A small archive pertaining to his time as Secretary of State for War, Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Chancellor, comprising:- - Two menus signed by various politicians, including Stanley Baldwin, Neville Chamberlain, Walter Runciman and Hailsham himself, as well as their partners and others in attendance at the Imperial Economic Conference in Ottawa, 1932; the first en route, on the Canadian Pacific Steamship Line, the second for a dinner for the Canadian Prime Minister and his Cabinet- Two ALs from Hailsham to 'My dear Domini', i.e. his son: one from Balmoral Castle (so headed) in September 1934[?], describing it and his engagements there; the other from June 1935, referring to his transition from Secretary of State for War to Lord Chancellor- Three typed letters and an autograph letter, July and September 1936, to Lady Hailsham regarding her husband's ill health, from the Admiralty office (Samuel Hoare), the Home Secretary's office (John Simon), the Privy Council Office (Ramsay MacDonald), and Buckingham Palace (the King's Private Secretary, A.H.L. Hardinge); the last accompanied by a copy of a letter from Hardinge to Sir Claud Schuster on the same subject- A certificate accompanying a medal sent to Hailsham for George VI's Coronation- Six press photographs of Hailsham on various occasions, some in robes, with colleagues including Ramsay MacDonald, and a photograph of Hailsham with his sons and stepson clipped from a magazine. [16 pieces in total.]

Bookseller Notes

The two menus that are the earliest pieces in this group, date from the Imperial Economic Conference in Ottawa in the summer of 1932, where Douglas Hogg, Viscount Hailsham, was among the delegates during his time as Secretary of State for War in the National Government; both are signed by him and his wife Mildred, along with other attendees, including Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain the subsequent Prime Ministers during whose terms Hailsham returned to the office of Lord Chancellor (the present PM's signature, Ramsay MacDonald is present in the archive in the form of a later TLs). During his second term as Lord Chancellor, Hailsham's health faltered, and the letters here present to his wife Mildred wishing her husband a speedy recovery are from Samuel Hoare (First Lord of the Admiralty), John Simon (Home Secretary), Ramsay MacDonald, and the King's Private Secretary, A.H.L. Hardinge. These last are notable for being during the latter months of the short reign of Edward VIII; also present is a certificate with the cypher of his successor at the head,sending Hailsham a medal (not present) to be worn at George VI's Coronation. Samuel Hoare's letter is the lengthiest of this group of letters, and has the distinction of going beyond an expression of sympathy to 'send you a little gossip' over its four pages primarily with regard to one of Edward VII's parties ('a grim afternoon [...] Quantities of self-conscious people, most of them in very ugly dresses [...] and looking more bored than words can say', but also with reference to how difficult it is to trust Germany's intentions at the present time.Overall, the archive offers a few different perspectives on Hailsham's presence and role during a difficult period in domestic and international affairs.