[Barbara Castle, Labour politician.] Autograph Note Signed to ‘Pip’, accompanying signed press photograph to him, the other side of the note carrying an Autograph Note from deaf Labour politician Jack Ashley.

See their entries in the Oxford DNB. Castle was a pioneer for woman in British politics and a champion of the welfare state; and Ashley, said to have been the first totally deaf democratic representative in the world, was a campaigner for the rights of the disabled.. Both items in good condition. The ANS is on a 16mo leaf of pink paper. On one side: ‘To Pip / who has lightened our load and brightened our lives for so many years. / Bless you! / Barbara Castle / 11. 7. 73.’ On the other: ‘To PIP THE POPular / With every good wish / Jack Ashley / P.S. And lots and lots of fun. / JA’. The 16.5 x 21.5 cm black and white photograph shows a smiling Castle sitting with hands clasped at her desk. On it at top left she writes: ‘To Pip / affectionately / Barbara Castle’. A duplicated typed note attached to the reverse, stating that the photograph is a crown copyright ‘British Official Photograph’, describes the subject as ‘The Rt. Hon. Barbara Castle, Member of Parliament for the Blackburn constituency (Lancashire), who has been appointed Secretary of State for Social Services at the Department of Health and Social Security in the British Government formed by the Labour Party in March 1974.’