PUBLISHING

Autograph Letter Signed to "M. Holl"

Author: 
George Byrom Whittaker.
Publication details: 
1842
£40.00

George Byrom Whittaker (DNB), bookseller and publisher (BBTI). In the papers of J.T.J. Hewlett (described below). "I cannot acquiesce in your wish of sending copies of Books on Sale, it being contrary to our custom." Originally from a larger archive, the residue of which is described in #3157 (Hewlett's papers), this and other items appear in my ABE inventory in book id#s 3124-3156.

Autograph letter, third person, to [Ackermann].

Author: 
Lady Gray[?].
Publication details: 
Sanford [?] Park, Chipping Norton, 11 Nov. 1811
£50.00

Two pages, 4to, chipped, spike-hole, small loss, mainly readable.

Autograph Letter Signed to "J. Maclehose", publisher.

Author: 
Robert Buchanan.
Publication details: 
Chatsworth House, Great Malvern, 30 March 1874.
£60.00

Robert Williams Buchanan, Author (see Dictionary of National Biography). One page, 8vo, good condition, thanking his correspondent for a letter and a book (to come) which he will check, adding "Macmillan's edition was full of atrocious 'misprints', but I presume Mr Bell and Mr Nichol had read the proofs this time carefully?" In the Postscript he asks for "local help" for an edition of his collected poems just issued by King & Co.

Invoice to J. Houlgate of the Yorkshire Society, 23 Davygate, York.

Author: 
[PUBLISHERS] Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co.
Publication details: 
6 November 1883; London.
£20.00

2 pages, 8vo. Creased and with several small stains in blue and red. A printed invoice, ruled with blue and red lines, filled in in manuscript with a claim for fourteen shillings, 'To advertising in | The "Live Stock Journal," | Nos. 448 & 449' [November 3 and 10 1882]. Payment details in red ink on reverse, which is docketed.

Autograph Letter Signed to [Clement] Shorter.

Author: 
Arthur Anthony Baumann
Publication details: 
16 October 1918; on letterhead '44, HYDE PARK SQUARE. W.2.'
£30.00

English author (1856-1936). 2 pages, 8vo. In good condition. As Shorter has sent his letter to Baumann's home instead of to 'the office of the paper' it will be too late to insert it that week, 'as the paper was practically made up when I left this afternoon'. There are three letters dealing with Shorter's first letter in that week's issue. As Shorter may want to reply to them he is returning the letter, 'which otherwise will be published next week'. 'A letter should reach the office (10 King St. Covent Garden) not later than noon on Wednesday.' Signed 'Arthur A. Baumann'.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mr Wilson'.

Author: 
George Ernest Manwaring
Publication details: 
18 November 1931; London Library, St. James's Square, S.W.1.
£30.00

1 page, 8vo. Grubby but in good condition. 'In case you have not already seen it, I beg to enclose you a leaflet relating to my new book. | I shall be grateful for any help that you can give it.' Signed 'G. E. Manwaring'. The book was 'My Friend the Admiral. The life, letters, and journals of Rear-Admiral James Burney' (Routledge, 1931).

Typed Note Signed to J. G. Wilson of Messrs Bumpus of Oxford Street.

Author: 
[BOOKSELLING] Sir Basil Blackwell
Publication details: 
10 April 1930; on personalised letterhead of Basil Blackwell & Mott Ltd, 49 Broad Street, Oxford.
£45.00

Notable Oxford bookseller (1889-1984). 1 page, 16mo. In good condition though dusty. He thanks Wilson for sending 'The Yellow Dwarf', 'which shall be duly submitted to the editor of 'The Merry-Go-Round'. Thank you for thinking of it.' Signed 'B Blackwell'.

2 Typed Letters Signed and one Typed Letter Unsigned to Mary Delane, and a collection related material.

Author: 
Robert Maxwell
Publication details: 
1962 to 1964; Oxford and London.
£200.00

Politician, publisher and one of the greatest crooks of the twentieth century (1923-91). The recipient, Mary Delane, is described as 'sometime woman's editor for The Times'. A collection of drafts and letters mainly relating to negotiations for the publication by Maxwell's Pergamon Press of a series of cookery books. A fine example of his Maxwell's questionable business practices. Mainly consisting of typed correspondence and draft replies, mostly in 8vo, some creased and torn but generally in good condition.

Autograph Note signed with draft title page to [Bell & Daldy], publishers.

Author: 
Robert Bell.
Publication details: 
[1867].
£100.00

Author and editor (DNB). One page, 8vo, dusty edges but text clear and complete. Bell initially writes the text of the titlepage with extensive corrections and additions (text comes through close to the printed version). He then adds a note as follows: The word 'original' appears to me important, as so many illustrated works are made up of old plates. I would suggest that there is no punctuation in the title-page." An unusual item.

Five (5) Autograph Letters Signed to [John Russell Smith], publisher.

Author: 
William Chadwick.
Publication details: 
Arksey (mainly), 1858/9 and 1862.
£450.00

Author of "The Life and Times of Daniel Defoe, with remarks digressive and discursive" (J.R. Smith, London, 1859).Total 23pp., 8vo, minor damage, texts clear and complete. The letters concern this book about Defoe exclusively. He starts (29 Oct. 1858) "You have the whole manuscript complete now, with the Parcel sent yesterday", adding that entries (giving examples) can be struck out since they were part of library researches.

Autograph Note Signed to "Routledge", publisher.

Author: 
R.M. Ballantyne.
Publication details: 
6 Millerfield Place, Edinburgh, 5 May 1867.
£50.00

Novelist. One page, 8vo, text complete and clear but someone has misused scissors to make cuts in text, both 1.5", corner trimmedThe letter is laid down (with scrap attached to other side). He thanks Routledge for a cheque settling his account to date and is "glad to hear of the success of your effort in aisng a lifeboat, & sincerely hope that you may have to record the saving of many lives by it in your magazine."

Autograph Letter Signed to De V. Payen-Payne.

Author: 
Georges Lafourcade.
Publication details: 
a Negrepelisse, Tarn-et-Garonne, 22 June 1933.
£150.00

Poet and biographer (La Jeunesse de Swinburne, 1837-1867. [With a bibliography.]) Four pages, 8vo, good condition. A very detailed defence of his work on Swinburne. For example, "[I] want first to assure you that there is here some misunderstanding: in my opinion, you have no real justification for speaking of" the unfair treatment I have meted out to your Father". If I have had to quote contemporary documents in which unfavourable comments are made, it's always clear that I do not profess to share those views". He has in fact suppressed material in Swinburne's correspondence with W.M.

One Autograph Letter Signed and one Typed Note Signed to Walter Jerrold.

Author: 
Arthur Waugh.
Publication details: 
Chapman & Hall Ltd, 11 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, W.C., 22 Oct. 1915 (ALS) and ibid., 20 Oct. 1913 (TNS).
£50.00

Publisher. (TNS) One page, 4to, about the next Thackeray dinner. He has lost his "papers about the Titmarsh Club" and adds an apology in his hand. (ALS) Two pages, 8vo. He praises Ianthe Jerrold's latest poems effusively and at length, concluding that "I think we may expect her to take her place, and that no equivocal one, among the women-poets of her country." He goes on to how badly the Daily Telegraph has treated "us - you worse than me, of course, because I have still my office. He thinks they should rather have lost money in wartime than throw over loyal employees. Two items,

Autograph Notes Signed (2) to J.G. Wilson, Chairman of Bumpus's.

Author: 
Simon Nowell-Smith.
Publication details: 
Oxford, 3 Oct. 1931 and Exeter, 23 June [1932? - Lewis Carroll centenary?].
£50.00

Scholar and collector (1909-1996). Total 3pp., 8vo, good condition. (1931) "many thanks for your note enclosing cheque for "Farrago" [?]. I wish all my debtors were as prompt." Wilson or a member of his staff has put a pencilled line diagonally through the page. ([1932]) He asks to see "the Lewis Carroll catalogue and exhibits on Monday, with a view to reporting the exhibition in next weeks' [Times] Literary / Supplement . . . ". Frank Mumby describes Wilson as "one of the outstanding booksellers of the day" (1956 ed., p.235). Two items,

Autograph Letter Signed to [Martin] Tupper, miscellaneous writer (1810-1889)[?].

Author: 
R. Seeley (Robert Benton Seeley).
Publication details: 
54 Fleet Street, 20 Sept. 1871.
£35.00

Publisher, philanthropist and author (1798-1886). Two pages, 8vo, bifoliate, good condition. "Dear Mr. Tupper,/ I hope to send you a proof tomorrow./ I am afraid we shall have to throw Foley over altogether, as we shall probably begin a new series next year in place of the "English Artists"./ I almost think we are full for the next three numbers, but if there should be space for the short articles you mention [page 2] I will let you know . . ."

Autograph Note Signed to R. Sunter, Bookseller, Stonegate, York.

Author: 
<?> Hearn.
Publication details: 
Salisbury, 30 March 1844.
£45.00

One page, 4to, spike-hole, fold and other marks, text cleaar and complete. "Sir,/ Some months back, you informed me that "The Monastic Ruins of Yorkshire would be shortly ready, and you engaged to send me a copy to my Town Agent, (Jas. [underlined] Gilbert, 49 Paternoster Row) as soon as the new Edition appeared. I trust that it is now ready; and I will thank you to send me two [underlined] copies (instead of one) of the cheapest [underlined] edition, as I have no doubt I shall get a second subscriber as soon as the work can be seen . . . [signature] . . . P.S.

Autograph letter signed to Triphook, 21 Golden Square.

Author: 
[...Thoms?]
Publication details: 
Tenby, 2 Feb. 1829.
£45.00

One page, 4to, small tears, small piece missing, dulled, fold marks, spike hole, but text readable. "If you will go to Cockburn & Cos branch at Whitehall they will pay you £5.8- I am sorry it escaped my memory. I enclose you a list of the contents of 5 vols of Old Plays which I am offered - & I wish you would tell me what they are worth./ There is also here a book dedicated to Lord with the following title Page of which I wish you would tell me the probable value[.] Englands Improvements by Sea & Land &c. By Andrew Yarranton Printed by R.

Autograph note signed to Jeffery, Pall Mall.

Author: 
Lady Midleton.
Publication details: 
Peper Harow, 12 Nov. 1815.
£45.00

d.1852 (Burke). Maria Benyon m. 4th Viscount Midleton 13 June 1797 (second wife). One page, 8vo, some marking and chipping but text clear and complete. "Lady Midleton wishes to know whether Mr. Jeffery [sic] has any number of the Quarterly Review published since <"that" excised> Janry. 1815 as she has not received any - the 24th. Number completes the volume---"

Autograph Note Signed to J.G. Wilson, Chairman of Bumpus's.

Author: 
Bernard Watson (of Ivor Nicholson & Watson Ltd).:
Publication details: 
44 Essex Street, London, WC2, 11 Nov. 1931.
£30.00

Publisher. One page, 8vo, bery good condition. "Dear Mr Wilson, / You were indeed kind to give me so much of your valuable Time today, and to take so much Trouble over our projected list. I learnt a great deal on how to write 'copy' for books, and advice from you with your store of experience is immensely valuable to a young beginner like myself, I am indeed grateful . . ." This must have been in the publishing company's early days. They later learned enough to reject "Animal Farm"(!) Frank Mumby describes Wilson as "one of the outstanding booksellers of the day" (1956 ed., p.235).

Typed letter signed to J.G. Wilson, Chairman of Bumpus's, booksellers

Author: 
G. Belton Cobb
Publication details: 
25/07/31
£45.00

Of Longmans, Green & Co. Ltd, publishers. Two pages, 4to, responding to Wilson's comments on prospectuses, discussing both Wilson's and Longmans' idea of who one should send them to, or how many.

Typed Note Signed, Autograph Postcard Signed, and Autograph Letter Signed

Author: 
John Lehmann
Publication details: 
8/9 Sept. 1955 and 18 July 1956
£100.00

Publisher and editor (formerly Hogarth Press). Total 5pp. /sides, 8vo and 12mo (the card). The eqarlier items (TNS and APCS) thanks Sewell Stokes for a piece for "The London Magazine" about George Moore on which he comments ("I'm sure it's an improvement"0 wondering if the effect of an anecdote is diluted by "the part about Ford". In the latter he asks Daniel George, writer and publisher's reader, for suggetions who should get a "Travelling Scholarship" beyond Vernon Watkins ("favoured by the anonymous donor") and Maurice Cranston ("not particularly well off"). Three items,

Autograph Letter Signed to J.G. Wilson, Chairman of Bumpus's.

Author: 
Eveleigh Nash.
Publication details: 
64 Curzon Street, W1, 3 July 1929.
£45.00

Publisher (see Mumby, 1956 ed., p.305). Two pages, 8vo, bifoliate, good condition. Nash recalls their first meeting ("at Mc Geachy's in Glasgow") - "and I felt then that you would get to the top of your calling, because you were obviously a born bookseller wit a knowledge of literature and a splendid memory. / I am delighted to have your good wishes, and will think over your suggestion that I should write some reminiscences of the book trade".( Nash's autobiography was published in 1941.) Frank Mumby describes Wilson as "one of the outstanding booksellers of the day" (1956 ed., p.235).

Autograph letter signed to Henry Blackett of Hurst & Blackett, publishers.

Author: 
Martin F. Tupper.
Publication details: 
Lord Chamberlain's Office, St James's Palace, 10 Nov. 185[7?watermarked 1856].
£50.00

Miscellaneous writer and inventor (1810-1889). Three pages, 8vo, good condition. He asks for his authorial allowance of copies to be sent to his brother's at the Palace. He nominates other people he wants copies sent to, and adds "(The United States ought to take a few copies, as I have thousands of friends there, - & the 1/4 dollar reprints wont satisfy them: a good English book is a luxury well appreciated in the land of cottonpaper & indifferent print.)" He asks for a copy to be sent to Edward Walford of "The Times" - "possibly he may give it a [worldwide?] notice.

Autograph Note initialled, and Typed Note, initialled, to J.G. Wilson, Chairman, J & E. Bumpus's.

Author: 
John Murray V.
Publication details: 
7 July 1931 (TNS) and 26 May 1932 (ANS).
£150.00

Publisher. Both letters one page, 4to, good condition. (1931) He asks if an American scholar whose stay in London and studies of Coleridge have been affected by illness can have a look at a relevant book belonging to Murrays, but in a Bumpus Exhibition. He thinks the Exhibition successful and adds in ms. "The Times gives us a nice notice today".

Autograph note signed to Henry Blackett of Hurst & Blackett, publishers

Author: 
Mayne Reid.
Publication details: 
No place, 21[?] Nov. 1861.
£65.00

Irish-American writer of boys' stories (1818-1883). Two pages, 8vo, in a bold though smudged hand, text just legible. "My dear Mr Blackett / May I beg you will let me have one more copy of The Hero in spite of himself -- s[?] I only had two [underlined], and six [underlined] is the allowance usually given me. I have like all authors one or two friends who will not buy, and yet who expect to read my books."

typed note signed and typed letter signed to Elliott O'Donnell. author

Author: 
Allen Lane
Publication details: 
3 Sept. and 21 Dec. 1936
£150.00

Publisher (1902?-1970). One page each, 4to. In one he discusses someone's sighting of ghosts (about which O'Donnell has written and the possibility of reprinting O'Donnell's work on werewolves in Penguin. In the other he briefly gives information about his family and anticipates an announcement with regard to the Bodley Head "in the New Year". The letter has the stamp of the "Receiver", so the announcement may well refer to the company's financial difficulties (see W.E. Williams, "Allen Lane", p.41 "bankruptcy" of Bodley Head).

Autograph note, third person, to [Ackerman].

Author: 
Baroness Howe
Publication details: 
13/11/10
£50.00

Two pages, 7.5 x 4.5, page trimmed without obvious loss, spike-hole, text clear. "Instead of the Repository[underlined] of Arts[underlined] for November/ which is the Magazine which the Baroness Howe has taken from its first publication/ Mr Akerman [sic] has sent her a Magazine & a Bill for others of the same sort, which she has never had. She desires therefore that he will instead send her The Repository [underlined] of Arts [underlined] for November [underlined].

Autograph letter signed to R. Ackermann.

Author: 
W.H. Watts.
Publication details: 
21 Cecil Street, Strand, 12 June 1811.
£85.00

Journalist and miniature painter (1776-1842).

Printed Circular Autograph Letter Signed with Subscription Form)

Author: 
Comte Alexis de Saint Priest.
Publication details: 
August 1845, 124 Regent Street, London.
£75.00

French writer (1805-1851). Three pages, 8vo, bifoliate, good condition. "Sir,/ I have the honor to forward you the enclosed prospectus of the "Encyclopedie du XIXe Siecle" in which the high approbation given to this work by his Holiness, and also that of the R.R.

Autograph note, third person, to [James?] Carpenter, bookseller..

Author: 
Lady Anne Culling Smith.
Publication details: 
Hampton Court, Friday, no date (watermark 1798, bookseller note says 1800).
£65.00

One page plus address page conjoint, 8vo, grubby, spike-hole, small portion torn off with opening of seal not affecting text, text clear and complete. "Lady Anne Culling Smith begs Mr. Carpenter will send her down by the stage to:morrow Eveng Mrs. Riche's Nocturnal visit together with her Maid of the Hamlet & Vicar of Lansdown." Note on address page by bookseller "Lady A. Smith/ 1800".

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