Correspondence betweeen Wynne and Coward

Scope and Content

This folder contains the following:

  • Postcard from Coward to Wynne telling her about his trip to Scotland. Signed, dated September 1916.
  • Postcard from Coward to Wynne from Switzerland in which he discusses her sending a play to New York. Signed, dated November 1922.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne in which he critiques her novel Momus. Signed, dated 1928.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne in which he discusses her attitude to other women. Signed, dated January 1928.
  • Telegram from Coward to Wynne in which he mentions security at a New York opening. Signed, dated March 1929.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne in which he discusses his hectic work schedule and social life and his general view of human nature: "I fear we shall never see human life eye to eye and tooth to tooth..." Signed, dated 1936.
  • Typed letter from Wynne to Coward in which she talks about "universal truth" and religion. Unsigned, dated September 1949.
  • Typed letter from Coward to Wynne in which he discusses his spiritual philosophy. Second page missing, unsigned, dated October 1949.
  • Typed letter from Coward to Wynne in which he mentions spirituality and his "heartwarming materialism". Signed, dated January 1952.
  • Short typed letter from Coward to Wynne, signed, dated May 1954.
  • Typed letter from Coward to Wynne in which he discusses a recent bout of ill-health, the deaths of mutual friends and his own attitude towards death: "I only know that if I should happen to 'pop' to-morrow that I have no complaints." Signed, dated 1960.
  • Typed letter (unfinished) from Wynne to Coward in which she talks about his being unwell, death, and their "awful" tour of Charley's Aunt. Unsigned, dated February 1960.
  • Typed letter from Wynne to Coward in which she discusses a burglary at her son Jon's house, the 'Nesbits' episode and her profilic output of spiritual writings. Signed, dated March 1960.
  • Christmas card from Coward to Wynne. Signed, dated 1961.
  • Christmas card from Coward to Wynne featuring a black and white portrait of himself on front. Signed, dated 1964
  • Christmas card from Coward to Wynne featuring a colour portrait of himself on front. Inscribed: "Darling Stoj - I hope these two aspects of my lovely little heart-shaped face will jerk you to your feet again, Fond love Poj", dated 1967.
  • Handwritten note from Coward to Wynne in which he mentions E.S.P. Signed, dated January 1970.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne, this is his last surviving letter to Esme. He talks about his knighthood and asks to be addressed as "Sir Poj". Signed, dated January 1970.
  • Pencil sketch by Coward for Wynne depicting himself crying on a bus "after leaving you!" Signed, undated.
  • Ink sketch by Coward for Wynne depicting Wynne as a "Modern Medusa" who "Kills Men At Sight Also Beetles". Unsigned, undated.
  • Ink sketch by Wynne for Coward depicting herslef humurously in a range of roles she had played on stage. Unsigned, undated.
  • Ink sketch by Coward to Wynne depicting a young man taking "a boy and girl to tea at Rumplemayers!". Unsigned, undated.
  • Postcard from Wynne to Coward cancelling a date. Signed, undated.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne. First page is missing but letter mentions going on holiday with his parents and motorcycling. The letter features various sketches; the Coward family in a house, an audience leaving a theatre upon hearing him sing, and Coward in bed, on a bus and riding a motorcycle. Signed, undated.
  • Note from Coward to Wynne thanking her for her condolences on the death of his mother. Signed, undated.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne in which he critiques her play The Supreme Folly, comparing it unfavourably to another of her works, Little Lovers. He suggests her career might lie in writing novels: "you have a prose mind not a dialogue mind". Signed, undated.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne in which he advises her at length on editing and improving her play The New Elaine, as well as the art of playwriting in general. Signed, undated.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne, in which he is very depressed at having to stay in Dartmoor with his mother who is "being a pig and a cow in every way". Signed, undated.
  • Handwritten letter from Coward to Wynne where he critiques an unidentified play of hers act by act. Signed, undated.
  • Typed letter from Coward to Wynne where he tells her of his house and life in Jamaica and jokes that he had "not yet found Jesus". Signed, undated.
  • Scribbled note. Contained in envelope which states the following: "Blue Sheet is in Noel Coward's hand-writing and is probably a criticism of something Stoj had written, though she couldn't remember (April 1967) what". Unsigned and undated.

Administrative / Biographical History

In these letters Wynne and Coward regularly use nick-names for each other. Wynne is called Stodge or Stoj, and Coward is Podge or Poj.

Some of these letters and sketches have been transcribed and reproduced in The Letters of Noel Coward, ed. Barry Day, Methuen, 2007. A copy of this may be found in the V&A Department of Theatre and Performance library collection.