WCP5136

Letter (cc) (WCP5136.5646)

[1]1

16th Sept[ember]. [1]901

D[octo]r. A. R. Wallace.

Dear Sir,

Messrs. Ballantynes2 return us the enclosed p. 206 of your Reader,3 with the remark that they have not got the block for it.4 We regret to trouble you, but are compelled to do so, as we have no copy of the book, & cannot remember whether the block was previously printed in the proofs or not. No doubt you can enlighten us. We fear the book has caused you quite abnormal trouble, owing to the unfortunate disappearance of Mr. Wilson.5

Yours very truly

1
The page is stamped "375" and the letter bears no heading or signature, but originates from ARW’s London publisher Swan Sonnenschein & Co., founded in 1878 by William Swan Sonnenschein (1855-1931).
2
The Scottish firm Ballantyne Hanson & Co. appear to be the printers of the Reader.
3
Wallace A. R. (1901). The Wonderful Century Reader London, Swan Sonnenschein & Co. This was an abridged version of the 4th edition (February 1901) of The Wonderful Century; Its Successes and Its Failures, first published in 1898.
4
The engraved boxwood block or woodcut dominated early Victorian book illustration. Electrotyping later replaced woodcuts for the production of fine artwork in books. In the second half of the century, most woodblock engravings were actually printed from electrotypes.
5
Not identified. This may be a mistaken identity as the disappearance of 'Mr Williams' led to delays with proofs of the illustrations for the Reader (see WCP5081).

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (cc) (WCP5136.5646)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2018-08-15]

Please cite as “WCP5136,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 11 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP5136