This is a list of particularly fine items or collections. The thumbnail pictures provide links to longer descriptions.
ADDISON, Joseph (1672-1719). Essayist, poet & statesman. Document Signed ('J. Addison' at the foot), 1 page large folio (slightly trimmed at the foot), 22 April 1709.
£685 / $1096 / €849 [No: 24565]
BERLIOZ, Hector (1803-1869). French composer. Letter Signed ('H. Berlioz' in pencil) to Jules Simon, 1 page 4to, (splits in folds professionally repaired), Paris, 28 August 1850.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 4403]
BLUCHER, Gebhard Lebrecht von (1742-1819). Prussian field-marshal. Autograph Letter Signed to Herr Schwenke (?), 2 pages 4to with integral address-leaf, B[erlin?], 19 October 1814.
£1150 / $1840 / €1426 [No: 22752]
BRADBURY, John (1768-1825). Botanist and explorer of America. Highly important Autograph Letter Signed to (Sir) James E. Smith (1759-1828, founder of the Linnean Society), 3 pages 4to with address (name only), St Louis, 22 August 1811.
£2750 / $4400 / €3410 [No: 23352]
BROWNING, Robert (1812-1889). Poet. Autograph Letter Signed to Mrs [Henry] Schlesinger, 1 page 8vo (very slight traces of former mounting), 19 Warwick Crescent, 15 June 1882.
£1150 / $1840 / €1426 [No: 24743]
BURKE, Edmund (1729/30-1797). Politician and Author. Letter Signed to the Secretary of War, Thomas Townshend, 1 page folio, Pay Office, 'July 1782 (note of receipt dated 1 July 1782).
£750 / $1200 / €930 [No: 24618]
BURNEY, Frances [Fanny] (1752-1840). Novelist. Married name Fanny D'Arblay. Fine Autograph Letter Signed (typically unsigned when writing to her brother) to 'my dearest Carlos', 4 pages 4to with integral address, Ilfracombe, 28 August-3 September 1817.
£3250 / $5200 / €4030 [No: 24701]
CARUSO, Enrico (1873-1921). Operatic tenor. Fine autograph self-caricature signed, dedicated to Lady Watts and dated at Monte Carlo 1915, on an album page, 176 x 120 mm. (7 x 5 inches).
£1250 / $2000 / €1550 [No: 24180]
CHARLES II and Samuel PEPYS Document Signed ('Charles R' at the head and 'S Pepys' at the foot), 1 page folio (rather foxed overall, the king's signature faint, laid down on board), 1673/4.
£2750 / $4400 / €3410 [No: 24015]
CHARLES II (1630-1685). King of England, Scotland and Ireland. Document Signed, 1½ pages folio with integral leaf bearing contemporary endorsements (some wear and weakness, tipped to a later sheet, Whitehall, 14 January 1679/80.
£1550 / $2480 / €1922 [No: 24703]
DARWIN, Charles (1809-1882). Naturalist. Autograph Letter Signed to Lady Holland (Saba, wife of Sir Henry Holland), 2 pages 8vo with autograph envelope, Down, Farnborough, Kent, 4 December 1854.
£3500 / $5600 / €4340 [No: 24741]
DAVY, Sir Humphry (1778-1829). Chemist and natural philosopher. Autograph Letter Signed to Dr Babington (probably William Babington (1756-1833, physician and mineralogist), 2 pages 8vo with address-leaf (name only), 16? October no year.
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 23379]
DICKENS, Charles (1812-1870). Novelist. Autograph Letter Signed to the dean [of St Paul's], 1 page 8vo with integral blank, in fine clean condition, Tavistock House, 29 May 1856.
£1450 / $2320 / €1798 [No: 24742]
DISRAELI, Benjamin, earl of Beaconsfield (1804-1881). Prime minister and novelist. Fine early Autograph Letter Signed ('D') to the Rev W.J. Fox, 1 page oblong folio (with postscript to the side and address on the reverse), 35 Duke Street, St James's, 16 April 1833.
£1150 / $1840 / €1426 [No: 24724]
DODGSON, Charles Lutwidge (1832-1898). 'Lewis Carroll'. Brief Autograph Letter Signed to Mr Rivington, probably of the family of publishers, 1 page 8vo (perhaps slightly trimmed at the top, laid down on an album leaf), no place, no date.
£1250 / $2000 / €1550 [No: 22496]
DODGSON, Charles Lutwidge (1832-1898). 'Lewis Carroll'. Autograph Letter Signed ('Your loving friend CLD') to a young-lady friend Ursula [Mallam], 1 page 8vo (oblong), Christ Church, Oxford, 17 March [1897].
£1350 / $2160 / €1674 [No: 23667]
DOYLE, Sir Arthur Conan (1859-1930). Creator of Sherlock Holmes. Autograph Letter Signed on two sides of a correspondence-card to General Enesy in Budapest, Bignell Wood, Minstead, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, 19 November no year.
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 21303]
ELIZABETH II (b.1926). Queen of England. Christmas Card for 1954, signed by The Queen and Prince Philip (slight signs of mounting on the reverse only.
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 24247]
FURTWANGLER, Wilhelm (1886-1954). German conductor and composer. Typewritten Letter Signed to A. Roth of Boosey & Hawkes, 1 page large 4to, Clarens, 11 August 1948. With a full translation.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 23131]
GEORGE II (1683-1760). King of Great Britain and Ireland. Elector of Hanover. Document Signed (twice, at the head of each side), 2 pages large folio, St James's, 24 June 1737.
£585 / $936 / €725 [No: 24594]
GEORGE IV (1762-1830). King of Great Britain and Ireland and king of Hanover. Autograph Letter Signed ('George P') as Prince of Wales, to Lord Yarmouth (1777-1842, later Marquis of Hertford), 1 page 4to with blank leaf, Carlton House, 18 March 1808.
£625 / $1000 / €775 [No: 24534]
GORDON, Charles George (1833-1885). 'Chinese Gordon'. Autograph Letter Signed to his beloved sister Augusta, 1½ pages 8vo, Cairo, 29 March 1878.
£850 / $1360 / €1054 [No: 22436]
GORDON, Charles George (1833-1885). 'Chinese Gordon'. Autograph Letter Signed to his brother, Enderby, 1 page 8vo, Southampton, 31 January 1880.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 23996]
GREVILLE, Fulke (1554-1628). Courtier, poet and author. Document Signed, 1 page small folio (with integral second leaf bearing endorsements, two large brown stains), 17 February 1619/20. Bound in half-leather, gilt.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 24195]
HASTINGS, Warren (1732-1818). Governor-general of India. Autograph Letter Signed to Richard Cosway RA (ca 1742-1821, artist and collector), 2 pages 4to with integral address-leaf, Daylesford House, 15 January 1805.
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 24293]
HENRY BENEDICT, Cardinal York. (1725-1807). Jacobite claimant to the English, Scottish and Irish thrones. Letter Signed address to Nicolas Veigura, banker in Paris, ½-page 4to, Rome, 6 January 1773.
£1250 / $2000 / €1550 [No: 24715]
HERSCHEL, Sir John Frederick William (1792-1871). Astronomer. Small collection by or relating to Herschel and his family, 1 volume 4to and loose, ca 1809 to 1870.
£2250 / $3600 / €2790 [No: 22845]
JAMES, Henry (1843-1916). American novelist. Autograph Letter Signed ('Uncle') to his nephew William James ('Dearest Bill'), 4 pages 4to with original envelope (envelope torn on opening), Lamb House, Rye, 15 July 1907.
£1050 / $1680 / €1302 [No: 24744]
JEKYLL, Gertrude (1843-1932). Artist and garden designer. Good Autograph Letter Signed to [Logan] Pearsall Smith (1865-1946, literary scholar), 1 page 4to with sketches in the margin, Munstead Wood, 8 July 1926.
£825 / $1320 / €1023 [No: 21748]
JEKYLL, Gertrude (1843-1932). Artist and garden designer. Three Autograph Letters Signed to Miss Sevinge in Farnham, in all 4 pages 8vo with two envelopes, Munstead Wood, Godalming, 7 and 19 April 1931 and August 29 no year.
£1350 / $2160 / €1674 [No: 23517]
JEKYLL, Gertrude (1843-1932). Artist and garden designer. Autograph Letter Signed and a postcard to Mrs Cecil Mangles, the letter is 2 pages 8vo (slightly chewed at the sides), Munstead Wood, Godalming, 14 May and 6 June 1931.
£850 / $1360 / €1054 [No: 23518]
THE ARCHIVE OF FRANK LAFFITTE An extensive correspondence of the Anglo-French pianist Frank (Francis) Laffitte.
£1850 / $2960 / €2294 [No: 24638]
LEAR, Edward (1812-1888). Artist and nonsense poet. Autograph Letter Signed to [Frederick W.] Gibbs, former tutor to the Prince of Wales, 3 pages 8vo, Pension Major, Serrabassa, Abetone, Pistojese, Italy, 24 August 1883.
£1250 / $2000 / €1550 [No: 24172]
LEAR, Edward (1812-1888). Artist and nonsense poet. Significant Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent [almost certainly Lady Waldegrave], 4 pages 8vo (two small pieces of mounting tape) , 65 Oxford Terrace, Hyde Park, 17 July 1853.
£1650 / $2640 / €2046 [No: 24745]
LIND, Jenny (1820-1887). Swedish soprano. Attractive Autograph Music Quotation Signed of four bars headed 'Swedish Polska' and 'In kind Remembrance, dated July 1863, 80 x 90 mm. (3¼ x 3½ inches) on decorative paper.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 22926]
LISTER, Joseph (1827-1912). Surgeon. Founder of antiseptic surgery. Autograph Letter Signed ('Joseph Lister') to an unnamed correspondent, 3 pages 8vo on black-edged paper, 12 Park Crescent, Portland Place, 13 August 1894.
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 24562]
LISTER, Joseph (1827-1912). Surgeon. Founder of antiseptic surgery. Autograph Letter Signed to Sir Archibald, 1 page 8vo on black-edged paper with blank leaf, 12 Park Crescent, Portland Place, 1 April 1898.
£750 / $1200 / €930 [No: 24563]
LISZT, Franz (1811-1886). Hungarian composer and pianist. Letter Signed in English (a bold but shaky signature) to an unnamed correspondent, 3 pages 8vo (slight thinning to second leaf), Weimar, no date.
£1250 / $2000 / €1550 [No: 23662]
LISZT, Franz (1811-1886). Hungarian composer and pianist. Autograph Letter Signed in German (name of recipient illegible), 3 pages 8vo, no place, 'Mardi Matin' [sic], endorsed in another hand with the date '1844'.
£1150 / $1840 / €1426 [No: 24325]
LONGFELLOW, Henry Wadsworth (1807-1882). Poet. Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent, 3 pages 8vo in the usual pale brown ink, Bowness, Windermere, 9 June 1868.
£585 / $936 / €725 [No: 24296]
LUCAN, George Charles Bingham, Earl of (1800-1888). Field Marshal. Correspondence between Lucan and his estate manager for Sutton Hall in Macclesfield, William Brocklehurst with additional estate papers.
£1500 / $2400 / €1860 [No: 7380]
MARCONI, Guglielmo (1874-1937). Pioneer of radio. Autograph radio telegram signed ('Guglielmo' plus initials) sent from his yacht Electra to his wife, 1 page folio (oblong) 13 October 1934.
£750 / $1200 / €930 [No: 22823]
MARIA THERESA (1717-1780). Archduchess of Austria. Mother of Marie Antoinette. Letter Signed to Leopold von Weingarten, her secretary at the Prussian Court, 1 page folio with address-wrapper, 18 February 1744.
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 22562]
MARIE LOUISE (1791-1847). Empress of the French. Second wife of Napoleon I. Autograph Letter Signed ('Marie Louise') in her characteristic small neat hand, evidently to a close servant or friend, 3½ pages 8vo, Amsterdam, 15 October 1811.
£1250 / $2000 / €1550 [No: 20049]
MASSENET, Jules (1842-1912). Composer. Large music manuscript, a page of the full score of his opera Bacchus on 22 staves with a pasted-on strip.
£850 / $1360 / €1054 [No: 22251]
MILL, John Stuart (1806-1873). Philosopher and political economist. Autograph Letter Signed to an unnamed correspondent, 2 pages 8vo (slight staining and wear, but in good condition), Blackheath Park, 28 January 1866.
£750 / $1200 / €930 [No: 20206]
MONTGOMERY, James & MONTGOMERY, Robert (1771-1854) and (1807-1855). Poets. Collection of 15 Autograph Letters Signed, 1 Letter Signed and 2 poems (1 partial) of James, 1792-1853 and 12 Autograph Letters Signed and one partial autograph poem from Robert, 1830-1853.
£2500 / $4000 / €3100 [No: 23046]
[NAPOLEON I] (1769-1821). Emperor of the French. Autograph Letter Signed to Napoleon from his stepson 'Votre Respectueux et tendre fils et fidel sujet / Eugene Napoléon', 1 page folio, Monza, 18 July 1807.
£750 / $1200 / €930 [No: 21200]
NEWMAN, John Henry (1801-1890). Cardinal. Leader of the Oxford movement. Autograph Letter Signed to 'My dear Mr Lewin', 1 page 16mo, no place, 2 February no year [watermark 1851].
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 23670]
OFFENBACH, Jacques (1819-1880). French composer. Autograph music manuscript, 1 page 4to (oblong) on 14-stave music paper, no place, no date.
£585 / $936 / €725 [No: 23425]
PUCCINI, Giacomo (1858-1924). Italian composer. Autograph Letter Signed to A[ntonio] Bettolacci, his personal business agent, 1 page large 8vo on a letter-form with address on the reverse, Torre del Lago, 16 March 1909.
£850 / $1360 / €1054 [No: 23444]
RACHMANINOFF, Sergei (1873-1943). Russian composer and pianist. Photograph (head and shoulders), 233 x 180 mm. (9 x 7 inches), signed diagonally and inscribed to William E Chamberlain, dated 1934.
£1650 / $2640 / €2046 [No: 24357]
RACHMANINOFF, Sergei (1873-1943). Russian composer and pianist. Signed photograph with his wife who also signs, 280 x 300mm (11 x 12 inches) including mount (the corners a little rubbed), 1938.
£1350 / $2160 / €1674 [No: 24538]
RAVEL, Maurice (1875-1937). French composer. Typewritten Letter Signed to Henry Prunières (1886-1942, musicologist), 1 page large 4to (small rust stain), Le Belvedere, Montfort l'Amaury, 6 March 1924.
£725 / $1160 / €899 [No: 23446]
ROSSINI, Gioacchino (1792-1868). Composer. Autograph Letter Signed to Fossin, 1 page 8vo with address-leaf on headed paper of the Théâtre Royal Italien, Paris, 25 November 1833.
£850 / $1360 / €1054 [No: 21796]
ROSSINI, Gioacchino (1792-1868). Composer. Autograph Letter Signed to Marquise de Las Marismas in Paris, 1½ pages 4to with address-leaf in French, Bologna, 29 May 1842.
£750 / $1200 / €930 [No: 23279]
SCHUMANN, Clara (1819-1896). Pianist. Wife of Robert Schumann. Fine Autograph Letter Signed ('Deine Clara') to her son Ferdinand (1850-1888), 4 pages 8vo, Frankfurt, 3 July 1884. With a transcript and full translation.
£1200 / $1920 / €1488 [No: 23450]
SCOTT, Sir Walter (1771-1832). Novelist & poet. Autograph Letter Signed to J.N. Hughes in Maidstone, 1 page 4to with address-leaf, Abbotsford, 10 October [1827].
£650 / $1040 / €806 [No: 23105]
SHAW, George Bernard (1856-1950). Playwright. Autograph Letter Signed on both sides of a correspondence card to H[oward] G[regory] Graham, 29 October 1943.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 24104]
SHAW, George Bernard (1856-1950). Playwright. Autograph draft of a reply to Alfred Russel Wallace in connection with a dispute in the pages of The Clarion, 7 pages 4to in pencil, ca 1900.
£4250 / $6800 / €5270 [No: 24678]
SHERMAN, William Tecumseh (1820-1891). American general. Lengthy Autograph Letter Signed to Mrs Julia K. Fish, 4 pages 8vo, Headquarters, Army of the United States, Washington, 11 July 1870.
£625 / $1000 / €775 [No: 24302]
SOUTHEY, Robert (1774-1843). Poet. Autograph Letter Signed to John Willis at the Hare & Hounds, 1 page 8vo with address-leaf, 'Wednesday Evening', with an Autograph Poetical Manuscript , 4 pages 8vo.
£1500 / $2400 / €1860 [No: 23675]
STAMPA, George L. (1875-1951). Cartoonist. Amusing series of 7 Autograph Letters Signed, 5 of them illustrated, 5 to Newall and 2 to Mrs Newall, 10 Hodford Road, Child's Hill and Shaftesbury House, Cheadle Hulme,
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 24080]
STEPHENSON, George (1781-1848). Civil engineer. Founder of railways. Letter Signed ('Geo. Stephenson') to John Ellis, 2 pages 8vo (the signature running on to the third side), Tapton House, 10 July 1848.
£1500 / $2400 / €1860 [No: 22574]
STRAUSS, Richard (1864-1949). German conductor and composer. Fine photograph, boldly signed in ink on the mount, overall 182 x 122 mm. (ca 7 x 5 inches), no date.
£550 / $880 / €682 [No: 24564]
SULLIVAN, Sir Arthur (1842-1900). Composer. Autograph Letter Signed to Mrs Moore, 1 page 8vo (blank leaf removed), 1 Queen's Mansions, Victoria Street, 'Saturday', no date.
£525 / $840 / €651 [No: 23452]
VERDI, Giuseppe (1813-1901). Italian operatic composer. Autograph Letter Signed to Doctor Ercolano Balestra in Parma, 1 page 8vo with integral facing address-leaf, Tabiano, 1 July 1858. With translation.
£1750 / $2800 / €2170 [No: 23596]
WAGNER, Richard (1813-1883). Composer. Autograph Letter Signed in characteristic purple ink to a friend, 1 page 8vo with integral blank, no date [perhaps from Leipzig, 12 May 1871]. With a translation.
£2250 / $3600 / €2790 [No: 22975]
WAGNER, Richard (1813-1883). Composer. Autograph Letter Signed to Herr Schott (the music publisher in Mainz), 1 page 8vo with integral blank, Karlsruhe, 2 February ('62' added in another hand).
£1850 / $2960 / €2294 [No: 23135]
WEBER, Carl Maria von (1786-1826). Composer. Autograph Doc.S, 1 page 4to (lower part a little browned), Prague, 3 June 1815.
£1350 / $2160 / €1674 [No: 23598]
WOLF, Hugo (1860-1903). Austrian composer. Good Autograph Letter Signed to his friend and staunch advocate the pianist Heinrich Potpeschnigg, on a correspondence-card, 7 October 1895.
£1350 / $2160 / €1674 [No: 23460]
WORLD WAR I Series of 10 telegrams on Messages and Signals army forms, from King George V, Queen Alexandra, Kitchener, Joffre, Haig, and the 'Indian Cavalry Corps'.