MANUSCRIPT

1p, 12mo. On grey paper. In fair condition, lightly aged and with slight creasing. Large firm signature. Presumably responding to a request for an autograph. Reads: ‘With my most abject apologies - but I have been away for three months / Robert Morley. See Image.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 4to. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice for postage. The letterhead is somewhat striking, with a band of green printed along the top, and the charity’s logo featuring prominently. The names of many officers and committe members are printed down the left-hand margin, headed by President Noel Coward, and including ‘Miss Gladys Cooper’, ‘Dame Edith Evans’, ‘Lady Du Maurier’, ‘Sir Laurence Olivier’, ‘Mr. Michael Redgrave’, ‘Mr. Jack Hawkins’ and ‘Mr. Kenneth More’. Attenborough features both as Hon.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 8vo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Addressed to ‘Dear Miss Scott’ and with good clear signature ‘Myra Hess’. She regrets that it will not be possible for her to join Miss Scott for dinner. ‘I shall probably have to work, rehearse all day on Tuesday [corrected by Hess to ‘Wednesday!’] - so shall have to try & get a rest before 8.30 - (& probably have a scrambled egg at the last minute!!’ She ends ‘Forgive this in haste / Again thanking you’.

See his obituary in The Times, 16 June 1987. 1p, 4to. On aged and lightly creased and worn paper. Folded twice, with short closed tears to edges of central horizontal crease. Addressed to ‘Dear Hide’ and ‘Lieutenant G. Hide, R.N.V.R. / 700 Squadron / TWATT.’ Signed ‘Robert Neville’. He feels ‘very guilty’ that he did not write to thank Hide ‘for the Walrus, which was, of course, an absolute Godsend to me. Sargent could not have been a more delightful or obliging pilot.

See her entry in the Oxford DNB. The three TLsS (Items One to Three), each signed ‘Lilian Baylis’, are all 1p, 4to. They are in fair condition, creased and lightly aged, with Item Three having two punch holes for a binder. The portrait postcard is in good condition, lightly aged. ONE: TLS, 15 November 1921. Addressed to ‘Miss Ingham’. ‘I do hope you will have a big success with the enclosed card.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, foolscap 8vo. In fair condition, on aged paper with nicks and small closed tears to extremities. Addressed to ‘Thos. M. Wilson Esqre / the Captain 59 foot’, and signed ‘Fitzroy Somerset’. The document is in a secretarial hand, only the signature being in Somerset’s autograph.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. Simply Grote's stylish Autograph Signature, 'G. Grote', on a 6 x 3 cm piece of light-grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. See Image.

See the entries for Hamilton and McCheyne in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium, with the verso of the second leaf addressed by Hamilton, with broken seal in black wax, to ‘Rev. R. M. McCheyne / Dundee’. Addressed to ‘My dear Friend’ and signed ‘James Hamilton’. In fair condition, lightly discoloured. Folded three times for postage. In the hope that his prayers will give McCheyne strength, Hamilton will ‘venture down to-morrow’ by coach. If he is unable to ‘reach Dundee in time’, he gives the time when he will be ‘in St Peter’s Vestry’.

1p, 4to. Addressed to 'Dear Miss Cond' and signed 'G P Bachmann'. In fair condition, lightly aged and creased. Folded twice for postage. He apologises for the late reply to her ‘nice note and the book-plate’. He gives details of two films he has been ‘terribly busy making’, ‘neither of them stories I wrote’: ‘The Phoenix is to start in Berlin this winter as a very big film with three big stars.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly-aged. Folded once for postage. Addressed to ‘Dear Mr Brett-James’ and signed ‘Cyril Falls’. He is ‘delighted to hear from Brigadier Peter Young’ that Brett-James will, ‘he feels sure, take on Waterloo in the Great Battles Series I am editing’. He explains that the book’s chapters ‘are brief’, and is enclosing an explanatory sheet. Ends: ‘Please, however, let me have your reply at the earliest possible moment.’ The volume ‘Great Military Battles’, edited by Falls, appeared in 1964.

See the entries for Cox and Tuckwell in the Oxford DNB. 4pp, 12mo. On bifolium blind-stamped with the device of the Conservative Club. Addressed to ‘Rev P [sic] Tuckwell / College School / Taunton’, and signed ‘Edwd Wm Cox’. In good condition, on aged paper. Folded twice for postage. He begins: ‘Dr Sir / It gives me very great pleasure to aid the fund of the College School. After its long hybernation 43 years ago, I was the first pupil received on its revival. & within its walls I obtained the larger portion of my education, following the then master, (Rev H Forster) to Oxford.

See Canning’s entry, with that of Sullivan, in the Oxford DNB, and Binning’s in the History of Parliament. The signatures (‘Geo. Canning / Binning / John Sullivan’) are in a column on one side of a 10 x 7 cm piece of watermarked laid paper. In good condition, lightly aged, with slight discoloration on reverse from the mount. The date is given in pencil on the front, and the back carries the following fragment of text: ‘It is to be a [...] / that every contribution [...] / is to be perfectly & precisely [...] / the names only of those [...] / contribute, (& not of those [...]’.

Plain white card, blank on reverse. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: ‘I’m sorry I don’t have any photographs - there’s not much demand. / My second TV play (1974) was about Morecambe. Sunset Across The Bay - probably still available from the BBC / All good wishes / Alan Bennet.’

In good condition. Printed on one side of the card is one of Bennett's self-caricatures, and printed on the other, on a left hand panel, a note apologising for not writing in autograph, as answering so much mail would take away 'time which I would like to spend working'. On the right-hand panel, in actual autograph, is the following: 'Thank you for yr letter and I hope 2021 is a better year for you. I gather from Sam Barnett (ex History Boys) that the Nottingham Playhouse is keeping going. I'm getting slower but still coming to my desk every day. / All good wishes / Alan Bennett.'

An unusual survival, providing details of a little-known Second World War scheme for artists to lend their work to the army for placement in officers’ messes. Three items, in fair condition, lightly-aged. ONE: Mimeographed Typed Circular from ‘T. A. Fennemore. / Director.’, headed ‘The Central Institute of Art and Design, National Gallery, London, W.C.2. / January 1942.’ 1p, 4to. (originally foolscap; a form has been cut away at bottom).

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. On first leaf of a bifolium, with the second leaf carrying a broken seal in red wax, and the address in Sharpe’s autograph, ‘William Frazer Esqre / 12 Duke St.’ In good condition, lightly aged, with glue to one edge of second leaf from mount. Folded several times. Signed ‘Chas. Kirkpatrick Sharpe’. He asks him to accept his ‘sincere thanks for the great favour you have conferred on me, respecting the old [stone?]’. He asks him to mention his ‘obligation to Mr Mackenzie’s Trustees, on the same account’.

On 13 x 7.5 piece of paper, cut down from the label of a packet containing a manuscript (see the annotation on the reverse). On discoloured paper, with glue staining from mount on reverse. Sumner's signature 'C. Sumner' is at top left, with the top of the S slightly cropped. The address, by Sumner, reads 'W. S. Law Magazine / New York / N. Y.' Annotated in pencil on reverse: 'Charles Sumner / M.S.S. 22d Apl 1853 / Massachusetts / Lawyer'. See Image

On a ‘Lion Brand’ plain post card. In good condition, but with the hurriedly-written text somewhat smudged, and a small staple at one corner. Addressed to ‘Robt J Drury / 141 Chichester Rd / Cleethorpes / S. Humberside / DN35 OJL.’ The message on the other side is hurriedly written: ‘August 1 1995 / Dear Mr. Drury / I’ve no thought on the Academy Awards I’m afraid. Some are well deserved some not - but thats true of a [?] Alan Bennett.’

1p, 12mo. On grey paper. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed ‘Dear Mr Robinson’ and signed ‘Alan Bennett.’ A short response to a letter about his play ‘The Old Country’, whose run at the Queen’s Theatre had started on 7 September 1977. He thanks him for his kind letter, and states that ‘It’s nice to hear from people in the audience as I often feel the play goes on night after night & has nothing to do with me at all - one penalty for not performing very much.’ See Image.

Contemporary copies (all in same hand);original letters untraced. Good condition but rough edge on left indicates removed perhaps from a collection.

See the entries on the two Dukes in the Oxford DNB, as well as that of Sir Francis Child the elder. Both Dukes are significant; the first was a leading Tory politician and one of the ‘immortal seven’ who invited William of Orange to England, and the second was a naval adviser to Peter the Great of Russia. The present item is signed ‘Carmarthan P:’, which would seem to suggest it is the signature of the 2nd Duke, Peregrine Osborne, but the Oxford DNB states that he became Marquis of Carmarthen a few months after the present item, on his father being made Duke of Leeds on 4 May 1694.

The material is in fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Items Two and Three are addressed to ‘Cher ami’. De Cottens’ handwriting is somewhat opaque. ONE: ANS, 14 May [no year]. The letterhead includes an engraved illustration of the Queen’s Hotel in Leicester Square. 1p, 12mo. ‘Cher Monsieur Clarkson / tous mes bien vifs remerciements pour votre aimable envoi de tickets. / Bien votre / Victor de Cottens.’ TWO: ALS, 26 [March? 1910?]. 1p, 12mo. He wonders whether the recipient might put his ‘experience à la disposition’ of a named colleague from Brussels. THREE: ALS, 1p, 16mo.

Two Manuscript Letters from the London banking house Robert Herries & Co. to the former Governor of West Florida George Johnstone, the first ‘with Account Current’ and the second regarding delivery of ‘the plate to Mr Maxwell. Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. ONE: 2pp, 8vo. On the inner sides of a bifolium, with the reverse of the second leaf bearing the address (with postmark) ‘Commodore Johnstone / M. P. / Portsmouth’, and endorsement ‘Sir Robert Harries [sic] & Co. / 19th Feby. 1781. / with Account Current. / Balance due the Governor / £697 .. 18/3’.

None of the boats and captains named in the present item are present in contemporary Navy Lists, so they would appear to be merchant ships. 2pp, foolscap 8vo. Aged and worn, with slight loss along edges and faded to a small portion of text. Folded four times into a packet, named (on the reverse): ‘Respecting Arming Pilot Boates / Account of Stores’. The whole of the recto is filled with text, divided into six rectangles in two columns of three rectangles each, under the heading ‘Account of Sundry Stores received from the Pilot Boates’.

Ghyka, who was grew up and was educated in France, settled in London after the Second World War, and is considered one of the most significant members of the Romanian diaspora. His main preoccupation was with geometry and mathematical aesthetics, and his publications on the subject were influential: the ‘first epiphany’ of theatre director Peter Brook ‘came while reading a book by the Romanian prince Matila Ghika while staying with Salvador Dalí in Spain’ (Guardian, 17 January 2010).

An interesting artefact of maritime London in the Regency period. The bill is printed on one side of 34 x 47 cm piece of mock-parchment paper, and has been completed in manuscript, with signatures. Folded three times into a packet, with ‘Bill of Sale / Gardner to Ladd & Ford’ written on the blank reverse. Aged and discoloured, with 8.5 cm closed tear from one edge and nicking to others.

The 1812 HMS Dublin was the third Royal Navy ship of that name. At the time of this document she was a 40-gunner, and the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief of the South American station Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Hamond (1779-1862). See the entries on Barton, Hamond and Tait in O’Byrne’s ‘Naval Biographical Dictionary’ (1849), and Hamond’s in the Oxford DNB. 1p, landscape foolscap 8vo. Aged and creased. Docketed on reverse: ‘Dublin / Treasure conveyed. / 31. March 1838. / E1/1 / Entd 2d. April. / W Let’.

A nice collection, which both by its content and arrangement indicates the huge esteem in which Nelson was held. The material is in good condition, lightly aged, most items laid down on leaves of gilt-edged paper extracted from an album. Mostly 12mo. This description is arranged under fifteen numbered entries. The manuscript material is at No. 14. ONE: Engraving. ‘Plan of a MANSION HOUSE, proposed for Lord NELSON.’ ‘Gent[leman’s]. Mag[azine]. Feb. 1799. Pt. I. p.97’. Engraved by Longmate from Arthur Brown.

1p, foolscap 8vo. On piece of wove paper with Britannia watermark. Lightly aged and in fair condition, but with some creasing and nicking at the head. Folded three times into a packet. A printed document, completed in manuscript.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 2pp, 12mo. With mourning border. On first leaf of a bifolium. In good condition, folded once for postage. All in a secretarial hand, except the signature ‘Rosebery’. Addressed to ‘My dear Sturgis’ - the item is from the autograph album of Sturgis’s wife, George Meredith’s daughter Marie Eveleen (‘Mariette’; 1871-1933). He regrets that he has ‘disposed of the vacancy of the secretaryship at the Treasury’. Had he not, he ‘would gladly have considered the claims of your candidate’. Ends: ‘I wonder if you and Mrs Sturgis would come and dine here some evening.’