Patrick Balfour, Baron Kinross, Papers, 1922-1976

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Summary

Creators:
Kinross, Patrick Balfour, Baron, 1904-1976.
Abstract:
This collection contains manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera of Scottish historian and writer Patrick Balfour (1904-1976), Lord Kinross, from his earliest columns as a journalist to his final major work, The Ottoman Centuries.
Extent:
6,550 items in 178 boxes
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

The manuscripts, correspondence and ephemera cover a wide span of Lord Kinross' literary career, from his earliest columns as a journalist to his final major work, The ottoman centuries. The photographs include many images used by Kinross for his biography of Kemal AtatĂĽrk. Other notable persons in the collection are Mario Amaya, David Balfour, Cecil Beaton, Elizabeth Freda Berkeley, John Betjeman, Duncan Black, C.M. Bowra, Robert Byron, Penelope Chetwode, Randolph Churchill, Cyril Connolly, Diana Cooper, Henry D'Avigdor-Goldsmid, Andrew Bruce, Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Kenward Elmslie, Patrick Leigh Fermor, John Fleming, Elinor Glyn, Howard Griffin, Kay Halle, Roy Harrod, Peter Howard, J.C. Hurewitz, Wilfred Kirkpatrick, James Lees-Milne, Tilly Losch, Malcolm Muggeridge, Beverley Nichols, Harold Nicolson, Frances Phillips, Alan Pryce-Jones, Freya Stark, Christopher Sykes, Violet Keppel Trefusis, Alec Waugh, Evelyn Waugh, Edward, Duke of Windsor, etc.

This collection has several strong points for the purpose of research. It would appear Kinross saved almost every letter he ever received which means some of his correspondence with certain people covers twenty to thirty years. Also, with his major works there is research material, early notes or notecards, manuscript and typewritten versions, which enables the reader to trace the creative process of a writing a work through all stages; in some instances, there are also letters to experts requesting information about a subject, as well as letters exchanged with his publishers discussing the layout and illustration of a book.

The papers consist of the following series:

1. Manuscripts (Boxes 1-63) are arranged alphabetically by author and title. The manuscripts cover a wide span of Lord Kinross’ literary career, beginning with printed copies of his “Mr. Gossip” columns, written in the 1930s, to research notes and various drafts of his final work, The Ottoman Centuries. Included in this series are: articles, essays, book reviews, travel accounts and extensive research material and drafts (both autograph and typewritten versions) of his major works, Atatürk, Between Two Seas, Hagia Sophia, and The Ottoman Centuries.

This series also includes manuscripts by other authors, most notably John Betjeman, Cyril Connolly, Diana Cooper, Howard Griffin, Brian Kenneth Paul, Christopher Sykes, Violet Keppel Trefusis, Evelyn Waugh and Edward, Duke of Windsor.

2. Correspondence (Boxes 64-155) is arranged alphabetically by author. This series includes personal letters and letters related to Kinross’ writing. Kinross was also very involved with community campaigns to save various buildings and neighborhoods; consequently, many of his letters pertain to these campaigns, mainly the efforts to save the tower of St. Saviour’s Church, Paddington, and to preserve the neighborhood of Little Venice, London.

In 1970, Kinross helped to organize a 70th birthday party celebration for the economist Roy Forbes Harrod and a large group of letters are replies to Kinross’ request for monetary gifts for Harrod; these letters are subject indexed under Roy Forbes Harrod.

This series also includes letters from notable people in the literary, acting, arts, political and publishing fields in England, France and the Middle East; including: A.D. Peters, John Betjeman, Diana Cooper, Harold Acton, David Balfour, Cecil Beaton, Lennox and Freda Berkeley, Duncan Black, Randolph Churchill, Cyril Connolly, Roy Forbes Harrod, Harold George Nicolson, Alan Pryce-Jones, Freya Stark, Christopher Sykes, Violet Trefusis, Evelyn Waugh and Thomas Whittemore.

3. Photographs (Boxes 156-158) are arranged alphabetically by subject and then subarranged chronologically. The first group consists of personal photographs of Kinross or owned by him; unfortunately, many of these people remain unidentified. The second group are photographs or prints used by Kinross for Atatürk; these are arranged chronologically and include many different images of Kemal Atatürk, as well as various Turkish officials, Thomas Whittemore, Latife Hanim (Atatürk’s wife) and Edward, Duke of Windsor.

4. Ephemera (Boxes 159-177, Oversize Ephemera Box 178) is arranged first by subject and then alphabetically. It consists of six separate sub series: World War II Papers, Address Books, Engagement Diaries, Travel and Research Notebooks, Financial and Personal Papers, Articles by and about Kinross and others, Research Material and material dealing with St. Saviour’s Church, Paddington and Little Venice, London.

Biographical / historical:

John Patrick Douglas Balfour, Baron Kinross, was born June 25, 1904, in Edinburgh, Scotland; he inherited the title of 3rd Baron Kinross of Glasclune in 1939 upon the death of his father. He was educated at Winchester and Balliol Coll. Oxford (B.A. History 1925), and while at Oxford he became one of the “Bright Young People” along with Harold Acton, Evelyn Waugh, Cyril Connolly, Brian Howard and John Betjeman. Kinross began his writing career as a journalist on the editorial staffs of various newspapers and as the society gossip columnist, “Mr. Gossip.” He married Angela Mary Culme-Seymour in 1938 but the marriage ended in divorce in 1942. At the start of the war, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a squadron leader and worked in Intelligence, 1940-1944, he then served as Director, Publicity Section, British Embassy, Cairo, with rank of 1st Sec. H.M. Diplomatic Service 1944-47. It was while traveling and serving during the war Kinross began a life-long interest in the Middle East and, especially, Turkey.

After the war, he traveled widely and worked as a free-lance journalist, writer, and broadcaster on radio and, later, television. His many works of social commentary, history, travel and biography include Society Racket (1933), Grand Tour (1934), Lords of the Equator (1937), The Ruthless Innocent (1949), The Orphaned Realm (1951), Within the Taurus (1954), Europa Minor (1956), Portrait of Greece (1956), The Kindred Spirit: A History of Gin and the House of Booth (1959), The Innocents at Home (1959), AtatĂĽrk, the Rebirth of a Nation (1964), Portrait of Egypt (1966), The Windsor Years (1967), Between Two Seas (1968), Morocco (1971), Hagia Sophia (1972), The Ottoman Centuries: The Rise and Fall of the Turkish Empire (published posthumously in 1977). Kinross was also a frequent contributor to various periodicals including, Queen, Vogue, The New Yorker, and Punch. Kinross lived his entire adult life at 4 Warwick Avenue, London, where he died of cancer on June 5, 1976.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Bertram Rota Ltd., Booksellers, February 21, 1980.
Processing information:

1. The cataloging of this collection was begun by Sara S. Hodson in the early 1980s and completed by Gayle M. Richardson in 2005. Consequently, the collection contains both blue and buff colored folders and names rendered in the correct Huntington form for 1980 (blue folders) as well as the standard authorized form currently used (buff folders). However, the names have been rendered consistently in this finding aid according to current standard authorized forms.

2. In 1965, Kinross suffered a devastating fire in his home which heavily damaged his study and library; several paintings were lost, as well as books, letters and manuscript material. The surviving letters and manuscripts suffered varying degrees of fire, smoke and water damage, with some loss of text. Smoke-damaged letters were tested for acidity on Dec. 8, 1981, and it was determined the pH levels did not warrant de-acidification. But, it was also decided that during cataloging, folders of damaged pieces would be marked for “fire,” “smoke,” “water;” also noted on the folders was any loss of text.

3. There are references to homosexuality throughout the entire collection; it was decided that, unless it was a substantive reference, it would not be noted as a subject on the folders. The same decision was made for references to the Middle East and Turkey.

4. Some of the earliest letters to Kinross are addressed to “Pete” or “Peter,” evidently, a very early nickname; also, some of the letters from the 1930s are addressed to “Mr. Gossip,” Kinross’ nom de plume while he was writing a society gossip column. In both instances, his authorized name is used on the folders and in this finding aid.

5. Kinross retained all of his research notes and files for his major works (AtatĂĽrk and The Ottoman Centuries), it was decided to retain his original order rather than rearrange the many files alphabetically or by subject; thus, there is some repetition of file titles and subjects.

Arrangement:

Organized in the following series: Manuscripts (Boxes 1-63), Correspondence (Boxes 64-155), Photographs (Boxes 156-158), Ephemera (Boxes 159-177), Oversize Ephemera (Box 178). Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Website