MAY

On reverse of 11.25 x 8.25 cm card carrying a black and white print of the autograph score of Coates's second 'phantasy', 'The Three Bears' (1926). In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'To May Hirst | with best wishes | from | Eric Coates | Photograph of | Original Full Score of | The Three Bears'.

[32]pp., 16mo. Not paginated. Stapled in brown wraps, with text on front and back covers in gold and dark brown, with closed tear at foot of spine. Contains one full-page engraving: 'Testimonial Presentation to Mme. Camilla Urso in the Town Hall, Melbourne.' Cheaply printed on browned high-acidity paper, in aged and worn wraps. The wraps are attractively designed, with the violinist's name printed in large decorative type diagonally across the centre of the front cover. The back cover gives details of Urso's 'Transcontinental Tour.

2pp., 4to. Forty-four lines of text. She thanks her 'for returning the plays, and thte nice things you say about them'. Mitchison's entry in the Oxford DNB has no reference to her working for the BBC, but from the context of the letter it is clear that she wrote scripts for radio broadcasts for children. Regarding the BBC she suggests that Magraw writes to 'Miss Edith MacQueen, and if I were you I think I should write out one or two synopses of broadcasts which you propose to do'.

1p., 12mo. In good condition. He is writing 'as an old brother savage' (i.e. a member like Finck of the Savage Club), and asks her to accept his 'most sincere sympathy in the loss' of her husband, and his regret that he cannot be present at his funeral. Headed by Mrs Finck 'Answered'. Finck's 'In the Shadows' was one of the last songs played as RMS Titanic went down.

2pp., 4to. 50 lines of text. On a single leaf of wove paper. Good: lightly worn on aged paper with slight damage to two words. A delightful exchange, with May's reply to the offer of a glass of rum beginning: 'Thanky Maister tis a nice dram. Ive agot the rousy cum stoundrums in my ears with the could. I pute a man to smoke perbacky in mun, and I rousted a Tryan and squeery cum squaten in till I sweat again with the hett and pain'.

An interesting collection of typographical ephemera. ONE: Landscape 8vo wood engraving, captioned 'This illustration, entitled "Psyche in Charon's Boat," was engraved on wood by William Morris from a design by Edward Burne-Jones and forms one of a series in illustration of the story of Cupid and Psyche in "The Earthly Paradise." It is proposed to issue one or two of these designs, which have never been published, though one of them formed the frontispiece to the "Note on the Kelmscott Press" by Mr. S. C. Cockerell.' In good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged pink wove paper. Within fancy border. Beneath the title a four-line epigram by 'Cook', beginning 'The School-boy remembers his holiday ramble'. The poem proper, of twenty lines, is signed in type at the end 'J. H.' It begins: 'Oh! Wenlock Chimes, the dear old Chimes, | You carry us back to by-gone times,' and ends, 'And 'ere your notes their rest have found, | Cheer all our Friends the Wrekin round.' The word 'your' in the penultimate line is printed 'you', with the final 'r' added in manuscript.

4pp., 4to. Bifolium. 89 lines of text. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed, with red circular postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Revd. Samuel J. May | South Scituate'. Hillard describes 'Dr. Follen' as 'an intimate and dear friend to me'. He looks back 'with melancholy pleasure upon the happy hours' he spent in the society of 'so pure and elevated a being'. He has 'never known a better man; I do not know that I may not say, that I have never known so good a man.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Meriam is enclosing a 'copy of bill appropriating $350 per annum for two years for the education &c of Onondaga Indian Children which was signed by the Governor on the 5th Inst'. The letter ends with Meriam reporting the receipt of two letters. Syracuse University Library holds a collection of 'Ebenezer Meriam Letters on Onondaga Indian Education', including eight from May.

12mo: 2 pp. On creased, discoloured paper, with small closed tear and traces of previous mount adhering to reverse. An amusing, playful letter in a smudged, expansive hand. Reads 'My dear Phil | The other Phil Phil May will Phil the page in Xmas No. This will fill up & give it a fillip. ergo no Caran d'Ache | With Phil we're full. | Ought to be a fine number. | Have asked Phil May to contribute previously - | Well Phil May - but will Phil? | perhaps a wilfil person'. Accompanied by long typed commentary, giving provenance 'From a group of letters to Phil Agnew.