Alfred Austin collection
Date Published: 1895 to 1910
Binding: No binding
Austin Alfred was an English critic, novelist and political journalist and appointed UK Poet Laureate in 1896.
"He was included in a famous anthology of bad poetry, but the kind view is that at his best he was ‘a true but not a great poet." quoted from The Thoresby Society, The Leeds Library.
The collection contains 16 items in total: 2 signed manuscripts of poems; 12 Autographed Letters Signed and 3 Ephemera all covering time from 1895 to 1910.
2 signed manuscripts of poems;
• Signed ms. of "Together! | Dedicated | In the warmest sympathy | To | The American People”, 8" × 12.5" sheet, verses I, II, and III, circa 1902.
• Signed ms. of “Margery”, 1 p., from Flodden Field (1903) reads: “Roses are in September yet more sweet | Than in the lavish loveliness of June, | And are by us more fondly cherished; | Loved guests that are about to go away | When we would have them linger”.
12 Autographed Letters Signed;
• ALS to Clare Ford, 2 pp., 5 March 1895, thanking her for her kindness and planning to see you during his stay in Florence.
• ALS addressed Dear Madame, 31 September 1896, acknowledging her letter and signing his letter for her autograph collection.
• ALS to Mr. Ward, 3 pp., 11 January 1896, re Vanity Fair has asked Austin to invite him over for a visit.
• ALS to Mrs. LeSage, 2 pp., 24 January 1900, Austin sends a sincere acknowledgment to his correspondent for the interest they have shown in the publication of To Arms!, remarking “I did not fail to see, & to be gratified, by the generous paragraph that appeared yesterday in The Daily Telegraph”, with blank integral leaf (slight traces of former mounting to the verso.
• ALS to Harper & Brothers, 2 pp., 11 April 1902, that he wants copies of his latest book to be sent to Mr. Roosevelt, Secretary Hay, and David Munro.
• ALS to Mr. Young, 4 pp., 28 May 28, 1903, requesting that Young should give a small donation to the Benevolent society as compensation for Austin’s autograph.
• ALS headed Private and addressed Dear Sir, 3 pp., on printed letterhead of Swinford Old Manor, Ashford, Kent, 9 April 1906, stating “I observed, after the Post had gone, that I had sent you only a portion… of the letter I had written; but . . . I had decided not to publish it, & sent it only to show you that I had seriously considered your scheme & the stage it had reached. . . . [Illegible figure] is but an insignificant sum for the larger purpose to which I referred; &, should it assume the requisite proportion, I am strongly disposed to feel that the contribution I should then gladly offer, should be anonymously given. I receive letter after letter, in which writers assume I am a modern 'Man of Boys[?]', & possess means far beyond the reality; &, were my name to be given as a subscriber, these solicitations wd even increase in number….”
• ALS addressed Dear Sir, 3 pp., 5 June 1907, that he has left the publication of the "Coronation Poem" up to the discretion of the agent.
• ALS addressed Dear Julie, 19 May 1908, asking whether the gloves belong to her or Miss Tower.
• ALS to Hamilton Holt, 15 March 1910, thanking Holt for payment and wishing him better health.
• ALS addressed Dear Fanny, 1 January 1891, glad to hear from her, looks forward to receiving anything from her friends, never in London for any length of time, hopes to meet her.
• ANS poem signed, 6 lines, “This, too, be your glory great | Primroses, you do not wait,….”, stanza from “Primroses”, Soliloquies in Song (1882), dated 25 June 1896. On a printed sheet with heading, “THE AUTOGRAH COLLECTION OF | HOWES NORRIS, JR.” Norris (1867-1938) of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts.
3 Ephemera;
• Vanity Fair, lithograph color caricature “the Laureate”, 20 February 1896.
• Caricature from Life magazine, n.d.
• Miniature photo card, Ogden’s Guinea Gold Cigarettes, card #95.
Collection is on consignment with LDRB
Item #7751
$1,600.00 USD
$2,034.22 CAD