ROOM

[Sydney Smirke, RA, architect of the British Museum Reading Room.] Autograph Letter Signed to fellow Royal Academician Edward William Cooke, regarding a photograph by Vernon Heath.

Author: 
Sydney Smirke (1797-1877), RA, architect of the British Museum Reading Room [E. W. Cooke [Edward William Cooke] (1811-80), RA, marine painter; Vernon Heath (c.1819-95), photographer]
Publication details: 
'The Hollies / Tunbridge Wells / Aug: 7 [no year]'.
£50.00

See Smirke’s entry, and those of Cooke and Heath, in the Oxford DNB. His most celebrated design is the Reading Room of the British Museum. 2pp, 12mo. With monogram and mourning border. On first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded for postage. Begins: ‘My dear Sir, / Vernon Heath, of Piccadilly, has made me a photograph of our new front, which is I think fairly satisfactory.’ He has told Heath to deliver a copy ‘addressed to you at the R. Academy’. As it is ‘rather large’, he did not like to send it ‘by post or Parcel’, as it ‘might get crushed on its way to you.

[ Sir Henry Ellis, Principal Secretary of the British Museum. ] Autograph Note Signed ('Henry Ellis'), regarding the 'recommendation to our Reading Room' of 'Mr Justice Norton'.

Author: 
Sir Henry Ellis (1777-1869), Principal Librarian of the British Museum, 1827-1856; Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries of London
Publication details: 
British Museum [ London ]. 12 September 1842.
£35.00

1p., landscape 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with closed tear and tape stain at head. Reads: 'British Museum | Sept. 12. 1842 | My dear Sir | I was not at home when Mr Justice Norton presented your Note of recommendation to our Reading Room. I lose no time in enclosing a Card for him, with our Regulations. | Yours very truly | Henry Ellis'.

[ Sir Henry Ellis of the British Museum and Leonard Horner of the University of London. ] Autograph Note Signed from Horner to Ellis, requesting a Reading Room ticket for 'Mr Phillips', with Ellis's signed autograph refusal.

Author: 
Sir Henry Ellis (1777-1869), Principal Librarian at the British Museum, 1827-1856; Leonard Horner (1785-1864), Scottish geologist, Warden of the University of London
Publication details: 
Horner's Note from the University of London, 11 February 1830. Ellis's reply without place or date.
£65.00

1p., 12mo. Heavily aged and worn, with closed tear along fold line at head, and remains of mount on reverse. Horner's note, on the upper part of the paper, reads: 'Dear Sir | Be so good as admit Mr Phillips to the privileges of the Reading Room at the British Museum - | Yours faithfully | Leonard Horner | University of London | 11 Feby 1830'. Beneath this Ellis has written: 'My Dear Sir | Mr. Phillips can be admitted at the Age of Eighteen, but is not eligible for our Reading Room at present | Ever faithfully Yours | H. Ellis | L. Horner Esqr'.

[ Luther Munday, Secretary of the Old Lyric Club. ] Printed handbill for a 'Private Farewell Matinee' for Mr and Mrs Luther Munday, at the Green Park Club, London, with facsimile signatures of 'Stars in the firmament of Art'.

Author: 
[ Luther Munday, Secretary of the Old Lyric Club; Constance, Countess of Romney; the Green Park Club, London; the Old Lyric Club; Herbert Beerbohm Tree ]
Publication details: 
'at the St James' Theatre, kindly lent by Mr. George Alexander, On Friday, June 7th, 1907, at 3 p.m.'
£120.00

4pp., folio. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged paper slightly worn at head. The front page is headed 'H.R.H. Princess Christian and the Royal Members, are Patrons of a Private Farewell Matinee arrranged by Lady Romney on behalf of the Green Park Club for Mr. and Mrs. Luther Munday'. The names of twenty performers are listed beneath this, headed by Herbert Beerbohm Tree, with various other individuals named.

[ Rev. Thomas Blanshard, Book-Steward, Methodist Book-Room, London. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Tho Blanshard') to Rev. George Johnstone in Jamaica, giving details and itemised account of 'Sums of Money due to the Book Room from Jamaica'.

Author: 
Rev. Thomas Blanshard, Book-Steward, Methodist Book Room, City Road, London [ Rev. George Johnstone (c.1765-1821), Methodist missionary in the West Indies ]
Publication details: 
[ Methodist Book Room, City Road ] London. 3 January 1820.
£150.00

2pp., 4to. Bifolium. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with slight loss to text from breaking open of seal, and some repair with archival tape, and a square of paper neatly cut away from second leaf. Addressed, with postmark, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Revd G Johnstone | Methodist Chapel | Kingstone | Jamaica'. Letter on one page and 'Mr G Johnstone Dr in account with T Blanshard'. Writing to his 'Dear Bro[th]er', he hopes that Johnstone will be able to settle the annexed account 'at your ensuing District Meeting'.

[Peter Levi, S.J., English poet.] Unpublished holograph poem ( 'P. L.') titled 'For Henrietta and Dom. | (December, 1960.)' Addressed to the Indian poet Dom Moraes and his wife Henrietta Moraes, lover of Lucien Freud and model for Francis Bacon.

Author: 
Peter Levi [Peter Chad Tigar Levi] (1931-2000), Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford and Jesuit priest [Dom Moraes (1938-2004), Indian poet; his wife Henrietta Moraes (1931-1999)]
Publication details: 
Place not stated. December 1960.
£280.00

2pp., foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. A fair copy of a twenty-eight line poem, arranged in seven four-line stanzas. Signed at end 'P. L. | December 1960.' The first stanza reads 'Rain-threaded gull-wheeling bell-clamorous air, | by wind shifted, by smoke lightly weighted, | in which sirens beautifully despair, | no monumnet crumbles uncelebrated,'. The poem ends with a simile of 'Adam when he woke: | stood for a moment as if he had been blind, | and bent suddenly over Eve, and spoke.' There is no indication that the poem has been published.

[Printed programme.] An Amateur Concert will take place in Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, [...] The Proceeds will be expended in the purchase of Coals, to be distributed previous to Christmas, among the poor of the Village.

Author: 
[Amateur Charity Christmas Concert at Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, Kent, 1869; C. Whitely; Miss Borton; T. B. Morrish; Harry Giles; W. & T. Dray; Miss Brice; E. Whomes; Miss Marshall]
Publication details: 
Eynsford, Kent. On Wednesday, December 15th, 1869. [E. Clarke, Printer, St. Mary Cray.]
£40.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium, on yellow paper. In good condition, on aged paper, with traces of mount at head of second leaf. The full title reads: 'An Amateur Concert will take place in Mr. Gibson's Show Room, Eynsford, (Kindly lent for the occasion) On Wednesday, December 15th, 1869. | The Proceeds will be expended in the purchase of Coals, to be distributed previous to Christmas, among the poor of the Village.' Nine committee members are named on the first page, with details of tickets (to be 'obtained of any of the Committee, or Mr. T. M. G. Sharwood, Farmingham').

Four Autograph Letters Signed to Edward Draper.

Author: 
William Ball
Publication details: 
21 March 1848; 5 January 1856; 22 January 1856; 6 August 1862; the first three letters from 5 Upper York Street, Bryanstone Square; the last from 5 St James's Terrace, Clarendon Road, Notting-Hill, W.
£200.00

According to Frederic Boase's Modern English Biography William Ball (1785-1869) was the composer of 'hundreds of comic and sentimental songs', the most famous of which, 'Jack's lament for the loss of his tail', being 'one of the most popular songs of the day ever written'. All four letters 16mo, that of 22 January 1856 of 8 pages and the others of 4 pages. All are somewhat grubby with minor spotting but the overall condition is good. An extremely informative and intimate correspondence in a very close hand.

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