[ Dame C. V. Wedgwood, historian. ] Volume containing autograph 'List of Written Works since 1930', with notes and comments, and record of payments.

39pp., 8vo. On good thick Whatman paper, dated 1874, in luxurious black embossed leather binding by J. Y. Knight & Co. of Leeds and London, with brass lock by Bramah (lacking key). In very good condition, in worn binding. Stamped in gilt on front cover is 'PRIVATE MEMA. | A. H. PAWSON'. On the first page Wedgwood has written: 'Cicely Veronica Wedgwood. | Her Book. | presented to me in March 1933 | by | A. H. P. | born 20th. July 1910 | educated | Norland Place School. 1915-1926. | Lady Margaret Hall. 1928-1931 | London School of Economics. 1932-5'. (Pawson was an Oxfordshire naturalist.) Written with a historian's care and eye for detail, and also indicative of Wedgwood's character, The 'List of Written Works since 1930.' contains 110 numbered items, preceded by a 'Supplementary List of works published in "Fritillary" between November 1929 & March 1931'. Details include dates of commencement and completion, royalties and other payments, reason for writing, publications to which pieces were offered, whether rejected, whether destroyed, number of words, as well as notes on circumstances and aims of writing. Regarding three short stories written in 1932: 'All three of these sent to Ronald Massey the literary Agent & not subsequently heard of. | [added in green ink] Retrieved and destroyed; January 1935 | December Evening was the best, but all very poor.' A novel titled 'The House in the Hague' is said to have been 'destroyed: April 17th. 1934, being really too looney. I learnt something about construction in writing it and the archaic style & 1st. person throughout may have been educationally useful, but the book itself was hopelessly without merit'. Another piece is said to have been 'discovered in bathroom cupboard & destroyed, early 1937. deplorable'. She gives interesting detail regarding her first major work, the 'Life of Strafford', giving dates of research, drafts, corrections and payment, as well as noting: 're-written and almost entirely altered throughout Parts II & III, under the suggestions of Professor J. E. Neale, July 26 to Oct 25 1934'. The last few pages of the list are looser in style. An entry from that period reads: 'Radio Play. A Candidate for Immortality. (c.1945). sent to BBC who kept it 6 months. It then turned out it had been lost & not read. I retrieved it unread.' Regarding her translation of Cannetti's great novel she writes: 'Translation of Die Blendung by Elias Cannetti | 1944-46. | published May 8 1946 as Auto da Fe. | This is a very great book, let the world say what it will. | fee £200'. Loosely inserted are 4pp., 12mo, extracted from notebooks, carrying long autograph lists of Italian artists.