Briggs, Julia, 1943-2007

"Dear Julia Briggs, I have read with great interest and appreciation your biography of the life of E. Nesbit: 'A Woman of Passion'. I was brought up on her books and always loved them. However, it so happens that I am a niece by marriage of Oswald Barron and his sister Dora (the Dora of the Bastables) who was a formidable though lovable Aunt in our family..."

Originally came with the copy of "Power of the Blood of Isis" attached, which was removed and moved into Series 3, Biographers' Research Notes.

Attached was a copy of the Ernest Wallis Budge biography, which was removed and moved into Series 3, Biographers' Research Notes.

"Many thanks for your card and the note from Stephanie West, returned herewith. No, I think the Petrie idea wildly implausible - none of his contemporaries would have described him as "pale and kindly"!!! He was irascible, opinionated, strong-willed, hyperactive, and, when young, handsome in a rather saturnine way (he became patriarchal later)..."

Consists of a mixture of materials that belonged to Edith Nesbit, her biographers (Doris Langley Moore and Julia Briggs), her daughter-in-law Gertrude Bland, and others. Includes correspondence, work product, original manuscripts, artifacts, photographs, clipping albums, oversized artwork, and a wooden writing case.

"Dear Miss Briggs, Christopher Lloyd has given me a copy of your letter about Hugh Bellingham Smith. We did not know that he had engraved on wood. Would you like to bring the portrait round one day..."

"Dear Mrs. Briggs, Thank you very much for your letter arguing about Hugh Bellingham Smith. I was sorry to be so long in replying, but I am at present on sabbatical only check my post intermittently..."

"Dear Miss Briggs, I regret to say that none of my leads has been able to help over Hugh Bellingham-Smith and my recollections of seeing his work in someone's flat, if correct, are of no practical use since the three people's in whose London base that might have been the case know nothing of him..."

Recipient is inferred to be Julia Briggs based on the date and the handwritten notes on the card, which is identical to Briggs's handwriting in other notes.

"Dear M/S Briggs, Thank you for your letter of 3rd July and for your enquiry. As you may know, we are still in the process of acquiring this collection and many sections are by no means complete - there are still around 35,000 items to come..."