[Printing History] Four Autograph Letters Signed ('W. Marshall') to Bradley & Son Ltd[, Crown Press, Printers, Reading], giving formula for 'Spacine' ('for the prevention of rising spaces in Monotype') and instructions for its application.

The four items, all on aged and lightly spotted paper, are attached by four rusty staples. One (five pages, octavo): In reply to the firm's inquiry regarding 'the prevention of rising spaces in Monotype', Marshall states that, instead of giving information, he 'would rather send you the method and you try it out and prove for yourself its value, then pay me afterwards'. He is sending 'a fair sample' of a solution to be 'applied to the back of the forme with a brush and allowed to dry', with detailed instructions - to be 'closely observed to obtain the best results' - for its application in the case of 'a forme of 16pp of a catalogue consisting of mons and blocks'. He boasts that 'we have been using this this method for the past six years so you can see it pays, especially when we can do long runs without any space trouble, and can show by records, a saving of nearly 50% in running time'. 'By a little forethought a man can arrange to lift his forme just before dinner or leaving off time at night, as we often do, [.] You may have objections made from the composing dept about the type and furniture sticking, as we did ourselves at first, but they soon wore down when the comps found that they did not have to spend time over the forme on a hopeless task.' Regarding the cleaning off of the solution, 'It would amply pay you to keep a boy to do this work alone as you would get his wages back by the saving on one job.' 'Mr. Harold Hood of B.P. fame has given my idea a fair trial and says that it is the finest cure he has yet come across. This was after a good test on a 20,000 run on which he had only six small spaces rise. [.] I will guarantee that if used properly the solution and method will save you pounds.' Two (two pages, octavo): Reveals the solution's formula, which is, 'like most things that have to be thought out, quite a simple and ordinary thing'. The answer came to him when he 'first puzzled my brains for a preventative of the space rising trouble [.] As I have said it is a simple thing but it had to be thought of. I hope that you will be satisfied with my efforts and wont think the fee I ask unreasonable as I am sure you will get it back in a short time saved on the machine.' Three (one page, octavo): Acknowledges receipt of a cheque for five pounds. 'Tomorrow I am despatching to you one half gallon of the solution under the label of "Spacine". Discusses the superiority of Zylol over methylated spirit on a photogravure machine. Four (one page, 12mo, stamped '10 MAY PAID'): Suggests applying methylated spirit before the solution, 'in order to obtain quick drying [.] This will free it from any grease or oil and enable the solution to obtain a firm hold'.…