MABEL BEARDSLEY (1871-1916); & ELLEN BEARDSLEY (1846-1932)

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MABEL BEARDSLEY (1871-1916); & ELLEN BEARDSLEY (1846-1932)
Autograph letter, signed 'Mabel Beardsley', from 114 Cambridge Street, S.W., February 17th [1894], on blue speckled paper, 6pp, 8, to 'My dear Helen', apologising for not writing sooner and explaining that she is currently an understudy in An Ideal Husband at the Haymarket. She tells how, at the first night of 'Oscar's new piece at the St James's' she was mistaken for Oscar Wilde's sister-in-law and was treated with great honour, 'Aubrey is very busy...collaborating with Brandon Thomas...haven't seen much of Walter Sickert lately, Whistler lives there nearly and takes up all his time', ending by mentioning that her mother is ill (some staining, glued top left corner).
Autograph letter, signed 'Ellen A. Beardsley', from 114 Cambridge Street, S.W., September 30th [1895], on blue speckled paper, 4pp, 8, to Mrs Williams', expressing her anxiety over Aubrey's health 'he has had several bad attacks of hemorhage [sic]' but is grateful he is at home. The letter concludes with the postscript 'The new number of the Y.B. will be out in a few days - Aubrey's contributions extremely clever and audacious, in very large letters!' (some staining and creased on folds).
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Lot Essay

Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) moved into 114 Cambridge Street, Pimlico, with his mother Ellen and sister Mabel in 1894, following his meteoric rise to fame as an illustrator and editor of the notorious Yellow Book. Ellen's letter can be dated to that year - her daughter was on a theatrical tour of the provinces and Aubrey was experiencing a prolongued period of ill-health.
Mabel's letter was written in 1895, three days after the highly successful first night of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest. Wilde had two plays running concurrently in the West End and was at the height of his fame and popularity. Shortly afterwards he was arrested. The Beardsley family moved out of Cambridge Street in late 1895.

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