Max Pemberton (1) (1863–1950)

Several individual copies of Cassell’s magazine, once belonging to the Wantage Reading Room, turned up in a bookshop nearby. They have colourful front covers: November 1903, a steam train, billowing smoke at night; March 1903, a terrified gate being chased by a scarecrow with a black crow on its arm; February 1904, a young lady floating in the air, hands in a muff. They are full of interesting stories and articles, for instance ‘The new game of Vigoro’ by M.Randal Roberts (February 1904, pages 346-350. Well illustrated it explains the rules of the game, a cross between tennis and cricket, played wholly with rackets and not bats. ‘Football crowds’ by the same author (March 1903, pages 404-408) is just as interesting, drawing attention to high attendance levels such as 110,802 spectators, the record at the time, at the Crystal Palace Ground for the Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United in 1901. Many of the spectators would have been unable to see much action.
These issues have a label stuck on the front cover indicating that they were purchased for the year by J.Kent and should not be removed from the Room under any circumstances.… (más)