AUTOGRAPH

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Since his return from Basildon three friends have promised him 'letters from the illustrious' for her collection. He has also 'looked for a collection I made myself once - but altho I have found all kinds of things which I thought I had lost for ever I cannot find it'. He lists seven 'minor autographs' he is sending her, including '(7) The late Earl of Denbigh to Bish of Patterson - This letter led to the capture of a famous impostor, who died immediately afterwards in Clerkenwell Gaol'.

On 1.5 x 5 cm strip of paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Cut from letter.

The book is xv + 256pp., 8vo. In grey cloth binding with printed cover. In fair condition, on aged paper, with front hinge split. Ownership inscription in blue pencil on front pastedown: 'Bridget Guinness | 8 Washington Sq | 1915'. In same blue pencil on reverse of rear free endpaper is a note of an appointment for a meeting with 'the American Florence Nightingale', Anna C. Maxwell (1851-1929), who was then the Director of the School of Nursing at the Presbyterian Hospital: '4 ock Tuesday Presbyterian 70th N Mad. Miss Maxwell's office -'.

On 1 x 5 cm. piece of paper. In fair condition, lightly aged. Cut from a letter.

53 items, in remains of folder with 'Documents Modèles' in manuscript on cover. In fair condition, with light signs of age and wear. Mainly comprising tracings and drawings (some coloured) of designs (both original and copied from historical items), in pencil, pen and watercolour, including some on pages torn from notebooks, some of them annotated in French. Mattei's two coloured drawings show bold floral designs for teacups and saucers. Also present is a series of versions of a playing-card design. There are also eleven black and white photographs of pots, vases and snuffboxes.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Gracefully declining an invitation.

For more information on Czartoryski, see his entry in the Annual Register for 1860, p.407. 1p., 12mo. On bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. The recipient is not named, but is an Italian-speaker, as the letter is docketted 'Parigi 1819 | 26 Sett. | Princp. Cost. Czartoryski'. Fifteen lines of text, requesting, in florid tones, that a letter be forwarded to his brother, 'qui doit être dans ce moment ci à Livourne pour y faire prendre des bains'.

For more on Seymour, who held diplomatic posts in Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Russia, see his entry in the Oxford DNB. The 4.5 x 7.5 cm card carries the words 'Sir Hamilton Seymour | Ministre d'Angleterre' in copperplate. Above this Seymour has written, in a difficult hand, what appears to be: 'My dear Baron Ward | I want you to shew your finess [sic] in your placing Machen & Mr Caird. | Yrs.'

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 <...>'.

24pp., 8vo. Disbound. In good condition, with light signs of age. Inscribed at head of first page: 'With kind regards.' 11 figures in text. Published in 'Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow', vol. 10 (1875-1877).

On 4 x 13.5 cm. strip of paper, cut from the front panel of an envelope. In fair condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'John Head Esq | Ransome Sims & Head | Ipswich', with the underlined signature 'Samuel Plimsoll' at bottom left.

On 3.5 x 16.5 cm piece of paper, cut from the end of a letter. Ruckled and lightly stained, with small closed tear (not affecting signature). Good firm signature. Reads: 'Kindest regards to your wife | Ever most truly yours | Thos Hughes'. At bottom left: '1873'. Same year printed on reverse, which carries more autograph text by Hughes, written at right angles to the text on the other side.

On 2.5 x 11.5 cm. piece of paper, cut from front panel of envelope. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper. Lower part of address present, reading 'Gt Grimsby | Grantham'. Circular frank in red ink over this, reading 'FREE | 8 JY 8 | 18<5?>9'. Good firm signature underlined at bottom left: 'W E Gladstone'.

On both sides of a 9 x 11 cm. grey card with embossed letterhead. In good condition, lightly aged. Docketted and with Royal Academy of Arts stamp. 'Lt. Colonel Crompton begs to enclose a cheque in payment of his subscription and will be greatly obliged to the Secretary if he will send him a form to enable his Bankers - Messrs. Barclay & Co. to pay the subscription in future.' Crompton's firm Crompton & Co. was one of the world's first large-scale manufacturers of electrical equipment.

On 11 cm square piece of light-blue paper cut from the end of a letter. Good firm signature, preceded by five lines of text in a difficult hand, appearing to read: '

to every one but the Academic Deanery should have failed to a man of Academic & literary distinction | I am, dear Dr.

, | Very truly yrs | J B Lightfoot | Trin; Coll. | Nov. 18th'.

The problem with which the thesis deals is summed up at the start: 'If war broke out in the near future, attack by atomic bombers would become an immediate possibility, and one of the biggest problems would be the defence of this Island, which, with its areas of dense population, particularly around its essential industries, would present many ideal targets to the enemy. It would, therefore, be essential to destroy, or attempt to destroy, each enemy bomber before it reached the coast.

On 5.5 x 14 cm. strip of paper. Apparently written in response to a request for an autograph. Reads: 'I am much flattered by the demand | C L. Bonaparte' ('demand' being a mistake for 'request').

On 4.5 x 11 cm. slip of paper, cut from the end of a letter. In fair condition, lightly aged and ruckled. Good firm signature. Reads: 'Ever yours lovingly | E G Anderson'. At bottom right in another hand: '1874'. Fragment of letter on reverse: '[...] much better for his holyday [sic] & he sees Louie immensely improved. We are urging Alice to stand [...]'. The 'Alice' of the letter is her sister Alice (b.1842), and the 'Louie' her daughter Louisa (1873-1943), who would also become a doctor.

The Duke was the head of the Committee in charge of the Royal Naval Asylum, which had been founded as the British National Endeavour in 1798, for the orphans of military and naval personnel killed in action. It had moved from Paddington to the Queen's House, Greenwich, in October 1807, having received a large amount of public support (including that of Lord Nelson), and was responsible for upwards of 1000 boys and girls. 3pp., 4to. Bifolium. On aged paper, with damp damage resulting in some loss (including a little text). Repaired with archival tape.

On 7 x 11 cm. piece of paper cut from end of letter. In fair condition, on aged paper. Good firm signature. Reads 'Yours most | sincerely | Catherine Marsh'. Writing on reverse, in large hand, reads: 'hear of Mrs Walter Fry's sad accident -'.

63 + [1]pp., 8vo. Erratum slip after title-leaf. Disbound. In fair condition, on aged and lightly worn paper. Withdrawal stamp of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society at foot of title-page, with shelf-marks at top-right of same page. Cropped inscription at head of page: 'With Sir Gardner Wiklkinson's | Compliments, to Gordon Gyle Esqr.' Beneath the title, in another hand: 'by Sir Gardiner [sic] Wilkinson Knt'. Scarce.

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and stained paper. In the light of an invitation from Ransome's wife, he proposes to 'drive to Stoke' in the early afternoon of the following day with his daughter Annet ('who has now relieved Hilda'), hoping that it 'will suit Mrs. Ransome's and your convenience'.

A strict disciplinarian, the Duke was appointed Governor of Gibraltar in March 1802 and, as this letter describes, immediately set about dealing with what he considered the various abuses of the Garrison. His harsh discipline would precipitate a mutiny by soldiers in his own and the 25th Regiment on Christmas Eve 1802. The Duke of York, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, would recall him in May 1803 after receiving reports of the mutiny, but despite this direct order he would refuse to return to England until his successor arrived.

2pp., 8vo. Bifolium. In good condition, with the text of the letter on the first leaf, and the second laid down on a leaf removed from an album. Stephenson's letter in good condition, on lightly aged paper. He writes that he is sending the recipient the reply he has received from 'Mr Harrison'. He feels that it would be better for Moberley to 'purchase the old Machine of the Contractors Messrs Rush & Lawton'. He does not know their address, but if they send him 'any drawing, it will be forwarded'. Rush and Lawton were Newcastle railway contractors. The recipient is probably W. H.

1p., 12mo. On grey paper with mourning border. In fair condition, lightly aged and ruckled. She is 'much obliged for the Catalogue', and hopes 'to make good use of it, when I have had a consultation with my brother and a neighbour or two who may like to combine in a parcel'.

For more information about Chandler, see the appreciative obituary by Vy Reiners in the Independent, 5 February 1993, which describes how 'An article in the Illustrated London News launched her on a successful career that took her to Hollywood, painting sensitive, charming watercolour portraits of the children of the stars, and many of the stars themselves.' The present item contains 70 photographs in a 24 x 33 cm album. The photographs, ranging in size from 19 x 23 cm. downwards, are in good condition, with light signs of age and wear.

1p., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. He invites him to pay him a four-day visit at Brock Park, 'to meet many of your Liberal friends'. Note: Tomline had his observatory at Orwell Park, hence a neighbour of Ransome's (Orwell House).

1p., 16mo. In fair condition, on lightly aged and ruckled paper. His return to London having been delayed, he regrets that he 'lost the tea-party'. He would be 'glad to know what is due on the account'.

2pp., 4to. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Writing in dramatic terms, he apologises for 'the disappointment to which I subjected your society', and explains that he had 'fully calculated on receiving some notice from you, a day or two previous to the day fixed'.

The Clarke family ran the Argyle for fifty years from 1890 to 1940, during which period it was one of the best-known provincial theatres. It opened as the Argyle Music Hall in 1868, and between 1876 and 1890 was named the Prince Of Wales Theatre, being used mainly to stage plays. In 1890 the focus returned to music hall and variety and it was renamed the Argyle Theatre. Its archives are in the University of Sheffield. 2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, somehwhat grubby and creased at foot of leaf.