Archive of thirty-four Autograph Letters Signed and fifty-two Typed Letters Signed, to Baker, with two Autograph Letters Signed from Campion's wife, and drafts of three of Baker letters (two autograph and one typed), exhibition catalogue, etc.

The archive is in very good condition, with very slight creasing and aging, and with all items entirely legible. Most items quarto, and most of two pages or more (one running to seven pages). One letter has the head and first paragraph cut away. All but the first two items, which date from 1953 and are signed 'Sidney R Campion', are signed 'Sidney'. The bulk of the correspondence dates from the 1970s. An important archive consisting almost exclusively of long, interesting and discursive letters addressed to a close and trusted friend. (Campion describes Baker as 'a man of many gifts, able to do many things well' (29/7/06), in whose communications he takes great delight - 'When I received your first letter I said to myself that the art of letter writing had not wholly disappeared.' 6/8/68.) Campion describes his own activities, and other subjects range between art ('Euan Uglow is a magnet. We have one of his female nudes showing all the guide posts', 6/10/77), left-wing politics ('I find you a fellow campaigner in the I.L.P., which party I joined in 1908, and have been a member of the Labour Party ever since.' 5/3/77), the Post Office, chess ('I read and follow Golombek religiously. He must make a lot of money in his specialised sphere. He is the Neville Cardus of Chess', 25/1/70), publishing and literature ('Given the necessary health Colin Wilson will be the author of a hundred major books by the time he takes his departure.' 11/3/65.) Campion produced sculptures of Bernard Shaw, Colin Wilson, Delius, Smuts, Oscar Wilde and Sir Vyvyan Fuchs. Beginning with 'The Bankruptcy of Capitalism' (1921), written when he was a member of the Independent Labour Party, he was the author of eight works, including the autobiographical 'Only the Stars Remain' (1946) and 'The World of Colin Wilson' (1962). Baker was responsible for two works on the Victorian engineer Sir William Preece, and separate guides to the records of the Windward and Leeward Islands, where he worked as an archivist. The two men would appear to have met while Campion worked at the Post Office as Principal Information Officer (Press and Broadcast Division) between 1940 and 1957. By the last letter (8/11/78) Campion is dying of pelvic cancer ('I can't imagine a worse pain.'). Letters by his wife Margery follow (17/11/78 and 30/12/78), the last of which announces his death. The three drafts of Baker's letters include one of seven 12mo pages, dated 2/11/75, justifying Campion's claim that Baker was not capable of writing 'an uninteresting one' (8/11/78). Also included are a four-page 12mo catalogue, with portrait photograph, for Campion's 'Third ONE-MAN EXHIBITION of Sculptures : Paintings : Books' (Tower Gallery, Newgate Street, London, June 1964), containing a page-long biographical entry. Also a one-page quarto invitation to the same show, and a two-page folio publicity leaflet for Campion's book 'Only the Stars remain' (1946), headed 'In Great Demand' and including nineteen quotations of the 'VIEWS OF THE CRITICS' ('TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT: The life story of a man's successful struggle to overcome the handicaps of his early education and environment.') and fifteen 'EXTRACTS FROM A FEW OF THE MANY APPRECIATIVE LETTERS FROM READERS' (including a 'FAMOUS BROADCASTER' and an 'INSPECTOR OF TAXES').