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Letters and related papers of Augustus John and Dorelia McNeill, [?1912]-2017 (mostly [?1912]-1969), sent to, or collected by, Tristan de Vere Cole. The collection includes letters of Augustus John to Mavis de Vere Cole, 1934-1959, and to her son Tristan de Vere Cole, [1947]-1961, together with letters of Dorelia McNeill to Mavis de Vere Cole, [?1949]-1961, and to Tristan de Vere Cole, 1951-1968. Also included are letters addressed to, or sent by, Augustus and Dorelia John and other members of their family, [?1912]-1969, including several from Michael Holroyd, 1966-1969, together with miscellaneous items, 1928-[?1961], in the hand of Augustus John.

Miscellaneous letters, [?1912]-2017 (mostly [?1912]-1969), collected by Tristan de Vere Cole, relating mostly to the John family.
They include letters from Augustus John to Horace de Vere Cole, November 1927 (ff. 1-3), and Poppet John, [29 November 1928] (f. 4, beginning lost, sent from Boston, Massachusetts); letters to Augustus John from Arthur Symons, [?1912] (ff. 6-7), Francis Macnamara, [?1915] (ff. 8-23, incomplete), the Duke of Alba, 3 January 1945 (f. 30, partly in Caló), Jan [Sliwinski], 12 June 1945 (f. 31), and Genevieve [Banchet], [1940s] (f. 33, French); letters to Dorelia McNeill from Lytton Strachey, 12 March [1912x1916], 10 May 1918 (ff. 41-42), Michael Holroyd, 1966-1969 (ff. 43, 45-63), and Juliette [de Bairacli Levy], 19 December 1967 (f.44); letters from Henry John to Poppet John, [1927] (ff. 64-71), Romilly John to Dr [Aubrey Thomas] Westlake, 31 January 1964 (f. 73), Michael Holroyd to Tristan de Vere Cole (ff. 74-75, 77), Mavis de Vere Cole (f. 76), and Romilly John (f. 78), 1968-1969, and Meg O'Malley to [Oskar] Kokoschka, 2 February 1939 (f. 72). Also included are miscellaneous items, 1928-[?1961], in the hand of Augustus John (ff. 34-40), including poetry in English, 1928, and French, [1940s] (ff. 34-35); a photocopy of the Nettleship family tree (ff. 79-80); a photocopy, [?2000s], of a photograph published in Nova, February 1970, pp. 36-37, showing members of the John family and others (c. 1928) (ff. 81-84); cuttings, [1992], 2008, relating to Oskar Kokoschka (ff. 85-87, see also f. 72; and an anecdote regarding Augustus John, written by Lucilla van den Bogaerde, dated 12 December 2017 (f. 88).

Sixty-eight letters and postcards, [1947]-1968, from Dorelia McNeill, mainly addressed to Tristan de Vere Cole, and mostly containing personal and family news.
They include six letters to Mavis de Vere Cole, [?1949]-1961 (ff. 1-6), and fifty-seven to Tristan, 1951-1968 (ff. 8-76), eight of the later ones being addressed jointly to Tristan and his wife, Diana (ff. 55, 58, 61-62, 65, 67, 70-71). There are also three addressed to Diana alone, 1965-1968 (ff. 59, 72, 74) and one postcard, [?1966], to their daughter (f. 66). Also included is a single letter from Tristan to Dorelia, [1947] (f. 7).

Forty-five letters and cards, [1947]-1961, from Augustus John to Tristan de Vere Cole containing personal and family news, career advice and news of his mother Mavis.
Also included is a leaflet for an anti-nuclear rally, 1961 (f. 46). A single letter (f. 31 recto-verso) contains comments in the hand of Mavis Wheeler.

One hundred and thirteen letters, cards and telegrams, 1934-1959, from Augustus John to Mavis de Vere Cole (later Mavis Wheeler). They contain personal and family news, including news of their son Tristan, letters of a more intimate nature, instructions regarding paintings and a few letters to Mavis in prison in 1954.
The letters are sent from various locations including his home, Fryern Court, various studios in London and from Provence and Jamaica. Also included are letters from John to A. P. Herbert, 10 September 1954 (f. 132), and to Tony Vivian, September-October 1954 (ff. 133-135), all relating to Mavis' trial. There are sketches by John on ff. 91 verso, 92, and 116 verso, and poems by him on ff. 4, 95-98.