DLA018-0018  Transcription 

WOLMER WOOD,

MARLOW COMMON,

MARLOW, BUCKS.

Aug. 28th 1930.

My dear Philip

I was glad to have your card and to hear that you had arrived at Bagnoles. I wonder if you are having the same sort of weather that we are getting; it has suddenly turned very hot and brilliantly sunny and it seems to be trying to make up all at once for the long spell of dull weather that we have had through August. I wonder whether it means to last – perhaps we are going to have a fine autumn like we had last year. I was up in London yesterday, but only for the day, and I found it much too hot to be pleasant. It is hot enough here but we do get shade under the trees and so the fine spell is really enjoyable.

I hope you are making the most

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of your chances to get a little real rest; I am sure you want it as you were looking rather tired when I saw you last and as if you wanted a change. It will do you good to take things quietly for a bit and I hope that when your treatment is over you will not become too energetic again all at once.

I have, of course, no art news to send you; there is nothing going on now in the galleries and the art world generally is taking a holiday. Nothing much is likely to happen for another month but about the end of September the exhibitions will be starting again.

I suppose you are having a little relief from R.B.A. affairs while you are away.^[1] I hope, though, that your programme of reforms is being seriously considered by the officials and that the whole scheme will be carried out. I am sure that the changes you

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have suggested will be of great value; they ought to make the members take much more interest in what is going on in the society. It is quite time that the sane members woke up and did something to check the cranks – it is curious how difficult it is to get artists to work together even over things that are evidently important to them. The sane members have for some time past complained about the activity of the “advanced” section but hitherto they have made very little effort to combine against the group or to assert themselves properly in the affairs of the society; if by your reforms they can be induced to recognise that they have obligations as members and that they must fulfil their obligations properly there will be a much better chance of an improvement in the future. But it will not be an easy job to make them understand how much this chance of improvements depends upon the spirit in which they work.

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Are you beginning your notes for the film story? I am looking forward to having them so that I can sketch out the plot and get an idea of the sequence of events and have something shaped out to discuss with you when you are home again. I believe there are incidents enough in your life to make more than one good film.

Well, I am afraid there is not much in this letter – news is scarce at this time of year and I have no special doings of my own to write about. Just at the moment we are rather in a muddle as we are having the house wired for electric lighting – a company is going to lay on electricity uup here in about a month’s time.

Our love to you and Lucy, let me have news of you soon | Always yours,

A.L.B.

Editorial Note:

Alfred Lys Baldry (1858-1939), British artist and art critic who authored several articles on de László and who was a close family friend; for biographical notes, see [3562].

SMDL

11/04/2018