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CHURCHILL, Winston S.
Two autograph letters signed to Lord Northcliffe concerning the publication of Lord Randolph Churchill.
In the first, dated 20 September 1905, Churchill sends proofs of Lord Randolph Churchill to Northcliffe ("My dear Harmsworth") seeking his opinion. "Upon the whole I am satisfied with the work, & I believe it will succeed." The second note shows that Churchill was evidently pleased with the response: "Many thanks - you are vy clever. It will bring a horde down on me." But he requests an embargo on further extracts: "Better not print any more textual extracts, as final permission has not in all cases [three words emphasized] been yet granted by the writers of the letters." The second note is not dated, but in a letter of 2 October Churchill had authorized Frank Harris to act on his behalf concerning the publication, agreeing to pay Harris "10% on the excess nett profit accruing to me … above £4000" (Churchill Companion vol. II, 1, p. 465). In his response of 7 October, having finished reading the proofs, Harris is boiling over with schemes and bristling with exclamation marks: "Hill's [William Hill, editor in chief of the Liberal Party newspaper] proposal to run the book through The Tribune is quite absurd; he might have a page of excerpts from it for the first issue, I trow, if he would pay £1000 for it. Don't laugh! I mean it. Properly worked this book shd bring you in £10,000 or I'm a Dutchman! [Macmillan agreed to £8000] And it's cheap at the price. There should be a shower of preliminary notices in the press & all should be paid for (no more must you let Harmsworth browse at ease on your pastures)". An interesting and characteristic pair of notes showing Churchill seeking to balance his publicity and pecuniary concerns in connection with his great act of filial piety.
2 single-page letters, octavo, on "105 Mount Street, W" embossed stationery, each with conjugate blanks, the first signed in full, the second with initials. Both creased from old folds, a little soiled verso, but very good.
