JEWELLERS

44pp., 4to. In original grey wraps, with coloured illustration by 'Scott' of a Restoration lady by a sundial and the word 'Watches' on front cover. In good condition, lightly-aged with slight rusting to staples. The catalogue is printed on art paper, without indication of date or publisher, but with a label printed in red from Adolph Scott Ltd, tipped in at the front, stating that 'Prices in this list are subject to 50 per cent.

4to, 32 pp. On shiny art paper. Text and photographs clear and complete. Aged and worn, with slight rust damage from staples. The cover, showing the influence of Art Deco, is printed in green and black, the rest in black.

The volume ('White & Pike's Diary 1880') is a folio, in green cloth gilt. Recently rebacked and renovated, with one leaf of advertisements under archival paper. A few leaves have had the slips laid down on them cut away or removed. Pages 1-20 and 77-93 carry advertisements, mostly for the Birmingham metal and jewellery trades. The 269 slips of rubbings, together with 37 slips with pencil drawings of designs and engravings, are mostly laid down on the rectos of twenty-five leaves of the diary proper. One loose leaf carries rubbings of designs around monogram initials.

Both lists 4to, but not uniform in size. List No. 10: Printed in black. 4to, 1 p. Fair, lightly-aged and creased. Coins divided into ten sections (from Farthings to Crowns) and three columns. The latest dated item is a 1960 crown. List No. 11: Printed in blue. Mainly advertising 'English Coin Sets in their original cases', but with 'ENGLISH SILVER' in three columns. Text clear and complete. On lightly aged paper, with some foxing along creases, and dogeared, creased edge.

The collection, consisting of 31 items in a variety of formats, is in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with all texts clear and complete. Wellby's correspondence with Rogers (an affluent Kent businessman and farmer, collector and dabbler in the jewellery business) reflects a relationship at once businesslike and friendly, with items being offered by Wellby on behalf of his firm, and news of items consigned to the firm by Rogers. The personal element is apparent from the first.