Autograph Letter signed "May" to Helen Gaudin from Baghdad dated 2 May 1946. With: Recipes from Baghdad editor's copy signed by contributors with presentation inscription in Arabic to Mrs Gaudin from 'Aliya Queen Mother of Iraq
1946313857Baghdad 1946. Six pages in ink on three leaves. 1 vols. 8vo. Letter: small loss from old staple at top of first leaf affecting two letters. Near fine. Book: Black cloth title in green illustration of measuring utensils on pastedowns. Pictorial dust jacket. Binding a bit rubbed spine faded with small loss at head Very good minus. Six pages in ink on three leaves. 1 vols. 8vo. Letter from Baghdad 1946. Fascinating letter from editor May H. Beattie 1908-1997 editor of Recipes from Baghad published for the benefit of the Red Cross and later a widely published author on Persian and oriental carpets. Beattie describes its contemporary reception in cosmopolitan Baghdadi circles noting specific criticisms of contents and illustrations how the barbs affected some of the editors with report of discussions with an editor in the U.K and mention of a possible Arabic edition for local "middle class people". Beattie writes "At the moment rather between ourselves I have a most consuming passion to make a record of Baghdad women - I am finding out all sorts of things about their cosmetics tatooing hair dying & customs in general. I should think it will be almost impossible to extract any information from Baghdad "Society" but I am finding other sources in plenty and a card index is filling rapidly."<br/>Beattie who trained as a microbiologist had come to Baghdad with her husband in 1937; in 1946 they returned to England and so the book on Baghdad women was never completed. Beattie's career as a scholar of carpets began in the 1950s when she saw the shortcomings of earlier research. "Dr. Beattie transferred her scholarly training in one discipline to another" Mackie and assembled facts and "recorded manufacturing methods equipment patterns and functions of carpets."<br/><br/>With: Recipes from Baghdad with an Introduction by Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Iraq. Edited by May H. Beattie B.A. Ph.D. with the assistance of Bedia Afnan Renée Elkab Helen Gaudin and Ann Walter. Caricatures by Suad Salim. Folding table; illustrations in text. 163 2 blank xi pp. 8vo Baghdad: Published by the Indian Red Cross Printed at the Government Press 1946. OCLC: 29816802 7 copies. <br/>Inscribed by the Queen Mother of Iraq on flyleaf in Arabic: ila Miz Gaudin 'Aliya 16/4/46; and signed below by May H. Beattie Renée Elkab Ann Walter and Helen Gaudin.<br/><br/>'Aliya bint 'Ali 1911-1950 Queen Mother of Iraq was granddaughter of King Faisal of the Hejaz and widow of King Ghazi. Her son Faisal II was the last king of Iraq and was killed in the 1958 revolution. For May Beattie see biographical notice by Louise W. Mackie in Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies 3:1 1987 pp. 6-10 unknown books
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