Charpentier

15523 — This is a fine collection of items closely linked to Dylan Thomas's 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'. Present is a typed letter hand signed by Gaston Charpentier. The letter is addressed to Alec Snowden the British film producer and son of Agnes Adamson Wallace née Crawford and the novelist J. Keighley Snowden; it is also addressed to his wife Renee. The typed section reads of literary matters and scandal some of which is rather unflattering towards Thomas. The letter also mentions Augustus John the Welsh painter and etcher. The final typed paragraph averts to more familial matters speaking of grandchildren and ending with "I will leave Elizabeth to add a few words" who then hand writes her contributions below. The subject of Elizabeth's writing is primarily familial and signed "Love to you both. E." in blue ink. The letter is on a single sheet of white watermarked paper. Present are two typescripts of 'Memories of Christmas' said to have been dictated by Dylan Thomas to Renee Snowden nee Harrington. One is signed 'Dylan Thomas' on the final page presumably by the producer to indicate that this was Thomas' reading copy the other unsigned typescript is presumably for the producer himself. This copy shall be referred to as copy 1. Also present is what shall be referred to as copy 2 which is folded and toned throughout. Both transcripts were used during Thomas' narration on 'Children's Hour' in 1945 under the title 'Memories of Christmas'. Latterly the title was changed to 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' and was published as such in the USA and in the UK in 1978 with illustrations by Edward Ardizzone published by Dent - a copy of which in first edition form is included in the collection. The story was initially published in 'The Listener' number 884 - December 20th 1945 - also included in the collection. In addition the original recording on LP is included. The typescripts themselves contain new material potentially undisclosed to the public. It varies in content to both the recorded and printed versions in the New Directions edition and in Dent's edition. The primary distinction can be found on the first page however differences in text occur throughout. The recorded and printed versions start a new paragraph after "it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six" however this typescript meets the end of the line with a semicolon continuing "or whether the ice broke and the skating grocer vanished like a snowman through a white trapdoor on that same Christmas day that the mince-pies finished Uncle Arnold cont.". There seems to be a similar difference in a wide selection of pages of a similar nature. It is next seen on page 2. While the printed and recorded versions are different to these scripts the first two pages of this version appear online. The two typescripts appear identical in typed content. Copy 1 is bright and clean containing eleven pages in total. There are slight handling marks throughout however the paper is generally clean and sharp. The corners are sharp. The rear page appears to have been at one point folded in half. It is stapled to the top left-hand corner; the staple is only slightly corroded. The text itself however is markedly bold and clean. Copy 2 contains eleven pages in all. It is toned at the edges and as mentioned folded in the middle. The staple is corroded and stains the pages throughout. The corners appear sharp from the front however the latter pages are folded on the right-hand corner. It is not annotated further. The type is bold and very clean. Both copies are not typed on headed or watermarked paper. The toning of the paper is indicative of this typescript being written during or near the end of the Second World War given the poor paper stock which came as a result and gives greater insight onto the year in which it was typed. This is certainly the first appearance of 'Memories of Christmas'/'A Child's Christmas in Wales' in text and is accompanied by some wonderful ephemera. unknown