Documents and Letters

Field Marshal Harold ALEXANDER, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis (1891-1969) Autograph Note Signed (“Alexander”) to “Dear Brother Knight” regarding a subscription.1 page oblong small 4to, Hartfield, 30 January n.y. [1955]. “Thank you so much for your letter of Jan 25th. I quite understand the reason you asked me for my subscription...

Field Marshal Edmund ALLENBY, 1st Viscount Allenby (1861-1936) Typed Letter Signed ("Allenby F.M."), congratulating the Anglo-American Branch of the YMCA in Cairo on their membership campaign. 1 page 4to on letterhead of The Residency, Cairo, n.d. [1920s]. "I take this opportunity of congratulating the Anglo-American Branch of the Y.M.C.A. in...

Edward ARDIZZONE (1900-1979) Autograph Letter Signed (“Edward Ardizzone”) to “Dear Mr. Woodhouse”, regarding a drawing he had supplied. 1 page 4to, 130 Elgin Avenue, W9, 29 October 1959.                         “Thank you for your letter. I am delighted that you like...

Margot ASQUITH (1864-1945) Autograph Letter Signed (“Margot Asquith”) to “Dear Lord Knutsford” expressing her views on the statue of Edith Cavell, and later those of Florence Nightingale and Sidney Herbert, and pointing out the difference between Tories and Liberals “You all believe in Force we don’t”.4 pages 8vo in pencil,...

Edward Denny BACON (1860-1938) Autograph Letter Signed (“E.D. Bacon”) to Thomas Allen, sending a cheque for the stamps selected and informing him that he will be away for the whole of August.1 page 8vo with integral blank leaf, “Private”, Buckingham Palace, 30 July 1920. “I return your book of stamps &...

Arnold BAX (1883-1953) Autograph Letter Signed (“Arnold Bax”) to “Dear Mr. Usborne” (Richard Usborne, assistant editor of The Strand magazine), making arrangements for a photograph to be taken. 1 page 8vo, Storrington, 15 April n.y.                               ...

Max BEERBOHM (1872-1956) Autograph Letter Signed ("Max Beerbohm") to "My dear Christian". 1¾ pages small 8vo on separate leaves, 48 Upper Berkeley Street, Tuesday, n.d. [?1914]. Saying "Probably I can let you have the article tomorrow evening (Wednesday) - If not then, Thursday morning, at latest - And of course...

John BETJEMAN (1906-1984) Typed Letter Signed (a rather scrawled "John Betjeman") to "Dear Mr. Mills", regretting that he cannot read his manuscript on mediaeval stained glass, and making suggestions for the printing of the illustrations in his book. 1 page 4to, 29 Radnor Walk, SW3, 20 March 1975. An interesting...

John BETJEMAN (1906-1984) Typed Letter Signed (“John Betjeman”) to Jocelyn Glanfield, replying to her letter which had obviously expressed admiration for the poet.1 page 4to, 29 Radnor Walk, SW3, 30 July 1975. “It was very nice indeed to get your letter. You are a generous person to praise another poet and...

Lesley BLANCH (1904-2007) Autograph Letter Signed (“Lesley”) to Edmonde Charles-Roux, giving a lengthy account of the problems she had encountered with her publishers and asking her to “do me a good turn” in offering a quote to publicize her new book.1 page large 4to, Menton, 3 May 1986. Blanch, who lived...

Rutland BOUGHTON (1878-1960) Autograph Letter Signed (“Rutland Boughton”) to “Dear Mrs. Drinkwater” [violinist Daisy Fowler], expressing his wish to hear her play “the Violin Sonata”.1 page 4to, Kilcote, Newent, 3 January 1932. “Seeing the enclosed programme (for which I am not responsible) makes me wish that you were playing the Violin...

Adrian BOULT (1889-1983) Typed Letter Signed (“Adrian C. Boult”) to Francis Reed at the BBC, thanking him for the return of a book which Boult had given to his father.1 page 8vo on letterhead of the BBC [but with the typed address of Box No. 7, G.P.O., Bedford], 11 November...

Austen CHAMBERLAIN (1863-1937) Autograph Letter Signed (“Austen Chamberlain”) to “My dear Prime Minister” [Ramsay MacDonald], marked “Personal”, expressing concern about the Prime Minister’s health and wellbeing, weeks after the General Election.2½ pages large 4to, 58 Rutland Gate SW7, 16 November 1931.                  ...

John CHEEVER (1912-1982) Typed Letter Signed (“John Cheever”) to Mrs. Pirko-Liisa Stahl, telling her he has “no considered opinions” on how the Nobel Prize [for literature] should be administered. Half page 4to, Ossining, New York, 9 May 1977. A letter which indicates that Cheever’s views on prizes and awards were...

Eric COATES (1886-1957) Two Typed Letters Signed ("Eric Coates") to "My dear Robbie", the first regarding a new work on which he was working, the second congratulating his correspondent on a performance of Hansel and Gretel.1 page small 4to, Chiltern Court NW1, 22 December 1934 and 1 page small 4to,...

Sidonie-Gabrielle COLETTE (1873-1954) Autograph Letter Signed (“Colette”) to a “Cher ami” asking him to have a manuscript [not present] typed for her. 1 page oblong 8vo in French, n.p., n.d.                                          ...

Sidonie-Gabrielle COLETTE (1873-1954) Autograph Letter Signed (“Colette”) to journalist Léon Deffoux, sending him an article. 1 page oblong 8vo in French, 9 rue du Beaujolais [Paris], n.d.                             Trans: “Here is the paper on the Bois de Boulogne, and...

Edward Gordon CRAIG (1872-1966) Autograph Postcard Signed (“Gordon Craig”) addressed to John Grant Booksellers in Edinburgh.1 page oblong 8vo, the verso of the postcard showing a harlequin, with the heading “Le Masque” [a monthly revue of art and literature], n.p. Vence, February 1958. Replying to the booksellers’ letter of 18 February...

Walter CRANE (1845-1915) Autograph Letter Signed (“Walter Crane”) to “My dear Rowley” ” [Charles Rowley, socialist councillor of Ancoats, Manchester], promising to send him a representative collection of his work for an exhibition.2 pages 4to, 13 Holland Street, Kensington, 28 May 1907. “I shall be very willing to do all I...

Gabriele D'ANNUNZIO (1863-1938) Autograph Letter Signed ("Gabri") to his mistress Natalia Goloubev, asking her to taste some wines. Half page 4to in Italian with autograph envelope [the envelope in pencil], n.p., n.d. [but 1908-09]. Trans: "Dear little one, taste the wine in these three bottles, and then tell me which...