Photographs, Autographs and Ephemera

BOXING. Two albumen-print cabinet-size photographs of bare knuckle prizefighters, titled 'Jem Smith, The Champion of England' and 'John Kenton, Champion of England', each 16cm x 11cm, together with another cabinet-size photograph of people in the costume of Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.

AUTOGRAPH, HOUDINI. A photographic postcard titled 'Harry Handcuff Houdini', signed in ink by the escapologist, dedicated 'To Miss Winfred Coleman' and dated 4/3/20. Provenance: consigned for auction by a descendent of Miss Winifred Coleman, who believes their great aunt had a friendship with Houdini; by family repute she was invited backstage with her cousin in Nottingham during Houdini's final tour of the UK.

AUTOGRAPHS. An album containing approximately 386 signatures, most many to a page and some back-to-back, including the autographs of Ernest H. Shackleton, the leaf additionally signed later by Ranulph Fiennes, Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, Wilhelm Ganz (with line of music), Thomas Lloyd, Maria and Guglielmo Marconi, Sebastian Ferranti, Granville Bantock (with line of music), Gladys Cooper, Clara Butt, Alice of Albany, Harry Lauder, Prince Edward, Princess Mary, Prince Henry and Prince George, Queen Elizabeth II when Princess, Lucy and Stanley Baldwin, Caradog Roberts (with line of music) and Nellie Melba. Provenance: by family repute this album was compiled by Maude Thomas and her descendants. Note: Maude Thomas was Queen Elizabeth’s Mistress of the Robes when the then princess was attending events in Wales. Maude was also an accomplished musician playing Piano, the Viola and the Harp, achieving the accolade of ‘Harpist of the Rhondda’.

AUTOGRAPHS. An album containing approximately 38 mounted clipped signatures, most from free fronts and letters including two Charles Dickens, Robert Smith, Samuel Warren, John Powey, David Wilkie (with small sketch of a bust), Hester Lucy Stanhope, Harriet Martineau, Palmerston, Mann Cornwallis, Egremont and Robert Peel.

HOOD, Samuel, 1st Viscount. An autograph letter signed ‘Hood’ to ‘My dear Sir George’ [Elphinstone], dated Bath, Jan’y 5th 1795, 2pp., 24cm x 19cm, the a.l.s. mentioning the Brest fleet, the unfavourable wind for convoys, his brother Lord Bridport, and Lord Howe, assuring his correspondent that ‘I flatter myself the waters of this place have been of infinite service to me’.

AUTOGRAPHS. A crests and monogram album compiled by Mr C.B. Pitman, with approximately 21 mounted autograph letters including letters from the Duke of Wellington and Prince Lubormirski, also clipped signatures including Florence Nightingale, as well as numerous crests and monograms.

GREETINGS CARDS. An album containing a good collection of approximately 160 greetings cards, scraps and other ephemera, including chromolithographed, calendars, novelty and articulated examples as well as a few by Louis Wain.

GREETINGS CARDS. An album containing a very good collection of approximately 185 greetings cards, scraps and other ephemera, including chromolithographed, calendars, novelty and articulated examples.

SCRAP ALBUMS. Two albums containing numerous mounted scraps and greetings cards, the majority Christmas and New Year greetings, together with a late Victorian album amicorum.

ROYALTY. A die-cut pressed chromolithographed cardboard ‘Coronation of His Majesty King Edward VII’, including the royal coach and Westminster Abbey, as well as much of the procession, within remnants of box.

ADVERTISING. An advertising booklet titled ‘Pictorial Tour of Shippam’s Factory at Chichester’, with illustrations of the factory including Queen Mary’s visit, 29cm x 22.5cm.

ADVERTISING. A collection of 15 Guinness advertising booklets, comprising 'Happy New Year', 'Untopical Songs', 'What Will They Think of Next?', 'Reigning Cats & Dogs', 'Hobby Horses', 'Alice Versary', 'Alice, Where Art Thou?', 'Game Pie', 'Alice Aforethought', 'Prodigies and Prodigals', 'My Goodness! My Gilbert and Sullivan', 'Can This Be Beeton?', 'Songs of Our Goodfathers', 'A Guinness Sportfolio' and 'Album Victorianum', with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone, John Nash, Rowland Emmett, Gerard Hoffnung, Rex Whistler, Antony Groves-Raines and Ronald Ferns, together with a miniature Guinness bottle.

THEATRE. A concertina-folding leather-bound ‘Souvenir of A Gaiety Girl, First Night at Daly’s Theatre, Monday September 10th 1894’, with 12 cabinet-size photographs of actors and actresses, some signed in ink, 21cm x 14.5cm. Note: scarce.

THEATRE PROGRAMMES. A group of four theatre programmes circa 1913-1914, relating to performances in Worthing, on the Pier and Bandstand.

THEATRE PROGRAMMES. An album containing approximately 96 theatre programmes, circa 1890-1920, the majority for theatres in London, including The London Pavilion, London Coliseum, Theatre Metropole, London Hippodrome, The Marlborough Theatre, Finsbury Park Empire, The Tottenham Palace, Camberwell Palace and others.

PHOTOGRAPHS. An album containing approximately 40 cartes-de-visite photographs and 19 cabinet cards including some of actors, actresses and performers, including the ‘Chinese Giant’ Chang-Yu-Sing and another of a Chinese dwarf.

AUTOGRAPHS. A collection of approximately 165 signed postcards of actors, actresses and performers mostly from the Edwardian era, including Ellen Terry, Marie Studholme, Gertie Millar, Gabrielle Ray, Lilian Braithwaite, Zena Dare, Phyllis Dare, Gracie Fields, Ellaline Terriss, Tommy Jacobsen and Seymour Hicks.

PHOTOGRAPHS. An album containing approximately 88 photographs and 88 postcards, the majority relating to Palestine and the military, most photographs 8cm x 11cm or smaller.

THEATRE PROGRAMMES. A collection of theatre programmes, mounted newspaper clippings, posters and postcards of theatrical interest, mid-20th century, many relating to performances of ‘On With Motley’.