WOOLF

[‘Become an ambassador if you like’: H. A. L. Fisher [Herbert Albert Laurens Fisher], English historian and Liberal politician.] Autograph Letter Signed to Beresford-Hope, congratulating him on his ‘triumph in the Diplomatic Service examination’.

Author: 
H. A. L. Fisher [Herbert Albert Laurens Fisher] (1865-1940), English historian and Liberal politician; Virginia Woolf’s cousin [Harold Thomas Beresford-Hope (1882-1917)]
Publication details: 
9 June 1907; 34 Norham Road, Oxford.
£56.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. At his death in 1917, H. T. Beresford-Hope was Third Secretary at the British Legation at Athens; and he left the enormous sum of £67,167. Bifolium. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Folded twice for postage. Addressed to ‘My dear Beresford-Hope’ and signed ‘H. Fisher’. Twenty-eight lines of text. He begins a gently teasing letter by stating that he is delighted to hear of Beresford-Hope’s ‘triumph in the Diplomatic Service examination’, his wife joining him in sending congratulations.

[William Plomer, poet and novelist, Benjamin Britten’s librettist.] Autograph Letter Signed to the autograph collector Eileen M. Cond, apologising for his ‘ordinary’ signature.

Author: 
William Plomer [William Charles Franklyn Plomer] (1903-1973), English poet and novelist, born in South Africa, Benjamin Britten’s librettist [Eileen M. Cond, autograph collector]
Plomer
Publication details: 
27 August 1936; c/o Jonathan Cape Ltd, 30 Bedford Square, WC1 [London].
£56.00
Plomer

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Reads: ‘Dear Miss Cond, / I have pleasure in sending you my signature. As you will see, it is quite an ordinary one. / Yours very truly / William Plomer’. The signature is in fact rather stylish in an understated way, and the underlining has two small curls in it. In ink on otherwise-blank reverse, by someone who misread the signature: 'William Ploms'. See Image.

[Cecil Woolf, bookseller and publisher, nephew of Leonard and Virginia Woolf.] Autograph Card Signed to bookseller Andrew Block, regarding his offer of ‘two Thomas Moore letters’.

Author: 
Cecil Woolf [Cecil James Sidney Woolf] (1927-2019), bookseller and publisher, nephew of Leonard and Virginia Woolf [Andrew Block, London bookseller]
Woolf
Publication details: 
27 August 1959; on letterhead of ‘Cecil Woolf, Bookseller, 24 Victoria Square, London, S.W.1.’
£56.00
Woolf

See his obituary in the Guardian, 26 June 2019. The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. Plain postcard, with his letterhead and the following printed at the foot: ‘WANTED. Any English book, or any book printed in England, before 1700.’ Signed ‘Cecil Woolf.’ Aged and worn, with central vertical fold. Addressed, with stamp and postmark, to ‘Andrew Block, Esqre., / 20, Barter Street, / Holborn, W.C.1’.

[ W.H. Smith; James Stephen, uncle of Virginia Woolf ] Autograph Letter Signed to "Henry S. Cobb Esq | M.P." with Smith's response concerning Mr Justice Stephen and a "notorious {condition of affairs}".s

Author: 
W.H. Smith [ William Henry Smith ], ministerial Member of Parliament.
Publication details: 
[Headed] 10 Downing Street, Whitehall, 6 March 1891.
£120.00

Three pages, cr. 8vo, bifolium, fold marks, good condition. "I have read your letter with reference to Mr Justice Stephen with care, and I observe that while you throw the whole responsibility on the Government for the continuance of a condition which you describe as 'notorious' and creating 'a general dissatisfaction' you do not advance a single specific allegation as to a failure of justice on which it would be possible to take action.

[Violet Trefusis, lover of Vita Sackville-West.] Unpublished work privately printed by John Phillips: 'Letters from Violet Trefusis to John Phillips (1961-1968)'.

Author: 
John Phillips (1926-2017), flâneur and literary executor of Violet Trefusis (1894-1972; née Keppel), English socialite and author, lover of Vita Sackville-West ['Sasha' in 'Orlando' of Virginia Woolf]
Publication details: 
Without place or date. [Phuket, Thailand: between 2009 and 2014.]
£800.00

After a twelve-year 'amitié amoureuse' with Phillips, Violet Trefusis died in 1972, appointing him her literary executor and leaving him her last home, La Tour de Saint Loup. The present item – no other copy of which has been traced – is from a collection of Phillips's papers amassed by his friend Barbara Reed, containing pamphlets privately printed by him between 2009 and 2014.

[Rudolf Nureyev: personal reminiscences of John Phillips.] Privately printed collection of 'Nureyev Notes August 1966', regarding 'Sleeping Beauty' at La Scala, Milan. Inscribed by Phillips to Barbara Reed.

Author: 
John Phillips (1926-2017), flâneur and literary executor of Violet Trefusis (1894-1972; née Keppel), English socialite and author, lover of Vita Sackville-West [Rudolf Nureyev, Russian ballet dancer]
Publication details: 
Privately printed. [Phuket, Thailand; 2009.] Inscription of February 2011.
£250.00

After a twelve-year 'amitié amoureuse' with Phillips, Violet Trefusis died in 1972, appointing him her literary executor and leaving him her last home, La Tour de Saint Loup. The present item – only one other copy of which has been traced – is from a collection of Phillips's papers amassed by his friend Barbara Reed, containing pamphlets privately printed by him between 2009 and 2014.

[ Vita Sackville-West ] Small Printed Card Signed in her hand "Vita. | For Diana and Nigel"

Author: 
Vita Sackville-West, author and gardener
Vita
Publication details: 
No place or date
£180.00
Vita

White Card, 6 x 4.5cm, a little grubby but otherwise good condition. Printed text as follows: "I am going abroad so am not sending Christmas cards this year, but I should not like you to think I had forgotten you." Followed by her signature etc (as detailed above.

[Lord Annan and Virginia Woolf's cousin Dorothea Jane Stephen.] Three Autograph Letters Signed from 'N. G. Annan' to 'Miss Stephen', on his biography of her uncle Sir Leslie Stephen. With autograph notes by her, including a childhood reminiscence.

Author: 
Noel Gilroy Annan (1916-2000), Baron Annan [Lord Annan] [Dorothea Jane Stephen (1871-1965), daughter of James Fitzjames Stephen, niece of Sir Leslie Stephen and cousin of Virginia Woolf]
Publication details: 
All three on letterhead of King's College, Cambridge. The three dated by the recipient to 'Spt. or Oct. 1951', '2/10. [2 October] 1951' and '29/2/52' [29 February 1952].
£320.00

The three letters in very good condition; the first two attached to one another in one corner by a stud. Also included is Dorothea Stephen's copy of Annan's biography ('Leslie Stephen: His Thought and Character in Relation to his Time', 1951), worn and without dustwrapper, with her ownership signature ('D J. Stephen'), and a page of autograph notes critical of the book at the rear.

[Printed pamphlet, limited to 200 copies.] Memorial Exhibition of Works by Norman Douglas (8th December 1868-9th February 1952).

Author: 
Alan Anderson; Cecil Woolf; Moray McLaren [Norman Douglas]
Memorial Exhibition of Works by Norman Douglas
Publication details: 
'On display during July 1952 at Edinburgh Central Library | George IV Bridge | Edinburgh'. [Printed by McLagan & Cumming, Edinburgh.]
£125.00
Memorial Exhibition of Works by Norman Douglas

'This Bibliographical Catalogue, compiled by Cecil Woolf and Alan Anderson, is limited to two hundred copies.' 8vo, 9 pp. In original green printed wraps. Good, on lightly-aged paper, with single manuscript correction in green ink. Full-page introduction on Douglas by Moray McLaren. Scarce: the only copies on COPAC at Oxford, the British Library, and the National Library of Scotland.

Autograph Note Signed from Woolf to Rev. E. J. F. Davies.

Author: 
Evelyn Woolf, secretary to Marguerite d'Alvarez (c.1883-1953), English contralto singer
Publication details: 
30 October 1928; 27 West 67th Street, New York.
£10.00

One page, octavo. Good on aged and lightly creased paper. 'As you see by the enclosed it was returned to Mme D'Alvarez. | She is so sorry, but hopes it will now reach you. | Yours Truly | [signed] Evelyn Woolf | Secretary'.

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