University Museums and Special Collections Service JEK James and Elizabeth Knowlson Collection This catalogue is based on the listing of the collection by James and Elizabeth Knowlson 1906-2010 JEK A Research material created by James and Elizabeth Knowlson JEK A/1 Material relating to Samuel Beckett JEK A/1/1 Beckett family material JEK A/1/1/1 Folder of Birth Certificates, Parish registers and Army records Consists of a copy of the Beckett Family tree from Horner Beckett, a rubbing of the plaque on William Beckett’s Swimming Cup, birth certificates of the Roes and the Becketts, including Samuel Beckett, his brother, mother and father and photograph of the Paris Register Tullow Parish Church and research information gathered by Suzanne Pegley Page 1 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service James Knowlson note: Detailed information from Suzanne Pegley who researched for James and Elizabeth Knowlson the families of both the Roes – Beckett’s mother was a Roe - and the Becketts in the records of the Church Body Library, St Peter’s Parish, City of Dublin, St Mary’s Church Leixlip, the Memorial Registry of Deeds, etc. Very detailed results. 2 folders 1800s-1990s JEK A/1/1/2 Folder entitled May Beckett’s appointment as a nurse Consists of correspondence James Knowlson note: Inconclusive actually 1 folder 1990s JEK A/1/1/3 Folder entitled Edward Beckett Consists of correspondence James Knowlson note: Beckett’s nephew with much interesting information. 1 folder 1990s-2000s JEK A/1/1/4 Folder entitled Caroline Beckett Murphy Consists of correspondence and interview James Knowlson note: Beckett's neice 2 folders 1990s-2000s Page 2 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service JEK A/1/1/5 Folder entitled John Beckett Consists of correspondence between Samuel Beckett and John Beckett, 1968 – 1989, annotated by John Beckett, correspondence between John Beckett and James Knowlson, 1970-c.1992, extracts from the Beckett letters to different people concerning his cousin John Beckett, copies of letters of John Beckett to Rosemary Poutney, 1974 – 1978 and material relating to a Deed of Variation for a Henri Hayden picture 5 folders 1974-2007 JEK A/1/1/6 Folder entitled Ann Beckett Consists of copies of letters from Samuel Beckett to Ann Beckett and to her mother, Beckett’s Aunt Peggy, 1960-1988 and letters from James Knowlson to Ann Beckett and her replies 2 folders 1960-2003 JEK A/1/1/7 Folder entitled Dr Desmond Beckett Consists of correspondence between Desmond Beckett and Samuel Beckett and James Knowlson and Desmond Beckett and copy of a transcription of a letter from Samuel Beckett to his cousin Desmond Beckett James Knowlson note: Dr Desmond Beckett was Beckett’s cousin, the son of James Beckett, his uncle, in New Zealand, with much valuable information about the family and his father and uncles. 1 folder 1980s-2000s JEK A/1/1/8 Folder entitled John Beckett (South Africa John) Consists of correspondence between John Beckett and James Knowlson Page 3 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service James Knowlson note: John Beckett is the son of Harry Beckett – the fifth son not mentioned in Bair’s biography. 1 folder 1990s JEK A/1/1/9 Folder entitled Horner Beckett Consists of correspondence between Horner Beckett and James Knowlson and information relating to John Beckett James Knowlson note: Horner Beckett supplied James Knowlson with much helpful information about the wider family and the building contracts of Beckett’s grandfather and his father. Has pictures of awards, even headed notebook of the Grandfather Beckett’s building firm. A major file. 1 folder 1990s JEK A/1/1/10 Folder entitled Roger Beckett Consists of a copy of a letter to Mrs Beckett, Roger's wife, from James Knowlson 1 folder 1992 JEK A/1/1/11 Folder entitled Walter Beckett Consists of correspondence between Mary Bryden and Walter Beckett James Knowlson note: Walter Beckett, the musician 1 folder 1990s Page 4 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service JEK A/1/1/12 Photograph of the Irish Times with the announcement of the birth of Samuel Beckett James Knowlson note: Proves conclusively that Beckett was indeed born on 13 April 1906. 1 doc 16 April 1906 JEK A/1/2 Interviews with Samuel Beckett by James Knowlson and others JEK A/1/2/1 Interviews with Samuel Beckett by James Knowlson Consists of transcripts of interviews and James Knowlson's notebooks 5 folders, 9 notebooks 1989 JEK A/1/2/2 Folder of notes entitled Queries for Sam Sent to Samuel Beckett, with Beckett’s very detailed answers and many additional notes written in red ink James Knowlson note: These contain some of Beckett’s most explicit commentary ever offered on Krapp’s Last Tape. Four sides of material, page four consisting almost entirely of Beckett’s own comments. 1 folder 1979, 1986 Page 5 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service JEK A/1/2/3 Notes made by James Knowlson on meetings with Samuel Beckett 1 folder 1976, 1983, 1984, 1989 JEK A/1/2/4 Samuel Beckett Questionnaire with Beckett's holograph manuscript replies to questions put to him by James Knowlson, a card from Samuel Beckett to James Knowlson 1972 and draft of a talk by James Knowlson on Happy Days 1972 James Knowlson note: These includes some fascinating answers, including that he much preferred Barlach's plays to his sculptures, that he was 'more concerned with W.B. Yeats's plays as writing than as theatre', that he had read Antonin Artaud 'for the odd blaze', as well as his usual 'all gone from mind'. There are also his attributions to detailed sources of all the French quotations in 'Oh les beaux jours' ('Happy Days'). There are seven pages of queries and answers. This is not on the original list and is a gift to the Beckett Archive at UoR. There is also Beckett’s original letter to James Knowlson of April 1972 in which he is asked about one of the quotations (W.B. Yeats' 'the eye of the mind') in 'Happy Days'. This is where he writes: 'I simply know next to nothing about my work in this way, as little as a plumber of the history of hydrology. There is nothing /nobody with me when I'm writing, only the hellish job in hand. The 'eye of the mind' in H.D. does not refer to Yeats any more than the 'revels' in Endgame to The Tempest, they are just bits of pipe I happen to have with me' etc. This important letter was not part of the original acquisition either. This letter was quoted in ‘Beckett’s “bits of pipe” ‘, a talk given by JK at the Ohio State University Conference on Beckett in May, 1981 and published in Samuel Beckett: Humanistic Perspectives, ed. S.E. Gontarski et al. There is a draft and a proof of this talk and details of the conference programme in a folder with these manuscripts. 2 folders Page 6 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service 1972 JEK A/1/2/5 Transcript of interviews with Samuel Beckett by Sean O Mordha 1 doc 1983 JEK A/1/3 Manuscripts and works - by Beckett JEK A/1/3/1 Copy of typescript of Ill seen Ill Said by Samuel Beckett James Knowlson note: "Apparently I have held for many years, without realising it, a version of Ill seen ill said that is not in the Reading collection and not otherwise known. It looks like a version prepared, Dirk van Hulle suggests, for a broadcast reading with divisioning into sections. I had shown it to Krance, who then described it. Three possible explanations occur to me. One that the original may be lost, since this is only a copy. Two that the original was with the reader [who he?]. Three that it was sent to me at a later date from the others and that the source would in that case undoubtedly have been Beckett." 2 docs Undated JEK A/1/3/2 Photocopy of Beckett's revisions of cuts and changes in Berlin 1967 production of Endspiel James Knowlson note: In an envelope from Samuel Beckett - original corrected typescript was given to the editor of the Page 7 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service Theatrical Notebook Endgame, S.E. Gontarkski 1 folder 1967 JEK A/1/3/3 Negatives of two pages from Beckett's production notebook for Warten auf Godot at the Schiller-Theater Werkstatt, Berlin James Knowlson note: These negatives were probably taken originallyfrom the notebook held at the University of Reading 1 doc 1975 JEK A/1/3/4 Transcripts of Samuel Beckett's German diairies Includes notes by James Knowlson 2 folders Undated JEK A/1/4 Items belonging to Samuel Beckett JEK A/1/4/1 Address book belonging to Samuel Beckett James Knowlson note: This is the original, not a copy ‘Répertoire’, spiral metal ring spine, an A to Z containing all the addresses of his friends and acquaintances in the early 1960s. This was a personal gift from Samuel Beckett to James Knowlson, when he began his authorised biography. It is, needless to say, unique. 2 docs Undated [1960s] Page 8 of 562 University Museums and Special Collections Service JEK A/1/4/2 Note made by Samuel Beckett relating to the name of his nurse, piano teacher, dogs, kindergarten teacher and Ursula Thompson's address 1 folder Undated [late 1980s] JEK A/1/4/3 Photocopies of three books owned by Beckett: Pierre Corneille, Le Menteur, Paris, Hachette, 1913; Jean de la Fontaine, Fables, Paris, Hachette, 1921 and Pierre Corneille, Nicomède, Paris, Hachette, 1921 1 folder Undated JEK A/1/4/4 Folder entitled Books read by Beckett in Germany 1936-1937 Consists of details of books acquired by James Knowlson, extracts, notes and correspondence 1 folder Undated JEK A/1/4/5 Luggage label from Samuel Beckett's suitcase in his own hand with empty envelope