Sincere best wishes | Don Ameche'.

[ Terry Jeeves, science-fiction artist and fanzine editor. ] Typed Letter Signed ('Terry') to Don Malcolm, on a number of topics including his lifelong interest in aeronautics and space travel.

Author: 
Terry Jeeves [ Byron Terry Jeeves; B. T. Jeeves ] (1922-2011), Science-Fiction artist, writer and fanzine editor [ Don Malcolm, Scottish science fiction expert; Glasgow, Scotland; British sci-fi ]
Publication details: 
On his illustrated letterhead, 230 Bannerdale Rd, Sheffield. 8 July [no year, but circa 1970 ].
£90.00

2pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. On two leaves stapled together. The letterhead, printed in red, is a cartoon portrait of the artist with palette and brush, pointing to the address on a blackboard. A long chatty letter, listing the titles and prices of an order Malcolm has made, describing his activities at a time when he is 'pushed like mad', arranging an 'interview for ERG', discribing the contents of the four albums of his stamp collecting ('I wouldn't call myself a philatelist . . . .

[ Charles Partington, Manchester sci-fi author, magazine editor and bookshop owner. ] Two Typed Letters (one signed 'Charles') to Don Malcolm, one reviewing Malcolm's story 'Between the Tides', the other on a short story of his Savoy Books are taking

Author: 
Charles Partington, Manchester science-fiction [ Michael Butterworth, Dave B and Savoy Books; Don Malcolm ]
Publication details: 
ONE: 56 Staffin Court, Darn Hill, Heywood, near Manchester. 12 January 1975. TWO: On his letterhead, 274 Longridge, Knutsford, Cheshire. 7 April 1978.
£125.00

ONE (12 January 1975): 1p., 4to. In good condition. First page of letter only, and lacking signature. A generally positive review ('When I write, I suffer from excess, a disease which you and your contemporaries, Aldis, Brunner, Bulmer, etc long since cured yourselves of. [...] The story was, as I am sure you know, good.'), but with some caveats ('I also don't think that a female covered with body hairs would also have hair reaching down to her waist.'). TWO: 1p., 8vo. Signed in green ink. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear at head.

[ Sir Henry Raeburn, Scottish portrait painter. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed and one Autograph Note Signed (all 'Henry Raeburn') to John Cockburn Ross, discussing terms for painting him, and a debt owed to him by Sir Alexander Don for a portrait.

Author: 
Sir Henry Raeburn (1756-1823), Scottish portrait painter [ John Cockburn Ross; Sir Alexander Don ]
Publication details: 
All from Edinburgh [ Scotland ]. 6 and 29 November 1797, and 7 June 1806.
£750.00

The first two are addressed to Ross, 'of Rochester by Greenlaw', and the third to him 'of Shandwick by Parkhill | Rossshire'. Each letter with postmark in red ink. ONE: Letter of 6 November 1797. 3pp., 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and worn.

[ Poul Anderson, 'Golden Age' science fiction author. ] Typed Letter Signed (' Poul') to 'Don' [ Scottish science fiction expert Donald Malcolm ], discussing Malcolm's plans for a checklist of his work, his family background, and Scotland.

Author: 
Poul Anderson (1926-2001), American 'Golden Age' science fiction author [ Don Malcolm ]
Publication details: 
3 Las Palomas, Orinda, California. 30 June 1964.
£150.00

34 lines of typed text on air mail letter on blue paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Addressed to Malcom at Paisley, Renfrewshire.

[ 'Spacecraft lands in Sauchiehall Street', Glasgow. ] Autograph Letter Signed from publisher F. J. Stewart ('John') to Don Malcolm, with spoof newspaper article by him: 'Viking Spacecraft lands in Sauchiehall Street | Is There Life In Glasgow?'

Author: 
F. J. Steward, publisher with New English Library and Science Fiction conference organiser [ Don Malcolm, Scottish science fiction expert; Glasgow, Scotland ]
Publication details: 
Letter from 67 Abbey House, Abbey Road, London NW8. 11 July 1977.
£150.00

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The letter is 2pp., 4to, and is written in a playful tone. Escaping the accompanying spoof Steward writes: 'Your remark that Glasgow was as alien to you as Mars got me thinking along the lines of the attached headline . . . . . It would be a good idea for a story if it hadnt been done about three thousand times already (See Robert Bloch (Report on Sol III) and others).

[Printed book with membership bookplate of the Iron Acton Reading Society.] The Career of Don Carlos, since the Death of Ferdinand the Seventh: being A Chapter in the History of Charles the Fifth. By his aide-de-camp The Baron de Los Valles.

Author: 
The Baron de Los Valles [Louis Xavier August de Saint Sylvain, Baron de Los Valles], aide-de-camp to Don Carlos of Spain [Richard Bentley, London publisher; The Iron Acton Reading Society]
Publication details: 
London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street. Publisher in Ordinary to His Majesty. 1835.
£150.00

xviii + 384 pp., 8vo, orig.[?]green cloth covered boards, slightly "bubbled", endpapers stained, corners bumped, hinge strain, fair condition. With frontispiece of Don Carlos and plate (facing p.229) of Zumalacarréguy. In contemporary green cloth library binding with title in gilt on spine. Bookplate laid down on front pastedown, listing 'Members of the Iron Acton Reading Society. | Books to be kept fourteen days.' Twenty-eight members are listed, from 'Rev. Dr.

Seven manuscript items relating to the claim of Sir Adam Fergusson of Kilkerran to the title of Earl of Glencairn and Lord Kilmaurs, including a petition, memoranda, lists of evidence, judgement.

Author: 
Sir Adam Fergusson (1733-1813) of Kilkerran, Ayr, Scotland [Earl of Glencairn and Lord Kilmaurs]
Publication details: 
Scotland and England; 1796 and 1797.
£450.00

The background to the collection is simply stated. On the death of the 15th Earl of Glencairn in 1796 the title became dormant. It was claimed by Fergusson (praised by Boswell but dismissed by Johnson as 'a vile Whig' and derided by Burns as 'aith-detesting chaste Kilkerran') as heir of the line of the 10th Earl. Fergusson's claim was opposed by Sir Walter Montgomery Cunningham of Corshill, as presumed heir male along with Lady Henriet Don, sister of the 15th Earl, and wife of Sir Alexander Don of Newton Don, Roxburghshire.

Prompt copy typescript, with manuscript stage directions, titled 'Excerpt from Act 3. "Man and Superman" by BERNARD SHAW'.

Author: 
George Bernard Shaw [Alec Clunes; Arts Theatre Club, London; May Hemery Ltd]
Publication details: 
[London: May Hemery Ltd for the Arts Theatre Club, 1946.]
£125.00

From the collection of Alec Clunes, who performed as Don Juan in this excerpt from 'Man and Superman' ('Don Juan in Hell') at the Arts Theatre Club in 1946. Carbon copy of typescript by May Hemery Ltd, paginated 1 to 60, on the rectos of sixty leaves, preceded by title leaf ('Excerpt from Act Three | "MAN AND SUPERMAN" | By | BERNARD SHAW'. In original blue paper wraps, with yellow tape spine and label on front wrap. Grubby and worn, and with light staining to wraps, but tight, complete and clear. Numerous manuscript stage directions, mostly on the facing versos.

Souvenir handbill, with photographs of the nine riders and facsimiles of their signatures.

Author: 
The Don Cossack Riders [Russia; the Soviet Union; 'A. Boulanoff'; 'N. Golouboff']
Publication details: 
Date and place of printing not stated [England?]. Docketed in pencil 'Don Cossack Riders - Sept. 1950'.
£23.00

Bifolium (dimensions of the two leaves 14.5 x 22.5 cm), 4 pp. Printed on light-green paper. Lightly worn and creased with one short closed tear. Contains 14 photographs of riders engaged in impressive stunts, including riding through flame, riding upside down and in a pyramid formation. No trace of existence of the troupe appears to have survived. Although in costume, to the ignorant eye they do not look particularly Cossack, and their signatures are not written in Cyrillic. The names, which do not yield any clues either, include 'A Boulanoff' and 'N. Golouboff'.

MS. "Country Commissions by the Author of 'The Rejected Addresses." In the hand of Horatio [Horace] Smith.

Author: 
James Smith [Horatio Smith], author ("Rejected Addresses" et al).
Publication details: 
[Watermark 1822[ First published in James Smith, "Comic Miscellanies", edited by Horatio Smith (1840)
£750.00

Two pages, bifolium, 4to, fold marks and minor faint staining, good condition. An earlier draft of the satirical piece printed first in "Comic Miscellanies" (1840)(no other publication listed by LION, though one has to suspect an earlier periodical publication). Comparison with samples of Horatio's and James's hands (the latter is poorly represented by a hasty note in the BL collections) lead to my conclusion that Horatio wrote out this version in his neat hand with its flourishing capitals.

Original ink caricature by Furniss of Haggard in the character of Don Quixote.

Author: 
Harry Furniss (1854-1925), Anglo-Irish Punch illustrator [Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925), English author; Don Quixote]
Publication details: 
Without date [but circa 1887?] or place.
£225.00

On paper roughly four and a quarter inches by three and a quarter wide, with corners snipped to make an irregular octohedron. Good clear illustration on ruckled, aged paper. Tipped onto a larger piece of aged glue-stained paper. An amusing caricature showing Haggard astride Rozinante, in a full suit of armour, with an inkpot and quill pen as hat, holding a lance inscribed 'LITERATURE' in one hand, and a baby wrapped in a large roll of paper inscribed 'SHE M.S.' in the other. Unsigned, and attributed to Furniss in pencil on mount.

Autograph Letter Signed to Don Wauchope.

Author: 
General Sir George Keith Buller Elphinstone
Publication details: 
10 January 1891; on letterhead '86, CANONBURY ROAD'.
£36.00

Engineer (1865-1941) whose inventions include the speedometer for motor-cars. Two pages, 12mo. Good, though slightly grubby. Docketed on reverse. Small ink smudge beneath letterhead. Reads 'Dear Don Wanchope | Thanks for your letter. My full name is/ | George Keith Buller Elphinstone and by profession I am an Electrical Engineer & Maker of Electrical Instruments | So I hope that will be full enough information for you'. Signed 'G K B Elphinstone'.

Vida de Don José de la Luz y Caballero

Author: 
José Ignacio Rodriguez
Publication details: 
[New York] Nueva York: Imprenta de "El Mundo Nuevo - La América Ilustrada" | 39, Park Row, "Times" Building, 1874.
£200.00

Octavo. Pages: xii + 327. Portrait frontispiece. Scarce life of the eminent Cuban ethical philosopher and pedagogue (1800-62). No copy in British Library. INSCRIBED at length by Rodriguez ('Washington DC. | April de 1878.') Poor copy: foxed and stained, in worn and damaged original brown cloth binding, crudely recased in new endpapers. A few unobtrusive annotations. Various library stamps.

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