Archive of material, mainly comprising 150 Typed Letters addressed to the English operatic tenor Stephen Manton [Stephen Manton Bradbury], from the British Broadcasting Corporation, between 1944 and 1952, and concerning his work for the BBC.

For more information about Stephen Manton Bradbury, or Stephen Manton as he was known professionally, see his obituary in The Times, 8 September 1970. The collection is in good condition, on aged paper. The correspondence from various figures in various BBC music departments, both London and regional, and in a variety of formats from 4to down to 12mo, breaks down to the following number of items per year: 1944, 8; 1945, 5; 1946, 30; 1947, 34; 1948, 32; 1949, 22; 1950, 11; 1951, 15; 1952, 1. A businesslike correspondence, with only very occasional personal asides, casting an interesting light on the relations between the BBC and individual artists during the Second World War and its aftermath. Topics include contracts, fees, dates and times of engagements, apologies for erroneous billing, responses to complaints and suggestions, advertising in the Radio Times. On 2 January 1950 Charles Groves writes to assure Manton that, 'in speaking of your lack of heroics I was only thinking of the music which you submitted to me, and I can assure you that there is no bar on you that might prevent you from singing the music for which you are suited with the Northern Orchestra'. Also present are more than thirty typewritten cast lists for performances featuring Manton (separated from the relevant item of correspondence) and a few drafts of Manton's letters, and a small amount of correspondence from other sources including two letters apiece from his agents Wardour Agency Ltd, and from the London music publishers Chappell & Co.