Box 1

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"Dearest Cecily, A happy Xmas! Have not heard from you for a long time. Do hope all is well with you - This has been a bad year for me as regards health, but very satisfying in other ways. I resent world conditions are not to[sic] cheerful, but we came through two wars, so we may weather this one!!..."

Scope and Contents Typewritten letter."Dear Cecily, Here we are, almost at Christmas and I can hardly believe it! It has always been a great pleasure for me to write at least once a year to all my friends - but this year, because of arthritis, my hands are crippled. Then, out of the blue, I receive a note from two dear young friends, telling me to write my Christmas message and send the script to them...""This has been a very difficult year for most of us here in Britain, what with bad...

Scope and Contents "Dear Mr. Abbatt, I feel obliged to explain to you that I am supporting Mrs. Towerton and not you in the Council Election, and my reasons. I have, as I think I have told you, voted Labour all my life, and have engaged in various Labour enterprises. [...] I find I am startled by your election address. It implies that Miss Towerton belongs to 'the upper and middle classes', and knows nothing of the ordinary man, except in 'the relation of boss and working'. But you know...

Scope and Contents "Dear Mrs Andrews, Many thanks for your letter in explanation of your support of Miss Towerton. As you mention, this support of an opposition candidate raises the question of your continued membership of our local Labour Party, and this has been discussed by the Committee of the Party. They came to the decision not to exclude you from the Party membership, on account of the very considerable goodwill you have exhibit toward the Party in the past.[...]My election...

Scope and Contents "To One of the 'Famous Faces' We thought you would like to know that you are among those present in L. Arnold Weissberger's remarkable collection of photographs, FAMOUS FACES, which we have just published. [...]FAMOUS FACES is now available at all leading bookstores in the United States. If, however, it would be more convenient, we would be happy to accept your remittance for $35.00 plus $1.00 for handling and postage, and deliver your copy directly from our...

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"For immediate Release: FAMOUS FACES, A pictorial 'Who's Who' of celebrated people by L. Arnold Weissberger Published by Abrams For the past quarter of a century, L. Arnold Weissberger, noted theatrical attorney, has been compiling an extraordinary candid photographic chronicle of the world's most noted people..."

Scope and Contents From the Series: The correspondence consists of letters exchanged by Rebecca West and colleagues, friends, publishers, and family members. This series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. A group of letters from unidentified correspondents is placed at the end of the sequence. See also the Name/Title/Subject Index to the Manuscript Notebooks (in the Series II inventory) for a listing of fragments of letters found in the Notebooks; these fragments HAVE NOT been cross-referenced to the first...

Scope and Contents "Dear Dame Rebecca, I have a special message from Peter, who is at last unwinding! - to give you his love and to say that he would be ready at your 'command' for tea and a good chat! (Without more than one person talking at the same time!), and probably alone. (This I take to mean without me!!!). He would so gladly appreciate your advice on 'What Next'![...]The enclosed photograph will be replaced by a properly mounted one and I know will remind you of an evening at...

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Written by Rebecca West's secretary, Diana Stainforth.

"Dear Sir John, Dame Rebecca has asked me to apologise for the delay in answering your kind letter of the 20th December, and also for not replying to you personally. She is, unfortunately, not very well and, furthermore, despite her ill health, has been terribly busy finishing a new book..."

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Written by Christina Shewell, Head of Speech Therapy, Addenbrooke's Hospital.

"Dear Dame Rebecca, We are producing an anthology of poems and prose extracts selected by 150 or so well-known people who understand the value of words, and we would be so grateful if you could help us. We wonder if you would like to choose a piece of writing which you particularly enjoy, and send it to us, together with 100-300 words of comment on your choice?..."