VICTORIAN

All three items concern Littlejohns' 'British Watercolour Painting and Painters of Today' (London: Pitman, 1931)'. First Letter: 12mo, 3 pp. 43 lines. Text clear and entire. On two leaves attached to one another in a corner by a pin. Good, on lightly-creased paper. Interesting and informative letter concerning 'two watercolours' which Williams would 'like to be 'reproduced in [Littlejohn's] work on water colours'. Gives details of the titles of the works and the name and address of the owner, 'who has consented to send them'.

8vo: [viii] + 164 pp; [iv] + 183 pp. Bound together in contemporary half calf binding, gilt, marbled boards and endpapers. A tight copy, printed on aged, spotted paper, with occasional light damp-spotting, in worn binding. Bookplate of Aemiliani Reich, on spotted, aged paper, by Gordon Browne, on front pastedown. The first volume has a four-page preface by 'S.M.F.', dated 'New York, July, 1846.' Both volumes contain eight essays.

12mo, 2 pp. 12 lines of text. Creased and ruckled, with a little smudging. Difficult hand. Asking the recipient 'd'aller passer une soirée avec nous'. Laid down on a piece of paper which is attached to the blank reverse of the second leaf of the bifolium is a slip of paper (roughly 2 x 9 cm) carrying Eastlake's signature ('always truly yours | [signed] C. L. Eastlake').

12mo, 1 p. Five lines of text. Very good on lightly aged paper. Good firm signature. He is sending the first issue of the 'Revue Synthétique' and proposes an exchange of that magazine for the one that the recipient edits.

Made up of four sepia photographs, each roughly 7 cm square, laid down overlapping each other to make a strip of 7 x 27 cm. Somewhat faded (especially to the right of the image) and with one small stain, and a one cm closed tear to the left. The paper on which the panorama is laid down, which is captioned in a contemporary hand, is somewhat grubby and chipped.

Folio: ii + 59 + [1] pp. Unbound. Stitched as issued. Text clear and entire, but in poor condition: on creased, discoloured and stained paper, with wear to extremities. Begins 'WHEREAS fires in warehouses in the borough of Liverpool have of late years been of frequent and alarming recurrence, and have been attended with considerable loss of life and property.' 124 clauses, followed by seven pages of 'Schedules referred to by the foregoing act'.

Printed on all four pages of a bifolium, with each leaf roughly 17.5 x 13.5 cm. Lightly creased, and with the outer pages a little grubby, but good overall. A self-consciously well-printed production, with each page encased in a black ruled border, and with an engraving of the sculpture on the front page, beneath which, 'A. C. CHISHOLM. DEL. J. DURHAM. NV.' Possibly complete in itself, but in view of the elaborate title probably a taster for a volume which, considering the fact that there is no record of this item on COPAC, was probably never printed.

8vo, 3 pp, paginated [225] to 227. Disbound bifolium. Two stab holes. Good, on lightly aged paper, with closed tear at head of crease line and slight loss along it. A piece of landmark legislation in the field of medical provision.

On one side of a piece of paper roughly 24 x 14.5 cm. With card backing. Good, though lightly aged. Headed by the Royal warrant, the top-half of the handbill features, in a variety of types and point sizes, the announcement of Tuck and Sons' intention to award 'Upwards of 4,000 prizes, of the value of 3,000 guineas, and a number of judges' diplomas', with Besant and Stone as judges. The lower part has two columns featuring fifteen testimonials, by newspapers ranging from 'Windsor and Eton Gazette' to the 'Sheffield Telegraph'.

16mo (13.5 x 10.5 cm), 288 pp. In original black and red printed wraps, illustrated on front with illustrations relating to the city. Fold-out 'Map of Sydney' (26 x 38 cm) in black and grey, with advertisements on reverse. Lacking the fold-out map which should be present on a stub between pp 124 and 125. Good, a little aged with slight staining at foot of first leaf. In worn and stained wraps, becoming detached from book at front. Ownership inscription of 'U Reynell 1895' in pencil on front wrap. Advertisements throughout. Numerous photographic illustrations.

On both sides of a folio leaf (dimensions 42 x 26.5 cm). On aged and lightly creased and spotted paper. Proposing to raise 'CAPITAL, £50,000, in 5,000 SHARES of £10 each.' Details of Directors; Bankers; Auditors; Brokers; Solicitors; Secretary, (pro tem.); and Offices left blank.

On both sides of a piece of laid paper roughly 39 x 24 cm. Good, on lightly creased paper with a little chipping and a few closed tears to extremities. Seventy-three items are listed, ranging from 'Proclamation of Election in Counties' to 'Certificate of Appointment', under six headings: 'Under Sheriffs (in Counties)', 'Returning Officers in Cities and Boroughs', 'Election Auditors', 'Election Agents in Counties', 'Election Agents in Cities and Boroughs' and 'Clerks to Justices in Cities and Boroughs'. Reverse gives four 'Specimens of Poll Books'.

8vo: 52 pp. Stitched pamphlet in marbled paper wraps. On aged, damp-stained paper, with foxing to last leaf. The Institution was later renamed the National Institute and eventually became a part of the Smithsonian Institute.

8vo: 24 pp. Unbound and stitched. With printed grey front wrap, inscribed to 'Sir E. F. Bromhead | Bassingham | Lincolnshire | from the author | '. On aged paper, grubby at extremities and a little dogeared, but tight and with text clear and entire. 'The general fact has been long before the public, that the several States in the Union are indebted to various individuals in Europe, to the amount of about two hundred millions of dollars. At the time when this debt was incurred, very few persons, either in or out of the indebted States, gave themselves any trouble about it.

Excessively scarce (no copy on COPAC). On one side of a piece of unwatermarked wove paper, 41.5 x 25.5 cm. Text clear and entire, on aged and worn paper, with a couple of closed tears and one small hole (1.5 x 0.5 cm) to the border. Priced at three pence. Addressed on reverse (with postage stamp removed but with two postmarks) to 'Mr Dash, Bookseller, Kettering'. Attractively produced, varying between one and two columns, using a variety of point sizes, within a decorative border.

4to: 4 pp. Unbound. Good. Half-page illustration on first page of 'The Emigrant's Farewell'. Small vignette on p.3 of 'Sancho Panza flogging himself, or the Landlords laying peculiar burthens on themselves!' Includes articles entitled 'Onward Still!', 'The Sugar Monopoly' and 'The Working Man his Own Capitalist'. Ends with 'A HINT. - Every newspaper containing debates on the corn laws, should be sent through the post from one hand to another while it will hold together.'

All three letters 12mo, and closely written. All three with rusted pinholes at head. A valuable correspondence, in which one of Victorian England's leading critics describes his response to the work of one of the age's foremost historians. LETTER ONE (1 page, 26 lines, good): He thanks Kinglake for sending his 'new volume' [of 'The Invasion of the Crimea']. 'I am reading it with great delight. The work to me is unique both in military & literary history.

Landscape 8vo: 10 pp. On the first six leaves of a twenty leaf stitched account book, on blue ruled blue paper, in original buff wraps. Printed label on front cover reading 'SALE BOOK. | Sold by HUDSON SCOTT, | Stationer and Account Book Manufacturer, Carlisle.' Manuscript title on front cover reads 'Sale a/c of J. Sagar under Bill of Sale to Mr. Stubbs 1856.' and 'Effects of John Sagar, Ironmonger Botchergate under Bill of Sale to Mr. Stubbs. - Jany. 23. 1856.-' Internally clean, in grubby wraps. Description of sale, on first page, signed 'William Browne | Auctioneer'.

8vo, 4 pp, paginated [605] to 608. Disbound bifolium. Two stab holes. Good, on lightly aged paper, with slight loss along crease line. A piece of landmark legislation in the field of employment rights. 'And be it enacted, That [...] any Person who shall compel or knowingly allow any Child or young Person under the Age of Twenty-one Years to ascend or descend a Chimney, or enter a Flue, for the Purpose of sweeping, cleaning, or coring the same, or for extinguishing Fire therein, shall be liable to a Penalty not more than Ten Pounds or less than Five Pounds.'

Pamphlet, [12]pp., 8vo, formerly sewn but thread missing, hence leaves loose, good condition. It advertises new works (for example, "A New Novel, by the Author of 'Guy Livingstone'") but is notable for its lists of contributing Authors and Artists, and "Classified Index of all the Principal Articles in Prose".

4to: 1 p. Facsimile of a handwritten letter. With small embossed circular letterhead, in red and gilt, with crest enclosed by the words 'Bibliotheca civitatis Londoniarum'. Somewhat grubby bifolium, but with text clear and entire, reading 'The Committee appointed by the Corporation of London to carry out the works in connexion with their new Library and Museum having fixed Thursday, the 27th. Instant for the ceremony of laying the Foundation Stone of the buildings, it will afford them much pleasure to be favored with your company on the occasion, at Guildhall at 2. o'clock. p.m.

8vo: 16 pp. Unbound and stitched. On brittle, discoloured paper chipping at extremities and with the first and last leaves detached from one another. All but the first four pages consisting of a 'list of Original Papers, published by resident members of the University during the years 1886 and 1887', compiled to indicate the 'extent to which the country is indebted to the endowments of the University'. Including works by J.J. Thomson, Francis Darwin, George Darwin. Scarce: no copy in the British Library and the only copy on COPAC at Cambridge University Library.

Letter One (November 1848; folio, 1 p; on discoloured, creased and worn paper): Availing himself of Philippart's 'kind permission to contribute to the U. S. Magazine', Stocqueler is sending 'the commencement of a Historical Sketch' he has 'long meditated writing'. 'A note in this month's Dublin University Mag. has afforded the text - & the pretext'. It 'will be calculated to please the India Office', and will contain 'a good deal of personal sketch'. Addressed on reverse to Philippart at the Magazine's office at 19 Catherine Street, Strand, and docketed by Philippart.

One page, 8vo, corners frayed, one spot, text clear and complete. "I feared the objection you mentioned in your note, but I was willing to try 'The Spanish Page' [Velasco [or memoirs of a page, 3 vols, 1846?], as has been sometimes done, piecemeal, for it will be a long time before I shall be able to complete the three volumes. / I send you a small light article purely my own.

16mo (roughly 11 x 8 cm), 1 p. Creased and ruckled, and with slight discolouration from previous mounting, and with a piece of the mount adhering to the blank reverse. Reads 'My dear Sir | I thank you for your letter and the information it contained. I write to Paris to have PP' book as soon as it is out. | Yours truly | [signed] Elisabeth'. Signature stylized to the point of illegibility. Piece of mount docketed in contemporary hand 'Elizabeth late Queen of Prussia'.

12mo, 4 pp. Good, on aged paper with a little light staining at head. A significant letter, in which Warren gives information of those of Warren's 'poor works' which have been engraved: 'they have been chiefly for book illustration and are spread through many publishers'. Begins by describing how 'Murray's Childe Harold has many vignettes, very well engraved from my drawings'. Ends by saying that 'There is also a print in the mixed style of considerable size engraved by Humphreys but not yet published. It is from my picture of a story teller reciting in a coffee house of Damascus'.

Quarto: 4 pp. Bifolium. Unbound. Creased and grubby. Half-page map ('Sketch to show position of Hausa-land'). Headed in red ink 'Funds are urgently needed both to secure the results already obtained and to carry forward the work.' 'The Hausa Association, For Promoting the Study of the Hausa Language and People' is said here to have been founded in 1891 in memory of the Rev. John Alfred Robinson.

Campaigner against slavery and colonial exploitation in Africa (1874-1940) and Liberal MP for North Hackney, 1923-24. All four items one page, quarto. All in good condition, though on somewhat discoloured paper. Two items docketed in pencil and two bearing the Society's stamp. ITEM ONE: He hopes to be present at Dr. Max Horn's lecture, and wants to know whether the Society is 'publishing the lecture by Mr. Wilson Fox on Imperial Resources'. He thinks he should join the Society, 'if not now soon after the war', and asks to be sent the conditions of membership.

Dimensions roughly 2.3 x 11.5 cms. On paper with three vertical rules. Reads 'chief Jonathan M. Moshoesh'. Neatly laid down on larger piece of grey paper (roughly 6 x 12 cms), docketed in a contemporary hand 'Basuto chief called Jonathan. He is the biggest chief in Basutoland after "Letsia", the Paramount Chief & next to the throne, being Uncle to "Letsia" who has no heir.' From the reference to childlessness 'Letsia' is clearly Parmount Chief Letsie II Lerotholi, who reigned between 1905 and 1913.

American physician and explorer of Africa (1866-1939). The recipient (1830-1914) was Keeper of the Zoological Department at the British Museum, 1875-95, and Vice-President of the Royal Society, 1875-6. Two pages, 12mo. Very good, on slightly discoloured paper with a little light spotting. Traces of previous mount adhering to one edge. He is sending some 'spirit-specimens' from his collection and has written to Sir William Flower 'as to the disposition of the entire collection'.