FRAZ/1-4 consists of four boxes containing just over 575 letters, most of them addressed to J. G. Frazer. The letters span 1888-1941, but the bulk date from the 1920s and 1930s, and primarily concern Frazer’s works and related personal business. An alphabetic sequence of letters spans the four boxes, preceded by a shorter one of 62 letters in FRAZ/1, and succeeded by a collection of 110 letters written to congratulate Frazer on the award of the Order of Merit in FRAZ/4. FRAZ/1 is unusual in that it includes the only original letters from J. G. Frazer in the papers (29 of them: Items 4-29, 39, 42-43); there are also thirteen typed copies of his letters in this box (Items 44-54, 82 and 84) dating from the 1930s, after Frazer's eyesight failed and a secretary was employed. There are 9 original letters from Lilly Frazer to William James Lewis (Items 30-38), and a copy of a letter from Lilly to Sir John Myres (Item 55). Three other copies of James's letters from the late 1930s appear in boxes 2-4 (Items 2/95, 3/43, 3/47), and there is also a draft of a letter to Lord Stamfordham in box 4 (Item 119). Two other copies of letters from Lilly appear in box 3: to R. R. Marett (Item 3) and Norman Parley (Item 44).
Pinbury Park, Cirencester - Regrets he cannot speak at the meeting on 28 January; did not know Housman at all well, was interested to read her letter about him.
Album containing 119 cuttings of newspaper and magazine articles mentioning Sir James and Lilly Frazer, including reviews of 'Aftermath', 'Creation and Evolution of Primitive Cosmogonies', 'Essais et souvenirs', 'Totemica', 'Greece and Rome: a Selection from the Works of Sir James George Frazer', 'Pasha the Pom', 'A Bibliography of Sir James Frazer', and 'The Fear of the Dead in Primitive Religion', including reviews by Raymond Firth of 'Totemica' for both 'The Spectator', Nov. 1937 (page 19) and for 'Life and Letters To-Day', Winter 1937 (page 27); and by Ruth Benedict of 'The Fear of the Dead in Primitive Religion' Vol. III in 'The New York Herald Tribune' of Sept. 1936 (page 52). A photograph of James and Lilly from the 'Weekly Illustrated London' of 2 Jan. 1937 appears on page 6.
10 Prinsegracht, The Hague. - They have not yet retired to their 'Retraite Edéniencee [ie, at Ede]', as her cousin calls it; does not think they will go before early June. The Grandmonts are still where she left them at Rocca Bella [Taormina, Sicily] at the end of April; they are travelling back with an English friend, stopping only briefly at Florence and Bâle. Was sorry to leave Italy 'like that' but it could not be helped; made her all the more anxious to return another time. Wrote to her cousin [Bramine Hubrecht] and sent her Trevelyan's messages, but does not know whether she will go to England this summer; he does not seem anxious to go and she supposes 'the husband's opinion has great weight in these matters!'. She herself will not be able to; is currently here alone at home with her uncle and aunt [Paul François Hubrecht and his wife Maria] and would not like to leave them when she would have to go 'to fit in with Senior's week at St. Andrews'. Thanks Trevelyan for his letter and the trouble he took with the list of books, though she has not yet got all those he suggested, in part because the library is currently closed. Fortunately the director is a friend of the family and can be persuaded to break the rule forbidding books to be taken or sent into the country, so they sometimes get a good selection sent to Ede; however spring-cleaning is 'a holy business' in this country so she must wait. Asks if Trevelyan could possibly send some of the books he listed: something by Henry James; his father's book; [Robert] Browning's letters; she will get [William?] Morris's "Life" [by J. W. MacKail and his brother's book from the library. Has been reading [Elizabeth Barrett Browning's] "Aurora Leigh" for the first time; asks whether Trevelyan likes it. Will be curious to see Trevelyan's friend [Thomas Sturge Moore]'s poems which he sent to her cousin; wonders whether they will appreciate it; does not think Mrs Grandmont has 'specially classical tastes'. Would be very nice if Trevelyan could come to Ede this summer; unsure still of when exactly would be the best time as she knows nothing of the Grandmonts' plans; thinks probably late August or early September. Is longing to get to fresh air in the country; town seems oppressive after Taormina.
They all feel 'greatly honoured... with all these noble peace delegates' being at the Hague; the Congress was opened yesterday; one of the Dutch members told them 'what a feeble old president Baron de Staal seemed to be' and that 'the first meeting did not promise much'. Is sending some Taormina photographs; the one with Mrs C [Florence Cacciola Trevelyan?] is 'funny but too indistinct'; [Giuseppe] Bruno took the same view which better shows Mrs C. 'like some curious prehistoric Juliet on her balcony'; she has it and will show it to you, or Trevelyan could write to Bruno and ask to see the several pictures he took in her garden of her 'constructions'. Glad Trevelyan has heard some good music in London; she feels out of practice and is looking forward to playing with her sister [Abrahamina Röntgen] again. Knows her aunt is giving her the biography of Joachim by Moser for her birthday. Will also have to 'make special Vondel studies this summer'; feels she knows very little about him.
Hindhead. - Mrs Sickert and Oswald think she might be able to do the German translation of Trevelyan's play ["The Bride of Dionysus"] which [Donald] Tovey has set to music; she is doubtful, since the work would need to be done by someone who was an experienced writer as well as musician. Would be able to judge better if she could read the play. Mrs Sickert suggests they should meet at Pembroke Lodge; she could make next Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.
29 Beaufort Street, Chelsea SW. - He and Goldie [Dickinson] start tomorrow to bicycle to Failand: asks whether Trevelyan will be at Welcombe and able to put them up on Saturday night. If Trevelyan is not staying on at Welcombe, asks him to keep away from town for a day or two to give Mrs Smith a holiday, since they have 'played such a Box & Cox game that she hasn't had any as yet'
Mowden School - is distracted by radio news as he writes, thanks Christopher for letter, asks him not to write unless he has something important to say, describes ex-pupils now at Stowe, dislikes school life.
Items D1/2-D1/51 were bundled together and marked "Notes up to 1927" by Sraffa. In most cases this date is our only evident terminus ante quem. Sraffa's own file titles are given in inverted commas
Items D1/54-90 were bundled together and marked "Notes 1928-31" by Sraffa although some items predate this. Items D1/54-68 formed a sub-bundle
Items D1/70-89 relate principally to the "circus" of economists who discussed Keynes' Treatise on Money
For notes used for the research for Production of Commodities by means of commodities see D3/12
Letter decorated with stickers of a man in cocked hat, a fawn, and (on the last page) a jester. Is well and hopes his mother is too. Browning has given him six china rabbits for his 'glass case'.
Newspaper cuttings, many sent to Trevelyan by Durrant's Press Cuttings agency: reviews of Trevelyan's "Selected Poems", published by Macmillan & Co. Ltd, from the "Manchester Guardian" and "Southport Guardian" [both also discuss other works in the "Contemporary Poets" series; reviews of "Beelzebub and Other Poems", often mentioning the "Hogarth Living Poets" series to which this belongs, from: the "Dublin Evening Mail"; "South Wales Argus"; "Observer" [by Wilfrid Gibson]; "Manchester Guardian" and "Times Literary Supplement".
Also included, a reproduction of Leonardo's "Virgin of the Rocks", cut from a National Gallery Christmas card.
(Place of writing not indicated.)—Thanks him for a copy of the Thirty-Third Report of the [Public] Record Office [1872]. Praises the catalogue of the Shaftesbury papers and the skill and diligence of [W. N.] Sainsbury [the compiler].