PORTER

Artist, author, diplomat and horseman, present at Sir John Moore’s death in Corunna, knighted by the king of Sweden, historical painter to Tsar Alexander, British consul in Venezuela: see the entry on this renaissance man in the Oxford DNB. Both in good condition, with folds for postage. Both signed ‘R Ker Porter’. The recipient (known to her family as the ‘Queen Bee’) was the widow of the Hon. George Villiers, who resided with her family at Kent House, Knightsbridge, home of her brother the Earl of Morley.

On both sides of a 11.5 x 15 cm piece of card. Printed in black ink, and completed in manuscript. An interesting piece of University of London ephemera. Aged and worn. The front is headed 'UNIVERSITY OF LONDON. | UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.' and records that Lake has paid his fee of thirty-six guineas. At bottom left: 'This Ticket must be presented for signature to the Professors of the Classes for which it is issued.' On the reverse is a grid, with the signatures of: 'M. J. M. Hill' [ Micaiah John Muller Hill (1856-1929) ] for 'Pure Mathematics'; 'Alfred W.

xii + 516pp., 16mo. Frontispiece portrait of author. In red cloth binding with embossed patterning and gilt spine. Internally in good condition, in heavily-worn binding with split hinges. Ownership inscription on front free endpaper of 'The Misses Porter', presumably Mitford's friend Jane Porter and her sisters (an example of Jane Porter's handwriting being loosely inserted in the volume). Ticket on front pastedown of 'JAMES MACLEHOSE | Bookseller & Stationer | 61 St. Vincent St. | GLASGOW'. Ticket on rear pastedown of 'EDMONDS & REMNANTS, BINDERS.'

On both sides of 7 x 11 cm. piece of paper, cut from a letter. On one side is the address: 'Monsr. Ventouillac | to the care of Master Morgan | From Miss Porter -'. And on the other a fragment of the letter: '<...> that the same volume will be so presented to him, by the Revd Mr. Pole and Mr. Ventouillac. Miss P - hopes Mr. V - <...> success in his <...>'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. Thanking him for 'the Photograph of Folkestone harbour, & the volumes you have sent on the subjects of Malta, & the Order of St. John. [by Major-General Whitworth Porter (1827-1892) of the Royal Engineers]'. Prince Albert had intended to buy the book, but will take pleasure in accepting the copy the recipient of the letter has 'had so handsomely bound'.

40pp., 8vo. Stapled. In yellow printed wraps, with photograph of the imposing school on the front cover. With stamp, shelfmark and label of the Board of Education Library, otherwise in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. No copy in the British Library or on COPAC.

5pp., 4to. In good condition, on five sheets of aged and lightly-stained paper. Written in a difficult crabbed hand. Porter begins the letter by explaining that he is writing at night during steady rain, and that the previous day he rode in from his camp 'to "come in from the wet" and have been weather-bound here ever since'.

8vo: paginated 3-38. Four full-page reproductions of Miller's paintings. In original yellow printed wraps. On brittle, aged paper, with the body of the book detached from the wraps, which are worn and with one corner at front creased. Title taken from front wrap. One of 950 numbered copies, signed by the publisher on the final page (beneath 'Publisher's Addendum') 'Bern Porter | 25 South St | Houlton Maine | Copy # 296'. Shifreen &Jackson A37a. Uncommon. Apart from the British Library, COPAC only lists copies at Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford and Bristol.