1917 HENRY DINGLEY COOLIDGE - 35 HANDWRITTEN PAGES - LECTURE ON PARLIAMENTARY LAW & PROCEDURE. His personal, manuscript lecture notes, with many hand corrections and changes, for a lecture he gave at a "Parliamentary Club" meeting. The pages are hand numbered, some numbered "a" and "b" (e.g. 30a, 30b); 35 total pages. Handwritten on one side of 6" x 9" sheets of paper (a few sheets are somewhat smaller). Most of the paper is plain paper, originally blank on both sides. Some of the latter sheets are written on the blank backsides of paper that is printed with "THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS - 1917 - AN ACT" and associated information on the other side (i.e.the original printed documents were being reused as scrap paper for these lecture notes). The lecture notes are undated, insofar as I can tell, but I'm assuming 1917 based on the date on the printed backsides of a few sheets. Along with these lecture notes are 3 sealed envelopes with "HENRY DINGLEY COOLIDGE / CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS" printed on the envelope flap (the envelopes are sealed, but there is nothing inside, and they are unopened); a piece of unused printed stationery; and a letter addressed to "Mr. Henry D. Coolidge, Clerk to the Senate, Concord, Mass." on "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts / Executive Chamber / State House, Boston" letterhead. The letter is signed by (?). It is in response to a recommendation by Coolidge for the appointment of Henry J. Walcott to some position or other. The letter is dated August 1, 1910. Condition: The sheets are toned and have some signs of light handling, wear and use; but overall they are clean, bright, clear and fully legible. About HENRY DINGLEY COOLIDGE (from the Internet): ******Massachusetts Senate Clerk Henry Dingley Coolidge (1858-1922). Coolidge, a direct descendant of Mayflower pilgrim William White, served as Clerk for the Massachusetts Senate for 33 years. He is known for writing the revised and updated "MANUAL FOR THE USE OF THE GENERAL COURT" in 1889, and a number of subsequent revisions of the same book. Henry D. Coolidge's General Court Manual became an important, standard, widely used. legal reference work.******

Filled with remembrances, signatures, and drawings, by men and women in post WWI. Most of the remembrances are from 1919, with some later ones being from 1920-1926. Many are from women soldiers in the Q.M.A.A.C, and other British Women's army corps;; and many are from male soldiers in the R.A.S.C. and similar army corps. It was a time of love and death, love lost and love being sought. Many of the signatures come from Curragh (a notorious training camp in Ireland).

There are some lovely and sad drawings and texts, dealing with parting and death. Including a lovely poem by Emily Dickinson with an associated drawing. One "poem" by a woman soldier is very racially offensive, but is the only one that I found..

I'm not sure who this belonged to, possibly Maria Macaulay, but clearly a woman in the Q.M.A.A.C.

Leather covers, 6.5x7 inches (17x18 cm), 60 leaves all with writing and/or drawings, some on both sides of the leaf, some on one side only.

VERY GOOD condition, tight, bright, clean and clear.

A look at post WWI, not from the perspective of battle weary men, but from that of an army woman who, from the tone of the comments in the autograph book, seemed to send soldiers off and bring them home with a friendly female touch.

About the QMAAC (from Wikipedia):

******The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), known as Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (QMAAC) from 9 April 1918, was the women's corps of the British Army during and immediately after the First World War. It was established in February 1917 and disbanded on 27 September 1921.******

Autograph Book of MARIE BEIDLEMAN of CERES, STANISLAUS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. Autograph Book, lacks covers, staple bound, 3.5x5.5 inches, 60 pages (30 leaves), 46 of the pages have inscriptions with signatures. The first inscription and signature is by the mother of Marie Beidleman and is dated June 7th, 1922. Most of the signatures / inscriptions seem to be from classmates from Ceres, California. Most have dates, beginning in 1923 with the last one being in 1926. Most have signed their full names, and a few put a place as CERES, CALIFORNIA. Marie Beidleman comes up as having been a student in CERES, CALIFORNIA. A quick Internet search found that some of the other names were also from kids in schools in CERES, CALIFORNIA. Names in this autograph / inscription book include: Helen Lander, Dolores Nelson, Bernice Madden, Adele Bisher, Margaret Nyquist, Ethel Baldridge, Dorothy Keith, Lois Ertle, Alice Ertle, Nancy Tupman, Hazel Buerer, Evelyn McQueen, and many more. Condition: Lacking covers as noted above, a few pages are toned from offsetting, light corner creases and other signs of handling, overall still bound well with writing that is clean, clear and fully legible.

MORTGAGES / LOAN DOCUMENTS for CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. Folded official documents, with signatures, documentary stamps, notary statements, etc.

TWO DOCUMENTS:

October 1925 Mortgage Agreement between Congregation B'nai Israel and Williamsburgh Savings Bank. This document is SIGNED by DAYVE DeWALTOFF, then President of the Congregation of B'Nai Israel, and by Simon Abels, John Ginsberg, Bernard Ginsberg, Abram Fisch, Elias Kruchkow, and Charles Goldenberg. There are a number of Documentary Stamps at the top of the front page.

January 1929 Document assigning the mortgage of Congregation B'nai Israel real estate to Bay RIdge Savings Bank.

Both mortgage documents are in GOOD condition, they are lightly age toned, have various handwritten marks and notes, otherwise they are solid, bright, clear, and fully legible.

Interesting historical documents relating to Judaism in Brooklyn in the 1920s.

Chinese American Type Specimen Catalogue

BOCK NGAR CHY CO., published in San Francisco (n.d.) circa 1934. Original decorative blue-green paper wrappers, top staple bound, 8.25" x 5.25", 44 unnumbered pages, printed in red and green, text in Chinese with some English, richly illustrated throughout. NEAR FINE Condition: mild age toning, tiny bit of wear at spine fold ends, tight, bright, clean and unmarked. A beautiful copy.

A typographic specimen book and trade catalogue featuring a wide variety of printing services, dual language Chinese-English printing, graphic design, typefaces, ornaments, borders, illustrated cuts, stamps, business cards, advertising, logos, and other printing jobs as well as rubber stamps, seals, corporate stamping machines, inks, movable type sets, pens, labels, stationary and small promotional items. Numerous local Chinese owned business are represented in the samples, as well as Chinese companies outside California, and in Canada and Mexico.

A successful Chinese American printing and stationers firm in San Francisco's Chinatown, Bock Ngar Chy Company was founded by San Francisco native and visual artist Lee Shew Hung (b.1882). Educated in both Chinese and American schools Lee worked in his father's import export business before starting his own small press after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. I can't find early records but the February 1915 edition of the Chinese Students' Monthly has two ads for Bock Ngar Chy Co. Chinese printing and stationer services and Chinese artistic goods located at 920 Grant Avenue. The 1949 Chinese San Francisco City Directory shows Bock Ngar Chy Co. at a different Chinatown location, 556 Kearny Street and the last recorded item they printed was a 1956 calendar by Bock Ngar Chy, Youth Printing Co. It's entirely possible Lee Shew Hung remained the proprietor throughout.

Four Page Handwritten Letter by SIR ERNEST BARKER, mostly a Critique of the book The Mind of Latin Christendom, by Edward Pickman (Published by Oxford, 1937). The letter is dated 17 Feb 1938. The letter is addressed to Mr. Pitman, a misspelling of Pickman. Though the book The Mind of Latin Christendom is not mentioned by name, this letter was part of a gathering of letters that Edward Pickman had amassed in response to his sending out his book for criticism to many of his friends and colleagues, and the subject matter clearly references his book. Written on a single fold sheet, 4 pages with letterhead on the first page, 5x8 inches. GOOD condition, a fold where the letter was folded to fit into an envelope (no envelope is present), the imprint of a paperclip to the top edge, some light spotting. About SIR ERNEST BARKER (from Wikipedia): ******Sir Ernest Barker, b. 1874 d. 1960, was an English political scientist who served as Principal of King's College London from 1920 to 1927. He was a don at Oxford, and spent a brief time at the London School of Economics. He was Principal of King's College London from 1920 to 1927, and subsequently became Professor of Political Science in the University of Cambridge in 1928, being the first holder of the chair endowed by the Rockefeller Foundation. In June 1936 he was elected to serve on the Liberal Party Council. He was knighted in 1944. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958. There is a memorial stone to him in St Botolph's Church, Cambridge.******

DRUMS AND ACCESSORIES - ILLUSTRATED CATALOG of the WFL DRUM CO.

Published by WFL DRUM COMPANY, Chicago, Illinois, 1939.

Softcover catalog, side stapled, 6x9 inches, 48 pages. Illustrated throughout. Complete with its original, illustrated mailing envelope.

Condition: There are a couple brown burn marks on the front cover that affect the same spot on a few of the following inner pages, the staples have rusted but are holding well, the covers have light general creases from use, otherwise the catalog is quite nice, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. The used mailing envelope is soiled, age toned, has a mailing label "Jack Anthony / Millbrook, New York", and writing on the backside "Clarence Nathaniel Anthony / North Avenue / Millbrook, New York" and "Millbrook Memorial School / Rowland H. Ross / Principal".

Rare original 1939 Drum Catalog of WFL Drum Company.

1941 Autograph Book kept by Murray, a student graduating from East New York Junior High School, Public School 149, later to be known as PS 149 "Danny Kaye". Like many schools in Brooklyn, the demographics of the school have changed dramatically since 1941.

The autograph book is held in a zippered blue vinyl case which is embossed on the front cover with: "Autographs / E. N. Y. J. H. S. / 149". It measures 4..5x5.5 inches. There are approximately 60 pages where signatures and memories are written.

Though the autographs in the book are all dated 1941, the autograph book itself was likely published in 1939 because the first 7 pages are photographs of the 1939 NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR. These are followed by a photograph of the school building and the school's principal. Then comes the autograph section.

Some of the kids who signed and left comments in the book include: Harriet Rothberg, Lorraine Olanoff, Seymour Boom, Sol Wishnick, Meyer Meltzer, Seymour Weintraub, David Simon, Frieda Scharfstein, and many others.

The owner of the autograph book was named Murray, though some referred to him as "Moish or Moe".

The autograph book is in VERY GOOD condition, all the pages are tight, bright, clean and clear. The zippered case is sturdy and functions well, but the gilt embossing on the front cover has substantially faded.

Post-WWII Letter from SHANGHAI Manufacturer trying to Renew Business in S.F. CHINATOWN

1946 TLS from LEE TONG & CO. "MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS OF CHINESE THINGS", SHANGHAI, CHINA - to MR. D. S. PUN "CITY OF CHINA", SAN FRANCISCO [Geary Street, CHINATOWN].

Single sheet letter typed on thin paper with letterhead, 8.5x11 inches, hand signed. The letter's envelope is included.

Condition: The letter is in GOOD condition, it has several folds where it was folded to fit into the envelope, and has light signs of handling and age, otherwise it is solid, clear and fully legible. The envelope has a large piece missing from its backside, creases from handling, and is toned, but the typed City of China / San Francisco address and the printed Lee Tong & Co. / Shanghai return address on the front side are bright and clear.

What I find most interesting about the letter is the part where Lee Tong talks about how good business was prior to WWII and how bad things are in China now (1946). He clearly hopes to rebuild his business with the help of U.S. import shops like The City Of China, and that by doing so he will help rebuild China. The full text of the letter, grammatically as written, follows:

********************************************** Shanghai, 5th April, 1946.

Messrs City of China,

440 Grant Avenue,

San Francisco, Calif. U.S.A.

Att. Mr. D. S. Pun

Dear sir,

We wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 5th March, which is highly interesting to us; attached herewith our price list, we hope it will meet your requirement.

We have pleasure to take this opportunity to introduce ourself to your goodself that we are the manufacturer of all kinds of embroideries, silk lingeries, robs, coats and also dealing all kinds of lace, linen, needle points, carved wood-war, black wood-ware, china-ware, rugs, antiques and any things Chinese. The writer has been an exporter and manufacturer for about thirty years in above lines. We had many connections in the main city of China. When the time of pre-war we had supplied to many department stores or jobbers in U.S.A. and as well as many other merchants in different countries. Any line which produces in China does not mention in above please do not be hasted to drop us a few lines if you are interesting in. We will be sure to inform you all the particulars by returned mail. For our bank reference we suggest you to enquire Chase Bank, Shanghai.

China was in war for so many years. People in this country are very poor. We need our overseas citizens to give us help to rebuild our country. Of course things are abnormal here, cost of living is so high and commodities are so in shortage that make the merchandise a little bit higher. It is a discouragement for the export business at present. However we hope our government in soon future uses double effort to abolish all our difficulties.

Thanking for your kind letter, hoping for your esteemed order and establishing our cooperation,

Yours very truly,

LEE TONG & CO. LEE TONG (Signed) **********************************************

DUEL IN THE SUN - Film Footage Schedule for All Domestic Release Prints, Showing All Positive Splices. PRINTS NUMBER 1 to 307. Dated May 1, 1947. Unusual Piece of Motion Picture Ephemera. Heavy stock paper covers, typed title and other info on front cover, two inner pages with mimeographed information, side stapled. Condition: Staples rusted but holding well, some creasing to the corners from handling, overall bright and clean. "Duel in the Sun", one of the great films of the 20th century! Martin Scorsese stated that this was the first film he ever saw and holds it in high regard. He mentioned it in his documentary of American movies. Please be sure you noted that this has only TWO PAGES plus covers. Yes, it's very thin, but it's a RARE and interesting piece of motion picture history.

FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM with 50 Original b&w Photographs from the 1940s - 1950s. Snapshots of People on Boats and Beaches, and in front of Homes and Buildings. Good background images. Seems to be a Oceanside or Lakeside area. The album has NO HANDWRITTEN INFORMATION, so I have no idea who the people are or where they are. The 50 photographs are mounted with photo corner mounts in a vinyl cover photo album. The snapshots range in size, including their white borders, from 3.5x5" to 3x4" to 2.5x3.5" to a few even smaller. The images in and the style of these b&w photographs appears to date them from the 1940s and 1950s. Condition: Most of the photos are clean, clear, bright and sharp; a few have faded, and a few have some stains. The album is in solid, clean condition.

REED RESEARCH INC. - CORPORATE & PRODUCT PRESENTATION ALBUM with 28 Original 8x10 glossy photographs, each with a typed caption on a strip of white paper mounted at the bottom. The photos are loosely inserted in plastic holders and held in a three ring binder. There are two introductory leaves, the second of which states: "Several Products Resulting from Research and Development / Reed Research Inc. / Washington 7 D.C.". Put together by Reed Research Inc., circa mid 1950s.

The photos are all in VERY GOOD condition, bright, sharp, clear; the binder is solid and functioning well, with a few minor scrapes.

An interesting look at Hi-Tech and Hi-Tech Entrepreneurship in the 1950s.

Some of the reports and studies from Reed Research Inc. are listed in WorldCat, including:

Technical report on structural tests - SS President Wilson 1948. Mechanical Stabilization of Optical Elements on Lightships 1951. The Sphere Theorem Potential 1953. Theoretical studies on steady fluid motion under a free surface 1958 Design concepts for missile shipping containers 1958. Documentation and design of guided missile containers 1961. Study of Solar Energy Use in Marine Navigation Aids 1962.

The founder of Reed Research Inc. was STANLEY FOSTER REED. Steve Jobs had nothing on this guy who started this company at the age of 23. Read on.

About the FOUNDER of REED RESEARCH INC., Stanley Foster Reed (from Wikipedia):

******Stanley Foster Reed, b.1917 d.2007, was an entrepreneur, inventor, and publisher who founded Reed Research Inc. in 1940, the journal Mergers & Acquisitions in 1965, and the magazine Campaigns & Elections in 1980.

In 1940, at age 23, Reed started a scientific research company, renting a two story building next to a junkyard in Georgetown. Over the next 20 years he built "Reed Research Inc." into a multi-million dollar company. He worked on issues ranging from safe land mine removal to electrocardiography to language learning laboratories to designs for shipping containers for missiles, obtaining scores of patents in the process. Based solely on his work experience he was admitted to membership in the Society of Naval Architects and received certification as a Professional Engineer.

In 1962, after selling Reed Research to Log-Etronics, Inc., he started Tech-Audit as well as the Reed Research Institute for Creative Studies in the RCA Building on K Street in Washington, where he ran a number of publishing businesses.

Reed started the publications "Directors & Boards" and "Export Today". He was the author of several books, including the best-selling "The Art of M&A" (co-authored with his daughter, Alexandra Lajoux), and "The Toxic Executive".

In the 1960s, he was actively involved in social issues, including sponsoring programs to encourage inner-city entrepreneurship, writing about the poor of Appalachia, and lecturing on ethics.******

1945 LETTER to MARQUISE HELENE DE PINS, PARIS, FRANCE, from RAYMOND ARMSBY, Mutual Life Insurance Company, San Francisco.

The Marquise Helene de Pins was a French Aristocrat who inherited the BEAULIEU VINEYARDS of Rutherford, NAPA VALLEY.

Raymond Armsby was a San Francisco socialite, Member of the BOHEMIAN CLUB, and, at the time, an Insurance agent for the rich and famous.

Single Page Typed Letter, Signed by Armsby, on Mutual Life Insurance Co. of New York stationery. The letter is dated May 20, 1954. The letter comes with its original mailing envelope.

In the letter Armsby suggests to Marquise de Pins that her property (i.e. wines) stored in an expensive to insure Champagne Cellar be moved to one of the buildings on her Vineyards where FIRE INSURANCE rates would be less expensive, implying that the$30,000 in insurance she currently held should be returned to a $50,000 level. From the letter: "...you desired only to insure the personal property stored in the Champagne Cellar for $30,000...It is unfortunate...that the property was moved from San Francisco for storage in a building on which the Fire Rating Bureau had placed such a high premium rate...I suggest you look over your buildings at the Vineyards, indicate to me the one in which you wish to place the property...a building with a low fire rate..."

Condition: The letter has several folds from where it was folded to fit into a small envelope, and some corner tip creases. Overall the letter is tight, bright, clean. The envelope is well used, lots of postal stamps, a forwarding label, and wear from being opened, but still clearly shows the return address and the name of Marquise Helene de Pins.

About the Marquise Helene de Pins, aka Madame de Pins, and the Beaulieu Vineyards (from Wikipedia):

******Marquise Helene de Pins, the widow of the Marquis de Pins and daughter of the late Georges de Latour, who founded Beaulieu Vineyard in 1900 after immigrating to the United States from the Perigord region of southern France, inherited the Beaulieu Vineyards after the death of her husband.

In the 1950s and 1960s Beaulieu was considered one of the Big Four Napa Valley producers, along with Inglenook, Charles Krug, and Louis Martini.

The winery was purchased by international conglomerate Heublein in 1969. Heublein was later acquired by RJR Nabisco, then sold to Grand Metropolitan in 1987. Grand Metropolitan became Diageo plc in 1997 through a merger with Guinness. In 2016 Diageo sold Beaulieu Vineyard to Treasury Wine Estates.******

NEW DEVELOPMENTS at DELAWARE PARK in 1954. (1) In TELEVISION WORK, (2) In NEWS PHOTO EXPANSION, (3) In FILM PATROL TECHNIQUE. 18 typescript leaves with text on one side only, plus FIVE ORIGINAL 8X10 B&W PHOTOGRAPHS, pages and photos 2 hole punched at their left margin, bound in a stiff folder with metal bracket, typed title label on front cover. Report by this THOROUGHBRED HORSE RACING TRACK on its new, and at the time novel, plan to film races at the Park for promotional and news purposes, as well as on the expansion of its still photography capabilities. The report goes into detail as to how the Track Organization intends to make the films unique enough that TV stations will want to show them without the Track having to pay for play. Condition: Some wear and staining to covers, including coffee cup rings, droplet stains, soiling, and some edge and corner wear. Internally very nice, the pages and photos are bright, clean, clear, and unmarked. One of a only few, perhaps even a one of a kind report. An interesting, rare item related to the history of Delaware Park. About DELAWARE PARK THOROUGHBRED HORSE RACING TRACK (from Wikipedia): ******Delaware Park (also known as DelPark) is an American horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia. William DuPont, Jr. a designer of twenty three racing courses, designed and built Delaware Park Racetrack in partnership with Donald P. Ross. Phillip T. Harris of Media, PA., was hired as the architectural engineer. The facility opened on June 26, 1937 and today is the only thoroughbred horse racing track in the state of Delaware. Races are run from May to October. In recent years, near Triple Crown winner Afleet Alex and Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, both won their career debuts at Delaware (Barbaro did it on the grass at 7-1), and the sprint champion mare Xtra Heat was based there. The track is now home to many horses who routinely ship to and win at the major circuits in New York, Florida and Kentucky.******