Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanacks,
Football & Sporting Memorabilia
Held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
22nd, 23rd & 24th March 2024
Lot 88
Estimate: £300/500
Hammer: £260
Clarence Victor ‘Clarrie’ Grimmett. Victoria, South Australia & Australia 1918-1941. ‘Farewell Dinner to the Australian Cricket Team’ 1930. Excellent and rare 24pp menu for the dinner held at Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London on 8th September 1930. The front cover and some internal pages feature elaborate printed borders, recut on wood from a design used in ‘A Book of Hours’ by Geofroy Tory of Paris. The menu contains exquisite reproductions of pencil drawings of Merchant Taylors’ Hall and articles relating to the history of the Company of Merchant Taylors’. Printed by George W. Jones of Gough Square, London. The menu is signed in pencil to the title page and opposite front end paper by the majority of the distinguished guests who sat at the ‘High Table’ on which Grimmett sat. This was Grimmett’s menu, with name signed to top border of front cover, his official invitation to the Dinner and the original folded large format table plan are included with the menu. A very interesting document of historical interest for location as well as function and is probably unique in this signed form. Previously sold by Knights in 2014. Good/ very good condition.
Signatures, in table order, are Sir Kyneston Studd, M.C.C. President & cricketer, Maharaja Jam Sahib Of Nawanagar- Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji. Sussex & England, Lord Harris, Kent & England, C.V. Grimmett, Australia, Viscount Hampden, former Governor of N..S.W., A.P.F. Chapman, Kent & England and England Captain, General Sir W. Braithwaite, Sir Charles Batho, Lord Mayor 1927, Major General Sir R. Bannatine-Allason, President of the Royal Artillery C.C., Major General Sir Granville de L. Ryrie, Australian High Commissioner 1905, Sir Louis Newton, Lord Major 1923, Sir Jeremiah Colman, President of Surrey C.C.C. 1916-1923 & collector of cricket paintings, Brig-Gen E.J. Phipps Hornby V.C. Garrison Cricket, Alderman & Sheriff W.P. Neal, Lord Mayor 1930, P.F. Warner, Middlesex & former England Captain, Sir Henry Gooch, Chairman of London City Council, Sir George Truscott, Lord Mayor 1905, General Sir Talbot Hobbs, Australian Army, W.A. Oldfield, Australia, R.H. Spooner, Lancashire & England cricketer, A.C. MacLaren, Lancashire & England cricketer, C.G. Macartney, Australian cricketer, not on the tour, S. Christopherson, Kent & England, R.B. Jacomb, Wool magnate, Sir Malcolm Hogg, Deputy Chairman of the Westminster Bank, Lord Wakefield of Hythe, Lord Mayor 1916, Viscount Hailsham, Lord Chancellor 1928, T.H. Howard, New South Wales cricketer & tour Treasurer, Viscount Ullswater, Speaker House of Commons 1905-1921, W.L. Kelly, Australian tour Manager, Sir James M. Barrie, Author of Peter Pan and cricket lover, W.M. Woodfull, Australian Captain. All the toast makers sat at the High Table. Probably most dignitaries were members of the Merchant Taylor’s Guild. Only three signatures are missing from the guests sat at the High Table. Other signatures noted include Don Bradman and Alan Kippax of Australia.