IRENE

See her Guardian obituary by Ronald Bergan, ‘Britain's original “It” girl, who rose from shop assistant to movie star’, 13 September 1999. Both items in good condition, lightly aged and folded for postage. Both letters with good content. Eileen Margaret Cond (1911-1984) of Honiton was an enthusiastic autograph collector, and she had an ability to draw a more than perfunctory response from her targets. ONE (1944 ALS): 2pp, 8vo. Addressed to ‘Dear Miss Cond’ and signed ‘Chili Bouchier’. Begins: ‘Just a wee line to thank you so much for your nice Xmas card which was forwarded to me in Egypt.

On 7 x 10.5 piece of orange paper, removed from an autograph album. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. Expansive signature, with surname underlined and dots to i's like dashes. Reads: 'Good luck to you! | Benno Moiseiwitsch | Decr. 1946'. Autographs on reverse, dated to 21 July 1946, of composer 'Charles Hambourg' and pianist 'Irene Kohler' (1909-1996).

1p, 16mo. In fair condition, folded once, with two punch holes at margin, one affecting a word of text. She states that it is kind of him to ask her again, and she feels 'very churlish in having to say NO a second time', but her 'autumn-winter plans are complicated by a big concert tour & a lot of other [pro]bable dates', so she must reluctantly refuse his invitation.

Much of Tessa Adams's paper on Toni Wolff in 'The Feminine Case: Jung, Aesthetics and Creative Process', ed. Adams and Duncan (2003), concerns the 'remarkable woman' Irene Champernowne and her relations with Wolff and Jung, with a discussion of Champernowne's Withymead Therapeutic Centre in Oxfordshire, which operated from 1942 to the late 1960s.

7pp., 12mo. On two bifoliums. In good condition, lightly aged. She feels she has 'two reasons for approaching' Bondfield, at the time Minister of Labour: 'I believe you are a Somerset woman, & know that you are interested in the question of housing.' She hopes that 'in any plans for bettering housing conditions that this government may make, the state of rural workers' homes may not be overlooked. You are probably as familiar as I am with the horrors of the “Country Slum”.

1p., 4to. She is 'very happy that RHODES gave you pleasure when you so badly needed it'. She hopes she will 'use your play in any way you wish. I hope it will go very well. It should.' She points out that there is 'a film made from the book - not much to my liking'. The letter ends: 'I hope your eyes are well again.'

2pp., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by granting her permission to quote from his 'little Keir Hardie book'. He is glad she is 'going to make him better known'. He continues: 'What you tell me about the encouragement I gave you when I was editing the Daily Herald has made me feel happy. Looking back, I find that what gives me most satisfaction is to have been able now & then to give a helping hand. I am so glad you were en- and not dis-couraged.'

2pp., 12mo. In good condition. He thanks her for 'the very pleasant glimpse of yourself and your family which I got last Saturday to Monday'. He hopes she will excuse the delay in acknowledging her 'kind and graceful hospitality'.

2pp., 4to. Forty-four lines of text. She thanks her 'for returning the plays, and thte nice things you say about them'. Mitchison's entry in the Oxford DNB has no reference to her working for the BBC, but from the context of the letter it is clear that she wrote scripts for radio broadcasts for children. Regarding the BBC she suggests that Magraw writes to 'Miss Edith MacQueen, and if I were you I think I should write out one or two synopses of broadcasts which you propose to do'.

1p., landscape 8Vo. In fair condition, aged and with a number of vertical crease lines. Reads: 'Dear Mr Clarkson, | Will you please give instructions that any wigs that are being made for Sir Arthur Pinero's new play should be here not later than 11 o'clock on Monday morning next. Our Dress Parade is at 12 o'clock.' The play Boucicault refers to is 'The Widow of Wasdale Head'.

Letter: 2pp., 8vo. In very good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Addressing his letter to 'Dear Sir Albert', Petingale thanks Richardson for his letter 'arising out of your visit to the Ealing Arts and Crafts Exhibition', which has encouraged Petingale to send him 'the latest number of "Miscellany", which is the contribution of the Literature Group to the Ealing Arts Club, and which my wife and myself have been editing for the last nine years'. He discusses a visit to Holy Cross Church, designed by Richardson.