Two autograph letters signed to papermaker Thomas Balston, with related correspondence

Morison, Stanley

Published by [London], 1957

About this Item

Both 5½" x 7½": The first: "Dear Balston: As you perceive my pen runs smoothly and pleasantly on these excellent sheets of Mould made 1948 vintage. I am grateful to you - even though by giving me the paper you take away my excuse for being in arrears with my correspondence. Yours, Stanley Morison." A pencil note by Thomas Balston in the corner reads: "Sent him [i.e. Morison] Hugh's letter & specimens about Retree." Four typed letters from Hugh [Balston?] are included in this offering, each written to "Cousin Tom" [Balston] regarding Stanley Morison's detailed needs regarding paper: The first letter states: "I am sending you a roll containing about one dozen sheets of our paper in various substances from Large 28 down to Large 11. Normally these people seem to like the very thin paper, but perhaps he may prefer something heavier." In a second letter he writes: "I am glad Mr. Morison is pleased with our specimens.These were all Large Post size and we do not make all these weights in Foolscap.If he does not mind cut edges we can let him have the equivalent of Large 17 in Blue Wove and Cream Wove." Cousin Tom replies (a carbon letter only): "Stanley Morison would like to have 2000 Foolscap sheets, preferably of the Wove II but, if that is not available, of the Wove 17.He likes the colour of the specimen sheets, but would not object to the paper having some tint in it." Hugh writes back to Cousin Tom: "We can supply Mr.Morison with 2,000 sheets of Large Cream Wove 11 and we could cut this to Foolscap size although he would have to pay for the full sheet.There would of course be some waste involved and in view of this perhaps you would prefer to take Retree quality." In the last letter, Hugh notes: "I would rather have Mr. Morison's approval of a sample as I did not mention in my last letter that when this paper is cut quarto the watermark will only appear in two sheets.Finally, you have not given me any instruictiions about the deckle edge." To all this, Morison replies in his second letter:"Without hesitation I accept Cousin Hugh's Retree.Writing on it will make me feel like a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. I shall be content with it untrimmed." Previous folds; near fine.

Seller Inventory # 51920

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Two autograph letters signed to papermaker Thomas Balston, with related correspondence
• Publisher: [London]
• Publication Date: 1957
• Seller catalogs:
  • Printing
  • Manuscripts