Burra (Edward, English painter, draughtsman and printmaker, 1905-76).- A substantial archive of c.120 autograph and typed letters and postcards, chiefly to the artist Edward Burra, some creasing and folds, a few with envelopes, v.s., 1920s-70s.

⁂ A superb archive, spanning much of the artist's life with letters from Burra's wide circle of friends, peppered with famous names and gossipy contents that does much to flesh out the private life of this important chronicler of the 20th century urban world.

Highlights include:

• A 4pp. autograph letter and 1 autograph postcard form Paul Nash, "I have got a line onto some high degree German women through Edward Wadsworth".
• A half letter seemingly in Burra's hand with a drawing of a French sex worker.
• A 2pp. letter from John Banting, sent a few months before his death, "The bus (now 6.15) was full of Giles type little sparrow girls who created a shattering piercing uproar for half the journey - somebody should compose a horror symphony of tape recordings of voices jabbering..."
• Several letters from the photographer, and close friend of Burra, Barbara Ker-Seymer, "Sammy turned up to-day, and said that Francis Bacon (blind drunk) had arrived in Brighton in a hired car with John Deakin who is just about breathing his last (with great difficulty). He deposited John in the Ship Hotel with a bottle of champagne & returned to London. Sammy went to see John and found him sitting up in bed with no pyjamas & all the windows open, gasping for breath, completely alone. She propped him up with 6 pillows, and gave him a drop of brandy which he promptly sicked up with a lot of blood & phlegm..."
• c.20 letters and postcards from Burra's life-long friend Billy Chappell with whom he travelled during his formative travels through France.