Correspondence of, or relating to, Joseph Conrad, and materials concerning the production of a dramatised version of his The secret agent

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 206 Brotherton Collection MS 20c Conrad
  • Dates of Creation
      1895-1956
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      2 vols and 1 envelope; manuscript, typescript, and printed material. Both of the volumes are finely bound in red morocco. One of them contains 14 pockets for each of the 14 letters held in its main section, and has marbling on both inside covers and endpapers. The other is a solander slip case holding 2 folding cases inside it. Both volumes have gilt lettering embossed on them: (1), AUTOGRAPH LETTERS OF CONRAD TO HIS PUBLISHER 1895-1898; (2), THE SECRET AGENT/ JOSEPH CONRAD/ WITH AUTOGRAPH LETTERS. Vol.2's inserted folding cases in turn bear gilt lettering also, as follows: THE SECRET AGENT/ AUTOGRAPH LETTERS, and THE SECRET AGENT/ JOSEPH CONRAD/ PRIVATELY PRINTED/ 1921.

Scope and Content

Comprises: (1) Vol.1: 14 autograph manuscript letters from Conrad to his publisher, T. Fisher Unwin, dated 9 July 1895-8 August 1898, and 1 typescript letter with manuscript name and signature from Unwin to Conrad, dated 12 March 1919, and pasted on to the recto of the front flyleaf; (2) Vol.2, the first folding case: 17 autograph manuscript or typescript letters to or from Conrad, or between others, dated 22 November 1919-26 October 1929, all concerning the dramatisation of The secret agent; 1 typed list of the cast, dated 2-11 November 1922 for the production at the Ambassadors Theatre; a card advertising a dinner dance on 10 February 1956, apparently in South Africa, with an exhibition notice on verso; and the theatre programme for The secret agent. In the second folding case: a privately printed copy of The secret agent : drama in four acts with the imprint 'Printed for the author by H.J. Goulden, Ltd, Canterbury 1921' and bearing Conrad's autograph signature; (3) 1 envelope containing typed lists of the material offered to the Brotherton Collection by Archdeacon Wood on 10 May 1962 with prices and other notes added in manuscript.

Administrative / Biographical History

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), the novelist. For a fuller account of his life and achievements see the Dictionary of National Biography.

Access Information

Access is unrestricted.

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Archdeacon Wood of Cape Town on 20 June 1962.

Note

In English.

Other Finding Aids

The letters are listed in the Letters database http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/letters/letlink.htm#conrad