The archive contains material relating to the life and work of Sir Alec Guinness including diaries, corrrespondence, scripts performed by Alec Guinness, manuscripts for plays, memoirs, stories and articles he wrote, awards and certificates, programmes, press cuttings and ephemera. There is also some material relating to his family, including two diaries written by Merula Guinness, his wife. Significant correspondents include figures from the theatre, film and literary worlds such as Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Alan Bennett and David Cornwell (le Carre).
Sir Alec Guinness Archive
This material is held atBritish Library Manuscript Collections
- Reference
- GB 58 Add MS 89015
- Alternative Id.(ark) ark:/81055/vdc_100000002947.0x000001
- Dates of Creation
- 1914-2003
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English
- Physical Description
- 42 boxes
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
Access to the archive was provided to Piers Paul Read who wrote the authorised biography of Alec Guinness. Therefore the archive, to some extent, has been arranged and information has been collected and added by Read. The impact of his use of the archive is most noticeable in the correspondence files, where he numbered the letters and sometimes provided partial transcripts.
Access Information
Available for research unless otherwise stated
Not Public Record(s)
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Matthew Guinness, through Sothebys' with the help of funding raised from the Friends of the British Library.
Appraisal Information
The archive has been appraised in line with library procedures.
Bibliography
Guinness, Alec, A Commonplace Book (Hamish Hamilton, 2001)
Guinness, Alec, Blessings in Disguise (Hamilton, 1985)
Guinness, Alec, My Name Escapes Me (Hamish Hamilton: London, 1996)
Guinness, Alec, A Positively Final Appearance (Viking, 1999)
Read, Piers Paul, Alec Guinness: the authorised biography (London: Simon & Schuster, 2003)