Single Page Letter – Alec Dixon TO A W Lawrence [with] ‘T. E. LAWRENCE BY HIS FRIENDS’ – First Edition 1937
£395.00
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED
Single page
Alec Dixon served in the Royal Tank Corps with T. E. Lawrence, took photographs of him on his Brough Superior and became a good friend of his up until 1926 when Dixon left for his posting in the East.
This hand-written letter, dated 2.iii.36 begins: “Dear Lawrence, I am awfully sorry to have kept you waiting so long for my article on T.E. I agree that it would be better if Mr Warwick James could see the whole thing. This will be ready within the next ten days, and I will let you have typed copies.” Alec Dixon spend a good deal of time with T.E Lawrence at Clouds Hill and would have been of great help to Warwick James as it is clear from this letter that he knew much of his musical tastes writing: “If you have a rough list of the records now at Clouds Hill, perhaps you could let me have a copy. I think I could identify a good many of those which were among the first collection if I saw the names.” He goes on to add: “There were most of the Beethoven Symphonies – but I imagine T.E would have replaced these for they saw a good deal of wear in the early days.” He signs the letter “Yours sincerely, Alec Dixon” but adds an N.B. which includes an insight into his knowledge of T. E’s dislikes: “Many pianoforte solos of Joseph Hoffman, a lot of Kneisler, but only one of Heifetz (T.E. didn’t think much to him) A.D.” A.W Lawrence has written in pen on the letter that he has sent Dixon what he asked for and has marked the letter “For your information, A.W.L.” A.W.Lawrence passed this letter on to Warwick James who may have found it of some use when writing his own article. Alec Dixon’s chapter in the book concentrated on his time spent with T.E. Lawrence in the Royal Tank Corps and gives a good insight into his time spent at Bovington Camp where T.E. would become known as ‘Broughie’ Shaw due to his ownership of and prowess in riding his Brough Superior. Dixon was an aspiring writer and T.E. would read through his manuscripts and constructively criticise them whilst at the same time working hard on his revision of ‘Seven Pillars’. It was the time spent on his revisions, the next two and a half years, that prompted him to look for rooms outside of camp and this led to his purchase of a ruined cottage, Clouds Hill. Dixon notes that the renovation of the cottage was in no small part met by the sale of T.E.’s ‘massive gold dagger’. T.E. then moved in with his books, a few pictures, his new Columbia gramophone and a large quantity of records. Dixon would go on to spend nearly every weekend and two or three evenings a week at Clouds Hill in T.E.’s company.
[With]
LAWRENCE, A.W. EDITS: : Published by Jonathan Cape, 1937. First edition. Octavo. Original maroon cloth gilt. Pp. 595. Includes the chapter on ‘Royal Tank Corps’ by Alec Dixon. Copy of the Incledon family in Johannesburg, dated 1937 on the front free endpaper. Occasional light foxing. Boards very slightly marked. A very good, at least, tight, bright, clean copy.
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- Description
Description
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED
Single page
Alec Dixon served in the Royal Tank Corps with T. E. Lawrence, took photographs of him on his Brough Superior and became a good friend of his up until 1926 when Dixon left for his posting in the East.
This hand-written letter, dated 2.iii.36 begins: “Dear Lawrence, I am awfully sorry to have kept you waiting so long for my article on T.E. I agree that it would be better if Mr Warwick James could see the whole thing. This will be ready within the next ten days, and I will let you have typed copies.” Alec Dixon spend a good deal of time with T.E Lawrence at Clouds Hill and would have been of great help to Warwick James as it is clear from this letter that he knew much of his musical tastes writing: “If you have a rough list of the records now at Clouds Hill, perhaps you could let me have a copy. I think I could identify a good many of those which were among the first collection if I saw the names.” He goes on to add: “There were most of the Beethoven Symphonies – but I imagine T.E would have replaced these for they saw a good deal of wear in the early days.” He signs the letter “Yours sincerely, Alec Dixon” but adds an N.B. which includes an insight into his knowledge of T. E’s dislikes: “Many pianoforte solos of Joseph Hoffman, a lot of Kneisler, but only one of Heifetz (T.E. didn’t think much to him) A.D.” A.W Lawrence has written in pen on the letter that he has sent Dixon what he asked for and has marked the letter “For your information, A.W.L.” A.W.Lawrence passed this letter on to Warwick James who may have found it of some use when writing his own article. Alec Dixon’s chapter in the book concentrated on his time spent with T.E. Lawrence in the Royal Tank Corps and gives a good insight into his time spent at Bovington Camp where T.E. would become known as ‘Broughie’ Shaw due to his ownership of and prowess in riding his Brough Superior. Dixon was an aspiring writer and T.E. would read through his manuscripts and constructively criticise them whilst at the same time working hard on his revision of ‘Seven Pillars’. It was the time spent on his revisions, the next two and a half years, that prompted him to look for rooms outside of camp and this led to his purchase of a ruined cottage, Clouds Hill. Dixon notes that the renovation of the cottage was in no small part met by the sale of T.E.’s ‘massive gold dagger’. T.E. then moved in with his books, a few pictures, his new Columbia gramophone and a large quantity of records. Dixon would go on to spend nearly every weekend and two or three evenings a week at Clouds Hill in T.E.’s company.
[With]
LAWRENCE, A.W. EDITS: : Published by Jonathan Cape, 1937. First edition. Octavo. Original maroon cloth gilt. Pp. 595. Includes the chapter on ‘Royal Tank Corps’ by Alec Dixon. Copy of the Incledon family in Johannesburg, dated 1937 on the front free endpaper. Occasional light foxing. Boards very slightly marked. A very good, at least, tight, bright, clean copy.
