With kind regards from Lady Meux, 1893

It has taken me - what? - 20 years to acquire a copy of this book: Some Account of the Collection of Egyptian Antiquities in the possession of Lady Meux of Theobald’s Park, Waltham Cross.

You can buy modern reproductions and view electronic copies, but this is the real thing, a first edition, No 24 of 200 copies printed in 1893 by Harrison & Sons, London, for private circulation. It was written by E. A. Wallis Budge and details antiquities, acquired by Lady Meux in Egypt during a visit in 1892, plus other Egyptian treasures.

The most famous of these is the coffin of Nes-Amsu, 170-30 BCE, now known as Nes-Min and currently in the Rhode Island School of Design.

What makes this presentation copy different is that it is signed by Lady Meux. The inscription reads: “To John Corlett Esq. With kind regards from Lady Meux. 1893.”

John Corlett (1841-1915) was both editor and proprietor of The Sporting Times, a British weekly newspaper, also known as the Pink Un because it was printed on salmon-coloured paper. It was founded in 1865 and lasted until 1932 and primarily covered sport, in particular horse racing, but would also print what would today be called show business news and celebrity gossip.

Valerie Reece - as Lady Meux was known before her marriage in 1878 - would occasionally feature in the columns of The Sporting Life. These references are often cryptic. For instance: “Val Reece gave a ball to the jockeys at Brighton. At Lewes, next day, McGeorge wondered what was amiss with them.” (Saturday 17 August 1878).

A second edition of the book was produced in 1896, this time 500 copies were printed.

Many thanks to William Joy, creator and curator of the Peggy Joy Egyptology Library, who spotted the book and let me know it was for sale.