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Bell (Vanessa) Letters to Julian Bell
mssHM 57498-57534  
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Description
A series of letters written by British painter Vanessa Bell to her son Julian Bell.
Background
Vanessa (Stephen) Bell (1879-1961) was a British painter, interior designer, and a central figure in the Bloomsbury group -- a group of friends, artists, writers, and intellectuals united around a belief in the importance of the arts. She was the sister of author Virginia Woolf and the wife of art critic Clive Bell whom she married in 1907. The Bells had two sons Julian Bell and Quentin Bell; the couple also had an open marriage and Vanessa Bell had a daughter, Angelica, with the painter Duncan Grant.Julian Heward Bell (1908-1937) was an English poet and the son of Vanessa Bell and Clive Bell. He was educated at King's College, Cambridge and, in 1935, went to China to teach English at Wuhan University. Though initially a pacifist, by 1937, Bell was more supportive of the socialist and anti-fascist movements and became an ambulance driver for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. After just a month in Spain, he was hit by bomb fragments and died in a military hospital at the age of 29.
Extent
1.25 Linear Feet (1 box)
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.