INGLIS

An unusual survival, providing details of a little-known Second World War scheme for artists to lend their work to the army for placement in officers’ messes. Three items, in fair condition, lightly-aged. ONE: Mimeographed Typed Circular from ‘T. A. Fennemore. / Director.’, headed ‘The Central Institute of Art and Design, National Gallery, London, W.C.2. / January 1942.’ 1p, 4to. (originally foolscap; a form has been cut away at bottom).

The frank is on a piece of paper cut from the front of an envelope. In good condition, lightly aged, laid down on part of leaf from album. The frank is set out in the customary manner, with the signature 'Boyle' at bottom left, and the address reading: 'Woolverhampton [sic] July | seventeenth 1848 | Miss L: Inglis | Milton Bryand [sic] | Wooborn'. The recipient is probably Mary Louisa Inglis (d.1853), sister of Sir Robert Harry Inglis (1786-1855), Conservative politician and Lord of the Manor of Milton Bryant (or Bryan), Bedfordshire.

Printed in black on one side of a 49.5 x 65 cm. piece of thick paper. In fair condition, aged and rolled into a tube. A tasteful design, featuring an engaving of a palm leaf. Signed at foot by 'Paul Chabas' and 'A. Bréauté'.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, aged and worn, with stamp, label and shelfmark of the Board of Education Library. Signed in type at foot by 'T. GREGORY FOSTER, Ph.D., | Principal.' Laid out in the usual variety of types and point sizes. The poster gives details of the lectures and cost.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium, with the last page of text cross-written over the first, and the valediction and signature cross-written over the second. In fair condition, on aged paper, with short closed tears along crease lines of the second page. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with red wax seal and postmarks, to 'John Inglis Esq | Balliol College | Oxford', and redirected to 'Loganbank'.

[3] + 13 + [2]pp., 4to. Twenty-five figures in text, and photograph of Inglis above a brief biography at the rear. Stapled. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. From the Pat Hawker archive, with his ownership inscription on the front cover, and the addition by him of '& CABLE' to the title, also the note by him 'Shows Cable penetration etc.' 'RCA American Communications, Inc., owns and operates the RCA domestic satellite communications system. This consists of two in-orbit satellites plus a growing network of earth stations in major U.S. cities.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Palgrave begins: 'My dear Inglis/ | I have had such avalanches [last word underlined] of business - and most of a confidential nature - that I have really been unable to write to you. By confidential business I mean business of a class which I cannot open to mhy clerks - and what must be either copied by my own hands or at home - If it had not been for Fanny Brown in addition to her sister I do not know what I should have done'.

2pp., 12mo. 42 lines. Bifolium. Fair, on aged paper. Addressed on reverse of second leaf to 'I. P. Cory Esq'. The letter begins: 'A friend of mine Mr. Jackson having told Mr. Rowbotham [Ruskin's tutor John Rowbotham] that I had discovered a method of trisecting an angle that gentleman said he had done it himself, which I believe he has, upon the proposition you showed me - he says it was originally published by Professor Leslie'. Inglis considers that 'Mr. R. seems to have hit upon something he does not quite comprehend'.

12mo, 2 pp. 24 lines. Text clear and complete. He finds, 'upon reconsideration', that the conversation he referred to that afternoon took place two days later, and regrets that he gave Barrow 'the unnecessary trouble of sending for papers in error; & possibly attributing an inattention to the Gentleman employed at the time as a Reporter'.

4to, 2 pp. 46 lines. Clear and complete. Good, on aged paper. He thanks her for putting the commission of 'Mr Proger' his way, discussing the circumstances. 'Just 3 days before I received his letter, while Molly & I were making some sort of order in the Augean Stable which is my lower studio, workshop & general storage place I came across this little panel (a view of Burleigh) which I had thrown asside [sic] as a dud.

Landscape 12mo. 12 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on aged paper, in envelope addressed by Lamb to Inglis. On 'seeing the picture after that long interval' he was 'not ashamed of it', but 'when it was new my friends used to rag me about my "Morgue" pictures', there being 'a few others of similar gruesome import'. Now that he is 'far past youth' he is 'painting mostly scenes of sweetness & serenity'. He is sorry that she is 'denied the priviledge [sic] I have enjoyed all these sinister times', that of being able to paint.

Letter One: 12mo, 2 pp. Good on lightly-aged paper. The 'delightful drawing' she left for him is a 'wonderful surprise'. He has been 'trying some life drawing direct with the brush' and is surprised that she was able 'to put it down like that!' Letter Two: 4to, 2 pp. Fair, on lightly-aged and creased paper. He apologizes for the delay in answering her letter and thanking her for sending one on by 'Bloggins'. He is 'an abominable letter writer though that does not mean a change of feelings to one's old friends'. He has received a letter f'rom C. B. himself about the Academy'.

One page, octavo. Good, on aged paper with some loss to extremities repaired with archival tape. Fifteen lines of text clear and complete. On learning of Dawson Turner's celebrated collection of autographs from her son, Elizabeth Palgrave's 'kind old neighbour' Lady Bentham asked her 'some questions which led to the enclosed note & the letters I send' (none present).

British Tory politician (1786-1855). The recipient was the wife of the noted surgeon Sir Benjamin Brodie the elder (1783-1862). He thanks her for 'the valuable present which you have conveyed to me through Lady Inglis. The subject is one of the deepest interest; and your honoured father ['Serjeant Sellon, a lawyer of repute', according to the DNB] will have treated it with corresponding devotion as well as learning'. He sends his regards to her husband, and signs 'Robert H. Inglis'.