JESSIE

See her entry, with those of the recipient, her husband, stepdaughter and the other members of the Knox family, in the Oxford DNB. The material is in good condition, lightly aged. All three items addressed to 'My dear Wilfred' and signed 'Mary'. ONE (18 March [1945]): 2pp, 12mo. Begins: 'I am afraid we are allowing Mrs. W. to stay on at the Cottage during the School Easter Vacation, because it seems rather difficult to turn her out at this time of year in view of the weather & the fact that she obviously has Mrs. Moses on her side'.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. A warm and characteristically solicitous letter. She has heard 'such a sad account' of the recipient, and hopes she is 'quite well & fit again now'. The Dearmers 'couldn't manage Paris but we should have loved it - There has been so much - boys' holidays & my book & now another new play! I am sending you "Gervase" - I always think of correcting the proofs at Alnmouth and the sunshine there - & your little red cap with the tassel!' She asks if 'Mrs.

8vo. 310pp. Red cloth, gilt extra, with ornate design to front board and spine. First edition with King's illustrations. A good copy of an extremely attractive book, in binding with light fading in parts, but gilt still bright, and with the merest wear at head of spine. Bookplate by Isabel Bonus for Annie C. Dolamore. Collated and complete. All of King's ninety-five illustrations are present, with twenty-four of them, including the frontispiece, on shiny art paper. A sumptuous item, produced at the high point of King's Art Nouveau period.

23 + [1]pp., 12mo. Stitched, in blue printed wraps. Aged and worn, with creasing to wraps and fly-leaf, which is inscribed 'Ivor James | from | J. A. Grosvenor | May 20. 1921.' Excessively scarce: the only copy on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat at the British Library.

Each of the three coloured plates is 19 x 14 cm, and each is laid down on a piece of 31.5 x 20.5 cm cream textured paper, each mount with caption and vignette printed in green. The three are placed in a portfolio, made of the same textured paper as the mount, with the front carrying the title, publishers' details, and an illustration (of underwater baby balancing on a fish). In fair condition, aged and with wear to extremities.

Small 4to, 4 pp. Stitched. In original brown and black decorative wraps. Good, on lightly-aged paper. A pretty piece of printing, with the title-page printed in light blue and black, and the vignette on illustration on the reverse of the title leaf in the same light blue. The text covers two pages. Scarce: no copy on COPAC.