VERA RUSSELL ARCHIVE OF LETTERS TO HER AND JOHN RUSSELL. 'EMINENCE GRISE' OF THE ARTS.

Vera Russell (1911-1992) Born Vera Vladimirovna Poliakoff moved to the UK aged eight with her parents fleeing the Russian Revolution in 1917. Taking the name Lindsay, she trained in ballet before moving into acting making her stage debut in 1932 starring alongside Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud. After a stint as a WW2 reporter, in 1956 she married the art critic John Russell, later becoming a gallery owner and exhibition organiser in her own right. and maintained close friendships with artists like David Hockney, Francis Bacon, and Henry Moore. The archive - Christopher Fry (1907-2005).ALS 1964 about delaying his return home after the funeral of his friend Wynard Browne and explaining how he's waiting for John Huston (1906-1987) to arrive in London [Fry wrote the screenplay for Huston's 1966 film "The Bible: In The Beginning." Francis Kin. Good 2 pp handwriiten card from 1990 discussin Rushdie, Parague and a Moscow architect. Freya Stark (1893-1993). ALS to Vera Russell, 1972, describing the ill health of Dulcie. Elaine Dundy (1921-2008). ALS to VR, 1981, enjoying the history of the Artist Market and catching up, "what a wonderful friend the arts has always had in you - and all the arts - not just the visual ones." Jules Supervielle Good 2 page ALS to art critic John Russell 1951, handwritten in French. Cyril Connolly 1 pp ALS mostly about Eastbourne and VR's 'Expo' to which he suggests lending som Modern Movement books.Pamela Hansford Johnson (1912-1981). 2 pp TLS with handwritten additions, 1964, providing advice to Vera and John Russell for their forthcoming trip to the USSR, including which writers and academics they should meet whilst there. William Sansom (1912-1976). Two ALS to Vera Russell from William Sansom, and two ALS and three postcards to Vera from Ruth Grundy [wife of Sansom] and William, 1960s James Lord (1922-2009).US writer on art - an autograph Letter Signed to Vera Russell, 24 December 1975, affectionate in tone. Clementine Spencer-Churchill ALS to VR, 13 March 1968, accepting her dinner invitation, "I hope you and your other guests won't find me bad company. Alas! I'm getting rather deaf. Kathleen Tynan short 1980 TLs from Los Angeles about her husband Kenneth Tynan's death "I doubt that your argument much disturbed the friendship.' William Plomer (1903-1973). 4pp ALS to art critic John Russell 1967, thanking him for the book on Seurat, explaining how he appreciates Seurat and Millet, and stating that he is having to adapt to Benjamin Britten's plans. Richard Ellman (1918-1987). . Adrian Stokes (1902-1972). ALS, 29 July 1968 on the Matisse exhibition .Docteur Henri Mondor (1885-1962). Personal business card. Sir Charles Theodore Hagberg Wright (1862- 1940). ALS to VR as Vera Poliakoff., 6 April 1932 Kathleen Raine (1908-2003). ALS to VR, discussing the death of Herbert Read, Ascona Rupert Doone and Hadrian VII PLUS collection of original photographs, including Russell Page (in Vera's garden); Darius Milhaud; Adrian Stokes; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Samuel Marshak; Eugene Ionesco; Yevgeny Yevtushenko A collection of clippings of persons considered by John Russell to be in the "Hall of Fame 1924-1926" Very good. …