AUTOGRAPH ALBUM: A good 8vo leather bound Writing Album containing several hundred signatures by a wide variety of famous men and women, all acquired by Mary Plumpton Beck, wife of Captain Frank Beck, in the early 20^th century, including King George V (1865-1936) King of the United Kingdom 1910-36, signed ('George P') as Prince of Wales and dated at York Cottage, Sandringham, 14^th October 1905 in his hand, with an epitaph in an unidentified hand immediately beneath, dated at Sandringham, 20^th January 1936, and headed Sportsman and King, King Haakon VII (1872-1957) King of Norway 1905-57, Maud of Wales (1869-1938) Queen consort of Norway, wife of King Haakon VII and the youngest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, A.Q.S., Maud, in full, 'Thought is deeper than all speech, Feeling deeper than all thought', dated at Appleton [House], 10^th December 1906, King Olav V (1903-1991) King of Norway 1957-91, son of King Haakon VII and Maud of Wales, Michael Ramsey (1904-1988) English Anglican bishop who served as Archbishop of Canterbury 1961-74, an unusual A.Q.S., Michael Ramsey, in both Greek and Roman script, beginning 'Stranger; Life is a fair inn to all, for she loves children and travellers-by-night alike…..', dated 31^st July 1928, Alexandra of Denmark (1844-1925) Queen of the United Kingdom 1901-10, wife of King Edward VII, A.Q.S., Alexandra, in full, 'Let not yr. heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid', dated Sandringham, 24^th March 1907 in her hand, Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928) Princess Dagmar of Denmark, sister of Queen Alexandra and Empress of Russia 1881-94 as wife of Emperor Alexander III, A.Q.S., Maria Feodorovna, taken from Psalm 149:4, in full, 'He will beautify the meek with salvation', dated Sandringham, 24^th March 1907, Mabel Hervey (1860-1939) Wife of Rev. Canon Frederick Hervey of Sandringham, Bryan Godfrey-Faussett (1863-1945) British Naval Captain and Courtier, a friend of King George V, serving as his naval aide-de-camp 1915-18 and later as Equerry-in-Ordinary, and his wife Eugenie Fanny Eveline Dudley Ward (both A.Qs.S., each dated 28^th January 1908), Princess Victoria (1868-1935) Daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Two A.Qs.S., Victoria, the first stating, in full, 'Hope shall brighten days to come and memory guild the past', dated at Sandringham, 3^rd August 1905 in her hand, the preceding page featuring an autograph verse signed by the Princess with her initial V, in full, 'There is so much good in the worst of us, There is so much bad in the best of us, That it ill becomes the most of us, To say what we think of the rest of us', dated 30^th April 1916 in her hand, Nikolai Faberge (1884-1939) Son of Peter Carl Faberge and grandson of Gustav Faberge, jeweller and founder of the House of Faberge, Autograph Statement Signed, N. Faberge, in full, 'May you be assured that these were the happiest and most enjoyable X-mas holidays I've had since I left my country 5 years ago', dated 31^st December 1907 in his hand, Frank Beck (1861-1915) British land agent to the British royal family, instrumental in the formation of the Sandringham Company of Volunteers. Under his leadership the unit fought in the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 and, during a battle there, Beck and many of his men went missing, presumed killed. Beck was portrayed by David Jason in the film All the King's Men (1999) which depicted the formation of the Sandringham Company and its fate. An extremely rare fountain pen ink signature and inscription, 'To my wife, A good woman whose words are those of wisdom, Her deeds are better than pearls, Frank Beck', dated Easter Day, 1905, in his hand, Archie MacLaren (1871-1944) English cricketer who captained the England cricket team, Henry Sylvester Stannard (1870-1951) British watercolour artist whose patrons included the British Royal family. An attractive original watercolour painting (6 x 3.5) signed in the lower left corner and neatly mounted to the centre of the page, additionally titled and signed beneath, '…..closing day, Light at evening time', H Sylvester Stannard', as well as many other signatures of family, friends and acquaintances of Captain Frank Beck and his wife, some of potential interest given further research including some pilots and officers with the Royal Flying Corps., members of the Blackwatch (including signatures of a Blackwatch football team who played against the RFC on 21^st October 1916) etc. Many of the pages are multiple signed and are accompanied by verses, quotations and a few original drawings and watercolours etc. A few pages loose and the binding also loose and with some wear and damage to the covers and spine. Generally about VG