[ Helen Burness Cruickshank, suffragette and Scottish Renaissance poet. ] Two Autograph Letters Signed (both 'Helen B Cruickshank') to Brian Lambie, curator of the Biggar Museum, granting permission for use of a poem, and discussing other matters.

Lambie is the subject of a long obituary in The Scotsman, 21 January 2015. Both items 2pp., 4to. Both in good condition, with light signs of age and wear. ONE: 21 September 1973. She has 'heard good accounts' of the Gladstone Court Museum, and a friend 'now promises me to motor me there some time soon. At 81, I am no longer able to go “under my own steam”'. She agrees to let him use her poem 'Background' in a Christmas card, but would like to see the design before printing. 'The copyright of my poems is now held by Mr Gordon Wright of Reprographia who published my recent collection of poems & I have informed him of your request, altho I don't think his consent is required as no money is involved.' As 'a native of Angus' she is 'much interested in the Glenesk Folk Museum near Tarfside & my friend, the founder of that collection, Miss M. F. Michie [sic, for Greta F. Michie] will be greatly interested in your collection.' She ends with a reference to a recording of 'the poem you have singled out' by '[o]ne of the local children, Graham Guthrie', 'for a broadcast celebration of my 80th birthday some years ago'. TWO: 22 November 1973. She is returning 'the draft sketches', commenting: 'While they have a certain charm, they don't really measure up to my idea of a child <?> enough to require “frostit fingers rubbed” etc the figure of the girl looks too adult for that'. She asks for the artist to be thanked 'for his trouble', but feels that a 'simple snow scene, with no figures might have been better.' She is happy to have seen 'even briefly the wonderful collection you have at Biggar'. She has made no subsequent outings, 'as the cold of winter makes my lameness rather too crippling'. She did however manage to 'manoeuvre' herself 'with a friends car to make a short journey to a friends house to see a colour televised account of “that wedding”'. She has no television herself: 'just haven't time for it, if I am to keep up my reading'.