Item 21 - Letter from Roger Fry to R. C. Trevelyan

Identity area

Reference code

TRER/13/21

Title

Letter from Roger Fry to R. C. Trevelyan

Date(s)

  • [July 1904] (Creation)

Level of description

Item

Extent and medium

1 item

Context area

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

22 Willow Road, Hampstead. - Is writing to Bob's mother to say he will do the pastel, but not until the autumn; he and Helen hope to get to Oxford on Thursday to stay with Mrs [Christiana] Herringham and Mrs Flower if Helen is well; she has been 'very seedy' following a miscarriage but is 'wonderfully well in mind'. Has had 'another beastly summer' and cannot leave if she is not allowed to, as Edith [Helen's sister] will leave for her holiday soon. Is starting his article for the "Independent [Review?]" but wishes he had not promised it. Bob's story about Millais is lovely. Etching originally enclosed; 'a first attempt without any lesson so it was all guesswork', but means to return to it later, and to do the picture for Bob this year. Yes, the [book on] Titian is by 'the same [Georg] Gronau'; it is very good but dull to read, and not as good as his later book on Leonardo; is reviewing it [for the "Athenaeum", Sept 10 1904].

Has been to stay with [Neville] Lytton. States ironically that the [Royal] Academy has discovered that the Inquiry [by a Select Committee of the House of Lords into the Academy's administration of the Chantrey Trust] is really intended 'to advertise Lytton's drawings'. His own evidence was not printed in the papers, and lasted only half an hour; Lord Carlisle tried to catch him out 'by quoting the Athenaeum' but did not succeed. The Royal Academicians 'are physically mentally & morally on the level of small tradesmen'. [Dugald] MacColl was 'wonderful': gave evidence 'for 4 hrs without a slip' and would have 'made his fortune at the bar'.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Related descriptions

      Publication note

      Extract appears in Fry, R., & Sutton, D. (1972), Letters of Roger Fry / edited with an introduction by Denys Sutton. London: Chatto and Windus, Vol 1, pp 222-223. The letter is dated there to 'June 1904', but Fry did not give evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Chantrey Trust until 15 July (see Report published by Wyman & Sons).

      Notes area

      Note

      Pencil annotation dating the letter to '1904' and numbering it '78'.

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Access points

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Genre access points

      Description identifier

      Institution identifier

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Status

      Level of detail

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      Language(s)

        Script(s)

          Sources

          Accession area