Format: Quarter leather and black card ledger book with black string tie, 16 plates of card with attached wool, glue and ribbon on blue card attached to ledger pages with split paper fasteners, some loose pages of shed designs, and a typed booklet containing information on wool classing inserted loosely, 39pp; 38.5 x 26 x 14cm.

Annotated and dated with previous owner’s name in ink and pencil on first page: “Robert H. Coutts, Wool classing, S.M.B. [School of Mines, Ballarat], Ballarat 1935-36-37.”

These pages of wool samples would have been collected by Coutts as a student of wool classing at the Ballarat School of Mines. The sixteen pages with wool samples are titled as follows:

Some of the popular breeds used in Australia; Grades of scoured wool Merino – Lincoln; Grades of greasy wool Merino – Lincoln; Grades of greasy lambswool Merino – Lincoln; Grades of scoured lambswool Merino – Lincoln; Short way of breeding comeback (Strong); Lines made in classing an average CDV clip; Samples of Victorian wools [Gippsland, Western district, Sth Aust. Border, Mallee, Riverina]; Various faulty wools; Range of counts; Merino classing-two important features, condition (greasy) & quality (counts); Lines made in classing an average Merino clip; Lines made in classing an average CBK clip; Lines made in classing a large X-bred clip; XB classing cont.; Lines made in classing an average CBK clip.

There are three diagrams: one for a six-stand shearing shed; one for a T-shaped shearing shed; and one for sheep drafting yards. Also included is a typed foolscap booklet which appears to be the coursework material. It outlines award rates for shearers in 1937, approximate yields for Geelong and the Western districts, a wool buying guide, sheep skins for market, samples of a wool grower’s account book and a wool buyer’s account, and a general outline for a wool seller.

Robert Hamilton Coutts (1913–2001) appears to be the grandson of Robert Coutts Esq. (1851–1926),  a sheep grazier at Long View Station, Boort, Victoria. Robert H's father, another Robert, along with his Uncle, Oswald (murdered 1914), and other Coutts' brothers, had a long association with the district, Robert H. being buried there upon his death in 2001.

Ref: National Wool Museum; FindAGrave; Ancestry; Inglewood Advertiser 27.2.1914; The Age 31.7.1948.

Some cracking to leather spine, grease proof papers between wool sample pages torn, damaged, or missing.    

Author: Williamson, James Cassius.

Format: Typed letter signed to “J.A.E. Malone, Daly’s Theatre, London” and dated “16th March 1908.”

Printed letterhead “From J.C. Williamson, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Sydney”, 1p, 25.1 x 20cm.

Text includes “Dear Mr Malone, this will introduce you to Mr H.H. Wallace who has been with us for two or three years playing many important comedy and character parts…He sings fairly, dances well and is altogether a very useful man.”

J.C. Williamson (American, 1845–1913) was Australia's most successful theatrical entrepreneur. H.H. Wallace appeared in some Williamson produced plays and played a theatrical part in the 1917 Australian film Our Friends, The Hayseeds. Ref: Wiki; NLA,

Old folds, minor stains to edges.

Author: Frith, William Powell.

Format: Autograph letter signed in ink to “Dear sir”, dated “Mar. 15, ‘95”.

Printed letterhead “Ashenhurst, 7 Sydenham Rise, S.E.", 1p, 15.3 x 9.9cm (folded).

Text includes “Dear Sir, I hear from America often enough proving that my name & works are familiar to many in your great country. I confess I am always gratified by this & I have pleasure in replying to your enquiry respecting The Derby Day — about 13 months of incessant work were spent upon…Faithfully yours, W.P. Frith.”

William P. Frith (1819–1909), English painter, responding to an American’s question about his most famous painting, Derby Day, completed in 1858. Frith discloses that it took 13 months of incessant work, where other sources, such as the Tate, where the painting is held, note 15 months.

Author: Schumann, Clara.

Format: Autograph note signed in ink on Schumann’s visiting card, inscribed in two hands, dated “Dresden 18th November 1894” (likely by recipient Marie Sewell), 1p, 6.5 x 10cm.

Note in German includes “Der lieben Frau Sewell, mit Freude ein herzliches. Dank für die gesandten freundlichen. Grüße von Clara Schumann. (To dear Mrs. Sewell, with joy, a heartfelt thanks for the friendly greetings sent).”

Clara Josephine Schumann (1819–1896) was a German composer and pianist, regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era. Her husband was the composer Robert Schumann (1810–1856).

Marie Sewell (1829–1904) was a pianist and student of Clara’s father, Friedrich Wiecks. Marie’s daughter Teresita studied piano with Clara at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt for two semesters in 1878/1879. Ref: Sophie Drinker Institut.

Slight foxing and stains to edges, laid-down on paper.

Author: Menuhin, Moshe.

Format: Typed letter signed to “Dear friends” and dated Nov. 3, 1949”, signed and annotated in ink below text.

Printed letterhead “PO Box 157, Los Gatos, California”, 1p, 27.6 x 21.5cm.

Yehudi Menuhin’s father Moshe writes to request tickets and car spaces for Yehudi’s upcoming concert in San Jose. He remarks on the American tour thus far: “sold out houses with overflow on stage” and in a postscript requests “three (3) more, good seats, for our friends. Kindly charge the account of Yehudi for all the tickets. M.M.”

Accompanied by four copies of enclosed typescript:- press releases about Yehudi’s current tour of America following his success in Europe. Each with slightly different wording.

Yehudi Menuhin, (1916–1999) was an American-born violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. Ref: Wiki.

Crinkles.

Author: Kemble, Charles.

Format: Autograph letter signed in ink, annotated and dated “C.G. [Covent Garden] Theatre, Nov. 28th 1822[?]”, 1p, 22.4 x 18.6cm.

Text includes “Sir, I did not think it ?? to write, as I conceived you would be certain that the omission of your name upon our Free List would be rectified, the moment, I was made acquainted with it. I assure you this was the case. I can only regret that you have been put to so much trouble about it. I am, sir, your obedient servant, C. Kemble.”

Charles Kemble (British, 1775–1854), actor, and manager of the Covent Garden Theatre, London, for a period.

Split to old fold, crinkles.

Author: Kemble, Adelaide.

Format: Autograph letter signed in ink to “Dear Sir”, embossed monogram upper right, dated “Wednesday 15th June”, 1p, 17.6 x 11.4cm.

Text reads “Dear Sir, You will perceive that if I am possessed with the spirit of bargaining, I am also possessed with that of honesty – in return for your precious document of yesterday I beg to offer you my valuable autograph. Adelaide Kemble.”

Adelaide Kemble (1815–1879) was a British opera singer, younger sister of actress and author Fanny Kemble (1809–1893), and daughter of actor Charles Kemble (1775–1854).

Embossed monogram nearly punched through, laid-down on paper border with tears to left edge.

Author: Kean, Charles.

Format: Three autograph letters signed in ink, to “Mr Coleridge”, dated from 1854 to 1862, 6pp over three sheets, 18 x 11cm (folded).

1). 23 June 1854; Kean declines an invitation due to the ill health of his wife.

2). 1 January 1855, 3 Torrington Sq.; “My dear Mr Coleridge, I hope you will accept the enclosed to see Hamlet on Wednesday next.”

3). 30 Dec 1862, Gresham’s Hotel, Dublin; Kean writes of his successful tour of Ireland and the hospitality of his Irish friends giving him fear of the return of gout. He is awaiting confirmation of his tour to Australia: “I shall not know positively about Australia until the delivery of the mail towards the end of next Feb 3, but I have no doubt about it, I feel certain that we shall go.” Also mentioned is a prank played by some Etonians in 1816 on John Keate [Eton headmaster 1809–1834] “with an apparently official letter correctly sealed so directing him by Royal authority to wear it as Head of a College.”

Charles Kean (1811–1868) was an Irish-born English actor best known for his revival of Shakespearean plays, and son of actor Edmund Kean.

“In late 1863 Kean and [his actress wife] Ellen came to Melbourne under contract to George Coppin. After a month's performances in Melbourne they moved to Sydney, where they were entertained by Governor Young. In Ballarat they played ten nights in February 1864, reaping rich rewards from appreciative miners. After a series of illnesses and other vicissitudes in Melbourne they left Sydney in early July, pleased to see the back of the colonies. For Australians, however, the sober and respectable Keans provided an introduction to serious theatre.” Ref: NPG.

Minor foxing, soiling and creases, split to crease of letter dated 1862.

Author: Boieldieu, Francois.

Format: Autograph letter signed in ink to Monsieur [Victor] Dourlen, self-enveloping with partial seal, 1p, 18.5 x 11.5cm (folded).

Boieldieu writes in French, apologising for ill health, and to ask Dourlen to teach his son–who is left-handed–harmony and counterpoint.

Francois-Adrien Boieldieu (1775–1834) was a French composer, mainly of operas, often called “the French Mozart.” His son Adrien (1815–1883) was also a composer, educated at the Paris Conservatoire under his father and Victor Dourlen (1780–1864); a French composer appointed full professor of harmony and counterpoint at the Paris Conservatoire in 1816, a position he held until 1842.

Creases, stains, thread holes along old folds.

Author: Watts-Dunton, Theodore.

Format: Autograph letter signed in ink, dated “Ap. 3 /86”, 2pp over one folded sheet, 18 x 11.4cm.

Text includes “The Pines, Putney Hill. My dear Sir, Mr Shepherd has mentioned to me your suggestion about reprinting some of my scattered articles. As I hope to have the pleasure of calling upon you one day this week we shall have an opportunity of discussing this matter…Yours truly, Theodore Watts.”

Theodore Watts-Dunton (British, 1832–1914) was a critic, novelist and poet, “and was the chief poetry reviewer of the Athenaeum where he enjoyed a great (anonymous) reputation from 1876 to 1902.” He made study of the Roma (Gypsy) people, and is remembered for caring for poet Algernon Charles Swinburne after a collapse from alcoholism. Ref: NPG UK.

A photoengraved portrait of Watts-Dunton is included.

Old folds, tears to edges.