Letters, Esmond de Beer
Maker
de Beer, Esmond Samuel
Production date
1963
1964
1965
Object detail
Brief Description
Four letters written by Esmond S de Beer to Aileen M Andersen.
a) A letter dated 17 - 18 December 1963, sent from a temporary address in Dunedin. Esmond S de Beer thanks Aileen M Andersen for helping him during his visit to Napier despite being injured and asks about a saucepan. He writes that he is more impressed by New Zealand's museums than art galleries and of a recent visit to both the museum and art gallery in Dunedin, and his opinions and impressions. He writes of an upcoming radio interview, a local anthropologist who will visit London, and various guests and friends. He mentions a gift that she is preparing for Napier Museum and his gift to the Art Galleries and Museum Association of New Zealand. He also gives news of his sisters Mary and Dora in London and their new house, the weather, and upcoming trip he has planned to Queenstown and the Milford Walk.
b) A letter dated 13 - 14 January 1964, sent from a temporary address in Dunedin. The author writes about leaving Dunedin for Auckland, the weather, plants and incidents on the Milford Walk which he had recently completed, sights along the Amalfi Road and the Skippers Road, his grandmother's arrival in 1862, visiting cousins in Queenstown, and the differences in the children and the effects of how they are being raised versus how they should be raised. He thanks Aileen for her gift of Annals of the Napier Cathedral which he intends to offer to the Hocken Library and of giving other parts of the papers, including maps of Hawke's Bay and the Napier-Taupo Road to the British Museum. He asks about her research into a stagecoach. The rest of the letter is missing.
c) A letter dated 1 November 1964, written on letterhead which reads: 31 Brompton Square, London SW3. He writes of a gift he has purchased for Aileen M Andersen to become a life member of the Friends of Lambeth Palace Library, and that the librarian there wants a copy of her history of Napier Cathedral. He gives information about the library and writes of a gift of a huia feather box to the British Museum, and about the time and effort spent on his Locke research. He compares Locke's letters to work by Balzac, and gives his thoughts on the story of Cleopatra which he had to read because Locke had read it and refers to it, and about his editing methodology. He writes of the weather in London, Dora and Mary working in the garden, Mary's health issues, fortune in being close to the Victoria and Albert Museum and in visiting it often for various purposes, and why he is always behind on his work and business. Finally, he hopes that the troubles she had with a helper are resolved.
d) A letter dated 24 January 1965, written on letterhead which reads: 31 Brompton Square, London SW3. He writes of Aileen M Anderson's gift of two manuscripts which will be given to Lambeth along with some of his own things. He mentions the various items on his desk (greenstone adze, brass bear, books, correspondence) and their physical state; his struggle with writing letters versus the ease of writing other things; recent activities including a talk with his publisher, a lecture he gave, and reviewing a work on Sir Isaac Newton; a collection of rugs given to a museum; and the National Gallery's [of England] efforts to collect recent French paintings of impressionists and post-impressionists. He commiserates with her about an incident she had with wasps, and compares New Zealand wasps to English wasps. He writes of Professor Beaglehole's work on Captain Cook; various writings on Locke that he is interested in; issues with writing in both English and French; troubles with finding sources for his work and some of the works, and publishers of works that he has found. Finally, he writes about the London weather, Mary and Dora's work re-binding books for the Red Cross and Dora's work in the garden.
a) A letter dated 17 - 18 December 1963, sent from a temporary address in Dunedin. Esmond S de Beer thanks Aileen M Andersen for helping him during his visit to Napier despite being injured and asks about a saucepan. He writes that he is more impressed by New Zealand's museums than art galleries and of a recent visit to both the museum and art gallery in Dunedin, and his opinions and impressions. He writes of an upcoming radio interview, a local anthropologist who will visit London, and various guests and friends. He mentions a gift that she is preparing for Napier Museum and his gift to the Art Galleries and Museum Association of New Zealand. He also gives news of his sisters Mary and Dora in London and their new house, the weather, and upcoming trip he has planned to Queenstown and the Milford Walk.
b) A letter dated 13 - 14 January 1964, sent from a temporary address in Dunedin. The author writes about leaving Dunedin for Auckland, the weather, plants and incidents on the Milford Walk which he had recently completed, sights along the Amalfi Road and the Skippers Road, his grandmother's arrival in 1862, visiting cousins in Queenstown, and the differences in the children and the effects of how they are being raised versus how they should be raised. He thanks Aileen for her gift of Annals of the Napier Cathedral which he intends to offer to the Hocken Library and of giving other parts of the papers, including maps of Hawke's Bay and the Napier-Taupo Road to the British Museum. He asks about her research into a stagecoach. The rest of the letter is missing.
c) A letter dated 1 November 1964, written on letterhead which reads: 31 Brompton Square, London SW3. He writes of a gift he has purchased for Aileen M Andersen to become a life member of the Friends of Lambeth Palace Library, and that the librarian there wants a copy of her history of Napier Cathedral. He gives information about the library and writes of a gift of a huia feather box to the British Museum, and about the time and effort spent on his Locke research. He compares Locke's letters to work by Balzac, and gives his thoughts on the story of Cleopatra which he had to read because Locke had read it and refers to it, and about his editing methodology. He writes of the weather in London, Dora and Mary working in the garden, Mary's health issues, fortune in being close to the Victoria and Albert Museum and in visiting it often for various purposes, and why he is always behind on his work and business. Finally, he hopes that the troubles she had with a helper are resolved.
d) A letter dated 24 January 1965, written on letterhead which reads: 31 Brompton Square, London SW3. He writes of Aileen M Anderson's gift of two manuscripts which will be given to Lambeth along with some of his own things. He mentions the various items on his desk (greenstone adze, brass bear, books, correspondence) and their physical state; his struggle with writing letters versus the ease of writing other things; recent activities including a talk with his publisher, a lecture he gave, and reviewing a work on Sir Isaac Newton; a collection of rugs given to a museum; and the National Gallery's [of England] efforts to collect recent French paintings of impressionists and post-impressionists. He commiserates with her about an incident she had with wasps, and compares New Zealand wasps to English wasps. He writes of Professor Beaglehole's work on Captain Cook; various writings on Locke that he is interested in; issues with writing in both English and French; troubles with finding sources for his work and some of the works, and publishers of works that he has found. Finally, he writes about the London weather, Mary and Dora's work re-binding books for the Red Cross and Dora's work in the garden.
Collection
Production date
1963
1964
1965
1964
1965
Production place
Production period
Production technique
Media/Materials description
All four letters are blue unlined paper. The printed ink is blue and the handwriting is either blue or black ink.
Media/Materials
Measurements
Length x Width: 177 x 136mm
Classification terms
Subject person
Subject period
Subject date
17 Dec 1963
13 Jan 1964
01 Nov 1964
24 Jan 1965
13 Jan 1964
01 Nov 1964
24 Jan 1965
Credit line
gifted by the Millin Trust
Other number(s)
m2002/25/554, 70436
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