Blitz: Letters from London, Written by Evelyn Lister to her sister Mildred, September & October 1940

ALLIX, Susan

Limited signed edition; small folio, black goatskin and textured binding by Susan Allix, the upper cover with paper and metallic embellishments, housed in a grey folding box. No 6 of an edition of 15, signed by the artist on the limitation page. Aquatints printed in black and brown with hand-coloring (from drawings made at demolition sites and in the underground), two linocuts and four facsimile extracts of the letters. "In the summer of 2013 I was given a small collection of letters. The owner Mildred or 'Billie' as she was known, had recently died... they were written to her by her sister Evelyn, a young woman in her twenties working in Central London... [Evelyn] tells of the devastation to the city, the personal fear and the spirit of the people in difficulties around her as she survives in the centre of the nightly raids... As it will never be possible to have this same experience, designing the book seemed sometimes similar to creating an historical novel... Certain pages are smoked and burnt. This was done after the printing and owing to the unpredictable nature of the process each copy is different. The smoke trails were made over a candle and the edge burning done with a Dunhill lighter (brought back into use because it doesn't over-heat) setting alight a small line at a time then extinguishing the flame". Fine, a few marks to the box.

Letter in secretarial hand to Revd. Hamilton of Knocktopher, Ireland, signed by Wilberforce

WILBERFORCE, William

Two page letter; 8vo. Wilberforce writes "I lose no time after my return from London, where it was really impossible for me to attend to my correspondents, in thanking you for your friendly letter of the 13th I have followed from my retiring from public life, and my health is in a comfortable state , though I am not robust. I have so many unanswered letters that I must not allow myself to go onto any of the topics touched on in your communication. If you should at any time come into this country I hope you will do me the favour to enquire whether I am at home or not, which you may commonly hear at Mr Htchard the Booksellers and if I am it will give me please to see you under my roof, and to assure you personally, that I am I am With Esteem and Regards, My dear Sir, Yours sincerely, W. Wilberforce. PS. As compaint in my eyes obliges me to write to you by another hand." Dr. Hans Hamilton was the instigator of the Carrickshock incident an important event in the Irish nationalist historical narrative. Hamilton was rector of the Church of Ireland parish of Knocktopher, in January 1831 he refused the request of a delegation of Catholic tenants to reduce their tithe rate. In March, Hamilton began legal proceedings to enforce collection, and in November the Dublin administration issued summons to the defaulters. Hamilton's land agent, employed a local butcher called Butler, to serve these summons and the local magistrate, Joseph Green, authorised a Constabulary escort. On 14 December, Butler's party was confronted by bands of locals. In the ensuing affray 13 men of the Constabulary including Butler were killed and three of the locals. With the original folded envelope some wear, creasing and tears where the original seal was broken.

Stones.

MERCHANT, Paul: Illustrated by Barbara Hepworth

Introduction by Ted Hughes. Limited signed edition; 4to; original cloth in glassline dust jacket. Edition of 150, this being one of 75 copies signed by the author and artist. Two colour lithographs. A fine copy.

Evacuee Labels

WORLD WAR TWO

Four World War Two Evacuee Labels for Matilda Binstock and Doreen Fellows aged 13 and 14 of Elmwood School, Croydon and Edward & John Faulkner of Hollydale Road School, Nunhead, Peckham, London, which would have been attached to their clothing while in transit during evacuation. On the reverse of each label is a stamp reading 'FC Page, 10 Park Lane, Southwick, Sussex'. A letter dated 1/6/1939 re the Govt Evacuation Scheme from Southwick UDC, another from the Min of Health dated April 1939. A slip of paper in hand written pencil '10 Park Lane, Matilda Binstock. Doreen Fellows' and stamped 'Southwick Urban District Council, Sussex', the original allocation paper at the railway station. A printed certificate to Mrs. C. Page in appreciation of taking in evacuees, from Queen Elizabeth enclosed in a remittance envelope from Buckingham Palace addressed to Mrs C. Page, 10 Park Lane, Southwick, Brighton, Sussex. A w complete collection telling of the time when British children were sent into the unknown to avoid the bombing of London.

Autograph letter signed, to Max Aitken, First Baron Beaverbrook, regarding the author's portrait of Winston Churchill

SUTHERLAND, Graham

Autograph letter signed Graham, to Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, West Malling, Kent. Four pages, addressed 'My Dear Max Letters to the author's friend and patron, the newspaper magnate Lord Beaverbrook. His 1954 portrait of Winston Churchill, loathed by the sitter himself who complained that it made him "look like a down-and-out drunk who has been picked out of the gutter in the Strand". Sutherland writes 'I note from my 'Standard' & Daily Express that in your recent television appearance you expressed belief that Nye Bevan influenced my handling of the form the portrait eventually too.' 'I can't emphasise strongly enough that this is not the truth. Churchill 'asked the first morning "How will you paint me - as a cherub or the Bull Dog?" I replied "It entirely depends what you show me sir." 'He showed me the Bull Dog!! During the Second world war Churchill's most determined and formidable critic was the ardent socialist, Nye Bevan, MP for Ebbw Vale since 1929 and throughout his career a brilliant speaker. He dissected the shortcomings of the government's war strategy in an extremely effective and well-informed manner. No other critic of it marshalled such telling arguments or expounded them so eloquently. Churchill called Bevan "a squalid nuisance." There is however little evidence to suppose that Bevan had any influence over the portrait as Sutherland states in the letter there was no contact between the two.

Three page typed signed letter to Lord Beaverbrook, regarding the acquisition of the artists sketches of Churchill

SUTHERLAND, Graham

Typed letter, signed Graham Sutherland to Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook. Annotated and corrected in pen by the author. Sutherland took to portraiture relatively late in his career, his first portrait was of Somerset Maugham. Following completion of the Maugham portrait Sutherland went on to paint Beaverbrook. This portrait was derided as had the one of Maugham but Beaverbrook was pleased with the work. It was on the back of this that Beaverbrook, proposed that Sutherland paint Churchill. As is now well known the completed portrait was detested by Winston and Lady Churchill. Churchill wrote to Lord Moran describing the painting as 'filthy and malignant'. He then sent a letter to the Sutherlands saying the portrait 'is not suitable as a presentation from both Houses of Parliament' and that he didn't want it to be part of the ceremony. The process by which the painting was produced was typical of Sutherland's practice and involved a great number of sketches, and studies, most of which were acquired by Beaverbrook. The current letter details the acquisition of these sketches and a number of others of Somerset Maugham and Edward Sackville-West and the prices agreed. Sutherland asks for two charcoal sketches of Churchill be returned, "..I would like to do some more work on them, as I am not happy with them as they are. If I am still not happy after having done some more work on them, I undertake to destroy them." "I thought it would be of possible historic interest to have in your collection the sheet of eye studies oif Churchill, done at my last sitting, with my written comments. If you would care to accept this, I would gladly present this to you as well." Sutherland details a number of other Churchill sketches which he wishes to keep for himself as a souvenir, although he is prepared to let Beaverbrook have a three quarter profile in oil for £200. Sutherland goes on to discuss the mounting and framing of the drawings - which will be undertaken by Alfred Hecht. Hecht was gifted another study of Churchill which sold at Sothebys in June 2024 for £660k. Alfred Hecht was a German-Jewish refugee who moved to London in the 1920s, who set up his frame shop on the King's Road. Hecht's trademark gilt and glazed frames with coloured mounts in an incredibly modern style were frequently used by London galleries and artists of the time. Fine, punched holes on left margin for filing.

Het Achterhuis. Diary of a Young Girl.

FRANK, Anne

Designed by Barry Moser and illustrated by Joseph Goldyne. Limited edition; small folio original full leather, with blind stamped design to the front panel housed in slipcase with an additional set of etchings signed by the artists. One of an edition of 350 signed by the artist and designer to the limitation page. A fine set.