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Lot 3

BALLANTYNE (R.M.)

10 November 2009, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £2,040 inc. premium

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BALLANTYNE (R.M.)

Autograph manuscript of The Lifeboat, marked up for publication, with title-page and signed preface, the latter dated 1864, autograph revisions throughout, 387 numbered pages, plus preliminaries, unbound, some dust-staining, especially to outer leaves, fitted cloth case, 8vo, 1864

Footnotes

The Lifeboat, or Heroes of the Coast: a story founded on facts was published in 1865: Ballantyne's "social conscience and commercial sense were successfully combined in works like The Lifeboat (1864) and Fighting the Flames (1867), which simultaneously inspired and thrilled" (Neil Rennie, ODNB) with a lifeboat being named in his honour. According to his diary (see below), he collected material for the work while staying with his cousin Willy Grant in Deal that March, and began the book in Edinburgh that May. On 18 December 1867, he recorded in his diary: "Got a telegram this morning from Richd Lewis Esq secy Roy.l Nat.l Lifeboat Institution telling me that our boat (the Edin.r & R.M.B.") had on Monday night (16th) been the means of rescuing 15 men from the wreck of the barque Strathleven of Glasgow, bound for Demerara to Greenock, 'a little above Float Bay' seven miles from the Station. 'Bless the Lord O my soul!'". A further rescue was recorded on 22 September 1875 (the boat being called Edinburgh and R.M. Ballantyne).

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