BILLY

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /home/richardf/public_html/dev/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

Autograph Signature of the Australian composer William G. James, together with the score of the opening bars of his song 'The Sun-God' in his autograph.

Author: 
William G. James [William Garnet ('Billy') James] (1892-1977), Australian pianist and composer [Aubrey de Vere]
Publication details: 
Undated.
£125.00
Autograph Signature of the Australian composer William G. James

On one side of a piece of pink paper, roughly 18 x 7.5 cm, cut from an autograph album. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. At the head James has written ' "The Sun-God" W. G. James', with the opening two bars beneath this, beneath which he has written the words 'I saw the master of the Sun -' In the bottom right-hand corner: 'Yrs Sincerely | William G. James'. James's music for Aubrey de Vere's poem was first published in 1921.

Typed Letter Signed ('Ruth Knowles'), a reference for her 'ship-keeper' William Stilwell. With four photographs of her barquentine 'Friendship' ('Emma Ernest'), moored at Charing Cross, and typed reports, with newspaper cuttings, by Stilwell's son.

Author: 
Ruth Mitchell [Knowles] (c.1888-1969) [Chetniks; Yugoslavia; Brigantine 'Emma Ernest'; Charing Cross Pier; World Explorers Friendship Clubs; The Yellow Rolls Royce (film, 1964); ]
Publication details: 
Letter dated 21 May 1932; on 'World Explorers' letterhead. The two reports from 1988, with one dated 'JS [James Stilwell] Oct 88'.
£220.00

An interesting collection of material relating to an extraordinary woman whose exploits deserve recognition. According to one obituary Mitchell (sister of American General 'Billy' Mitchell) was 'he only foreign woman to serve with the Chetniks', for whom she acted as a dispatch rider. Captured by the Gestapo while swimming at Dubrovnik, 'still in her bathing suit, and with papers on her that would have caused her to be executed without trial, she turned to the agents and asked: "Gentlemen, you will permit me to change my trousers?" They agreed.

Syndicate content