Source: https://inbiblio.com/product-category/adam-andrusier-autographs/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 07:32:23+00:00

Document:
Bentley, Phyllis (1894 - 1977) A group of three typed letters signed by Phyllis Bentley, to a Kenneth Davis. The first is dated 14th November 1947: "This is just to let you know that now the shorter days are upon us we are using the Yorkshire Bookmen swan-neck lamp every afternoon and find it a boon and a blessing." The second letter, dated April 13th 1949 begins, "I am writing th is very hastily and confusedly, as my Mother had a severe attack on Saturday and has not recovered consciousness, we have no nurse (none obtainable) and the sitter-in (most kind woman) and myself are taking 12-hour spells looking after her." She goes on to arrange a date to speak, "What shall I talk about? The Brontes?" In the third letter, dated 19th May1949, Bentley expresses her regret that her correspondent has withdrawn temporarily from "Yorkshire Bookmen activities. I know that all the Yorkshire Bookmen will be as sorry as I am for your temporary absence". In fine condition.
Henry Miller (1891 - 1980) A hardback copy of ‘Reflections on the Maurizius Case’, one of a limited edition of 275 signed by the author. Slight soiling to the cover, otherwise in very fine condition.
Spender, Stephen (1909 - 1995) A one-page autograph letter signed, May 22nd 1962 to Herbert Marshall, "I am awfully sorry to return these. But on getting back after four months absence, I find we have so much material accepted that I am having to reject almost everything." In very fine condition.
Lloyd, Selwyn (1904 - 1978) A one page autograph letters giend, "Selwyn", 27th September 1952, on Foreign Office stationery. Lloyd thanks his correspondent for congratulating him on his "new arrival". In fine condition.
Walter Piston (1894 - 1976) A one-page typed letter signed by Walter Piston. Dated September 10th 1941, the composer assigns copyright of his composition ‘Carnival Song’ to the Arrow Music Press in New York. A punch-hole and staple marks to the top of the letter, otherwise in very fine condition.
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930) An approximately 6" X 4" page removed from a billiards score book on which Conan Doyle has written out a list of breaks. He adds his initials three times. In fine condition.
Ralph Vaughan Williams A rare autograph musical quotation signed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The composer has written out three bars from an unidentified work in fountain pen ink on a large sheet of music manuscript paper. In very fine condition.
Raoul Dufy A good two-page autograph letter signed by Raoul Dufy, no date. The artist writes to a friend on two separate sheets of paper, in fountain pen ink. In full, ‘Dear friend, I was planning to be at my studio on Monday, which is why I didn’t reply to you about the meeting you suggested. But I am absolutely must absent myself tomorrow and feel compelled to ask you if you would like to come on Tuesday morning instead. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll expect you on Tuesday morning.’ Light letter folds, otherwise in fine condition.
George Grosz A superb illustrated letter by German artist George Grosz, undated but circa 1930s. The artist signs his name to the top of the page, then pens a marvellous watercolour self-portrait, showing himself covering his face, having forgotten the date; he further annotates, ‘6, 6, 6, was it the 6? or the 16?’ He then types a letter to his art dealer, Lene Cohn, in which he excoriates himself for forgetting his correspondent’s birthday. In part, ‘I am just too late, I flopped again and I flunked it. you see my poor head was aching these last weeks and so I was mixed up and really didn’t know was it the 6 or the 16.’ He goes on to send his best wishes, then notes, ‘I have a little italian book about myself which I like to give you as a little friendly token’. He continues with some news, then ends, ‘Well I don’t want to give you too many bad news. Let’s be cheerful, let’s have a little laugh once in a while, don’t you think?’ He signed, ‘George le professeur’. Grosz’s wife pens a letter of her own to the reverse. Letter folds, otherwise in generally fine condition. A wonderful item.
Henry Moore A fine one-page autograph letter signed by Henry Moore, 31st March 1940. The sculptor writes to a Miss Ramsden, opening, ‘Since receiving your second letter about the Morley College lecture I have thought over my decision again but find that what I said in my last letter is what I still think. The subject is so wide, and would need a better and more extensive knowledge of its history and literature thatn I have got. If I said yes, then to do the lecture with proper thoroughness and fairness I should need to spend a good deal of time in preparing it, especially being unused to speaking in public.’ He goes on, ‘Also, the part-time teaching which I have always had to do as part of my means of livelihood, begins again in a few days’ time (It was termporarily suspended at the outbreak of war.) This teaching takes two days each week in term times, out of the time for my own work, and so I do not wish to commit myself to extra things outside my sculpture and drawing.’ Moore closes, ‘If I were used to lecturing and could do it easily and without worry, I should have been glad to have taken part in the series.’ Letters folds, otherwise in very fine condition. Rare and desirable in this format. It was in 1940 and 1941 that Moore completed his highly-acclaimed drawings of bomb-shelters in London.
Tamar Karsavina An excellent signed and inscribed 3.5" X 5.5" postcard portrait by Tamar Karsavina. Boldly signed by the ballet dancer in fountain pen ink, and dated 1931. In very fine condition. Scarce.
Harry Houdini A rare and important autograph letter signed by Harry Houdini, "Houdini," one page, both sides, August 2nd, 1900. He writes to fellow magician Servais Le Roy, in part: ‘Opened here last night & made good. You ought to see the Handcuffs and irons used in Germany. Here cuffs are used and every station has different cuffs, in fact there are no two alike. I am going to bring some styles back with me and I’ll give you a fine pair. Here is the way they look [sketch of the handcuffs]. Has two spring lock & looks like the lilly iron, the leg irons look like this [sketch]. Did you know I patented the Hand cuff act in Europe. The drawings wont be published in 9 months. Robinson patented his catching gold fish in the air, and he stopped Hiam from making the trick and Maskeleyne from doing it. The opposition house hired a man from Berlin to expose Hand cuffs and he was closed after his first show. It seems strange people like to see the act exposed. But it does not pay to expose anything.’ In generally fine condition, with chipping along the right edge affecting one word of text. Houdini writes during the first year of his tour through Europe, where he would remain for four years. As alluded to in this letter, he challenged the local police departments of each city he visited to restrain him; Houdini, of course, inevitably escaped and he became famous throughout Europe as the King of Handcuff. In addition to discussing his own act here, Houdini touches upon the flourishing illusionist trade, mentioning William Robinson, who performed under the name Chung Ling Soo, and John Nevil Maskelyne, known for his levitation illusion. An early and truly remarkable Houdini letter boasting ideal magical content.
Roald Dahl A typed letter signed by Roald Dahl, ‘Roald’, 15th November 1971. The author writes to Blanche Campbell, of Campbells bookstore in Los Angeles, thanking her for sending him a second Rhyming dictionary, the same book that I lost, and I am now very happy. A central stain he text, and some paperclip holes to the left edge, otherwise in fine condition.
Norman Rockwell A fine signed and inscribed 8" X 10" head and shoulders portrait by Norman Rockwell. A younger pose than is ordinarily encountered, boldly signed by Rockwell in fountain pen ink, and inscribed by him to the photographer Don Keyes, To Don Keyes, the worlds greatest photographer, sincerely, Norman Rockwell. Several faint pin-holes to the white border, and slight adhesion marks to the reverse, otherwise in very fine condition.
Bertrand Russell A 3.5" X 5.5" card with the typed caption, My subject at the Lunch-Hour Meeting of the City of London Group of the P.P.U. on 12th May will be:, under which Bertrand Russell has written, Can War Stop Fascism, adding his signature below. Some age-toning, and scuffing, otherwise in fine condition. Unusual in this format.
Jean Genet A one-page autograph letter signed by Jean Genet. Genet writes on lined paper to a Mr. Lemmi to introduce ‘a young Italian who seems to me to be a very capable writer. If you are able to use him, it would be great for him as he seems a bit lost.’ Folds, otherwise in generally fine condition.
Marilyn Monroe An extraordinary autograph note by Marilyn Monroe on an 8" X 5" sheet of notepaper, intended for her analyst Marianne Kris (Monroe writes, ‘For Kris, Sept 9’ at the top). In full, ‘Remember, somehow, how mother always tried to get me to "go out" as though she felt I were too unadventurous. She wanted me even to show a cruelty toward women  this in my teens. In return, I showed her that I was faithful to her.’ An additional note to the top refers to the birthday of someone called ‘James’. A very revealing, intimate and interesting note by Monroe; her tortured relationship with her schizophrenic mother is well-known, and was the subject of the film, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, starring Susan Sarandon. Folds, otherwise in very fine condition.
Autograph Letter Signed By Tolkien to Would-be LOTR Illustrator!
J.R.R. Tolkien An excellent two-page autograph letter signed, November 4th 1968, to Mary Fairburn, an artist who had sent him paintings of several scenes from Lord of the Rings. In part: ‘I have been much occupied in the reordering of my house (very slowly owing to my disability which is only v.gradual in improvement) and also in family affairs. (And also much grieved and affected in all my affairs by the death of my friend Stanley Unwin.) I have considered your suggestions. A major difficulty, for me, is my lack of wall-space (I have been obliged to get rid of some pictures already) and I cannot guarantee to keep or set apart for inclusion in a wall any pictures. I should be grateful, if you could at some time convenient return to me the picture of Galadriel at the Well in Lorien. If I may keep this as my own. It attracts me because it so very nearly corresponds to my own mental vision of the scene. (It also would be a v. good specimen to show to Mr. Rayner Unwin). but I do not, I promise, demand this, since my gift was a free one.’ He adds a postscript at the top, signed ‘J. R. R. T.’, in full: ‘I should, of course, allow the picture to be included in any collection of exhibition of your work, or used for reproduction in an illustrated edition, as long as the original was ultimately returned to me. I shall keep it, for the present time, unframed.’ In fine condition. After having seen various illustrated editions of The Hobbit produced – most not to his liking -Tolkien was understandably weary of would-be illustrators. Just one year before receiving Fairburns paintings, Tolkien wrote to his publisher Rayner Unwin, As far as an English edition goes, I myself am not at all anxious for The Lord of the Rings to be illustrated by anybody whether a genius or not. There were a handful of artists whose Lord of the Ringsinspired work he did appreciate, but he made a clear distinction between what he liked on artistic merit versus what he believed was fit to accompany text. In the 1947 essay On Fairy Stories mentioned here, Tolkien explains: However good in themselves, illustrations do little good to fairy-stories. The radical distinction between all art (including drama) that offers a visible presentation and true literature is that literature works from mind to mind and is thus more progenitive. It is at once more universal and more poignantly particular. Based on all of Tolkiens comments and correspondence, this was a strong conviction. However, he was so struck by Fairburns work that he did again begin discussions with his publisher about an illustrated edition, referenced here when he mentions showing a sample to Rayner Unwin. Although that never came to fruition, Fairburns illustrations finally saw publication as the basis of HarperCollinss official Tolkien calendar for 2015.
Edmund Allenby An extremely rare signed 3.5" X 5.5" postcard photo by General Allenby, ‘Allenby F.M.’, showing the general on foot in Jerusalem, after its capture in December 1917  an historic image, with the caption ‘General Allenby Enters Jerusalem’ printed at the bottom. Boldly signed in fountain pen ink. A crease to one corner, otherwise in fine condition.
Lucian Freud A rare and intriguing autograph letter signed by Lucian Freud, in bold pencil. Dated ‘Monday night’ [January, 1984], Freud writes to Angela Dyer, noting that Lawrence Gowing had sent him a copy of her letter to him. In part, ‘I don’t know if he’s had any letters about the book but I certainly have not. Though I am rather immune to abuse and praise I had a feeling of exitement (sic) on reading what you wrote that I’ve only felt on suddenly coming across someone I really like the look of. So, right in the middle of painting my mother’s stomach this morning, I read it again.’ Letters folds, otherwise in fine condition. Together with a letter from the artist Lawrence Gowing to Angela Dyer, in which he responds to her ‘fan letter’, saying that he sent it straight on to Freud, and noting, ‘You may have already heard from him.’ Gowing’s book on Freud was published in 1982.
Graham Greene A signed autograph statement by Graham Greene, no date, but 1974, on his Antibes-headed stationery, being fifty words for inclusion in An Impossible Woman. In full, ”Note. The preparation of this book for publication owes everything to Kenneth Macpherson who was working on it when he died. If he had been able to finish what he had begun it would have been so much the better book. Graham Greene.’ Together with a page of typed corrections for the text with Greene’s holograph note, ‘not important’ to two sections. Together with two original photographs of La Dottoressa (whom Greene assisted in writing her memoirs, An Impossible Woman: The Memories of Dottoressa Moor of Capri), each annotated to the reverse by Greene’s lover Yvonne Cloetta, and a futher autograph note by Cloetta about a quotation in the text. A nice group of items. In fine condition.
R. B. Kitaj A scarce autograph letter signed by R.B. Kitaj. Written on an aerogramme sheet, the artist writes to a bookseller, asking him, ‘Please send the Hueffer PORTRAIT but not the Allison Peers which I have love Kitaj. P.S. Dunc. Was here for a great visit. Bob Wilson showed us his own treasures (Lume Spento. Wilde and Stein goodies etc.). Hand-addressed by the artist, who has written his name a second time on the address panel. In fine condition.
Winston Churchill A superb signed approximately 8" X 5" three-quarter length portrait by Winston Churchill. The young statesman is shown in military garb, and has signed very boldly in fountain pen ink, Winston S. Churchill, Lieut 4th Hussars, Sept. 1898. In very fine condition. In the summer of 1898, the 23-year old Churchill joined Kitcheners campaign in the Sudan, and was present at the Battle of Omdurman on September 2nd 1898. A remarkable artefact.
Claude Debussy A superb autograph musical quotation signed by Claude Debussy, inscribed by the composer to the National Relief and Food Committee [Commission for Relief in Belgium]. Debussy writes out four details bars from his Étude no. 11 (Pour les arpèges composes) on two hand-drawn two-stave systems, adding the tempo directive (Molto dolce et moderato). Nicely signed by the composer, who adds the date, January 1916. Rare and desirable in this format.
Jean Sibelius An extraordinary typed letter signed by Jean Sibelius, written to British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams – signed boldly in pencil. Dated August 22nd 1952, Sibelius opens by congratulating Vaughan Williams on his eightieth birthday. He goes on, ‘I thank you most cordially for the many unforgettable hours that your magcnificent and in their artistic perfectness so very admirable works have given me. Especially I wish to mention the patriotic, ie. the very English nature of your compositions which I always have liked so much. With gratitude and admiration, Yours very sincerely, Jean Sibelius’. In fine condition. A superb association piece showing the mutual respect of two composers whose compositions were always filled with national pride; Vaughan Williams dedicated his fifth symphony to Sibelius. Rare and desirable in this format.
Maurice Ravel An exceptionally rare signed portrait by Maurice Ravel. The early approximately 6" X 4" portrait of the composer is attached to card, which is boldly signed in ink, A mon cher éditeur et ami, E. Demets, bien cordialement, Maurice Ravel. Light age-toning to edges, otherwise in very fine condition. Demets was one of Ravels early publishers.
Beatrix Potter A good illustrated autograph letter signed by Beatrix Potter, ‘Beatrix Heelis’, January 9th 1943. She writes from Castle Cottage to Margaret ‘Hetty’ Douglas, in full: ‘Spot looks a sensible dog and very well set up on his legs, and strong enough to take care of himself. He looks a very suitable dog, for guard and company. A good brown chest, and a very pleasing face, well marked. Tell him I approve of him and I approve of his dear whiskers! I hope you won’t clip him into an object when he is middle-aged and stout. We were glad to hear that you and Ina are getting on all right. It’s unpleasant weather, an awfully wild night (Monday morning) but pleasantly surprised to see no worse snow, and thawing a bit. The roads are like glass. With love & all good wishes for New Year.’ Potter adds a small sketch of a bearded dog within the body of the letter. In fine condition, with light creasing and intersecting folds. Hetty Douglas was the niece of Mary Welsh Scott, the wife of Beatrix’s younger brother, Walter Bertram. During their childhood both Beatrix and her brother kept an array of pets: rabbits, mice, frogs, lizards, snakes, and a bat – creatures that helped unify their love for nature and art by serving as models for their endless sketching.
Henri Matisse A fine one-page autograph letter signed by Henri Matisse. The artist writes to his housekeeper on Hotel Terminus (Marseille) headed paper. Dated 8th June 1934, in full: ‘My dear Emile, The trip went well and I have spent a very relaxing afternoon, as if I’d left my cares behind at home. I forgot one very important thing, namely the Vichy candy for Claude. So take 4 boxes from the desk and make a package and send them by mail as soon as you can. They are red round boxes with a blue ribbon on which is written "Vichy, cost 2 fr." I hope all is well. I entrust Randi and Gika to you; try to distract them. Walks work very well, but watch out for cars. Greetings to both of you, H. Matisse.’ Letter folds, otherwise in very fine condition.
Helen Keller A typed letter signed by Helen Keller in bold pencil, one page both sides, December 31st 1923. Written from Forest Hills to Betsy, in part: ‘We had a very happy Christmas. My teacher and Polly trimmed a darling evergreen in the sun-porch. It was a miracle of glistening red, gold, silver, blue and emerald. Moreover, it was aquiver with life. For we caused to alight upon it birds, fishes, little jumping green frogs, all manner of tiny dolls, deer and elephants, and some fantastic creatures that were neither fish, fowl or beast. I wish you could have sat with us round the fire, and felt for a few hours the true peace and gladness which we believe will some day fill the whole world.’ In fine condition, with slight age toning.
Edward Hopper A signed and inscribed small hardback edition of Edward Hopper, First Edition, American Artists Group, New York, 1945. Signed boldly by Hopper in blue ink to the frontispiece beneath a colour illustration of his painting The Martha McKeen of Wellfleet. Bound in the original illustrated paper covered boards with cloth backin and no label to spine. Some light age wear, otherwise in fine condition.
Fine A.L.S., 1878. Turgenev laments His Failures as a Playwright.
Ivan Turgenev A fine two-page autograph letter signed by Ivan Turgenev (Ivan Turgenjew), 2nd February 1878. The Russian author writes in German. In full, Dear Mrs Paoli, I hasten to reply to your kind letter. In fact, from the very beginning of my career as an author I wrote plays (the last one in 1851), but I very soon became convinced that I didnt possess the stuff of the dramatic poet, for only the evolution of the characters interested me, not their conflicts. Moreover my pieces have met with no success. But as you have shown a friendly interest in my affairs, I allow myself to send you my Scenes of Russian Life, in which you will find two plays – a comedy in two acts and one in one act. The last one is not even planned for the stage. You will most likely share my opinion about my dramatic skills. I was very pleased to hear from you again; I hope that you are doing well and asks you to receive the assurance of my highest esteem. Your devoted Ivan Turgenjew. In very fine condition.
Sean O'Casey A good autograph letter signed by Sean O’Casey, 18th June 1959. The author writes to a Mr. Solomon, noting that he is glad ‘that the "Prerumble" is to open its eyes in the pages of your ESQUIRE. The printing of it there will be a fine prerumble of the play in New York City.’ The playwright goes on, ‘I have many ideas for things to be written down; but a bright idea in the air is very different from a dull diamond in your journal. Besides, I have been warned that one of my age should be silent, and let the Lord God speak; but like Shaw’s Tanner, I go on talking.’ In very fine condition, and together with the hand-addressed envelope by O’Casey, which he has signed to the reverse. The article that appeared in ‘Esquire’ concerned O’Casey’s play ‘The Drums of Father Ned’.

References: In fine
In fine
In fine
in fine
in fine
in fine
 v. 
In fine
in fine
in fine
In fine
In fine
In fine
In fine
In fine
in fine