Music and Theatre

3pp., 16mo. Bifolium. Fair, on aged paper with fold lines. The front page carries the printer's slug, and gives the price of $6 for 'Course Tickets', 'For sale at the houses where the readings are to be given, on and after FEBRUARY 19th.' The middle two pages give the addresses, with owner's names, of the houses at which the six readings are to take place.

1p., 4to. 15 lines. On aged and worn paper. The letter reads 'Dear Sir/ | A general meeting of all the Dramatic Authors will take place at the Garricks head in Bow Street on Monday nexxt at One o'Clock.

3pp., 12mo. Fair, on aged paper. Mathews begins by quoting contradictory passages from letters of Charles Mathews, one from Mrs Mathews' 'Memoirs of Charles Mathews, Comedian' (1839) and the other from Bunn's 'The Stage: Both before and behind the Curtain' (1840). Regarding a performance in Dublin in 1811, the letter Mrs Mathews quotes complains that, although Mathews had been led to believe

A total of 8 pp, 4to, all on Palace Court letterheads. Dent's notes both signed 'Jock Dent.', and the copies both signed 'James Agate'. Two important, energetic and vivid letters by Agate, totalling 6 pp, 4to, defending Coward's play and his position on 'the intellectual and the popular', against the 'pseudo-intelligentsia' of the barristers Shearman and 'Jack' St John Hutchinson (1884-1942).

4 pp, 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The unnamed recipient appears to have been named as executor in a prvevious will of Sir Henry Bishop. Opens in dramatic style: 'I was very greatly surprised to receive a letter from you this morning, dated from Brighton, as my poor Brother, Sir Henry Bishop, had not the slightest idea that you were still an inhabitant of this world, having heard of your death some time since, in consequence of which, he made another will similar to the one in your possession, but changing the executors'.

Letter One: 2 pp, 12mo. 23 lines. Good. Docketed '3.5.26 | copd.' He thanks him for his letters, and has 'sent the verses to Sanderson'. The copies of the 'Quilter publications' that Bennett needed for the writing of an article in the 'Music Teacher' have not arrived. Asks for information on a 'volume of songs by Sibelius'. 'If they are available could they be included in the Quilter parcel'. He is 'writing about Sibelius for publication in July, & want to be as complete as possible'. Letter Two: 2 pp, 4to. 23 lines. Good, with staple holes to one corner.

Programme: 12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Printed in green on orange paper. Text clear and complete. On lightly-aged paper with slight wear to extremities. Dargavel's signature is in pencil in the top left-hand corner of the second page: 'Best Wishes, | Bruce Dargavel'.

On neat rectangle of grey paper, roughly 14.5 x 5 cm, laid down on piece of pink paper removed from autograph album. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Firm, bold signature: 'Flora M. Woodman./'

Fair, on lightly-aged paper. The publicity photograph of Mrs Patrick Campbell, : Roughly 10.5 x 13 cm. Printed in green. Depicts her leaning forwards, with neck and forearms exposed. Across the foot she has written: 'Beatrice Stella Cornwallis West. | (Mrs. Patrick Campbell)'. Laid down on a leaf from an autograph album, on the reverse of which is Kubelik's signature: 'jan Kubelik | 25.XI.1921'.

On one side of page removed from autograph album, roughly 14 x 18 cm. Very good, on lightly-aged paper. An accomplished head-and-shoulders self-caricature, with Robey directly facing the viewer, his eyes to his right, a smile on his face, a red nose, the customary tiny hat perched on his head with tufts of hair sticking out over the ears, long neck and collarless shirt. Good, firm signature in bottom left-hand corner: 'Geo. Robey.' Also included is a newspaper cutting of a photograph of Robey. The National Portrait Gallery owns five of Robey's self-caricatures.

Both signatures on the same side of a light-green leaf removed from an autograph album, roughly 18 x 14 cm. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The first signature is the larger of the two: 'Wilhelm Backhaus | Nov. 20th. 1922.' The second reads 'Lindley Evans. | 20/11/22'.

On one side of a piece of pink paper, roughly 18 x 7.5 cm, cut from an autograph album. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. At the head James has written ' "The Sun-God" W. G. James', with the opening two bars beneath this, beneath which he has written the words 'I saw the master of the Sun -' In the bottom right-hand corner: 'Yrs Sincerely | William G. James'. James's music for Aubrey de Vere's poem was first published in 1921.

On two slips, both 15.5 cm wide, and totalling 59 cm long. Fair, on aged paper, with minor rust marks from a paperclip. The second slip headed with pagination '48', and running title 'Festschrift in Honour of Benjamin Britten'. He is grateful 'for the eerie fog, for the rain, as for the sixth sense, rich imagination and irrepressible humour of this people, as I am for all that has been absorbed of outlandish and exotic rendered proper, of wisdom and experience rendered intuitive - as I am particularly for their having absorbed and adopted me.' With one of Menuhin's compliments slips.

Printed for display, on one side of a piece of paper 24.5 x 49.5 cm. Text clear and complete. On aged and creased paper, with one closed tear and bottom right-hand corner lacking, causing slight loss to the last letter of Mathews' name at foot of document. Heading in bold type in a variety of point sizes. Giving a 'brief statement of my fourteen years' struggle and of my latest difficulty'.

Irregular (12 x 23.5 cm), 32 pp. In fair condition, aged and lightly worn. In original wraps, with cover design, in a variety of types and point sizes, imitating an early nineteenth-century handbill, stating that 'all Profits for the Benefit of the Deserving Actors' Orphanage. | Free list entirely suspended | Fees payable in advance are 2s. per copy'.

12mo, 1 p. Six lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. She will 'keep January free' for him, and they can 'arrange the details of programme later'. She agrees that 'a wholly-Brahms programme might be rather heavy'. See Florence's obituary, The Times, 7 November 1928.

Surprisingly little is known about this British cinematographic pioneer, and these items are rare survivals, there being no reference to Walford on COPAC. Handbill: 8vo (27 x 21 cm). Printed on both sides. Clear and complete. Aged and creased, with damage at edges. In portrait 8vo on one side, with picture of British Army lancer and border of Union Flags. Headed 'Great Additions with Augmented Change of Artistes since last visit. | The Schoolroom, Watton. | Monday, February 10th.' 'Walford's Royal Military and Naval Warograph & Vocophone Co.

ADVERTISEMENT: 4to, 4 pp. Bifolium. Printed in blue and red, in a variety of fonts and point sizes. Photograph of Sylvester on front page, which has a red border featuring illustrations of entertainments. Royal warrant at head: 'Under the distinguished patronage of his most gracious majesty the late King Edward the Seventh and Queen Alexandra, Sandringham, 1901 and 1902.' The centre pages begin 'W. G. S.

Three pages, 12mo, in bifolium, black-edged, with original envelope, also black-edged,1.5 inch tear to fold, mainly very good. He explains that his father's illness and death (and consequent complicated affairs) delayed his response to Arkwright's letter. He thanks him for his advice as to my Preface & Introduction to Moore's Melodies [underlined; he edited a new standard edition of Moore’s Irish Melodies, 'The Spirit of a Nation' (1911)].

12mo, 3 pp. 30 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged and creased paper. He sends a 'list of pieces' which he considers 'suitable for a Short Company'. The first piece named is 'The Silver Lining (the St James's Comedy)', in which he says there are 'only 4 Men & 3 women exclusive of Helen Maltravers'.

12mo, 3 pp. On bifolium, with the printed playbill for the 'Benefit of Mr. Chas. Calvert' at the Theatre-Royal, Newcastle, on the recto of the first page (including a performance of Much Ado About Nothing, with Calvert as Benedick and Miss Fanny Alexander as Beatrice. The letter is 42 lines long. She feels that, 'with but one rehearsal', the 'Merchante's Storye will scarcely go', and suggests performing 'Nine Points, The Household Fairy, and Head of the Family' instead, considering it 'a good bill' and 'lighter works for all the company'.

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Stabbed as issued. On good wove paper. The 'New English Drama' is stated to be 'intended to comprise the most popular Theatrical Pieces of every description, in Monthly Parts of superior accuracy and unrivalled embellishment'. The first play, 'embellished with an elegantly engraved portrait of Mr. Kean', is Massinger's 'New Way to pay Old Debts'. The second leaf of the bifolium carries details of a further four works.

Leaf detached from album, some staining, complete and clear. On one side a photographic portrait of jan Kubelik which he has signed and which has been annotated with the above place and date. Overleaf appear the signatures of Phyllis Neilson-Terry, actress and the Russian tenor, Stefan Bielina, dated by him 9/12 1921.

Page detached from album, stained but writing clear and complete. The plain signature of Jean Vallier, French Bass, is followed by the title Ave Maria followed by two or so bars from the song, with words (A-ve Ma-ri-a gra-ti-a ple-na), itself followed by Best wishes from | Percy B. Kahn Stoke Jan 21st 1921. Note: His most noted composition was the song Ave Maria with accompaniment by piano, and violin obbligato.

Page detached from album, some wear and tear but no losses, which contained numerous autographs provided at performances in Stoke mainly in the 1920s. One side of the leaf has the signatures of Agnes Nicholls Harty, Hamilton Harty, an illegible, and Frank Mullings, while overleaf are the signatures of John Booth, Margaret Balfour and Andrew Clayton.

Printed Programme, 4pp., 8vo, blue, not bound, staining on fold marks, mainly good condition. Elena Danieli has signed top left of front cover. It gives the Programme of music with performers and a list of President and Vice-Presidents of the Choir..

Page detached from album, 17 x 14cm, good condition, headed Kedroff Quartet, with signatures, as far as I can make out, T. Kasakoff, Const Kedroff, J.. Denisoff, N. Kedroff, dated 19.1.1926.

Page of album, 17 x 14, good condition, signed as follows: Souvenir from | Luisa Tetrazzini | Stoke on Trent 9th Dec. 1921 [underlined]. On the same page, the signature Ivor Newton [pianist] who accompanied her.

Page detached from an album, 17 x 14cm, slightly foxed, mainly good condition, inscribed Every good wish | Paul Robeson | [Mar?] 1930 | Lawrence Brown. Note from wikipedia: Robeson and his accompanist and arranger Lawrence Brown were the first to bring spirituals to the concert stage; their association lasted through four decades.

Deatached page from album, 17 x 14cm , good condition, yours sincerely | Florence Austral [underlined], with image of head and shoulders cut from magazine and laid down.