Betjeman (Sir John), SUMMONED BY BELLS, first edition, green...

Hammer

£160

Betjeman (Sir John), SUMMONED BY BELLS, first edition, green cloth boards with embossed bell pattern, gilt title to spine, John Murray, London 1960, the unclipped DJ with pencil sketch annotated thus: 'John Betjeman drew this 25.2.70 to illustrate how he thinks on of the city churches (? Bow) should be decorated/rebuilt with fibre-glass "pineapples". At Gerrard & Reid's office, 32 Lombard Street', the bell-patterned front free endpaper with tipped in hand-written letter on 'The Mead, Wantage, Berks' headed notepaper reading: 'Dear Mr Webster, Your kind letter could hardly be more gratifying. I'm so glad that my blank verse did not bore you and brought back Middlesex memories & early love. I hoped that those I did not know might have had similar experiences. Apparently they have. Yours sincerely John Betjeman', the hand-addressed envelope for the note pasted to the front endpaper (at fault), with THE NEW YORKER issue dated August 27 1960, which re-prints SUMMONED BY BELLS, and further newspaper cuttings and ephemera (Qty)