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Click here to subscribeTuesday 26th February. U2 at the National Stadium, Dublin, the night the band signed to Island Records. A ticket to the first concert ever held at the Stadium to be headlined by an unsigned band. The property of a former employee of CBS Records. Dunphy, Eamonn. Unforgettable Fire; The Story of U2. 1988, Penguin, London; p181.
GEORGE VI: (1895-1952) King of the United Kingdom 1936-52. A very fine vintage signed 12.5 x 16.5 photograph, the image depicting the King in a half length pose wearing his military uniform. Photograph by Hugh Cecil and signed by him in pencil to the lower white border. Signed ('George R') by the King in bold fountain pen ink to the lower white border and dated 1948 in his hand. Attractively matted in cream with a gold coloured border and framed and glazed in a gold coloured wooden frame to an overall size of 21 x 25.5. VG Following the abdication of his elder brother, King Edward VIII, in 1936, King George VI became King of the United Kingdom, reigning from December 1936 until his death in February 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth. From 1939, the Empire and Commonwealth (except Ireland) was at war with Nazi Germany, and War with Italy and Japan followed in 1940 and 1941 respectively. Although Britain and its allies were ultimately victorious in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union rose as pre-eminent world powers and the British Empire declined. The King's accession had come at a time when public faith in the monarchy was at a low ebb, however as a dutiful family man and by showing personal courage, he succeeded in restoring the popularity of the monarchy.
[BREXIT]: BRITISH POLITICS: A good multiple signed First Day Cover issued to commemorate the Direct Elections to European Parliament and featuring an attractive colour design incorporating images of the Palais de l'Europe at Strasbourg and the Palace of Westminster in London, bearing four different British postage stamps honouring the European Assembly Elections and post marked at London for the first British European Parliamentary Elections, 9th May 1979. The cover is individually signed by fourteen British political figures, five of them former Prime Ministers, comprising - Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) British Prime Minister 1979-90 who, despite her views on the European Community, initiated Great Britain's membership of the European Union by reluctantly joining the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1990. John Major (1943- ) British Prime Minister 1990-97 who, on taking office, had promised to keep Great Britain 'at the very heart of Europe' and claimed to have won 'game, set and match for Britain' by negotiating various opt-outs from the Maastricht Treaty (1992). Tony Blair (1953- ) British Prime Minister 1997-2007 who won a landslide victory with his 'New Labour' party in 1997, aided by the unpopularity of Major's conservative government (itself deeply divided over the European Union). Gordon Brown (1951- ) British Prime Minister 2007-10 who, in 1997, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, had taken control of the United Kingdom's membership of the European single currency issue by announcing the Treasury would set five economic tests to ascertain whether the economic case had been made. In 2003 the Treasury indicated the tests had not been passed. David Cameron (1966- ) British Prime Minister 2010-16 who introduced a referendum on the United Kingdom's continuing membership of the European Union. In the referendum of 23rd June 2016 the British electorate voted in favour of leaving the European Union ('Brexit') and in the wake of the results Cameron announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister. William Hague (1961- ) British Politician, Leader of the Conservative Party 1997-2001. Hague led the Conservatives to a successful result at the European parliamentary elections in June 1999 and his opposition to the single European currency was later vindicated by Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's adoption and subsequent approval of the policy. Iain Duncan Smith (1954- ) British Politician, Leader of the Conservative Party 2001-03. A committed Eurosceptic, Duncan Smith was a constant thorn in the side of Prime Minister John Major's government from 1992-97, opposing Major's pro-European agenda. Michael Howard (1941- ) British Politician, Leader of the Conservative Party 2003-05. In the 1970s Howard was a leading advocate of British membership of the Common Market (EEC) but later in his career became a Eurosceptic. Neil Kinnock (1942- ) British Politician, Leader of the Labour Party 1983-92. Kinnock accepted membership in the European Community, whereas the Labour Party had pledged withdrawal from it under former leader Michael Foot. Kinnock went on to become a European Commissioner and served as Vice-President of the European Commission from 1999-2004. David Steel (1938- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Party 1976-88 and of the Liberal Democrats March-July 1988. In 1989 Steel accepted an invitation from the Italian Liberals to stand for the European Parliament as a Pan-European gesture. Although not elected, he polled very well. Paddy Ashdown (1941- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 1988-99. In July 2016 he founded More United in response to the result of the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. Charles Kennedy (1959-2015) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 1999-2006. On constitutional reform Kennedy was a long-term supporter of full home rule for Scotland within a federal United Kingdom within a federal Europe. Menzies Campbell (1941- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2006-07. Campbell has been a supporter of the European Union, but argued that it must reform to become more democratic. Nick Clegg (1967- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2007-15. Deputy Prime Minister in the Cameron coalition ministry 2010-15. A former member of the European Parliament, Charles Kennedy promoted Clegg to be the Liberal Democrat's spokesperson on Europe, focusing on the party's preparations for an expected referendum on the European constitution. All have signed the cover in different coloured inks, each with their names alone and to clear areas. An unusual selection of signatures by various British politicians, all of whom have had, to a greater or lesser extent, an influence on the United Kingdom's role within Europe from 1979 to the present day. A couple of very slight, minor corner creases, VG In June 2016, the British electorate participated in a referendum in which 52% of votes were cast in favour of leaving the European Union. Although the United Kingdom currently remains a full member of the EU, the present Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that she will invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the formal procedure for withdrawing, by the end of March 2017, putting the United Kingdom on course to leave the EU by the end of March 2019.
PAVLOVA ANNA: (1881-1931) Russian Prima Ballerina. An appealing vintage signed and inscribed 6.5 x 8 photograph, an elegant image of Pavlova in a full length dance pose wearing her ballet costume from the divertissement Au Bal (c.1927). Photograph published by Ross. Signed in bold, black fountain pen ink across a clear area of the image. Neatly mounted and with some very minor traces of professional restoration to the image, VG Pavlova became the first ballerina to tour ballet, with her own company, around the world and is most recognised for the creation of the role The Dying Swan.
ATATURK MUSTAFA KEMAL: (1881-1938) Turkish Army Officer and Revolutionary, founder of the Republic of Turkey serving as its first President 1923-38. A rare autograph plan in Ataturk's hand, unsigned, one page (faintly squared graph paper), folio, n.p. (Ankara), n.d. (1927). In bold pencil Ataturk has drawn a rough plan outlining the geographical positions of several Turkish cities which he identifies, most with abbreviations. Ataturk marks Usak, a city in the interior part of the Aegean Region of Turkey and capital of the Usak Province, as well as Dagyenice ('D'), also in the region of Usak and southwest of Ankara, Eskisehir ('Esk') a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskisehir Province, and Bursa ('B'), the fourth most populous city in Turkey, located in northwestern Anatolia within the Marmara Region. Ataturk has identified each of the towns and cities with circles (some shaded) and drawn various lines between each. An interesting document relating to Turkey's geography in the hand of the Republic's founder. Some light folds and creasing, otherwise VG Provenance: The present document originates from the papers of Dr. Eugene Pittard (1867-1962) the Swiss Anthropologist. Pittard authored several works on Turkey, including Le visage nouveau de la Turquie (1931), and in 1927 he and his wife, Hélène Dufour, visited Ankara and were entertained by Ataturk. It was during this trip and whilst discussing Turkey that Ataturk drew the present plan to illustrate the distances between various key Turkish cities. Another similar document relating to Turkey (and the modernisation of the country's language, with which Pittard assisted) in Ataturk's hand and also from Pittard's papers was included in the Albin Schram Collection of Autograph Letters (see Christie's auction in London, 3rd July 2007, lot 326). Ataturk rose to prominence in the Turkish War of Independence where he led the Turkish National Movement to victory. After establishing a provisional government in Ankara, Ataturk then embarked on a programme of political, economic and cultural reforms, seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation-state. The principles of Ataturk's reforms, upon which modern Turkey was established, are referred to as Kemalism. His achievements in Turkey are an enduring monument to Ataturk.
ALI MUHAMMAD: (1942-2016) American Boxer, World Heavyweight Champion. The Fight of the Century `Muhammad Ali aka Cassius Clay´FRAZIER JOE (1944-2011) American Boxer, World Heavyweight Champion 1970-73.D.S. by both Muhammad Ali (in both forms, 'Muhammad Ali AKA Cassius Clay') and Joe Frazier ('Joe Frazier', twice), twelve pages, 4to, n.p., June 1970. The photocopied document is entitled Ancillary Rights Agreement and is a contract made between the promoters 21st Century Promotions and Marlett Inc., Sports Action, Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) and Joe Frazier. The contract relates to a World Heavyweight Championship contest between Ali and Frazier, scheduled to take place at the Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, on 21st September 1970, and states that the two fighters and the promoters have agreed to assign to Sports Action and its licensees 'all radio, television and motion picture rights in and to the Bout', subject to various conditions stated in the document, Sports Action ('SAC') agreeing to 'use its best efforts to exploit the rights to the Bout….so as to derive the maximum proceeds….for Clay', and being authorised to use the name, likeness and biography of both Ali and Frazier for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity and also agreeing the percentages of the net proceeds to be paid to Ali, being 32.5% on the first $1,000,000, 35% on the net proceeds between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000, 37.5% on the net proceeds between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 and 40% on any net proceeds in excess of $3,000,000 and that the minimum amount paid to Ali will be $300,000 and that the payment will be made within twenty days following the bout. Signed by both Ali and Frazier at the conclusion and countersigned by representatives of Sports Action Inc., Cloverlay Inc. and 21st Century Promotions. With a number of red pencil annotations in an unidentified hand in the margins of the document, most significantly increasing Ali's percentages of the net proceeds. The first eleven pages of the document are joined together by a single staple to the upper left corner, and the final page is detached (and with a few small staple holes to the upper left corner where originally attached to the rest of the document). A rare signed document relating to one of the most important World Heavyweight Championship contests in history. VG 'The Fight of the Century' would eventually take place in 1971, almost a year after the present document was signed, and not on the date, or venue, specified in the present contract. In 1971 both Ali and Frazier had legitimate claims to the title of World Heavyweight Champion. The undefeated Ali had won the title from Sonny Liston in 1964 and successfully defended his belt up until he had it stripped by boxing authorities for refusing induction into the armed forces in 1967. In Ali's absence, the undefeated Frazier garnered two championship belts through knockouts of Buster Mathis and Jimmy Ellis. He was recognised by boxing authorities as the World Champion. Frazier was plausibly Ali's superior, which created a tremendous amount of hype and anticipation for a bout pitting the two undefeated pugilists against one another to decide who was the true World Heavyweight Champion. The contest took place at Madison Square Garden on 8th March 1971 and Frazier was victorious, winning in 15 rounds via a unanimous decision and dealing Ali his first professional loss.
WAGNER RICHARD: (1813-1883) German Composer. An unusual printed 8vo page annotated by Wagner, being the introduction to a publication relating to the composer's opera Tannhauser, the German text to the recto and verso of the page, removed from a First Edition work published by Schulthess of Zurich, August 1852. At the head of the first page Wagner has added the words 'Programm der Ouvertüre zu Tannhäuser' in his hand. A thin strip of sellotape staining to the left edge, not affecting the printed text or Wagner's holograph annotation. Some very light, minor creasing, about VG Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg (1845) is an opera in three acts with music and text by Wagner, inspired by two German legends. The story centres on the struggle between sacred and profane love, and redemption through love, a theme running through much of Wagner's mature work. Wagner made a number of revisions of the opera throughout his life and was still unsatisfied with its format when he died. The most significant revision was made for the opera's premiere in Paris in 1861. The opera remains a staple of major opera house repertoire in the 21st century.Richard Wagner is primarily known for his operas (or 'music dramas' as some of his later works were known) and, unlike most opera composers, Wagner wrote both the libretto and music for each of his stage works. The composer revolutionised opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk ('total work of art') and described his vision in a series of essays published between 1849-52. Wagner's most important operas continue to be performed annually at the Bayreuth Festival, run by his descendants. The effect of Wagner's ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century; his influence spread beyond composition into conducting, philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.
[KENNEDY JOHN F.]: (1917-1963) American President 1961-63.LINCOLN EVELYN (1909-1995) American Personal Secretary to John F. Kennedy from 1953-63. T.L.S. Evelyn Lincoln (in autopen), one page, 8vo, Washington, 22nd November 1963, to Terence J. Dodson, on the printed stationery of The White House. Lincoln thanks her correspondent for his letter and continues, 'In response to your request, the envelopes enclosed were signed for Teoman Sirri. They are returned with the President's best wishes to you both'. Together with a second T.L.S., Evelyn Lincoln, one page, 8vo, Washington, 22nd June 1964, also to Terence J. Dodson, on the printed stationery of The White House. Lincoln states that President [Lyndon B.] Johnson's personal secretary, Mrs. Juanita Roberts, has passed Dodson's letter and enclosure to her, and continues to comment 'Much as I would like to be helpful, I regret that because of the lapse of time it is not possible for me to say whether or not the letter to you dated November 22, 1963, is the last one I wrote on behalf of President Kennedy'. A rare and significant pair of letters. VG to about EX, 2 Autograph material of any description relating to John F. Kennedy and dated on the day of his assassination is of the utmost rarity and desirability. Kennedy served as the 35th President of the United States from 1961-63 and his term in office oversaw the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, developments in the Space Race, the building of the Berlin Wall and the Civil Rights Movement. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on 22nd November 1963, the exact date on which the first of the letters offered here was written. Evelyn Lincoln was in the motorcade at the time of the assassination, explaining why the letter bears her autopen signature. The assassination had an impact on many people, not only in America, but around the world. Many vividly remember where they were when first learning of the news that JFK had been killed. Kennedy continues to rank highly in historian's polls of United States Presidents and with the general public, and his death, coupled with the ensuing confusion regarding the facts of his assassination, was of political and historical importance for they signified a turning point and decline in the faith of the American people in the political establishment.
MILNE A. A.: (1882-1956) English Author, creator of Winnie-the-Pooh. A remarkable presentation book signed and inscribed, featuring nine original (and presumably unpublished) verses by Milne, being a hardback edition of his play Michael and Mary, First Edition published by Chatto & Windus, London, 1930. Signed and inscribed by Milne, using his family name ('Blue'), to his wife on the front free endpaper, 'For my darling from her Blue', also adding the words ' "I suppose you do know -" ' and the date, 28th May 1930, in his hand beneath the inscription. To the following two pages, including the half title page, Milne has neatly penned nine original verses, comprising a total of fifty lines, each relating to nine of the characters in his play and the actors who created the roles on the London stage, signed ('A.A.M.') at the conclusion with his initials, in part, 'Michael - Rowe played nightly by a BartSteers his way into the heartOnly Michael's Marshall carriagePulls him through that risky marriage' (the role of Michael created by Herbert Marshall) 'Mary - When I hear your "Don't you dare toTouch me" I can hardly bear toSit in silence. I am dyingTo burst in upon you, cryingThank you, Edna, very much. YouAngel, nobody can touch you' (the role of Mary created by Edna Best) 'David - When all of us are dead and goneAnd even Frankie Lawton's oldIf actors still come "off" and "on"And tickets still are bought and sold"How good"…thee…will say"That fellow - can't remember nameses - "Did - you know - in that rotten play"By what's-it at the old St. James's"' (the role of David created by Frank Lawton) 'Inspector - The burglar, whether British born or foreignNever escapes Inspector Thatcher (Torin)If she's a female crook, Inspector ThatcherCan always be relied upon to catch her' (the role of the Inspector created by Torin Thatcher) 'Price - A horrible villain was Price, I'm afraidWith his record of marriages hastily madeAt a registry office, and vice-lessAnd, though it sounds odd, I am bound to confessThat in voice and department, in manners and dressThe way that you played him was priceless' (the role of Harry Price created by D. A. Clarke Smith) Bound in the publisher's dark beige cloth and with a cream paper label (slightly chipped) printed in black to the spine, and lacking the dust jacket. A wonderful and rare association copy. Some foxing and light age toning to the preliminary pages, most notable to the title page, and only very slightly affecting Milne's text. G Dorothy 'Daphne' de Selincourt (1890-1971) Wife of A. A. Milne (from 1913) and the mother of Christopher Robin Milne. Her husband's affectionate inscription in the present volume can be explained by the close of Michael and Mary; in the play the character of Michael turns to Mary, mother of their son, David, and proclaims 'I suppose you do know, Mary, that, much as I love him, I love your little finger - your funny little finger, more than all of David?', Mary gently replying 'I think I did know, Michael. You've got a funny little finger too'. Michael and Mary is considered to be one of Milne's most successful light comedic dramas and is a play about marriage, raising issues regarding law, religion, morality and illegitimacy. The play was originally staged in New York before moving to London where it opened at the St. James's Theatre on 1st February 1930 and starred Herbert Marshall and Edna Best (themselves married from 1928-40, and also the couple to whom Milne dedicated the present book) in the title roles. A year later Michael Balcon produced a film version of the play, retaining the stage cast in their roles. It was the first of Marshall and Best's co-starring talkies and was voted the third best British movie of 1932. A. A. Milne was a noted writer, primarily a playwright, before the enormous success of his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh overshadowed all of his previous work. The enduring popularity of Milne's character is evident in the recent 90th anniversary celebrations of Winnie-the-Pooh's first arrival in Hundred Acre Wood. Provenance: The present volume was previously part of The Roy Davids Collection of Poetical Manuscripts and was originally acquired by him directly from the Milne family without any intermediate ownership.
SARTRE JEAN-PAUL: (1905-1980) French Philosopher, Playwright & Novelist, awarded (but refused) the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964 . A.N.S., J Sartre, one page, 4to, n.p., n.d. (1976/77), in French. Sartre writes, in full, 'Lotta Continua is going to be banned: it is the freedom of the revolutionary press which is once more at stake. I extend a call to Italian writers to gain control of the newspaper individually or jointly'. VG Lotta Continua ('Continuous Struggle') was a far left extra-parliamentary organisation founded in Italy in 1969. The first issue of Lotta Continua's eponymous newspaper was published in the November of that year. In 1977 Sartre gave an interview to the paper on the occasion of a far left rally in Bologna in which he declared 'Je ne suis plus Marxiste'. It was around this time that the newspaper disbanded. Jean-Paul Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomenology and a leading figure in 20th century French philosophy and Marxism.
CASANOVA GIACOMO: (1725-1798) Italian Author and Adventurer. 'This modern evil called Grippe'.A.L.S., Casanova, two pages (written on the first and third sides of the conjugate leaves), 4to, Prague, 18th May 1788, to Count Antonio Collalto ('Your Excellency, my Beloved Lord') in Vienna, in Italian. Casanova announces `This modern evil called Grippe, after travelling through the Austrian capital, did not forgive the Bohemian capital and caught me, obliging me to attend V[ostra] E[ccellenza] with such an ungrateful appearance; but thank God, V E is free of it, not me, I am in bed´ further remarking `I have here with me your precious letters dated 10th and 13th, but with my headache I am unable to remember if I have already answered to the first or not, so in order not to fail, I´ll answer to both of them.´ Casanova continues to refer to some books sent to his correspondent and also to some other individuals, `I understand, according to your letter, that you have received the box with the books, and I read also and appreciate the news regarding the call from the French Ambassador´s to Venice, and as a consequence the imbroglio with Naples, an affair on which I fully ignore the cause. According to your second letter I understand that with your usual excess of goodness, V.E. went personally to deliver to Countess Clari-Ligne the volumes, and that you refused to accept the nine Guilders. V.E. acted wisely, nevertheless I will write today to the Prince of Liechtenstein who knows me, and I hope that all will be taken care of in a noble way.´ He further writes `My brother wrote to me and he praised your kindness in sending the thirty volumes, and promised he will send the money to you as soon as he will receive it from the associates… Count Waldstein has the first 72 copies…and my brother promises he will get 24 more associates....´ Casanova concludes his letter `Additionally to all mentioned, I beg you to send me on the 27th of the present month the money you may have for me as I have to pay a bill of exchange before the end of the month. The third volume was welcomed here with applause and allowed me to get eight more associates. The King´s speech on page 261 pleased a lot.´ An attractive, boldly penned letter. A few very minor, insignificant holes to some words of text, evidently caused by the ink burning the paper, otherwise VG Count Antonio Collalto - Italian Nobleman and Military officer. Aloys I (1759-1805) Prince of Liechtenstein. He expanded the Liechtenstein library through the purchase of complete collections of books. Joseph Karl Emanuel Waldstein (1755-1814) Count Waldstein. Casanova spent the last years of his life in Bohemia as a librarian in Count Waldstein's household, where he also wrote the story of his life. Casanova's autobiography, Histoire de ma vie, is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century. Casanova is remembered today for his often elaborate and complicated affairs with women and his name is synonymous with 'womanisers'. He associated himself with European Royalty, Popes and Cardinals as well as luminaries including Voltaire, Goethe and Mozart.
LENIN VLADIMIR: (1870-1924) Russian Communist Revolutionary. Head of the government of the Russian Republic 1917-18, of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic 1918-24, and of the Soviet Union 1922-24. TROTSKY LEON: (1879-1940) Russian Marxist Revolutionary and Theorist, the founding leader of the Red Army.A very fine pair of vintage dark fountain pen ink signatures by both Vladimir Lenin ('Lénine, president du Conseil des Commissaires du Peuple') and Leon Trotsky ('Léon Trotsky, Commissaire aux affaires étrangères') individually on a feint ruled 8vo page removed from a notebook, n.p., n.d. (November 1917). To the upper right corner of the page appears an original contemporary pencil and coloured crayon vignette, drawn by an unidentified individual and signed ('J. M. Bros....'; the conclusion of the signature a little smudged and hence illegible), the image depicting several individuals standing in a row as they face execution by the guillotine which appears before them, with a large crowd of onlookers in the foreground and a rising sun in the background, featuring the caption, in French, 'Ce que nous souhaitons aux soussignés' (translation 'What we wish for the undersigned'). To the verso of the page appear ten individual fountain pen ink signatures by various French fighter pilots of World War I, each of them members of the Escadrille BR 209 squadron, including Léon Ribière (1893-1918) and others, a few with additional sentiments and one dated 23rd January 1917. An exceptionally rare pair of signatures by two of the most significant figures in Russian history. Neatly inlaid, VGThe present signatures of Lenin and Trotsky were obtained shortly after the historic October Revolution, a seizure of state power instrumental in the larger Russian Revolution of 1917. It took place with an armed insurrection in Petrograd and followed, and capitalised, on the February Revolution of the same year, which overthrew the Tsarist autocracy. The October Revolution resulted in the power being shifted to the local Soviets in Petrograd, whom heavily supported the Bolshevik Party. After the Congress of Soviets, now the governing body, had its second session, it elected members of the Bolsheviks to key positions which immediately initiated the establishment of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the world's first self-proclaimed socialist state. On 8th November 1917 the Congress elected a Council of People's Commissars, with Lenin as leader and Trotsky as Commissar of Foreign Affairs, the positions they have added to the present signatures.Provenance: The present signatures were removed from a notebook previously owned by Robert de Flers (1872-1927) French Playwright & Journalist who, as the head of a French military mission, travelled to the Eastern front taking him to Romania, Moscow and Petrograd, at which time he obtained the signatures of Lenin and Trotsky. A first hand account of Flers' travels was written by Emmanuel Chaumé (1890-1934) and published by Firmin-Didot of Paris in 1929 under the title La Belle Aventure de Robert de Flers - Russie-Romanie (Fevrier-Mars 1918). The album was subsequently passed to his nephew, the French Diplomat and Pilot of World War I, Viscount Amédée de Flers, and later acquired by the present vendor.Lenin, founder of the Russian Communist Party, engineered and led the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and was the architect of the Soviet state, later taking over as the first leader of the newly formed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Regarded as the greatest revolutionary leader and thinker since Karl Marx, Lenin is also widely considered as one of the most influential and controversial figures of the 20th century.Trotsky joined the Bolsheviks shortly before the 1917 October Revolution and eventually became a leader within the Communist Party alongside Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and others and was one of the seven members of the first Politburo. During the early days of the Soviet Union Trotsky served as People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs and later as the founder and commander of the Red Army. He was a major figure in the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War (1918-23). After leading a failed struggle of the Left Opposition against the policies and rise of Joseph Stalin in the 1920s, Trotsky was removed from power, expelled from the Communist Party and finally exiled from the Soviet Union. As the head of the Fourth International, Trotsky continued to oppose the Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union from exile. On Stalin's orders, he was assassinated in Mexico in August 1940. Trotsky's ideas formed the basis of Trotskyism, a major school of Marxist thought that opposes the theories of Stalinism.
HITCHCOCK ALFRED: (1899-1980) British Film Director. A superb vintage signed 7.5 x 9.5 photograph of the director seated in a full length pose alongside a large Technicolour camera on the set of his film Under Capricorn (1949). Hitchcock holds one arm at length as he gives direction to his players and in the background the camera operator Paul Beeson can be seen. Signed ('Alfred J Hitchcock') by the director in bold, dark fountain pen ink with his name alone to a clear area of the image. About EX Under Capricorn (1949) was the second of Hitchcock's movies to be made in Technicolour (the first being Rope, released a year earlier) and starred Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotton and Michael Wilding. Hitchcock pioneered many elements of the suspense and psychological thriller genres over a career spanning more than half a century. Often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, he came first in a 2007 poll of film critics in the Daily Telegraph. In 2002 the MovieMaker magazine named Hitchcock the most influential filmmaker of all time.
PASTEUR LOUIS: (1822-1895) French Chemist & Microbiologist. A.L.S., L. Pasteur, one page, 8vo, n.p., n.d. ('Dimanche soir'), to `Cher maitre´, in French. Pasteur writes a respectful letter to the correspondent he addresses as Master, thanking them for an invitation for Monday at 7pm, and which he has great pleasure in accepting. With blank integral leaf. About EX Pasteur is renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurisation. Remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases, his discoveries have saved countless lives ever since. Pasteur created the first vaccines for rabies and anthrax and his medical discoveries provided direct support for the germ theory of disease and its application in clinical medicine. Outside of the medical profession he is best known for his invention of the technique of treating milk and wine to stop bacterial contamination, a process called pasteurisation. One of the three main founders of bacteriology (with Cohn and Koch), Pasteur is popularly known as the 'father of microbiology'.
CAROL II: (1893-1953) King of Romania 1930-40 & HELEN (1896-1982) Princess of Greece and Denmark, the daughter of King Constantine I of Greece. A fine vintage signed 7.5 x 10 photograph by both the future King Carol and his wife Princess Helen individually, the image depicting the Crown Prince standing in a full length pose, in military uniform, alongside his bride, wearing a simple white dress and with a Romanian 'Greek Key' tiara upon her head, on the occasion of their wedding day. The Royal couple are accompanied by their two bridesmaids, one of whom is the bride's sister, Katherine, and are also seen wearing simple white dresses and chaplets. Signed ('Carol') by the Crown Prince and signed ('Helene') by the Princess, both in fountain pen ink at the base of the image, the Princess adding the date 1921 in her hand. Also signed ('Katherine') by their bridesmaid in bold, dark fountain pen ink with her name alone to a light area at the base of the image. VG Katherine (1913-2007) Princess of Greece and Denmark, daughter of King Constantine I of Greece. Crown Prince Carol and Princess Helen first met in 1920 following the conclusion of Carol's round the world trip which he had taken to forget his morganatic wife Zizi Lambrino (1898-1953) whom he had married in 1918 (the marriage was annulled a year later). On a train journey from Greece to Switzerland Helen fell in love with the heir to the Romanian throne and soon after their arrival in Switzerland Crown Prince Carol asked for Helen's hand in marriage, much to the joy of the Queen of Romania, but not to the princess' parents. Their engagement was announced in Zurich in November 1920 and they were married in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Athens on 10th March 1921. Being the first Greek Princess to marry in Athens, Helen wore the Romanian 'Greek Key' tiara, a gift from her mother-in-law. Following their two month honeymoon, the newlyweds returned to Romania on 8th May 1921, the Princess already pregnant and giving birth to their only son, Prince Michael, just seven and a half months after the wedding. King Carol II was the first member of the Romanian royal family to be raised in the Orthodox faith. Married three times, Carol possessed a hedonistic personality that contributed to the controversies and misrule that marred his reign. On 6th September 1940, he was forced by his Prime Minister, Ion Antonescu, to leave his country and withdraw into foreign exile. Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark was noted for her humanitarian efforts to save Romanian Jews during World War II and was titled Queen Mother of Romania during the reign of her son, King Michael, from 1940-47.
HILLARY EDMUND: (1919-2008) New Zealand Mountaineer, the first man, with Tenzing Norgay, to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 1953. A superb vintage signed and inscribed 8 x 10 photograph by Hillary, a silver gelatin print depicting the mountaineer in a rugged and windswept head and shoulders pose wearing a thick anorak, the collars turned up to protect his neck. Photograph by Karsh of Ottawa and bearing his credit stamp to the verso. Signed ('E. P. Hillary') in dark fountain pen ink to the image. Signed photographs of Hillary of this quality are rare and desirable. About EX Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) Armenian-Canadian Photographer, one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century. Karsh took the present image of Hillary in 1960. Hillary, alongside Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, became the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest on 29th May 1953. The New Zealander had become interested in mountaineering while in secondary school and had made his first major climb in 1939. As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition Hillary reached the South Pole overland in 1958 and subsequently reached the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles and summit Everest. Hillary and Tenzing were part of the ninth British expedition to Mount Everest, led by John Hunt, and following his ascent of Everest, Hillary devoted most of his life to helping the Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he founded. Time magazine named Hillary one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
[BYRON LORD]: (1788-1824) British Poet, a leading figure in the Romantic Movement. MILBANKE ANNE ISABELLA (1792-1860) Lady Byron. Wife of George Gordon Byron, Lord Byron, from 1815-16. Two A.Ls.S., A I Noel Byron, both two pages, 8vo, Brighton and Regents Park, 1st April and 12th July 1856, each to [Revd. George] Armstrong. In the first letter Lady Byron replies to her correspondent and states 'I can only say that the evidence is in my opinion against the genuineness of those lines - It is difficult to prove a negative however' and adding that she will make enquiries 'to elicit the truth'. She continues 'I do not believe that any Lady was authorised to write that life'. In the second letter Lady Byron declares 'I have satisfied myself as to the quarter from which the lines in question proceeded. Certainly not from any Lady of the respectability of the one named in your letter' and continues 'Mr. Grant has been imposed upon, but whether consciously or unconsciously by the Gentleman (for of him I have no knowledge) I cannot say. Mr. Grant's statement in his letter does not agree in all points with that made to me in writing at the time by the Gentleman who had the interview with him - on my behalf. To take any further notice of the matter would probably fall in with the views of the originators of this forgery'. Both letters with blank integral leaves. An intriguing pair of letters concerning a Byron forgery. Some light age wear and very minor, light staining, otherwise VG, 2 Revd. George Armstrong (1791-1857) Unitarian Minister, a vociferous opponent of slavery, as was Lady Byron. Byron forgeries are not uncommon. The self-styled 'Major Byron' who claimed to be the son of the poet as a result of a liaison between Byron and a Countess de Luna in Spain in 1809, contributed both poems and letters to the field. Lady Caroline Lamb forged a letter from Byron to herself with the purpose of acquiring a portrait of the poet. The identity of the lady referred to in the present letters is not known. A highly educated and strictly religious woman, Anne Isabella Milbanke's marriage to the amoral and agnostic poet George Gordon Byron seemed an unlikely match and, indeed, soon ended in acrimony. However the marriage did produce a daughter, Ada, who later worked as a mathematician with Charles Babbage. Lady Byron had felt that an education in mathematics and logic would counteract any possible inherited tendency towards Lord Byron's insanity and romantic excess.
PAGNOL MARCEL: (1895-1974) French Filmmaker, Novelist & Playwright. An excellent vintage signed and inscribed 9 x 11.5 photograph by Pagnol, the image depicting him in a head and shoulders pose looking directly towards the camera. Photograph by Henri Moiroud. Signed ('Marcel') by Pagnol in bold, black fountain pen ink to a clear area at the base of the image and further inscribed ('a toi, mon cher Tintin, avec ma meilleure affection') in French and dated 1943 in his hand. Signed photographs of Pagnol of this size and quality are rare and desirable. VG Henri Moiroud (1911-1999) French Photographer who served as still photographer at Pagnol's film studios in Marseille from 1941-56. Pagnol became the first filmmaker to be elected to the Academie francaise in 1946 and is widely regarded as one of France's greatest 20th century writers and is notable for excelling in almost every medium - memoir, novel, drama and film.
DICKENS CHARLES: (1812-1870) English Novelist. A fine A.L.S., Charles Dickens (a good example, with paraph), one page, 8vo, Gad's Hill Place, Higham by Rochester, Kent, 26th June 1866, to George Dolby ('My dear Dolby'). Dickens writes, in full, 'Assuming that your domestic anxieties [regarding his wife's pregnancy] will be over by Saturday the 14th July, will you come down here on that day and arrange to stay over the Monday, so that we may see something of the country? I have asked Mr. Arthur Chappell for the same time and have told him (both by this same post) that I am writing to you'. With blank integral leaf. About EX George Dolby (1831-1900) English Theatre Manager, employed by the publishers Chappell & Co. to manage Dickens' reading tour of 1866. In her biography Dickens: A Life (2011) Claire Tomalin describes Dolby as 'a big man, full of energy, optimism and know-how, and talkative, with a stammer he bravely disregarded. He was thirty-five, just married, a theatre manager out of work and keen to take on the running of Dickens' next reading tour. He was sent by Chappell, the music publishers who were setting up the tour, and he won Dickens' confidence at once and quickly became a friend. They laughed and joked together like boys, and enjoyed the small rituals of travel'. Dolby wrote of his experiences in Charles Dickens As I Knew Him (1885). Samuel Arthur Chappell (1834-1904) English Publisher, youngest son of Samuel Chappell of the music publishers Chappell & Co. Dickens' last completed novel, Our Mutual Friend, had been published in 1865. In 1866, the year of the present letter, despite not being in the most robust health, Dickens accepted an offer of £1500 from Chappell & Co to participate in a series of thirty public readings in London and the provinces. It was the first such tour he had undertaken for three years. The tour concluded on 12th June 1866, shortly before the date of the present letter, and it would be reasonable to assume that the weekend planned by Dickens would give himself the opportunity to review the tour with Dolby and Chappell, and also discuss the next which was scheduled to start in the following January. Dickens created some of the world's best known fictional characters and his novels have enjoyed lasting popularity. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, critics and scholars of the 20th century have recognised Dickens as a literary genius.
EINSTEIN ALBERT: (1879-1955) German-born Theoretical Physicist, Nobel Prize winner for Physics, 1921. A.L.S., Albert, one page, 4to, n.p., n.d. (c.1930), to his first wife Mileva, in German. Einstein states that he is very much looking forward to seeing his younger son, Eduard ('Tetel') and will ensure that he will have a quiet and agreeable time, and has been informed by Professor Maier that Tetel will take a second class night train, 'I bow to high science and think it will do no harm', further observing that 'the lives of ordinary people with prescribed activities and daily routines are better for their nerves than the lives of the rich lazy classes' and also commenting on the debilitating nervous effect of indolence. Einstein continues in a somewhat bitter manner on the prospect of his son Hans Albert and daughter-in-law Frieda having a child, remarking 'I am sorry to hear that those in Dortmund are to have a child. This destiny must run its course, as tragic as it is'. In a postscript Einstein adds that a graphologist has been able to detect from Mileva's handwriting that she suffered from back pain, declaring 'Quite a feat!'. A few very small, minor tears to the edges of the folds, not affecting the text or signature, otherwise VG Mileva Maric (1875-1948) Serbian Physicist, the first wife of Albert Einstein from 1903-19. The couple had two sons, Hans Albert (1904-1973) Swiss-American Engineer & Educator and Eduard (1910-1965) who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20 and was committed to asylums for long periods of his life. Both sons are referred to in the present letter. In 1927 Hans Albert married Frieda Krecht ('those in Dortmund') and Albert Einstein disapproved of his daughter-in-law, much in the same way as his parents had of Mileva. Convinced of bad heredity in Frieda and equally bad genes in Hans Albert, inherited from Mileva's side, Albert Einstein prophesied disaster, as hinted at in the present letter, if the couple were to have children. Their first son, Bernhard, was born in 1930 and the couple had three other children, two of whom died at very early ages. Einstein developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics, and is best known in popular culture for his formula E=mc2, the world's most famous equation.
WRIGHT ORVILLE: (1871-1948) American Aviator who, with his brother Wilber, invented and built the world's first successful airplane, making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight on 17th December 1903. D.S., Orville Wright, being a signed cheque, Dayton, Ohio, 14th July 1917. The partially printed cheque, completed in another hand, is drawn on The Winters National Bank and is made payable to The Dayton Gas Company for the sum of $6.80. A perforated bank cancellation only very slightly touches the first letter of Wright's signature. The cheque has been attractively contained within a large reproduction image depicting the first flight of the Wright Flyer I in North Carolina on 17th December 1903. Orville Wright can be seen piloting the machine as his brother Wilbur runs alongside. Also contained within the display is a small 0.5 x 1 swatch of pale beige fabric, apparently taken from the original Wright Flyer I. Framed and glazed to an overall size of 22 x 18. VG Orville Wright, along with his brother Wilbur, were the inventors of the world's first successful airplane, conducting their first controlled flight of a power driven airplane in 1903. They subsequently became successful businessmen, filling contracts for airplanes in both the United States and Europe. Orville Wright is also known for developing technology for the US Army and spent the last three decades of his life serving on boards and committees related to aeronautics, including the predecessor to NASA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Orville & Wilbur Wright are together considered the 'fathers of modern aviation'.
FERDINAND II (1452-1516) King of Aragon 1479-1516 and, as Ferdinand V, King of Castile jure uxoris 1474-1504 & ISABELLA I (1451-1504) Queen of Castile 1474-1504. A good D.S. by both Ferdinand V ('Yo el Rey') and Isabella I ('Yo la Reyna') individually, at the foot, one page, oblong 8vo, n.p., 22nd July 1493, in Spanish. The boldly penned manuscript document authorises Juan de Ribera to act as their agent and states, in full, 'We beseech Don Juan de Ribera, Our Captain General in the frontier of Navarre and of Our Council, that he may speak to you of our transaction which we place at your disposal and we request that you fully vouch for and guarantee to the effect that such deed be executed' Countersigned at the foot by Fernando Alvarez, Secretary to the Monarchs, beneath a holograph statement ('Por mandato del Rey y de la Reyna'), mandating the document. With some extremely light, very minor age wear, otherwise a clean and handsome document, VGFerdinand II and Isabella I were bestowed the title of Rex Catholicissimus ('Catholic Monarchs') by Pope Alexander VI in 1494, the year after signing the present document, in recognition of their defence of the Catholic faith within their realms.The marriage of the Catholic Monarchs became the basis for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and Ferdinand and Isabella are also recognised for completing the Reconquista, as well as ordering conversion or exile of their Muslim and Jewish subjects in the Spanish Inquisition.However, their place in history is more commonly associated with the support and finance they granted with their sponsorship of Christopher Columbus for his first voyage of 1492 which led to the opening of the New World and to the establishment of Spain as the first global power which dominated Europe and much of the world for more than a century.The present document is dated between the first voyage of Columbus, which concluded on 15th March 1493, and the commencement of his second voyage on 24th September 1493.
ALEXANDER I: (1777-1825) Emperor of Russia 1801-25. Alexander was also the first Russian King of Poland (1815-25) and the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland (1809-25). D.S., Aleksandr, as Emperor, in Cyrillic, one page, folio, n.p., 4th July 1825, in Cyrillic. The attractively penned manuscript document is a decree addressed to the Chapter of the Orders of Russia and confers Knighthoods on Cossack Captain Popov and Councillor Ogarkov and states, in part, 'In recompense for the aid given to the inhabitants of the Colony of Sarepta by Marshal of the Nobility for Kamyshin and Tsaritsyn, Cossack Captain Popov, in putting out the fire suffered by them in 1823, and the Member of the Moscow Mountain Board Titular Councillor Ogarkov, in recompense for the distinguished zeal shown in his work….We Most Graciously appoint them Knights, the former of the Order of the Apostolic Prince St. Vladimir, 4th Class, and the latter of the Order of St. Anne, 3rd Class', further commanding the Chapter to deliver to them the certificates and insignia of the orders. Countersigned at the foot in the Settlement District of the 1st and 2nd Carabineer Regiments. With a very small, insignificant area of paper loss to the upper left edge, not affecting the text or signature, VG Alexander I succeeded to the Russian throne following the assassination of his father, Emperor Paul I. Alexander ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleonic Wars and he changed his country's position relative to France on four occasions between 1804 and 1812 among neutrality, opposition and alliance. In 1805 he joined Britain in the War of the Third Coalition against Napoleon, but after the massive defeat at the Battle of Austerlitz he switched and formed an alliance with Napoleon by the Treaty of Tilsit (1807). He and Napoleon could never agree, especially about Poland, and the alliance had collapsed by 1810. Emperor Alexander I's greatest triumph came in 1812 as Napoleon's invasion of Russia proved a total disaster for the French.
RUSSIAN IMPERIAL ROMANOV FAMILY: An exceptional vintage signed sepia 10.5 x 12.5 photograph by all seven members of the Russian Imperial Romanov family individually, comprising the last Emperor of Russia, his consort and their five children - Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918) Emperor of Russia 1894-1917 Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918) Empress Consort of Russia 1894-1917 Olga Nikolaevna (1895-1918) Grand Duchess of Russia, the eldest daughter of the Tsar and Tsarina Tatiana Nikolaevna (1897-1918) Grand Duchess of Russia Maria Nikolaevna (1899-1918) Grand Duchess of Russia Anastasia Nikolaevna (1901-1918) Grand Duchess of Russia, the youngest daughter of the Tsar and Tsarina and Alexei Nikolaevich (1904-1918) Tsarevich of Russia, the youngest child and only son of the Tsar and Tsarina. The circular image (6.5" diameter) depicts the Romanov Family in a group pose, the Tsar, wearing a military uniform, seated in a full length pose at the centre of his family, the Tsarina, wearing her tiara, standing in a full length pose behind her husband, with their children gathered around them, Grand Duchess Olga seated in a full length pose at the left of the image alongside her father, Grand Duchess Maria standing in a full length pose behind her father and alongside her mother, Grand Duchess Anastasia standing in a full length pose to the left of her parents and holding one arm around the shoulder of her brother, Tsarevich Alexei, who is seated in a full length pose, wearing a sailor suit, alongside Grand Duchess Tatiana who is seated in a full length pose at the right of the image. Each of the Grand Duchesses are seen wearing plain long white dresses. Photograph by the Imperial Russian Court photographers Boissonnas & Eggler of St. Petersburg and bearing their blind embossed stamp to the lower left corner of the photographer's mount. Signed ('Nicolas') by Tsar Nicholas II and signed ('Alexandra') by the Tsarina in bold, dark fountain pen inks with their names alone to the lower photographer's mount, and further signed ('Olga', 'Tatiana', 'Maria', 'Anastasia' and 'Alexis') by each of the Romanov children, also with their names alone in bold, dark fountain pen inks, to the lower photographer's mount and in a row immediately beneath the signatures of their parents. Lightly affixed to a beige matt with a gold border to an overall size of 12 x 14. A couple of very small, minor spots to the photographer's mount, not affecting the signatures, and some extremely light age toning, the matt with some light staining and age wear, VG AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE FULLY SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH BY THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL ROMANOV FAMILY Autographs of all of the Romanov family on a single item are extremely rare in any form, and the present signed photograph is of the utmost rarity. American Book Prices Current record only two items signed by multiple members of the Romanov family, although neither featured the complete set of seven signatures as the present photograph does. This photograph of the Russian Imperial Romanov family was one of a series taken at Livadia Palace in 1913 to mark the tercentenary of Romanov rule. An unsigned image from the same setting is housed in the Royal Collection Trust of Queen Elizabeth II (RCIN 2926945). A very similar image (again, unsigned) to the present photograph (Tsar Nicholas II with his hands gently clasped and Grand Duchess Olga with her head slightly tilted) is illustrated on the front cover dustjacket of the book Nicholas & Alexandra - The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia, published by Booth-Clibborn Editions, 1998, in conjunction with a major exhibition organised jointly by the Russian State Hermitage Museum and the State Archive of the Russian Federation. The same image is also reproduced on page 309 of the book (somewhat confusingly attributing the photograph to the studio of Levitsky and Co. with a date of 1914). The exhibition (which also featured contributions from the world-famous Forbes Magazine Collection) included many signed photographs, letters and documents, all of which are handsomely reproduced in the book. However, it would appear that no photograph signed by all seven members of the Romanov family was included in the exhibition, and it would appear safe to assume that had one existed within the major contributing archives to the exhibition then it would most certainly have been included. The apparent absence within the archives of a signed photograph similar to the one offered here can only serve to reinforce the extreme rarity of the present lot. It is interesting to note that both the Tsar and Tsarina, as well as each of their children, have signed the photograph not in Cyrillic, but in Latin script, most likely indicating that the photograph was originally signed for, and presented to, a European recipient, perhaps even a relative (the Tsar was a first cousin of King George V of the United Kingdom and had family ties to several other European monarchies). Furthermore, it is interesting that the Romanov family appended their signatures to the present image; the Imperial Russian Court photographers created a number of different images at the sitting at Livadia Palace and the fact that the Tsar and his family signed the present image from the series could be seen as an indication that this was their favourite image from the series. Provenance: The present signed photograph was previously contained within the archives of a European noble family. The reign of Tsar Nicholas II saw the fall of the Russian Empire from being one of the foremost great powers of the world to economic and military collapse. Two revolutions occurred in Russia in 1917, the first known as the February Revolution, the immediate result of which was the abdication of the Tsar and the end of the Romanov dynasty. The Russian Imperial Romanov family (the seven signatories of the present photograph) and all those who chose to accompany them into exile were executed by a firing squad at Yekaterinburg on 17th July 1918.
DUMAS ALEXANDRE: Pere (1802-1870) French Writer whose historical novels of high adventure include The Three Musketeers (1844). 'I must have finished my three acts by the 15th.'A.L.S., Alex. Dumas, one page, 8vo, n.p., n.d., to Porcher, in French. Dumas states `I will come to have dinner with you when my first act will be finished, and it won´t be finished before Wednesday´ further adding `When I go for dinner with you I will eat for three days like a wolf and a fool´ and concludes `I must have finished my three acts by the 15th. ´ With blind embossed monogram to the upper left corner. Some very light staining and minor age wear and a few small traces of former mounting to the left edge, not affecting the text or signature, about VG Jean Baptiste Porcher (1792-1864) & Alix Renique Porcher (1807-1887), French Theatrical Agents who used to purchase copyrights and ticket passes for their authors, later reselling them at the entrance doors of theatres. Dumas is one of the most widely read of French writers and his works have inspired more than 200 motion pictures.
SCOTT ROBERT FALCON: (1868-1912) British Antarctic Explorer. A very fine, rare vintage signed sepia 7 x 10 photograph, the photogravure image depicting Scott standing in a half length pose, c.1900. Photograph by J. Thomson of London and bearing his blind embossed Royal Warrant to the lower photographer's mount. Signed ('Con') by Scott with his family name in dark fountain pen ink to a light area of the image. Some light age wear and very minor mottling to the photographer's mount and very slightly irregularly trimmed to the left and right edges, about VG 'Scott of the Antarctic' led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: The Discovery Expedition of 1901-04 and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition of 1910-13. On the first expedition he set a new southern record and discovered the Polar Plateau on which the South Pole is located. During the second venture Scott led a party of five which reached the South Pole on 17th January 1912 after Roald Amundsen's Norwegian Expedition.On their return journey, Scott and his companions died from a combination of exhaustion, starvation and extreme cold. Following the news of his death Scott became a celebrated hero and national icon.
HUGO VICTOR: (1802-1885) French Poet and Novelist. A.L.S., Victor Hugo, one page, 8vo, 17th May [1849], to [Athanase Laurent Charles] Coquerel, in French. Hugo writes a letter of introduction and states, in part, `It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Mr. Gayard, member of our Peace Congress. He is a distinguished writer and a bearer and friend of the higher Christian thoughts whose apostle is yourself. ´ With blank integral leaf. VG Athanase Laurent Charles Coquerel (1795-1868) French Protestant Theologian and Politician. Coquerel was elected deputy of the Constituent Assembly following the revolution of February 1848 and four days before the present letter was written he had become a member of the Legislative Assembly in the French Parliamentary elections of 13th & 14th May 1849. The French Poet, Novelist and Dramatist of the Romantic Movement, Hugo is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France his literary fame comes first from his poetry, however outside of France his best-known works are the novels Les Miserables (1862) and Notre-Dame de Paris (1831; known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). Hugo also earned respect as a campaigner for social causes, such as the abolition of capital punishment. (See also lot 71)
BEAUHARNAIS JOSEPHINE DE: (1763-1814) Empress of the French 1804-14, the first wife of Napoleon I. L.S., Lapagerie Bonaparte, two pages, 8vo, n.p. (Chateau de Malmaison?), 30th May 1800, to an unidentified recipient, in French. Josephine thanks her correspondent for the plants which she had been promised and informs her correspondent that her gardener (Alexander Howatson?) will receive and take care of the plants, which she provides a list of, and which includes a rose, as well as various species of Eucalyptus, Magnolia, Laurel and Hibiscus etc. She further invites her correspondent to visit her garden and provide her with some advice. The text of the letter is in the hand of Mme. De Remusat. Some very light, minor age wear, otherwise VG In 1799, while Napoleon was in Egypt, Josephine purchased the Chateau de Malmaison. She had it landscaped in an English style, hiring landscapers and horticulturalists from the United Kingdom including Thomas Blaikie, a Scottish horticultural expert, and Alexander Howatson, a Scottish gardener. The rose garden was begun soon after purchase and Josephine took a personal interest in the gardens and the roses, as illustrated by the present letter, and learned a great deal about botany and horticulture from her staff. Josephine wanted to collect all known roses so Napoleon ordered his warship commanders to search all seized vessels for plants to be forwarded to Malmaison. The English nurseryman Kennedy was a major supplier and, despite England and France being at war, his shipments were allowed to cross blockades. Sir Joseph Banks, Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, also sent her roses. The general assumption is that she had about 250 roses in her garden when she died in 1814. Unfortunately, the roses were not catalogued during her tenure, however Josephine produced the first written history of the cultivation of roses, and is believed to have hosted the first rose exhibition, in 1810. The present letter was written just nine days before the Battle of Montebello on 9th June 1800, part of the lead-up to the Battle of Marengo on 14th June 1800, when the vanguard of the French Army in Italy engaged and defeated an Austrian force in a glorious victory. In 1795 Josephine Beauharnais met Napoleon Bonaparte, six years her junior, for the first time. She became his mistress and in January 1796 Napoleon proposed to her. The marriage was not well accepted by Napoleon's family, who were shocked that he had married an older woman with two children. As the wife of Napoleon, Josephine became the first Empress Consort of the French and was crowned by Pope Pius VII at Notre Dame de Paris on 2nd December 1804. She did not bear Napoleon any children and, as a result, he divorced her in 1810 to marry Marie Louise of Austria.
FLENSBURG GOVERNMENT:An extremely rare and historically important Top Secret document prepared by Commodore Tully Shelley, Intelligence Officer with the U.S. Navy, 36 pages (originally 37, unfortunately lacking the first page), folio, n.p. (SHAEF Headquarters, Germany), 19th June 1945. The carbon typed document represents the original English translation of the daily notes prepared by Walter Ludde-Neurath in his capacity as personal adjutant to Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz, and date from 2nd – 17th May 1945 at the time when Doenitz was serving as head of the Flensburg Government. The momentous document was completed under the instruction of Major General Sir Kenneth Strong commences with a summary of its contents, the salient points listed in numbered paragraphs from 4-11 (1-3 evidently originally on the missing first page), in part, ‘Historically enclosure (A) is a document of great value, and for the immediate future there can be gained from the document a very good insight in to the aim of the Doenitz government.… the Doenitz Government accepted this report of Hitler’s death as a fact and acted thereon accordingly. It is very interesting to note that Doenitz acted upon Bormann’s despatch and completely disregarded Goebbels’ later despatch insofar as the formation of the new government was concerned.…...Doenitz expressed himself very forcefully as favouring co-operation with the Western Powers… Doctor Rössner on the 17 May 1945 reported the recent growing development among the troops and officers toward Eastern orientation… Thoughts were developing among German officers that the German Fleet should be sailed to Kronstadt instead of to English harbours. In addition, further centers of attraction favouring the Russian side were set forth, such as: (a) The hoped for rapid re-establishment of national unity, quoting Stalin, “Germany must not be dismembered”….(c) A better provisional outlook in the East for each professional soldier….In conversation with Dr. Rössner, Doenitz branded such a position as monstrously short-sighted…but no one considers the price which in the long run we would have to pay: the giving up of Volkische existence…(following a meeting between Doenitz, Speer, Wegener, Keitel, Jodl and Wagner on 11th May 1945 to discuss the problem of East vs. West)…the Russians occupy that portion of Germany east of the Elbe, which was from the standpoint of supplying food an area of overabundance…. He (the Russian) will find it easy to create bearable living conditions… in conjunction with dexterous management and propaganda threatens the Bolshevization of the largest part of the population in this area. The West has been an area of agricultural scarcity… refuges… sizeable overpopulation… The inevitable results are hunger, epidemic and the promotion of radicalism among the masses…. And knowledge of the happier fate of the East German area will do the rest for the Bolshevization of this part of Germany too. The problems of this world and in particular of Europe have not been settled by this war…future disruption and the hope for a bettering of our fate lead people to seek the path of least sacrifice… the East appears enticing. The complete lack of understanding of the Anglo-Americans of these problems and their short sighted, colonial-minded management of the German people leads further in the direction of throwing us into the arms of the Russians. If the foregoing problems are not soon carried through to an energetic solution, the developments will necessarily bear Bolshevistic fruit.’ and continues with the complete English translations of Ludde-Neurath’s daily notes commencing on 2nd May 1945 and which state, in part, ‘Minutes of discussions and decisions…Radio despatch 1807/30/ag 14. Received: 30 April 1835 Contents: F R R Grand Admiral Doenitz: The Fuhrer has designated you as his successor instead of ex-Reichsmarschall Goering. Written confirmation follows. From now on, you will order such measures as will be found necessary in the current situation…(in reply)…My Fuhrer, my loyalty to you will be unconditional. I shall make every effort in order to relieve you in Berlin. Nevertheless if fate forces me to lead the German Reich as your chosen successor, I shall conduct this war to the end in a manner befitting this unique heroic struggle… of the German Volk. Radio despatch 1446/1/ag 32 Transmitted: 1 May 1518 Contents: F R R Grand Admiral (Top Secret. Officer messenger only!). The Führer died yesterday at 1530. The testament of 29 April confers on you the office of Reichespresident… Reichsleiter Bormann is trying to get to you today in order to brief you on the situation. Goebbels…..Daily notes 2 May 1945 1030 hrs......Translation of enclosure (C) 19 May 1945 …Subj.: Geneva prisoner of war and wounded convention of 1929 and Hague rules for land warfare of 1907…..…The unconditionalness of the military surrender means, as has been previously laid down, juristically speaking, only that the insistence of the enemy on full disarmament, etc., must be undertaken without contradiction or reservation. As for the rest, the enemy has relative to the Geneva and Hague Conventions no further reaching rights than those… In regards to article 5 of the Convention on prisoners of war, according to which prisoners have the duty upon questioning to reveal only their true names, ranks and numbers… the obligation of secrecy does not stand any longer on account of the unconditional surrender… prisoners can incur punishment… if they give no answer or an incorrect answer if they are questioned regarding their membership of the NSDAP….Since the war from the German side was conducted according to repeated declarations of the former German authorities as a battle of “Weltanschauugen”, the Allies must be presumed to have the authority… to examine all Germans whether they are or not to be employed as public functionaries in the administration of the occupied area…’ Each page bears the red stamped words TOP SECRET at the head and with two file holes to the head of each page, some small tears, creasing, light age wear and small areas of paper loss to the head of most pages, generally GA VITALLY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT DETAILING THE VERY FINAL STAGES OF THE THIRD REICHWalter Ludde-Neurath (b.1914) German Kriegsmarine officer of World War II, Personal Adjutant to Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz from 1944-45. The present lot is accompanied by a copy of a T.L.S. by Ludde-Neurath, one page, 4to, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 13th November 1980, in German. Writing in response to having been sent a copy of the present document, Ludde-Neurath replied ‘I naturally find it extremely interesting that a carbon copy of my daily notes has suddenly appeared. As far as my recollection goes I had only two originals produced and only the one carbon copy. It is evidently this latter one which has now been offered to you’. Ludde-Neurath used his daily notes as the basis for his book Unconditional Surrender – A Memoir of the Last Days of the Third Reich and the Donitz Administration (2010) being the English translation of Regierung Donitz: die letzen Tage des Dritten Reiches originally published in 1950.Provenance: The present document was previously the property of Major General Sir Kenneth Strong, General Eisenhower’s Chief of Intelligence, and produced for his own personal evaluation of the workings of the Flensburg Government. Owing to restrictions imposed by the-saleroom the complete catalogue description can not be shown here. Please contact the auctioneers for further details.
WORLD WAR II:An extremely rare and historically important original flow-chart, the partially printed document, completed in typescript, is entitled Gliederung Oberkommando d. Wehrmacht, one page, oblong folio, n.p. (Flensburg), May 1945, in German. The organisational diagram showing the composition of the German Army High Command (OKW) as at 10th May 1945, with Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel as Chef OKW/Chefgruppe and Generaloberst Alfred Jodl as Chef Wehrmachtsfuhrungsstab and also identifies the ranks of various other German officers within the structure of the OKW including Hermann Reinecke, Rudolf Lehmann, Siegfried Adolf Handloser, Leopold Bürkner, Erich Dethleffsen and Heinz Assmann. Some light overall creasing and some tears and areas of paper loss to some edges and corners, professionally restored in places, GProvenance: The present document was previously the property of Major General Sir Kenneth Strong, General Eisenhower's Chief of Intelligence, and retained by him as an historical souvenir of the end of World War II in Europe.The present document was produced at the insistence of the Allies when a SHAEF Control Party visited Doenitz’s headquarters at Flensburg on 12th May 1945. The team comprised fourteen Americans led by Major General Lowell W. Rooks and eleven British under Brigadier E.J. Foord. A meeting was convened between 8.25pm and 8.45pm on the 12th May with the OKW representative, Colonel Meyer-Detring. As a result OKW were ordered to produce by 10am on the 13th May a number of documents relating to the composition of the Armed Forces and their senior commanders. The present document was one of those so produced and is historically significant in that it is the last OKW organisational diagram to include Field Marshall Keitel as its chief. However, by midday, Germany’s new Chancellor, Grand Admiral Döenitz, was advised that the Supreme Commander of the Army High Command, Field Marshal Keitel was, on the instructions of General Eisenhower, to be relieved of his post immediately and treated as a prisoner of war. Colonel General Jodl assumed Keitel’s position until both the Acting German Government and the German High Command were dissolved, and its members arrested, on the 23rd May 1945.Four days after the surrender at Reims, General Eisenhower ordered General Rooks, a deputy G-3 of SHAEF, to establish a Control Party at Flensburg in order to impose the will of the Supreme Commander on the OKW in the areas of Germany occupied by the Western Allies. Headed by General der Infanterie Friedrich Fangohr, Rook’s orders were to compile information about the German command system through the collection and safeguarding of all OKW documents at FIensburg. Following Field Marshal Keitel’s arrest, General Jodl assured the Allied general that he would undertake to carry out SHAEF directives in the interests of maintaining order and saving the German people from catastrophe. Meanwhile, Doenitz declared that the German armed forces had taken an oath to him personally and would obey his orders. He understood the critical situation that the Reich now found itself in, with severe shortages of food, currency, and fuel. The focus had shifted from military to civilian needs, in which Doenitz felt compelled to organised through a central German authority. General Rooks brushed suggestion aside, stating that SHAEF army group commanders would organise their own zonal affairs, and that the OKW would only be involved in matters common to all Allied zones. On the 17th May, Doenitz’s censored statement to the German people removed any doubts or aspirations the fledgling continuation government had of leading its citizens, "The German Reich has had to capitulate because it was at the end of its power of resistance. The first consequence that we have to draw is the most loyal fulfilment of the demands made on us. There must be no officer and no soldier, who would try by illegal means to evade the consequences which have arisen out of the last war and an unconditional surrender." Despite these evidences of co-operation, messages of were still being transmitted from inside the OKW enclave that were angering the Allies, including arrangements made to established a German chain of command through which it could carry out the initial steps of disbanding the enemy forces. This prompted the imposition of censorship of Flensburg radio and its ultimate closure. Other criticisms arose when senior Allied officers were photographed in friendly poses with high-level German commanders and when reports were printed that enemy leaders were receiving special treatment, and that some members of the old regime might be perpetuated in power. On 19th May, the Supreme Commander directed the 21 Army Group to consult with the SHAEF control party at Flensburg and then to arrest the members of Doenitz' "so-called government" and of OKW. On the morning of 23rd May, General Rooks summoned Doenitz, Jodl, and Friedeburg to his office and informed them of the Supreme Commander's order. The officers were then put under guard, but, despite all precautions, Admiral Friedeburg killed himself by taking poison. With the arrest of Doenitz and members of his staff, the main work of the SHAEF Control Party at Flensburg was ended. General Rooks indicated his intention of leaving the area about 27th May and handed over local control to a small joint U.S.-British Ministerial Control Party. However, he retained general policy control of the southern branch of OKW which was still in existence and made attempts to disband German forces in that sector. Wilhelm Keitel (1882-1946) German Field Marshal who served as Chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces) for most of World War II, making him the Chief of Defense for Germany.Alfred Jodl (1890-1946) German General, who served as the Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command (OKW). After the war, Jodl was indicted on the charges of conspiracy to commit crime against peace; planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression; war crimes; and crimes against humanity.The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (or OKW), part of the command structure of the German armed forces during World War II. It served as the military general staff for Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, coordinating the efforts of the German Army (Heer), Navy (Kriegsmarine), and Air Force (Luftwaffe). In theory, the OKW was only Hitler's military office, was charged with translating Hitler's ideas into military orders, and had little real control over the Army, Navy and the Air Force High Commands. The OKW was headed for the entire war by Wilhelm Keitel and reported directly to Hitler, from whom most operational orders actually originated as he had made himself Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht (Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces). Alfred Jodl was Keitel's Chef des Wehrmachtführungsstabes (Chief of Operation Staff).Owing to restrictions imposed by the-saleroom the complete catalogue description can not be shown here. Please contact the auctioneers for further details.
HUGO VICTOR: (1802-1885) French Poet and Novelist. Vintage signed sepia cabinet photograph, the oval image depicting Hugo in a head and shoulders pose. Photograph by M. Lopez of Paris. Signed by Hugo in bold black fountain pen ink with his name alone to the lower photographer's mount. Matted in dark brown and framed and glazed in a decorative frame to an overall size of 10 x 12. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VG The French Poet, Novelist and Dramatist of the Romantic Movement, Hugo is considered one of the greatest and best-known French writers. In France his literary fame comes first from his poetry, however outside of France his best-known works are the novels Les Miserables (1862) and Notre-Dame de Paris (1831; known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame). Hugo also earned respect as a campaigner for social causes, such as the abolition of capital punishment. (See also lot 55)
EDWARD VI: (1537-1553) King of England & Ireland 1547-53. Son of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and England's first monarch to be raised as a Protestant. A good, rare D.S., Edward, as King, at the head, one page (vellum), oblong folio, Manor of St. James's, 24th May 1547. The manuscript document is a Warrant addressed to Richard Bonnye (or Bunny), Receiver of the Royal Rents and Revenues in the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire, the Bishopric of Durham and the Archdeaconry of Richmond, commanding him to annually deliver to Sir Thomas Grey, Treasurer of the town of Berwick, the sum of £3000 for payment of the fees and wages of the officers and soldiers of the town. Countersigned at the foot by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset ('E: Somerset'; c.1500-1552, Lord Protector of England 1547-49 during the minority of his nephew, King Edward VI) and five other members of the Privy Council comprising John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford ('J Russell'; c.1485-1554/55, Lord Privy Seal 1542-55 and Lord High Steward, for the Coronation of King Edward VI, 1547) Sir Thomas Cheney ('T Cheyne'; c.1485-1558, English Administrator & Diplomat, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in South East England 1536-58), Sir Anthony Denny ('A D….' a large part of the signature worn away, 1501-1549, Groom of the Stool, a confidant of King Henry VIII who attended the monarch on his death bed), Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel ('H. Arundell', 1512-1580, English Nobleman, Lord Chamberlain) and Sir Ralph Sadler ('R. Sadleyr', 1507-1587, English Statesman, Secretary of State 1540-43, Master of the Great Wardrobe 1543-53). With a large portion of the blind embossed paper seal of the Privy Council affixed. A small diamond shaped spindle hole appears in the upper left margin, not affecting the text or signatures, some light overall creasing and minor dust staining and with a few very small holes to the lower edge and the upper edge a little frayed. A small area of text to the right side of the document is a little rubbed and a few words are partially illegible, G A rare document signed by the nine-year old King Edward VI in the first year of his reign, four months after the death of King Henry VIII, and countersigned by his uncle, Edward Seymour, leader of the Regency Council. Sir Thomas Grey (c.1509-1570), the beneficiary of the present Warrant, served as Justice of the Peace for Northumberland 1547-54 and as Treasurer for Berwick-upon-Tweed 1547-50. The fall of Edward Seymour as Protector in 1550 cost Grey the treasurership of Berwick, which was transferred to Richard Bunny (c.1513-1584) to whom the present Warrant is addressed. Provenance: The present document was formerly contained in the collection of Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872) English Antiquary and Book Collector who amassed the largest collection of manuscripts in the 19th century. The document was sold by Sotheby's on 27th June 1977 (lot 4865, MS 25912) and most likely derived from the collection formed by the antiquary John Wilson of Broomhead (1719-1783) which included a volume of Bunny's paper as receiver of the Northern Revenues. The third of the Tudor monarchs, King Edward VI's reign was marked by economic problems and social unrest that culminated in riot and rebellion in 1549. The transformation of the church into a recognisably Protestant body also occurred under Edward, the architect of the reforms being Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, whose Book of Common Prayer is still used. King Edward VI fell ill in February 1553 and died at the young age of 15.
SULLIVAN ARTHUR: (1842-1900) English Composer. Early A.L.S., Arthur S. Sullivan, two pages, 8vo, Claverton Terrace, St. George's Road, 19th September 1864, to William John Beale. Sullivan writes to accept, with pleasure, his correspondent's kind invitation to dinner on the 27th, 'especially as it will afford me an opportunity of again meeting some of my kind Birmingham friends'. About EX William John Beale (1807-1883) British Solicitor, the founder of the legal firm Beale & Co. of Birmingham and London. At the head of a highly successful company, whose clients included the Midland Bank, Beale's philanthropic efforts included supporting Birmingham's Triennial Music Festival. Sullivan's association with works for voice and orchestra began with The Masque at Kenilworth, a cantata that premiered at the Birmingham Triennial Festival on 8th September 1864, a little over a week before the present letter was written. It was also in 1864 that Sullivan composed his first ballet, L'Ile Enchantee, one of his best received early pieces of work. Arthur Sullivan is most remembered for his series of fourteen operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. At the time of his death Sullivan was regarded as Britain's foremost composer and his comic opera style served as a model for the generations of musical theatre composers that followed, and his music is still frequently performed, recorded and pastiched.
[NICHOLAS II]: (1868-1918) Emperor of Russia 1894-1917.A fine white glazed china plate with the blue Kuznetsov Porcelain factory mark (c.1908), originating from a service used by Tsar Nicholas II and the Imperial Russian Romanov family on board the Russian Imperial yacht Standart. The plate (diameter 9") is decorated with two gilt bands at the rims and a double-headed eagle featuring the Russian Imperial arms of the Tsar, hand decorated in black, gold, blue and red. With some minor age wear to the outer gilt rim and some very minor paint loss to the centre of the eagle crest, about VG Matvey Kuznetsov, owned almost all of the porcelain factories in Russia, including those at Verbilki, Gzhel Disctrict, Dulyovo, the village of Pesochnoye and Yaroslavl Province. The present china was made for the Imperial family at the time of the coronation in 1896 and replacements were manufactured until 1914. Although a considerable quantity was produced over the years a survey after World War I found only about 1000 pieces had survived.The Standart was launched in 1895 and was in her time the largest Imperial Yacht afloat. Standart was fitted out with ornate fixtures, including mahogany paneling, crystal chandeliers, and other amenities that made the vessel a suitable floating palace for the Russian Imperial Romanov Family. Tsar Nicholas II and his family were vacationing on the Standart during the summer of 1914, when they received the news of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. The reign of Tsar Nicholas II saw the fall of the Russian Empire from being one of the foremost great powers of the world to economic and military collapse. Two revolutions occurred in Russia in 1917, the first known as the February Revolution, the immediate result of which was the abdication of the Tsar and the end of the Romanov dynasty. The Russian Imperial Romanov and all those who chose to accompany them into exile were executed by a firing squad at Yekaterinburg on 17th July 1918.
CASEMENT ROGER: (1864-1916) Irish Patriot, Revolutionary and Nationalist, executed for treason. A.L.S., Roger Casement, three pages, folio, Lourenco Marques, Mozambique, 29th May 1897, to His Excellency the Governor of Mauritius. Casement writes in his capacity as a British Diplomat and Consul and announces, for the information of the next of kin, that the Director of the Civil and Military Hospital in Lourenco had deposited £6.11.10 with him, 'belonging to a native of Mauritius whom the hospital authorities styled "Luiz Oguis", who died… on the 4th…' Casement continues to state that, from other sources, he has been informed that 'a native of Mauritius named Louis Auguste, a mason by profession was admitted to the hospital some time ago suffering from a contagious disease.' In concluding he asks which authority in Mauritius should be sent the money. Some extensive, neat splitting to central fold (repaired), small tears to edges and light water staining, just affecting a few words of text but not the signature, G Casement worked in the Congo for Henry Morton Stanley and the African International Association from 1884 before joining the Colonial Service, under the authority of the Colonial Office, first serving overseas as a clerk in British West Africa before transferring to the Foreign Office service as British Consul in the eastern part of the French Congo. Casement has been described as the 'father of 20th century human rights investigations', in recognition of his Casement Report on the Congo (1905) in which he exposed the abuses of the enslavement, mutilation and torture of natives on the rubber plantations, and his important investigations of human rights abuses in Peru, which led to his knighthood in 1911. During World War I Casement sought the aid of the German military for the 1916 Easter Rising which sought to gain Irish independence from British rule. As a result he was arrested, convicted and executed for treason.
PICASSO PABLO: (1881-1973) Spanish Painter, a co-founder of the Cubist movement. An exceptional vintage signed and inscribed 7 x 9 photograph of Picasso standing outdoors in a half length pose wearing an overcoat, scarf and with a plain dark beret upon his head. In one hand he holds a lit cigarette. Signed in bold, dark fountain pen ink at the head of the image, 'Para Jaime Sabartes, esta fotografia hecha en Tolosa en donde estuviamos juntos este invierno, Picasso' and dated 1946 in his hand. A very fine signed portrait with an excellent association. Lightly mounted and professionally and handsomely matted in white and framed and glazed in a plain, light coloured wooden frame to an overall size of 20.5 x 24.5. VG Jaime Sabartes (1881-1968) Catalan Spanish Artist, Poet and Writer. Sabartes was a close personal friend of Picasso whom he first met in 1899 (the same year in which Picasso painted his first portrait of Sabartes). In 1935 Sabartes became Picasso's secretary and administrator, organising his papers, books and poems, as well as taking responsibility for arranging exhibitions. Sabartes collected a great many works by Picasso which he donated to the Museu Picasso in Barcelona in 1963 forming the core of this gallery which was initially known as the Sabartes collection. His books and papers were donated to the Museo Picasso in Málaga. The inscription on the present photograph translates as 'For Jaime Sabartes, this photograph was made in Tolosa where we were together this winter, Picasso'. Picasso demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent in his early years and went on to create art in a variety of mediums (paintings, sculptures, ceramics) and also worked as a stage designer, poet and playwright. One of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, he is remembered for co-founding the Cubist movement.
LINDBERGH CHARLES: (1902-1974) American Aviator who made the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, 20th - 21st May 1927. An excellent vintage signed 10 x 7.5 photograph, the historic image depicting Lindbergh standing in a full length pose on the balcony of a Parisian building on the occasion of the aviator being a guest of honour at a reception organised by the Aero-Club de France following the completion of his historic flight the day before. Lindbergh is accompanied on the balcony by American Ambassador Myron Herrick and two United States flags can be seen flying either side of the large circular emblem of the Aero-Club de France. Photograph by Henri Manuel of Paris and signed by him in pencil to the lower photographer's mount and also featuring his blindstamp to the lower left corner of the image. Signed ('Charles A. Lindbergh') in bold black fountain pen ink with his name alone to a clear area of the image. Matted in black and cream to an overall size of 15 x 12.5. VG Henri Manuel (1874-1947) French Photographer who served as the official photographer of the French government from 1914-44. Myron T. Herrick (1854-1929) American Politician, Governor of Ohio 1904-06 and Ambassador to France 1912-14 and 1921-29. Herrick hosted Lindbergh in Paris after his successful New York to Paris Atlantic crossing and the Ambassador wrote of the experience 'The next day [22nd May 1927, the day on which the present photograph was captured] serious business began. The President wanted to see him, Monsieur Poincare wanted to see him, the Aero Club arranged a reception, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate both invited him to pay them a visit and suspended their sitting to receive him; a medal was struck in his honour, the city of Paris gave him a reception, he was decorated, feted and adored. He deserved it all, and it was fine to see him bearing himself throughout like the charming young gentleman he is'. The Aero-Club de France played a significant role in Lindbergh's historic flight. The certification of the aviator's flight required several documents to prove the performance. A sealed barograph, an instrument working with atmospheric pressure, was loaded on the Spirit of St. Louis; its six-hour cylinder recorded the altitudes flown and proved that the flight was uninterrupted. The start of the flight was attested by the US National Aeronautic Association and the Procés-verbal established by the Aero-Club de France on Lindbergh's arrival attested that the barograph was found sealed and reported that 322 litres of gas (85 gallons) remained in the sealed tanks. This Procés-verbal was signed by no less than 13 French officials, as well as Myron Herrick, the Belgian Air Attaché Willy Coppens and, of course, Lindbergh himself. Charles Lindbergh emerged from virtual obscurity as a U.S. Air Mail pilot to instantaneous world fame as a result of his solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris in 1927. He became an instant hero and his feat inspired an enthusiastic interest in aviation. (See also lot 170).
GEORGE III: (1738-1820) King of the United Kingdom 1760-1820. L.S., Georguis R, with holograph subscription ('Maj:tis V:ro Bonus Frater, Consanguineus et Amicus', in Latin), one page, folio, St. James's, 30th June 1772, to King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies, in Latin. King George III acknowledges the receipt of his correspondent's communication announcing the news of the birth of a Princess whom the Queen, his spouse, with the help of divine providence, has brought into the world and continues to send his good wishes for the happiness of the newly born Princess and for the prosperity of the King's entire family. Countersigned at the foot by William Nassau de Zuylestein (1717-1781) 4th Earl of Rochford. British Courtier, Diplomat and Statesman, Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1770-75. With integral address leaf with a blind embossed paper seal affixed (small area of paper loss at the base of the page, caused by the original breaking of the seal). An attractive letter featuring an elegant example of King George III's signature. VG Ferdinand I (1751-1825) King of the Two Sicilies 1816-25, previously King Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples 1759-99, 1799-1806 & 1815-16 and King Ferdinand III of the Kingdom of Sicily 1759-1816. Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily (1772-1807) Eldest Daughter of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and his wife, Marie Caroline of Austria (1752-1814). The Princess was born on 6th June 1772 and later served as the last Holy Roman Empress (1792-1806) and the first Empress of Austria (1804-07). King George III's reign, longer than that of any British monarch before him, was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms. Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, becoming the dominant European power in North America and India. However, many of Britain's American colonies were soon lost in the American War of Independence. Further wars against revolutionary and Napoleonic France from 1793 concluded in the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC HENRI DE: (1864-1901) French Painter & Illustrator. A.L.S., T-Lautrec, three pages, 8vo, Paris, n.d. (1898?), to 'Mon cher Theo' (van Rysselberghe), in French. The artist informs his friend that he has returned from Spain, where he met Dario, and is now leaving for London in four days, asking van Rysselberghe to supply him with the address of a dealer in London where he can buy some items. Toulouse-Lautrec also enquires as to when his correspondent will be in Paris next as they must go to see a home when it is finished. In concluding he remarks that a mutual acquaintance will be going to Brussels shortly and will meet van Rysselberghe. Autograph letters of Toulouse-Lautrec are rare as a result of his untimely death at the age of 36. One slight paperclip rust stain to the first page, not affecting the text or signature, otherwise VG Theo van Rysselberghe (1862-1926) Belgian Neo-Impressionist Painter who played a pivotal role in the European art scene at the turn of the 20th century. Co-founder of Les XX (1883). Rysselberghe had first met Toulouse-Lautrec in 1887 and was highly appreciative of his talent. Toulouse-Lautrec's family were Anglophiles and, though not as fluent as he pretended to be, the artist spoke English well enough to travel to London, exhibiting works at Goupil's Gallery in May 1898. Whilst in London Toulouse-Lautrec made posters, including the 'Confetti' poster, and the bicycle advert 'La Chaine Simpson'. It was at this time that he also met and befriended Oscar Wilde. Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris in the late 19th century, allowing himself to produce a collection of enticing, elegant and provocative images of the modern, and often decadent, life of those times. He is among the best-known painters of the Post-Impressionist period, along with Cezanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin.
LOUIS XVI: (1754-1793) King of France and Navarre 1774-1791, King of the French 1791-92. The only King of France to have been executed. D.S., Louis, as King, at the conclusion, two pages (vellum), folio, Versailles, May 1786, in French. The document is a Letters Patent addressed to the Bishop of St. Brieuc, authorising him to purchase, according to the King´s derogation, some properties which were pending the decisions of the Court, and which the Bishop claims he requires, stating '..the Bishop of St. Brieuc has explained in his request of 26th March 1785 that he has begun to re-build his Epicospal Palace which is in ruins, that he would need to have enough space to create a courtyard and a second lower courtyard with a sufficient extension because at the present date he does not have the sufficient space....and that he will not be able to obtain it unless he can acquire two houses..´ further explaining `according to all said, and having seen the sale contracts, the Council has approved and permits, and we sign the present document, authorising the Bishop of St. Brieuc to exercise the feudal revocation and to purchase the aforementioned properties.' With several countersignatures at the conclusion of the document, including those of Louis Charles Auguste le Tonnelier de Breteuil and Armand Thomas Hue de Miromesnil.Some overall age wear and dust staining and some small areas of paper loss (just affecting a few words of text) to the right edge and a neat, irregular tear to the lower left corner, not affecting the text or signatures, about G Hugues-François de Regnauld de Bellescize (1732-1796) French Clergyman, Bishop of the Catholic Church of St. Brieuc from 1774. Louis Charles Auguste le Tonnelier de Breteuil (1730-1807) French Aristocrat, Diplomat, Statesman & Politician. He was the last Prime Minister of the Bourbon Monarchy, appointed by King Louis XVI just one hundred hours before the storming of the Bastille. Armand Thomas Hue de Miromesnil (1723-1796) French Minister, Keeper of the Seals under King Louis XVI. King Louis XVI, the husband of Marie Antoinette, daughter of the Emperor and Empress of Austria, succeeded his grandfather, Louis XV, as King of France in 1774. French support of the colonists in the American War of Independence had brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy and the King initially supported attempts by his ministers to relieve France's financial problems. Meanwhile, accusations of frivolity, extravagance and scandalous behaviour against the Queen, Marie Antoinette, further discredited the monarchy. In 1789, to avert the deepening crisis, Louis agreed to summon the 'estates-general' (a form of parliament, but without real power) in order to try and raise taxes. This was the first time the body had met since 1614. Angered by Louis' refusal to allow the three estates - the first (clergy), second (nobles) and third (commons) - to meet simultaneously, the Third Estate proclaimed itself a national assembly, declaring that only it had the right to represent the nation. Rumours that the king intended to suppress the assembly provoked the popular storming of the Bastille prison, a symbol of repressive royal power, on 14 July 1789. In October, Louis and his family were forced by the mob to return to Paris from their palace at Versailles. In June 1791, they attempted to escape, which was considered proof of Louis' treasonable dealings with foreign powers. He was forced to accept a new constitution, thereby establishing a constitutional monarchy. Nonetheless, against a background of military defeat by Austria and Prussia, the revolutionary leadership was becoming increasingly radicalised. In September 1792, the new National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Louis was found guilty of treason and executed at the guillotine on 21 January 1793, bringing to an end more than a thousand years of continuous French monarchy. Marie Antoinette was executed nine months later.
APOLLO XI: A good signed colour 5 x 3.5 photograph by all three crew members of Apollo XI (1969) individually, comprising Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) American Astronaut, Commander of Apollo XI. The first man to walk on the Moon, Buzz Aldrin (1930- ) American Astronaut, Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo XI. The second man to walk on the Moon and Michael Collins (1930- ) American Astronaut, Command Module Pilot of Apollo XI. The candid image depicts NASA's Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF), with Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins inside, shortly after having been unloaded from a United States Air Force C-141 transport aircraft at Ellington Air Force in Houston following a flight from Hawaii. The large crowds of onlookers gathered to welcome back the astronauts following their historic lunar landing mission can be seen at the edges of the runway. Signed by Armstrong in blue ink and by Aldrin and Collins in bold black inks, each with their names alone and largely to clear areas at the head of the image. An unusual and historic signed photograph, EX Apollo XI represented the first spaceflight to land humans on the Moon, achieving the remarkable feat on 20th July 1969. Armstrong, Aldrin & Collins are arguably the most intrepid explorers the world has known; indeed, Armstrong, who had concerns regarding the mission and believed there was only a 50% chance of successfully landing on the Moon, later stated 'I was elated, ecstatic and extremely surprised that we were successful'
[PHILIP & MARY]: [PHILIP II] (1527-1598) King of Spain 1556-98, King of Portugal 1581-98 & King of England and Ireland jure uxoris 1554-58 & [MARY I] (1516-1558) Queen of England 1553-58 & Queen consort of Spain 1556-58. A fine document issued in the names of Philip and Mary, one page (vellum), slim oblong folio, 1st March 1555, being an Exemplification of a Fine, boldly penned in Latin in an accomplished scribal hand (two letters with attractive strapwork) and confirming the sale from John Lindsell to Richard Weston of listed parcels of land (Bradlese [i.e. Bradley's] Mead and Wood etc.) in Roxwell, in the parish of Writtle, Essex. With the seal of the Court of Common Pleas affixed at the foot, the seal tag bearing a notarial mark. The brown wax seal (with a diameter of 5") is largely intact, although somewhat rubbed, and depicts Queen Mary seated on a throne and with two coats of arms to the recto and the Queen riding on horseback to the verso. Some staining, just affecting a few words of text, and some light age wear, otherwise a clean and attractive document. About VG Richard Weston (c.1510-1572) English Judge and Politician, Solicitor General 1557-59 and Justice of Common Pleas 1559-72. In January 1555 Weston purchased, for the sum of £280, the Manor of Skreens in the hamlet of Roxwell, which he made his principal residence; the purchase in the present document presumably being contingent upon this. Weston is buried in Writtle church. His grandson and namesake, the 1st Earl of Portland (1577-1634/35) served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and later Lord Treasurer under both King James I and King Charles I, and was one of the most influential figures in the early years of Charles I's Personal Rule. The other party to the transaction, John Lindsell (d.1558) was a local Clerk of Assize. An Act for the Marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain was passed by the English Parliament in April 1554 and, in reality, served as a business contract between England and Spain, specifying what Spain could effect from the union, while at the same time giving assurances that England would not become a satellite of Spain. Under the terms of the marriage treaty, Philip was to enjoy his wife's titles and honours as King of England and Ireland for as long as their marriage should last. All official documents were to be dated with both their names (with Philip's preceding Mary's, as deemed proper for husband and wife, evident in the present example). Mary I, the only child of King Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon to survive to adulthood, ascended to the throne in 1553 upon the death of her younger half-brother King Edward VI who had succeeded their father in 1547. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, Mary is remembered for her restoration of Roman Catholicism. In the five years of her reign over 280 religious dissenters were burned at the stake, the executions of the Protestants leading to her posthumous sobriquet 'Bloody Mary'.
BISMARCK OTTO VON: (1815-1898) Prussian Statesman. L.S., v Bismarck, one page, 4to, Friedrichsruh, 4th April 1891, to 'Your Excellency', in German. Bismarck sends thanks to his correspondent, as their 'friendly greeting for my birthday put me especially in mind of the longstanding ties between us, and I pray you to accept in return the expression of my most heartfelt thanks.' With blank integral leaf. Some very slight, minor creasing, otherwise VG The conservative Prussian statesman and first Chancellor of Germany, Bismarck dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890, the year before the present letter was signed. During the 1860s he engineered a series of wars which unified the German states, significantly and deliberately excluding Austria, and led to a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. With that accomplished by 1871 he skilfully used the balance of power diplomacy to maintain Germany's position in a Europe which, despite many disputes and war scares, remained at peace. Bismarck became a hero to German nationalists.
REILLY SIDNEY: (c.1873-c.1925) Russian-born (?) Secret Agent, the 'Ace of Spies'. An extremely rare vintage dark fountain pen ink signature ('Sidney Reilly') on a page removed from an autograph album, dated 16th July 1920 in his hand. Also signed ('Alexander of Battenberg') in bold black fountain pen ink by Alexander Mountbatten (1886-1960) 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke. British Army officer and a grandson of Queen Victoria. Mountbatten has added the date 14th August 1913 in his hand. Together with George Alexander Hill (1892-1968) British Intelligence Officer, a friend and colleague of Reilly. Hill acted as a witness at Reilly's wedding to his second wife in 1923. During World War II Hill, who had attained the rank of a Major, worked with the Special Operations Executive (SOE), one of his students being Kim Philby. T.L.S., Peter George, with holograph salutation, one page, 4to, Bad Neuenahr, 6th December 1954, to Dennis Wheatley. Hill thanks Wheatley for their letter and continues to state that they look forward to visiting him on 28th December, commenting 'I will let you know after we get to England about when we should arrive (weather, wind and fog permitting).' In concluding Hill asks for a line by return to inform him whether or not they should bring over evening clothes. Annotated with the pencil received date of 11th December 1954 at the head. VG, 2 Dennis Wheatley (1897-1977) English Author of thriller and occult novels. The background themes of Wheatley's novels varied and included World War II and Espionage. His Gregory Sallust series was one of the main inspirations for Ian Fleming's James Bond stories. Autographs of Sidney Reilly are of the utmost rarity - we can find no records of another example ever having previously been offered for sale at auction. Sidney George Riley (born with the surname Rosenblum and changed to Reilly in the late 1890s) was a secret agent with the British Secret Service Bureau, the precursor to the modern British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). A master of deception, much of Reilly's life is shrouded in mystery and legend, however his fame was created in the 1920s (at the time of the present signature) in part by his friend, British diplomat and journalist Robert Bruce Lockhart, who publicised their thwarted operation to overthrow the Bolshevik regime in 1918. Later Ian Fleming was to use Reilly as a model for James Bond and today many historians consider Reilly to have been the first 20th century super-spy.
FLEMING IAN: (1908-1964) British Author, creator of James Bond. T.L.S., Ian F., with holograph salutation and subscription, one page, 4to, Kemsley House, London, 25th May 1955, to Antony Terry ('My dear Tony'). Fleming states that he is pleased to inform his correspondent that their salary has been increased by £1.1.0 per week and adds 'I am sorry that it is not possible for the Accountants to include this increase in the salary payment which will be made to you at the end of this month, but it will be included in the June payment'. Two file holes to the left edge, not affecting the text or signature, and with a few very light, extremely minor creases, otherwise VG Antony Terry (1913-1992) British Journalist, a former European Editor of The Sunday Times who was first hired in 1949 by Fleming (at the time the Foreign manager for the newspaper). Terry's obituary in The Independent stated that he was 'one of the paper's most valuable assets, a one-man listening post, a fastidious checker of facts, a burrower into dark corners and a traveller who never complained of fatigue' Fleming, the English author, journalist and World War II naval intelligence officer introduced the world's most famous secret service agent, James Bond, to the public in his novel Casino Royale (1953). In April 1955, the month before the present letter was written, Fleming's third 007 work, Moonraker, was published. In 2008 The Times ranked Fleming fourteenth on its list of 'The 50 Greatest British Writers since 1945'.
MARLBOROUGH DUKE OF: (1650-1722) John Churchill. English Soldier and Statesman. Commander-in-Chief of the Forces 1690-91, 1702-08. D.S., Marlborough, one page, folio, Office of Ordnance [London], 1st February 1702/3. The manuscript document is addressed to the Right Honourable John Granville, Lieutenant General of Her Majesties Ordnance and is a warrant of approval for Alexander Fort Jnr. to be employed as a Joiner at The Ordnance. Countersigned at the foot by James Craggs (1657-1721) Secretary to the Master-General of the Ordnance. With blind embossed paper seal affixed. Some light overall discoloration and age wear, creasing and some small tears, only slightly affecting the text, but not the signature. With a portion of the lower right corner of the document neatly excised. Accompanied by a small selection of unsigned printed ephemera and vintage postcards relating to Marlborough. About G, 7Alexander Fort Jnr. Son of Alexander Fort who held high office as Master Joiner in the late 17th century and was one of the most noted of Sir Christopher Wren's group. At the time of the present document Marlborough was Master-General of the Ordnance, responsible for all British artillery, engineers, fortifications, military supplies, transport and field hospitals. Marlborough's career spanned the reigns of five monarchs, reaching the zenith of his powers and securing his fame and fortune upon the accession of Queen Anne in 1702, the present document being signed in the first year of her reign. Through his sheer force of personality Marlborough raised the standing of British arms to a level not known since the Middle Ages, his victories allowing Britain to rise from a minor to a major power, ensuring the country's growing prosperity throughout the 18th century.
[NICHOLAS II]: (1868-1918) Emperor of Russia 1894-1917.A fine white glazed china cup and saucer, each with the green factory mark of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the cup dating from 1902 and the saucer from 1904, both originating from a service used by Tsar Nicholas II and the Imperial Russian Romanov family at the Winter Palace at St. Petersburg. The cup (measuring 2 ¼ x 3 ¾) is decorated with two gilt bands at the base and lip, and with a leaf decorated gilt handle, further featuring a double-headed eagle displaying the Russian Imperial arms of Nicholas II, hand decorated in black, gold, blue and red. The saucer (measuring 1 x 5 ½) decorated with gilt bands to the rim and base and featuring a double-headed eagle displaying the Russian Imperial arms of Nicholas II, hand decorated in black, gold, blue and red. Very slight age wear to the gilt on lip and handle of the cup and with three hairline cracks and a small chip beneath the rim of the saucer. About VG, 2The Imperial Porcelain Factory (or Manufactory) is a producer of handpainted ceramics in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was established by Dmitry Ivanovich Vinogradov in 1744 and was supported by the Romanov Tsars from Empress Elizabeth onwards. The factory is still sometimes referred to by its well-known former name of the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory. The present china was made for the Imperial family at the time of the coronation in 1896 and replacements were manufactured until 1914. Although a considerable quantity was produced over the years a survey after World War I found only about 1000 pieces had survived.The reign of Tsar Nicholas II saw the fall of the Russian Empire from being one of the foremost great powers of the world to economic and military collapse. Two revolutions occurred in Russia in 1917, the first known as the February Revolution, the immediate result of which was the abdication of the Tsar and the end of the Romanov dynasty. The Russian Imperial Romanov and all those who chose to accompany them into exile were executed by a firing squad at Yekaterinburg on 17th July 1918.
LUDWIG II: (1845-1886) King of Bavaria 1864-86.L.S., Ludovico, one page, 4to, Monaco, 21st January 1865, to Cardinal [Lodovico] Altieri, in Italian. King Ludwig II thanks his correspondent for 'the good wishes which Your Excellency sent me on the recurrence of the Holy Feast of the Nativity', and sends his in return for the Cardinal's 'complete prosperity'. With blank integral leaf. An elegantly penned and boldly signed letter written in the first New Year of King Ludwig II's reign. Two very small, minor spots of foxing, not affecting the text or signature, VG Lodovico Altieri (1805-1867) Italian Cardinal, served as the Camerlengo of the Roman Catholic Church 1857-67, previously Nuncio to Austria for Pope Gregory XVI. During the cholera epidemic that affected his diocese, assisting the sick and dying, he himself contracted the malady, dying in 1867. King Ludwig II of Bavaria is sometimes referred to as the Swan King (English) or the Fairy Tale King (German). A reclusive king, Ludwig increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of state in favour of extravagant artistic and architectural projects. He commissioned the construction of two lavish palaces and the Neuschwanstein Castle, and was a devoted patron of the composer Richard Wagner. His extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation which has since come under scrutiny. Even before he died, Ludwig had already become something of an enigma 'I want to remain an eternal mystery to myself and others', he once told his governess, and it is this mysterious element that still fascinates people today.
ELGAR EDWARD: (1857-1934) English Composer. 'I do not like the tone of his letter & it is all nonsense…'A.L.S., Edward Elgar, two pages, 4to, Hereford, 30th July 1908, to [Alfred H.] Littleton. Elgar thanks his correspondent for their letter commenting on one received from a Mr. Foote of Tunbridge Wells and continues 'I do not remember writing to him, probably his letter to me was acknowledged. I return his letter (no longer present) & shall be much obliged if you will let him know that I will not go'. He further remarks 'I do not like the tone of his letter & it is all nonsense for him to talk of educating the south. I send some letters (also no longer present) I have received from Tunbridge Wells & you will see they have done Gerontius and the Kingdom. I do not know anything of the society but it looks as if Mr. Foote wanted to take the wind out of the other people's sails - But I do not know. I only guess & may be wrong. Anyhow it seems clear that things are not so stagnant as Mr. Foote seems to want me to think'. In a hastily written postscript Elgar adds that he will write concerning a symphony very soon. Some very light, minor age wear and creasing to the edges, and with a few very minor repairs to a few tears, not affecting the text or signature. About VG Alfred H. Littleton (1845-1914) Chairman of the music publishers Novello & Co. Elgar refers to Francis J. Foote, conductor, composer and leader of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society. A separate organisation, the Tunbridge Wells Vocal Association, founded in 1870, also existed in the affluent Kent town which naturally gave rise to a certain amount of rivalry. In 1907 Foote made the mistake of announcing that he would begin rehearsing Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. However, the Vocal Association beat him to it and staged a performance of the work on 19th March 1907, followed by a performance of The Kingdom on 30th March 1908, both of which Elgar refers to in the present letter. On each occasion Elgar sent the Association a 'best wishes' telegram as it was the first time these two works had been performed in the area. In fact Foote never did succeed in performing any of Elgar's works in Tunbridge Wells. Many of Elgar's works have entered the British and international concert repertoire and among his best known works are orchestral compositions including the Enigma Variations (Op.36 1898-99) and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches (Op.39, 1901-30). He also composed concertos for violin and cello, two symphonies as well as choral works, including The Dream of Gerontius (Op.38, 1900).
FLEMING ALEXANDER: (1881-1955) Scottish Biologist, Nobel Prize winner for Physiology or Medicine, 1945.T.L.S., Alexander Fleming, one page, 8vo, London, 23rd November 1950, to Dr. I Geikie-Cobb, on the printed stationery of the Wright-Fleming Institute of Microbiology, St. Mary´s Hospital Medical School, Paddington. Fleming states in full `I return manuscript and proofs, also new manuscript which incorporates the bottom of the penultimate page and the whole of the last page of the proofs. I hope I have not put in too much new stuff, but it was necessary. ´ Some slight creasing to the lower left corner, not affecting the text or signature, otherwise VGDr. Ivor Geikie Cobb - Expert Physician and AuthorThe manuscript Fleming refers to corresponds to an article about antibiotics which would be included among others in a medical guide published by Geikie Cobb.Fleming's best known discoveries are the enzyme lysozyme in 1923 and the world's first antibiotic substance benzylpenicillin (Penicillin G) from the mould Penicillium notatum in 1928, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1945). Fleming, as the current letter illustrates, wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology and chemotherapy. In 2002 he was named among the BBC's list of the 100 Greatest Britons and Fleming was also named in Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century. Fleming's discovery of penicillin would change the course of history; by introducing the age of useful antibiotics, penicillin has conquered some of mankind's most ancient scourges, including syphilis, gangrene and tuberculosis, and has saved, and is still saving, millions of people around the world.
STEPHENSON GEORGE: (1781-1848) English Civil Engineer who built the first public inter-city railway line in the world to use steam locomotives, 1830. A fine L.S., Geo. Stephenson, two pages, 8vo, Tapton House, 10th July 1848, to John Ellis. Stephenson informs his correspondent that he is forwarding a letter (no longer present) sent from 'your great man' Barlow, continuing to express doubts about his suitability, and asking 'Wouldn't it better to fix upon some person who has a little knowledge of geology and coal working to report upon the subject referred to in our correspondence?', further remarking 'You will have many a serious business on the coal under the railway. Perhaps there is no man would have done as I have; I might have made the Company pay for the coal, bit I did not think it was necessary to do so.' Stephenson concludes 'I must say again that Barlow is an unfit man to give his opinion on such subjects.' The conclusion of Stephenson's signature slightly runs on to the otherwise blank integral leaf. A letter of fine content for its references to coal and railways. Some very light, minor traces of mounting to the verso, VGJohn Ellis (1789-1862), British Businessman, Chairman of the Midland Railway. During the construction of the Midland Railway, several seams of coal were discovered as workmen cut the Claycross Tunnel. Stephenson's vision of a country supplied with coal by railway was beginning to take shape and he proceeded to expand into the lands around Claycross. Renowned as the 'Father of Railways', Stephenson was considered by Victorians as a first-rate example of what could be achieved with diligent application and a thirst for improvement. Great Britain led the world in the development of railways which acted as a stimulus for the Industrial Revolution by facilitating the transport of raw materials and manufactured goods. Stephenson was farsighted in realising that the individual lines being built would eventually be joined together, and would need to have the same gauge. His rail gauge of 4 feet 8 1⁄2 inches (1,435 mm), sometimes called the 'Stephenson gauge', is the standard gauge by name and by convention for most of the world's railways. In 2002 Stephenson was named in the BBC's list of the 100 Greatest Britons.
GEORGE IV: (1762-1830) King of the United Kingdom 1820-30. A good D.S., George R, as King, at the head, four pages, folio, Court at Carlton House, 14th May 1824. The manuscript document is addressed to the Reverend George Gregory and William Ponsford and is a License allowing John Lambert Arden and his issue to take and use the surname of Gorwyn in addition to, and after that, of Arden and provides a lengthy explanation, stating, in part, 'Whereas George Gregory of Dunsford in the County of Devon, Clerk, and William Ponsford, of Puddicombe in the same County, Gentleman, for and on behalf of John Lambert Arden, of the Parish of Cheriton Bishop in the County aforesaid, Gentleman, a minor of the age of twenty years and upwards, the fourth and youngest son of George Arden, late of the City of Exeter, Mercer, deceased, by Joan his wife, one of the sisters of John Lambert Gorwyn, late of Cheriton Bishop….also deceased, have by their Petition humbly represented us, that the said John Lambert Gorwyn, the late material uncle of the said John Lambert Arden, in and by his last Will….gave and devised his messauges….in the said Will, there is contained a Proviso and Direction that when and as soon as the said John Lambert Arden should become seized or entitled to the actual Possession of the said Estate….he shall use, assume and take upon him and afterwards continue the surname of Gorwyn only instead of his then surname or by adding the same thereto….' Countersigned at the conclusion by Robert Peel (1788-1850) British Prime Minister 1834-35, 1841-46 and Home Secretary 1822-27 & 1828-30. With blind embossed paper seal affixed. A good document featuring fine examples of the signatures of King George IV and Robert Peel. VG Robert Peel twice served as the United Kingdom's Prime Minister (1834-35, 1841-46) and twice as Home Secretary (1822-27, 1828-30) and is regarded as one of the founders of the modern Conservative Party and the father of modern British policing. His establishment of the Metropolitan Police Force for London in 1829 led to a new type of officer known in tribute to him as 'bobbies', a term still used today. King George IV had served as Prince Regent during the final years of his father, King George III's, illness and acceded to the throne in 1820. The King led an extravagant lifestyle that contributed to the fashions of the Regency era. He was a patron of new forms of leisure, style and taste and commissioned the building of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, the remodelling of Buckingham Palace and the rebuilding of Windsor Castle. His charm and culture earned him the title of 'the first gentleman of England', however his way of life brought contempt from his public, many of whom found his behaviour selfish, unreliable and irresponsible.
ROUGET DE LISLE CLAUDE JOSEPH: (1760-1836) French Army Officer of the French Revolutionary Wars who wrote the words and music of the French National Anthem La Marseillaise. A.L.S., J. Rouget de Lisle, one page, 8vo, n.p., n.d. ('le Samedi matin'), to a gentleman [M. Pleyel], in French. Rouget de Lisle intriguingly writes 'In exchange for the most indiscreet demand that I made of you yesterday allow me to give you a piece of useless advice…you spoke the other day of your liaisons with Mr. Garnery. If you have, or will be, in the position of entering into some interesting relationships with him, be on your guard. We see that the position is nothing less that certain… he is himself being watched…' A few minor tears to the left edge, only very slightly affecting a few words of text, but not the signature. Strengthened to the verso, otherwise VG Ignace Pleyel (1757-1831) Austrian-born French Composer. Pleyel had been friends with Rouget de Lisle having worked together on Pleyel's Hymne à la liberté (1791), to which Rouget de Lisle had written the libretto. With the onset of the Reign of Terror in 1793 and 1794, life in France became dangerous for many. Pleyel was brought before the Committee of Public Safety a total of seven times due to the following: his foreign status, his recent purchase of a château, and his ties with the Strasbourg Cathedral. He was subsequently labeled a Royalist collaborator. The outcome of the Committee's attentions could easily have been imprisonment or even execution. With prudent opportunism, Pleyel preserved his future by writing compositions in honor of the new republic. La Marseillaise is widely regarded as one of the best and most instantly recognisable National Anthems ever composed. Written in 1792 by Rouget De Lisle in Strasbourg following France's declaration of war against Austria, the revolutionary song was originally entitled Chant de guerre pour l'Armee du Rhin ('War Song for the Rhine Army'). An anthem to freedom and a patriotic call to mobilise all citizens and an exhortation to fight against tyranny and foreign invasion, the French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795. The anthem acquired its nickname after being sung in Paris by volunteers from Marseille marching on the capital. The first example of the 'European march' anthemic style, La Marseillaise's evocative melody and lyrics have led to its widespread use as a song of revolution and its incorporation into many pieces of classical and popular music.
RUSHDIE SALMAN: (1947- ) British Indian Novelist & Essayist. 'It is a long, tough fight, but it must be won'.An interesting A.L.S., Salman Rushdie, three pages, 8vo, Fernshaw Road, London (the premises of his literacy agency, Wylie, Aitken & Stone), 2nd November 1992, to Ernst Reinhard Piper. Rushdie thanks his correspondent for their help 'in Artikel 19 Verlag' and at the Frankfurt Bookfair and 'also for your expressions of solidarity and hope for the future', continuing 'As it turned out, it was probably a mistake to have moved to Kiepenheuer [& Witsch, the German publishing house] with The Satanic Verses; but that is what I was advised at the time, and there is no point in trying to rewrite the past'. Rushdie also apologises to Piper for his decision, realising that he was hurt by it, and remarks 'But, as of course you know, writers (and publishers) make such choices - good ones, bad ones - all the time'. The novelist concludes his letter writing 'At any rate, I am truly grateful for your selfless support, and hope we may meet again soon. In the meanwhile, the storm continues - now, as you may have seen, in Germany also. It is a long, tough fight, but it must be won'. With the publisher's ink received stamp dated 9th November 1992 to a clear area at the head of the first page. A letter of significant content. VG Ernst Reinhard Piper (1952- ) German Historian who joined his father's publishing house in 1982. The German edition of The Satanic Verses was published by Artikel 19 Verlag in 1989; the publishers created specifically to protect them from the fatwa issued against Rushdie, Article 19 relating to the freedom of expression included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The 1981 Booker Prize winning Rushdie's work combines magical realism with historical fiction and much of his work is set on the Indian subcontinent. His fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, was the subject of a major controversy which resulted in the British government placing the author under police protection. In 2008 The Times ranked Rushdie thirteenth on its list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.
JORDAN DOROTHEA: (1761-1816) Anglo-Irish Actress and Courtesan, the mistress and companion of the future King William IV. Rare A.L.S., Dora Jordan, two pages, 4to, Mortimer Street, n.d. ('Friday', annotated 1808 in another hand), to Miss. Dalrymple. Jordan states that she will be detained at the theatre tomorrow from 12 noon until 3pm and therefore won't be at Bushy to receive her correspondent and continues 'I have only to assure you that my best and most sincere good wishes must soon attend you; and allow me to add, that if you are as happy as you deserve to be, (and of which you have so fair a prospect) your lot will be a most enviable one', further concluding that 'Sophy desires her love'. Some very light, extremely minor age wear, VG In 1797 King George III appointed his son William, Duke of Clarence, as Ranger of Bushy Park, carrying with it residence at Bushy House, which Jordan makes reference to in the present letter. The future King William IV lived there with his mistress, and their ten illegitimate children, until the couple's relationship came to an end in 1811. In the present letter Jordan also makes reference to her eldest illegitimate daughter, Sophia Sidney (1795-1837) Baroness De L'Isle and Dudley, who served as State Housekeeper in Kensington Palace shortly before her death. Pretty, witty and intelligent, Jordan made her first appearance on the London stage at Drury Lane in 1785 and remained there until 1809 playing a large variety of parts. It was said that the actress had the most beautiful legs ever seen on the stage and she was particularly remembered for her comedic roles. Jordan soon came to the attention of wealthy men after her arrival in London and the Duke of Clarence took the actress as his mistress for twenty years. Together they produced ten illegitimate children, Jordan having previously given birth to four other children by other men with whom she had conducted affairs.
WILHELM II: (1859-1941) German Emperor & King of Prussia 1888-1918. A good, large vintage signed Imperial cabinet photograph of the Kaiser in a head and shoulders pose wearing his full military dress adorned by various medals and orders and a damask sash. Photograph by Reichard and Lindner of Berlin. Signed ('William I.R.') with the English form of his signature, as Imperator er Rex (Kaiser and King) to a clear area at the head of the image and dated 1889 in his hand. Bearing the photographer's stamp and date, 1888, to the base of the image and lower photographer's mount and with photographer's imprint to the verso. An impressive signed photograph. Some very light, minor overall foxing, otherwise VG The present image was captured by the Berlin photographers Reichard and Lindner in the first year of the Emperor's reign. Wilhelm II served as the last German Emperor from 1888, ending with his abdication in 1918. In 1890 he dismissed the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and launched Germany on an aggressive 'new course' of foreign affairs that culminated in his support for Austria-Hungary in the crisis of July 1914 that, within a matter of days, led to World War I.
SHACKLETON ERNEST: (1874-1922) Anglo-Irish Antarctic Explorer. `On an apparently missing portrait´L.S., E H Shackleton, one page, 8vo, Marlborough Club, Pall Mall, 22nd June 1920, to Charles Büchel. Shackleton apologises to his correspondent for not having answered their letter, explaining that he has been away, and adds 'I will call one morning myself for the portrait in the near future. Would you please let me know what the cost is?' With blank integral leaf (small tear at the upper edge). VGCharles Büchel (1872-1950) British Artist. A well-known figure in theatrical circles, Büchel painted portraits of Henry Irving, Lillie Langtry and George Alexander and also designed programmes and posters for the theatre. Intriguingly, the present whereabouts of Büchel's portrait of Shackleton are not known. The present letter, and two related ones, would appear to be the only evidence of its existence. What would seem clear from the present lot is that the portrait was completed and that it came into Shackleton's own possession.Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton led three British expeditions to the Antarctic and is one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. His first experience of the polar regions was as third officer on Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Expedition 1901-04. In the preface to his 1922 book The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, one of Scott's team on the Terra Nova Expedition, wrote 'For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organisation, give me Scott; for a Winter Journey, Wilson; for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen: and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time'.
MANDELA NELSON: (1918-2013) President of South Africa 1994-99. Nobel Peace Prize winner, 1993. Signed colour 7 x 10 photograph, a formal portrait of Mandela in a head and shoulders pose. Signed ('N Mandela') in bold black ink to a clear area at the head of the image and dated 13th October 1999 in his hand. EX Mandela's place in world history is in no doubt; South Africa's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election, his government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid. The recipient of more than 250 honours, Mandela is held in deep respect within South Africa where he is described as the 'Father of the Nation'.
BENTHAM JEREMY: (1748-1832) English Jurist, Philosopher and Social Reformer. A good L.S., Jeremy Bentham, two pages, small 4to, Q[ueen] S[quare] P[lace], 31st March 1825, to Joseph Parkes ('My dear Joseph'). Bentham states 'Trusting to your so well experience philanthropy, I shall take the liberty of addressing to you by tomorrow…. a smart pretty looking boy of 8 years old, son of a Mr Robt. Hunter, U.S. Consul at the Isle of Wight, begging of you to convey the boy to Hazlewood (sic)' and continues 'Mr John Adams Smith, late Secretary of Legation here from U.S., now about to depart in the same character for Madrid (he is Nephew to the new President) introduced Mr. Hunter and his son to me….for this purpose'. Bentham further quotes from a letter of Hunter's, explaining that the expenses for the boy's education will be covered by Joshua Bates, and continues to write 'Be so good as to desire Mr. Hill to send me some more Epitomes and Proposals. I gave four of them to Mr. Martin, a merchant of Liverpool, Secretary of the Royal Institution, who has children of his own, and is a superiorly informed and influential man there. He was a sort of pupil of Priestley's' before concluding 'Oh my weak and battered old memory! We spoke of you together: he and you are intimate. This is enough and more than enough from yours most truly…..' Bentham has added a holograph note at the foot of the letter, addressed to his amanuensis (John Flowerdew Colls), stating 'The original in my own hand goes to Mr. Hunter as soon as I have learnt…from (John) Bowring who is to dine here to day'. A letter of interesting content. Some extremely minor age wear, VG Joseph Parkes (1796-1865) English Political Reformer, associated with the Philosophical Radicals. In 1822 he had established a solicitor's practice in Birmingham and was a regular correspondent with Bentham, whom Parkes had first met as a young man articled to a London solicitor. Hazelwood School had recently been established in Edgbaston by Thomas Wright Hill (1763-1851) English Mathematician and Schoolmaster, father of the postal reformer Rowland Hill who himself designed the new purpose built school. As an 'educational refraction' of Joseph Priestley's ideas, Hazelwood was to provide a model for public education. Rejecting the cane as a disciplinary tool and advocating self-governance for its pupils, it worked on educational principles similar to those proposed by Bentham in Chrestomathia. Bentham was highly impressed with the school and keenly promoted it, often encouraging his friends and acquaintances to send their sons there, as illustrated by the present letter. John Adams Smith - nephew of John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) American President 1825-29. Joseph Priestley (1733-1804) English Theologian. His grammar textbook was innovative and highly influential, more importantly he argued that a practical education would be more useful to students than a classical one. He was also the first to advocate the study and teaching of modern history. In the present letter Bentham also refers to Joshua Bates (1788-1864) an American financier who was later to become the senior partner of Baring Brothers & Co. and was to found the Boston Public Library and John Bowring (1792-1872) English Political Economist, a disciple and friend of Bentham who later served as his literary executor. The fully holograph version of the present letter is held in the Bentham Papers in the Library of University College London and is also published in The Correspondence of Jeremy Bentham (ed. O'Sullivan & Fuller, 2006, Vol. XII). Jeremy Bentham is regarded as the founder of modern utilitarianism. Bentham defined as the 'fundamental axiom' of his philosophy the principle that 'it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong'. He became a leading theorist in Anglo-American philosophy of law. He advocated individual and economic freedom, the separation of church and state, freedom of expression, equal rights for women and the right to divorce. He called for the abolition of slavery, the abolition of the death penalty, and the abolition of physical punishment, including that of children.
RACHMANINOFF SERGEI: (1873-1943) Russian Pianist, Composer and Conductor. A good, unusual vintage signed and inscribed 12 x 11 photograph by both Rachmaninoff and his wife, Natalya Satina, individually, the image depicting the couple seated together in a contented head and shoulders pose on a sofa in a wooden panelled room. 'Signed' and inscribed by Rachmaninoff in dark fountain pen ink, in Cyrillic, to the lower photographer's mount, 'To Tatiana Mikhailovna and Aleksei Alekseevich from the “Inseparable” Rachmaninoffs', and dated 1938 in his hand. Signed ('N. Rachmaninoffa') by his wife, also in dark fountain pen ink and in Cyrillic, with her name alone to the lower photographer's mount. Some very slight silvering to the edges of the image and with some slight chipping and a few small areas of paper loss to the edges and corners of the photographer's mount, about VG The present signed photograph is dated in the same year that RCA Victor recorded Rachmaninoff and his wife playing his 4-hand piano duet, Polka Italienne, in New York. Natalya Satina (1877-1951) herself a pianist, was in fact Rachmaninoff's first cousin and they first met in 1888 whilst young music students. They were married on 29th April 1902, but not without having to first petition the Tsar to allow the marriage as they were so closely related and the Russian Orthodox Church did not permit the marriage of first cousins. The pianist, composer and conductor's works are from the late-Romantic period of classical music and some of these compositions are among the most popular in the classical repertoire. Rachmaninoff is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century
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