~ Lawrence Durrell Collection ~
~ Personal Items from the estate of Margaret McCall ~
www.johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk
email: [email protected] A superb collection of ephemera (photographs and unique documents) and signed material given by Lawrence Durrell to BBC producer and former lover, Margaret McCall, including a gift from Henry Miller.
Lawrence Durrell was a prolific poet and novelist, born in 1912 in India and who died in 1990 of a stroke in his home in Sommieres. He was great friends with the American novelist and poet, Henry Miller with whom he wrote a series of well documented letters (cf. Durrell-Miller Letters 1935- 1980 by Ian McNiven).
Margaret McCall was a BBC producer, born in 1925 and died in 2008. She was married to the television script writer Philip Broadley who nicknamed her ‘Lauren’ due to her resemblance to Lauren Bacall. In Broadley’s obituary in The Times newspaper, Margaret is mentioned:
‘She joined BBC TV and went on to produce some of the corporation’s finest arts and music documentaries in the 1960s and 1970s, introducing numerous writers and artists to television for the first time. Among them were Lawrence Durrell, with whom she developed a special friendship, John Betjeman, who likewise became a close friend, Robert Graves and Graham Sutherland.’
This ‘special relationship’ was (more than probably) a love affair with Durrell, on and off, between 1967 and 1972. This collection includes items from 1969, as well as a letter from 1976 in which Durrell expresses ‘what do you do with your life now’ – evidence that their relationship had cooled by that time.
Margaret is mentioned throughout the Durrell-Miller Letters. It is evident that McCall had a close friendship with Henry Miller also, with Durrell mentioning that McCall passed on her thanks for Miller’s dedication to her in a recent Playboy edition (1988: 453). Item (3) below is a ‘lucky charm’ given to Durrell by Miller who consequently passed it on to McCall (this is evidenced by the note accompanying it). Within the photographs, McCall is present in three of them. Within the ‘Letters’, Durrell mentions McCall’s involvement in the filming of a documentary the BBC had commissioned about his life in France. This, eventually, was titled, ‘OMNIBUS: Lawrence Durrell’s Paris’. McCall is pictured in one photograph holding one of the notes seen in item 26 below.
Items 1-3
(1) Deus Loci ~ First Edition
"Handset and printed by Di Mato Vito at Forio, on the island of Ischia, July 1950, for private distribution by the author." One of only 200 copies.
This copy is not numbered as is usual for this title.
Twice signed by Durrell (in mauve and green ink respectively). Dedicated to “Margaret McCall”, "Sommieres 1969".
Slight fading to the red wrappers; otherwise Fine Condition. Unopened.
Very scarce double-signed.
(2) A 16 line poem ("Faustus") - handwritten and signed by Durrell - on a single note-page headed: "SOMMIERES 15 - (Gard) Telephone 80.02.81". This poem mentions ‘Margaret’ on the penultimate line – a personal homage to McCall.
In fine condition, written in maroon ink and titled in pink ink.
(3) A pressed flower embedded in what appears to be waxed paper:
This is accompanied by a handwritten and signed note ("Best of luck, Larry") - on the author's address card - re: a "...this characteristic enclosure from Henry M can, he says, be used as a lucky charm (...) to ward off adversity. You may need such a thing in the BBC.”
This ‘lucky charm’ was originally a gift from Henry Miller to Durrell. This was then passed on to Margaret McCall by Durrell. As such, this is an extremely scarce item.
In very good condition.
Items 4-25 – Photographs from Durrell’s Personal Collection/BBC Archive
22 photographs: sizes range between 10"x7" and 3"x2.5". 10 are large format. Condition varies - some marks, slight curling etc. Mostly are very good+.
A handful of examples bear inscriptions, e.g. "Claudine Brelet" or "BBC" to the reverse and/or "Lawrence Durrell" or “L-D“.
All are of Lawrence Durrell, including head shots and situation scenes in Sommieres.
Two photographs are signed by Durrell on the reverse.
Three photographs include both Durrell and Margaret McCall:
Item 26
A detailed report from the BBC's "Audience Research Department" - dated June 20th 1969 - regarding "Lawrence Durrell's Paris".
The programme aired on Sunday May 11th 1969. It was shown in Season 3 of the arts- based documentary series "Omnibus" (1967-2003).
Includes some amusing, “mixed” feedback on the author: "...an observer, listener and prompter", "disappointingly colourless", "...interesting, likeable", "...a lover of life and people". Very Good Condition.
This is signed in pencil by Margaret McCall to the top of the page.
Comes with some fragments of a few other BBC documents (with reference to Durrell).
Item 27
A typed and signed note on Durrell’s personal cards (in fine condition) - apparently the closing segment of a longer piece, (perhaps 1 of 2). 200+ words:
Refers to being "pissed and too fat". Durrell, rather sadly ends his note by stating, ‘best love always –what do you do with your life now? Larry’.
Durrell has signed ‘Larry’ in pencil.
Held in the original envelope addressed to McCall at her BBC address (Fair condition), postmarked "30 Sommieres, 9-6 1976".
Item 28
A greeting card.
Twelvemo, glossy pictorial wrappers (reproducing design by Lawrence Durrell on front cover), [4] pages, sewn. Reproduces, in holograph facsimile, the sixteen-line poem, 'Faustus' by Lawrence Durrell.
Signed by Lawrence Durrell, and numbered, on the colophon leaf. An uncommon publication, due to small limitation.
OCLC lists only twelve worldwide holdings (ten of which are in the United States) [Yale, Columbia, Cornell, McMaster, Louisville, Northwestern, Southern Illinois, Arizona, UCLA, Stanford, British Library and Cambridge University].
Carrying the printed statement:
"With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year from"
With a cover designed by Durrell based upon the Jupiter Record "Contemporary Poets Set in Jazz".
Numbered “44” of a “limited edition of 50”. (Elsewhere: written as “Number Nine” by Durrell in pink ink – probably one of ten for friends and family).
Signed and dated "Lawrence Durrell 1969" (mauve ink).
In fine condition – a scarce item.
Items 29-31
Three greeting cards: hand-numbered "Nine", "Ten" and "Eleven".
Featuring a 16 line poem ("Faustus") - a facsimile of a version in the author's own hand (see item 2).
Issued in a 4 page, sewn greeting card (glossy wrappers), carrying the printed statement: "With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year".
With a cover designed by Oscar Epfs (i.e. Durrell) based upon the Jupiter record "Songs about Greece".
All signed "Lawrence Durrell" (black ink).
All in fine condition (x3).
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Price for all 31 items in the collection:
£1950.00 (including free worldwide postage).