One hundred and ten letters concerning Paul Nash's work as an unofficial War Artist for the Ministry of Information

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 70 TGA 7050/777-886
  • Dates of Creation
      1940-1945
  • Physical Description
      2 files

Scope and Content

The letters are nearly all from the current secretary to the War Artists's Advisory Committee namely, E.M. O'Rourke Dickey (TGA 7050/777-845), G. Elmslie Owen (TGA 7050/859-866) or E.C. ('Peter') Gregory (TGA 7050/872-886). The letters concern Paul Nash's terms and conditions of work and the non-renewal of his contract (TGA 7050/792 and 845); commissions (TGA 7050/813, 862, 868 and 872); Paul Nash's payment and fees; permits for drawing and painting war subjects; exhibitions of his work; photographs and reproductions of Nash's work and for research; materials and copyright. The collection also includes letters from Ivor Lambe regarding an article by Paul Nash and its possible publication in 'Strand' or 'Vogue' (TGA 7050/822, 824, 827, 831-2, 834, 836-7 and 842); from Joan Atherton-Harrison (née Hayhurst), Neutral Countries Division, regarding the exhibition of Paul Nash photo-montages in Latin America (TGA 7050/843, 846-50 and 855-858); and from A. Palmer regarding the loss of three Paul Nash paintings en route to Latin America including 'Marching Against England', 'Dead March, Dymchurch' and 'The Flare Path' (TGA 7050/852-4). Other correspondents include Kenneth Clark (TGA 7050/786-7, 793, 808 and 823), E.C. Chalk, O. Day, Hugh R. Francis, Margaret Arnold, C.R. Gatehouse, Blanche Henrey, A.A. Garnett and Irene W. Neville. Other Nash paintings mentioned include 'Battle of Britain' (TGA 7050/813, 823, 838), 'The Dead Sea' (TGA 7050/790, 793, 841), 'Totes Meer' (TGA 7050/791, 799, 823), 'Wellingtons' and 'Wellingtons Waiting' (TGA 7050/804), 'Flight' and 'The Aeroplanes'(TGA 7050/860), 'The Arrival of the Stirlings' (TGA 7050/872), 'The Messerschmitt in Windsor Great Park', 'Making Ready. Wellington being bombed up', 'Wellingtons about to fly', 'East Anglia Heinkel', 'Whitley Bomber' and 'Encounter in the Afternoon' (TGA 7050/815), 'Invasion of Germany' (TGA 7050/818), 'Defence of Albion' (TGA 7050/844 and 878) and 'Poisonous Growths' (TGA 7050/858).