Richard Ford, Newsletter 2: a paranormal archive and some diaries and journals.

 

Dear Friends and all too occasional Customers,

I was looking through my more recent acquisitions and found that I had just over twenty diaries and journals of some (and varied) interest. I've chosen the most interesting, and brief descriptions appear below, with the clicking possibility of accessing sometimes substantial descriptions. But first I'm giving a link to a major new purchase, the archive of "The Ghost-Man", Elliott O'Donnell, ghost-hunter, prolific writer on the paranormal, Irish patriot, and onetime recipient of unemployment benefit:

http://www.richardfordmanuscripts.co.uk/sites/default/files/elliott_odon...

Manuscript diary for the year 1944 by an English army officer ('H. E. Nash?') in the 23rd Armoured Brigade of the British Eighth Army in the Second World War.
[Diary of an officer in the 23rd Armoured Brigade, British Eighth Army, 1946]

Text on 87 pp of a 8vo 1944 'Surrey Desk Diary' (Mitcham: Surrey Manufacturing Co.). Text clear and complete. Volume in good condition on aged paper. While the author's ownership signature at the front of the volume ('', ', '') is not decipherable, there are clues to his identity: his birthday is on 24 June, he states on 5 October that he is in the 23rd Armoured Brigade, and on 19 August he gives his Identity Card No. as 116941. He begins as a sergeant, and by 13 January is 'H.Q. Troop commander, which, out of action, no schemes, no censoring, doesn't amount to much'.

Manuscript logbook, with diagrams, specifications and 'Diary of Way', of a First World War sailmaker in the Royal Navy's 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
J. Ryan, AB, sailmaker [3rd Cruiser Squadron, Royal Navy; Battle of Dogger Bank, 1915]

Landscape, with leaf dimensions 19 x 10.5 cm. The diary covers 48 pages at one end of the notebook, with the diagrams and specifications over 32 pp at the other end. In original sturdy brown leather binding, with brass clasp, empty wallet at front and pouch for pencil. Marbled endpapers. In good condition. Text clear and complete on lightly-aged paper. Binding worn and with split hinges. In pencil on fore-edge: 'J. RYAN.