Print preview Close

Showing 18 results

Archival description
John, Augustus, 1878-1961 -- Correspondence File
Print preview View:

Letters of Augustus John, Ida John and Gwen John,

  • NLW MS 23549C.
  • File
  • 1903-1931

Some fifty letters and cards, 1903-1931, to Margaret Sampson (née Sprunt), wife of Dr John Sampson (1862-1931), Librarian of the University of Liverpool, from Augustus John, 1903-1931 (ff. 1-25 verso), his first wife Ida John (née Nettleship), 1903-1906 (ff. 30-85), and his sister Gwen John, 1911-1913 (ff. 26-29). The letters contain mainly family and personal news.

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Letters to Gwen John (B-J)

Some sixty-five letters, 1904-1938, to Gwen John from various correspondents (surnames B-J), including Tom Burns (4) 1927-1929, Father Martin D'Arcy (1) 1933, Jeanne Robert Foster (13) [1920]-1925, Maud Gonne (1) 1915, and Augustus John (27) 1904-1938.

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Augustus John letters

Some fifty letters and postcards, [1904]-1958, from Augustus John to various correspondents, containing mainly personal news.
The correspondents include Lady Margot Asquith, [?1925]-1929 (ff. 1-3), Simon Asquith, [1948]-1958 (ff. 4-19), Nicandra McCarthy (later Hood), 1946-1953 (ff. 21-34 verso), Dorelia McNeill, [July 1904]-1923 (ff. 35-40), John Quinn, [1909]-1910 (ff. 41-48), Margaret Sampson, [March 1907] (ff. 49-50), and Stuart Wilson, [1949]-[?1958] (ff. 53-67). The volume contains poetry by John, [1904]-[1930s] (ff. 36-39 verso, 51, 68-69), including a ballad and sonnets addressed to Dorelia, [July 1904] (ff. 36-38). There are references to a visit, with John Sampson, to the family of Matthew Wood, the Welsh Gypsy (ff. 41 verso-44 verso), and to the death of Ida John (ff. 49 verso-50). For extracts from three of the letters (ff. 35-36, 42-43, 49-50) see Michael Holroyd, Augustus John (London, 1996), pp. 151, 158, 231, 233, 289-290.

Miscellaneous letters from artists,

  • NLW MS 23874C.
  • File
  • 1904-1988

Eighty-four letters, 1904-1988, from various artists, addressed to various recipients, and seemingly brought together as examples of autographs.
Among the correspondents are Edward Bawden, 1967 (f. 12), Clive Bell, [?1920s] (f. 85), George Bissill, 1956-1961 (ff. 14-56), Mark Gertler, 1916 (f. 86), Duncan Grant, 1942 (f. 87), Augustus John, 1953-1958 (ff. 4-7, 88), Gwen John, [?1904] (ff. 89-90), Clare Leighton, 1934 (ff. 9-11), Lord Methuen, 1972-1973 (ff. 67-70), Henry Moore, 1950-1951, 1961 (ff. 1-2, 91), John Nash, 1967 (f. 71), Paul Nash, [early 1940s] (f. 92), Sir William Nicholson, 1904-1906 (ff. 93-94), John Piper, 1941-1943 (ff. 72-75), Sir William Rothenstein, 1932 (ff. 96-97), Kenneth Rowntree, 1957 (ff. 78-82), and Sir Matthew Smith, 1950, 1957 (ff. 3, 99). The main recipients are Daniel George, 1953-1962 (ff. 4-8), Cyril Lakin, 1934 (ff. 9-11), Peter Rhodes (ff. 12-56, 58, 65-71, 83-84) and his wife Felicity Rhodes (ff. 57, 59-64, 72-82). The letters include references to the sale of pictures by Peter De Wint (ff. 16, 22-29, 37-40, 44-47) and comments by Augustus John on Caitlin Thomas’s autobiography (f. 6).

Letters to Augustus John

Twelve letters, [1910]-1959, to Augustus John from various correspondents, concerning both personal matters and work.
The correspondents include Lord Beaverbrook, 26 August 1959 (f. 1), [Nora] Brownsword, [late 1920s] (f. 2), Daniel George, 10 June 1957 (f. 3), Elmer Gertz, 3 December 1932 (f. 4), Wyndham Lewis, [1910]-1952 (ff. 5-7, 12, 14-16), Dorelia McNeill, 12 November 1928 (f. 18), the Royal Academy of Arts, 6 December 1928 (f. 19), and Homer Saint-Gaudens, 7 November 1938 (f. 20). Also included are draft contracts with Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1938, for the publication of Augustus John's reminiscences (ff. 22-33); and four letters, [1931]-1935, from Mrs Vera Fearing (later Stubbs) to her mother and husband, concerning her extended stays at Fryern Court in order for John to paint her portrait (ff. 34-46), with another brief note by her concerning John, [?1950s] (f. 47). Transcripts and notes [by Michael Holroyd], [?1970s], relating to the Wyndham Lewis letters are ff. 8-11, 13, 17. The letters contain references to Frank Harris (f. 4 recto-verso) and Henry Lamb (f. 6).

Letters to Edwin John

Some thirty-three letters and postcards, 1928-1975, addressed to Edwin John, mainly from family members.
The correspondents include his father Augustus John, 1932-1946 (ff. 9-11), his aunt Gwen John, 1928-1933 (ff. 15-25), and his step-mother Dorelia McNeill, 1963-1967 (ff. 31-47). Also included are two letters from Edwin to his wife Betty John, [?1933] (ff. 48-51), and two postcards addressed to Gwen John from her father, Edwin William John, 1911 (ff. 13-14).

John, Gwen, 1876-1939

Letters to Edwin John (B-J)

Over a hundred letters, 1934-1956, addressed to Edwin John, nephew of Gwen John, from various correspondents (surnames B-J), including his father, Augustus John (48) 1938-1956, and other members of the John family; many of the letters are concerned with the 1946 Gwen John memorial exhibition.

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Letters to Edwin John

Some fifty letters, 1934-1961, to Edwin John from various correspondents, including over forty letters from his father, Augustus John, relating mainly to the estate of Gwen John and the disposal of her works after her death but also containing personal news and comments; and four letters, 1948-1949, from Madame Louise Roche, Gwen John's nearest neighbour in Meudon, together with manuscript and typescript recollections of Gwen John by Madame Roche.

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Augustus John letters,

  • NLW MS 22022C.
  • File
  • 1941-1969

Three letters and a card, 1941-1958, from Augustus John to his son-in-law, Villiers Bergne, together with five letters and cards, 1968-1969, to Bergne from Michael Holroyd concerning the latter's biography of Augustus John.

Bergne, Villiers A'Court

Letters to Sara John

Some eighty-two letters, cards and postcards, 1959-1994, to Sara John from family members, relating to family matters with occasional references to art.
The correspondents include Amaryllis Fleming, [1990s] (ff. 4-8), Augustus John, 1959-[1961] (ff. 12-25), Sir Caspar John, 1970-1983 (ff. 26-38), David John, [?1970s] (ff. 39-40), Poppet Pol (formerly Elizabeth Ann John), 1970-1994 (ff. 41-52), Vivien White (née John), 1987-1994 (ff. 53-66), and Dorelia McNeill, 1962-1969 (ff. 67-97).

Fleming, Amaryllis, 1925-1999

Augustus John letters to Emerich Teltsch.

  • NLW MS 24053D.
  • File
  • 1960-1961

Ten letters, February 1960-April 1961, from the painter Augustus John, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, to the art collector [Emerich (Emo)] Telt[s]ch, mostly concerning John's work (ff. 1-3, 5-10, 13); together with one letter from Dorelia John to Teltsch, 19 August 1960 (f. 4), and one from the painter Jo[sette] Jones to Teltsch, [February 1961] (ff. 11-12).
The letters contain references to work on John's triptych 'Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer with Sainte Sara, l'Egyptienne' (ff. 3, 5-9, 13); Teltsch offered him up to £8000 for the work (see NLW MS 22786D, f. 68, and Michael Holroyd, Augustus John: The New Biography (London, 1996), p. 597). There are two letters, from John (f. 10) and Josette Jones (ff. 11-12), concerning John's apology for an ill-advised letter (not present) to Teltsch, criticizing drawings by Teltsch's God-child (unidentified).

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Twenty-eight holograph letters from Augustus John plus other items,

  • NLW MS 21570E.
  • File
  • 1913-1954 /

Twenty-eight holograph letters from Augustus John to the following addressees: 'Laura' (Dame Laura Knight, 2 letters, 1938, concerning John's resignation from the Royal Academy), 'Kassie' (3 letters, 1939, 1940 and May 11), Miss Stevenson (Frances Stevenson, later Countess Lloyd George of Dwyfor, 7 letters, 1919, Feb. 13 and n.d. [probably mostly, if not all, 1919], several of these letters contain interesting details concerning John's commission to paint the Paris Peace Conference in 1919) 'Haddon' (2 letters, 1927 and 12 July [?1927], concerning Jack Knewstub), [Chaloner] Dowdall (1 letter, 1914), Miss Lion (1 letter, 1935, John's inability to contribute a work to the exhibition of disabled ex-servicemen's industries), Mr. Sadler (2 letters, 1913 and 1918), Mr. Russell (2 letters, 1947 and 1953, book reviewing), 'Castle' and Mrs. Castle (1 letter, 'Sunday' [c. Oct. 1915]), Mrs. Madden (2 letters, 1934 and June 23, this second letter has mounted on its dorse a press cutting containing a reproduction of a sketch of John by Ivan Opffer), Mr. Unwin (1 letter, 1941, the publication of 'The book' [John's autobiography]), Miss Phelps (1 letter, n.d.), 'Dear Sir' (2 letters, Nov. 7 and 1954) and Warner E. Colville (signed and dated card, 1939); together with other items, 1913-1954, in the hand of Augustus John: holograph manuscript and typescript of an article by John entitled 'Ecole de Paris'; holograph description by John, with diagrams, of what appears to be a sea creature; press cuttings and other items concerning the exhibition 'Augustus John in Liverpool', held at the Walker Art Gallery Liverpool, in 1954; proofs and typescripts of articles by John entitled 'Elephants with Beards' (concerning Wyndham Lewis), 'Dylan Thomas & Company', and 'Roy Campbell under the Caryatids' [all included in Finishing Touches (London, 1964)]; and various miscellaneous items.

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Letters,

  • NLW MS 23567C.
  • File
  • 1904, 1956-1966 /

Eleven letters and a telegram, 1956-1961, from Augustus John to his son Robin (ff. 1-13); together with a letter, 1961, to the same from his elder brother David John, recounting the death of their father (f. 14); a letter, 1966, from his aunt Ursula Nettleship (f. 20); and a photograph, 1904, of Augustus John, presented to the artist by the art collector Charles Rothenstein (f. 21).

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Letters,

Seven letters from Gwen John, comprising three, 1914-1926, to Augustus John, and four, 1904-1909, to his second wife, Dorelia McNeill. The letters contain personal news, including references to her work, and impressions of Paris during the First World War (ff. 9-10).

Augustus John letters,

  • NLW MS 21980C.
  • File
  • 1926-1952.

Seventeen letters and one note, 1926-1952, from Augustus John, ten of them to Sean O'Casey (ff. 2-13) and the remainder to the journalist George Bilainkin. Those to Sean O'Casey contain mainly personal news, but refer also to O'Casey's work and to John's designs for the set of 'The Silver Tassie', staged in 1929 (ff. 4 verso, 6, 7). Extracts from them were published in Eileen O'Casey, Sean (London, 1971). The letters to Bilainkin (ff. 14-20) refer mainly to the latter's articles on John.

John, Augustus, 1878-1961

Address books

Three address books, [?1930s-?1940s], [1960s-1970s], of Phyllis Playter. Enclosures include name and address labels and cards (including an inscribed address card of Raymond Garlick), memoranda, press cuttings (including obituary notices), photographs, business receipts and a typescript letter, 1971, to Phyllis Playter from Sarah J. Whitfield of the Tate Gallery regarding an offer made relating to the correspondence between Augustus John and John Cowper Powys.