FOYLE

[J. M. Barrie [Sir James Matthew Barrie], Scottish writer, author of 'Peter Pan'.] Copy of numbered edition of 'Sir J. M. Barrie / His First Editions Points and Values By Andrew Block', with numerous knowledgeable manuscript annotations.

Author: 
J. M. Barrie [Sir James Matthew Barrie], Scottish writer, author of 'Peter Pan'; Andrew Block, London bookseller; W. and G. Foyle Limited [Foyles], London booksellers
J. M. Barrie
Publication details: 
'W. & G. Foyle Limited / At the Sign of the Trefoile / London'. 'The edition is limited to Five hundred copies. / Copy number 16'. Vol.3 in the 'First Editions and their Values' series. [Annotations from around the 1970s.]
£120.00
J. M. Barrie

xiv + [1] + 38pp, 12mo. No.16/500. In blue cloth binding, titled in gilt on cover and spine. No dust wrapper. Printed on thick paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Annotated in pencil throughout, and with a page of annotations at the end. The handwriting is distinctive (and certainly not Block’s), with the capital N in particular. Some of the annotations give dates from the 1970s, but the handwriting is that of someone from an earlier generation. As an example, one of the longer pencil annotations, on p.5, listing an additional item: ‘Caught Napping. / c. 1883.

[W. & G. Foyle (Foyles), Charing Cross Road booksellers.] Printed prospectus for ‘The Centenary Life of Lewis Carroll ' by Langford Reed, published by the firm as a ‘Trefoile Publication’.

Author: 
Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], author of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ [Langford Reed; W. & G. Foyle, booksellers (Foyles), Charing Cross Road, London; Trefoile Publications]
Carroll
Publication details: 
[1932.] ‘A Trefoile Publication from the House of - W. & G. FOYLE, Ltd., 119-125, Charing Cross Road, London, W.C.1’.
£120.00
Carroll

This prospectus is a scarce item: no other copy has been traced. A 4to bifolium, with four unnumbered pages printed in red. Somewhat aged and worn, with a horizontal strip of light discoloration at the head of the cover, which has the title and author’s name surrounded by a border made up of Tenniel’s illustrations, beneath this is a quotation from Dodgson’s poetry and the price of ‘7/6 net’. Across the middle two pages is the heading ‘The Centenary “Life of Lewis Carroll”’. The text begins by explaining that Reed has made use of Dodgson’s letters to Ellen Terry.

[Compton Mackenzie and Christina Foyle.] Seven items relating to a ‘Foyles Literary Lunch’ for . Macqueen-Pope: Two Typed Letters Signed from CM to MP, TLS from Foyle to MP, and carbons of three letters from MP, and four related carbons.

Author: 
Sir Compton Mackenzie (1883-1972), novelist; Christina Foyle (1911-1999), owner of Foyles bookshop, London, who put on the ‘Foyles Literary Lunches’ [W. Macqueen-Pope, theatre historian]
Publication details: 
Dating from between 26 February and 15 May 1951. Mackenzie’s two letters on Denchworth Manor letterhead; Foyle’s letter on letterhead of W. & G. Foyle Ltd., Booksellers, 119-125 Charing Cross Road, London.
£120.00

From the Macqueen-Pope papers. (See his entry, and those of Foyle and Mackenzie, in the Oxford DNB.) Apart from damage and rust staining from paperclips, the seven items are in good condition. The correspondence mainly concerns a Foyles Literary Lunch for Macqueen-Pope, which Mackenzie was unable to chair because of an attack of bronchitis. All items 1p, 8vo. Mackenzie’s two letters signed ‘Compton Mackenzie’ and Foyle’s signed ‘Christina Foyle’. ONE: Foyle to MP, 26 February 1951. She is forwarding a letter from Mackenzie.

[ Printed item. ] Circular for the First Edition Club, London, by 'A. J. A. Symons, Secretary', inviting publishers to submit books to be included in 'the Fifty Books of the Year', and giving the criteria.

Author: 
The First Edition Club, London, founded by A. J. A. Symons [ Alphonse James Albert Symons ] (1900-1941) [ Curwen Press? ] [ William Foyle ]
Publication details: 
The First Edition Club, 6 Little Russell Street, London. [ Printed by the Curwen Press? ] [ Between 1922 and 1931. ]
£28.00

1p., 4to. Nicely printed (by the Curwen Press?) on watermarked laid paper. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. A nice piece of First Edition Club ephemera. The year to which the circular relates is meant to be added in manuscript, but has not been. Begins: 'The Committee appointed to choose the Fifty Books of the Year for [blank] will be grateful if, at your early convenience, you will submit such of your publications as seem to you most likely to be selected. I may perhaps remind you that the criteria by which judgment is made are | 1. TYPOGRAPHICAL DESIGN | 2. PAPER | 3. BINDING | 4.

[ Christina Foyle of Foyle's Bookshop, London. ] 57 Typed Letters Signed and 20 Autograph Letters Signed to Philip Dosse of 'Books and Bookmen', with letters from her husband Ronald Batty. With other material including correspondence received by her.

Author: 
Christina Foyle (1911-1999), proprietor of London bookshop, Foyle's of Charing Cross Road; her husband Ronald Batty (d.1994) [ Philip Dosse (d.1980) of Hansom Books, publisher of 'Books and Bookmen' ]
Publication details: 
The letters of Foyle and Batty on two letterheads: 'From the Director's Office | W. & G. Foyle Ltd. | Booksellers | 119-125, Charing Cross Road, | London, W.C.2.' and Beeleigh Abbey, Maldon, Essex. Between 1968 and 1980.
£500.00

The collection is in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. Of Foyle's 77 letters, 63 are signed 'Christina Foyle' and 14 'Christina'. Almost all 1p., 4to. Foyle's character shines through, an extraordinary mixture of steely determination, frankness and snobbish hauteur (for a good assessment, see her obituary in The Independent, 10 June 1999). Topics include: literary luncheons for Diana Mosley, Dirk Bogarde ('He is so very appealing. My friend Vivian Ellis thinks he is greater than Shakespeare.

Typed Letter, signed by 'C B', 'per W. & G. Foyle, Ltd, to C. F. Bradshaw, headmaster of the Council School at Cresswell, Worksop, Derbyshire.

Author: 
Foyles Bookshop [W. & G. Foyle Ltd of 119-125 Charing Cross Road, London booksellers]
Publication details: 
18 March 1939; on 'W & G FOYLE LTD' letterhead.
£22.00

4to, 1 p. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper with minor rust stain from paperclip at head. Letterhead, in light and dark blue, featuring globe and the mottos 'BOOKSELLERS TO THE WORLD' and 'STOCK OF NEARLY THREE MILLION VOLUMES'. Thirteen lines of text. Bradshaw is clearly unhappy at the price asked for a copy of Cox's 'Memorials of Old Derbyshire'. 'The writer would point out that we received six reports regarding this book from various clients, but in no case at a price allowing us to quote below 15/-.

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