Mostrando 4814 resultados

Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, from Washington

He was writing from bed having packed and was ready for an early start next morning. His first two lectures were over and he had been busy finishing his chapters and revising his lecture for an American audience and including some of Somerville's slides. The audience at the first lecture were unresponsive and didn't clap when he meant them to and almost never laughed but he just held their attention. Afterwards they had shaken his hand like it was a great success. In contrast the evening lecture was very successful.

He wants to hear from her but hasn't yet and sent great love to Clare and Beridge and John and Avie.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from New York [no letterhead on 3 lined pages, but last page is on ‘Waldorf-Astoria, New York’ letterheaded paper]

Brief Summary
Describes his day to day activities – social engagements, an interview with the press, attending the American Alpine Club dinner, drinking gin during Prohibition and his impressions of New York.

Detailed Summary
[1 Feb] – Expresses sympathy that the family wanted everything to be done for them and she had no Vi to help and couldn’t go out freely in the evening and be gay. She must be lonely and he was lonely too at times.

He was sitting in a small restaurant having dinner. Life had been pretty full since he had returned to New York last Monday. He had dined with the Watlens on Monday evening. He had been woken early on Tuesday morning by the noises of 5th Avenue even though he was on the 12th floor. He mostly ate breakfast in the hotel and spend the morning preparing his speech or paying business calls. Before his speech there was music played by some very talented Russians. He spoke for about 20 mins and thought they were satisfied though not enthusiastic.

[Continues later] – He had visited the Oppenheimers [she was a relation of Aunt Jessie’s] and they had been to a revue which was appalling and his ear drums were split.

He had been interviewed by a young man who collected news for the press and was connected with the hotel. Then had a chance meeting with Tom Pym, head of Cambridge House in London and an old Cambridge friend. After dinner he went to the University Club, where he was a temporary member, to look at some of the new books and the Manchester Guardian Weekly.

On Wednesday morning he intended to work on his speech but had been interrupted by telephone calls and one or two letters. He had spoken to Mr Carson for over an hour. He was a ‘curious shrivelled respectable disillusioned observant journalistic person’. He had lunched with Dr Pierce and friends and then been taken to the Presbyterian hospital where they tested his lungs, finding out that his vital capacity was 2 x normal.

[2 Feb] – He had been for tea with Mrs Wheeler, a theatrical lady. At a dinner at the American Alpine Club he sat next to a parson who was keen to impart information but was without interest in anything he [Mallory] had to say. On the other side of him was a lady who had climbed a peak in Alaska and endured a temperature of -60 degrees and whose intelligence had remained frozen even since.

In his speech the parson had read three passages from the Everest book of 1921. He discussed the problem of climbing Mount Everest and afterwards sat at a round table and was bombarded with questions.

They drank nothing but water [due to Prohibition] but afterwards he went with an Alpine Club man to the swellest of N.Y. clubs. They went down to the old wine cellar which was lined with lockers and retrieved a bottle of gin from one of them. The barman mixed three long drinks known as ‘Tom Collins’.

On Thursday he had gone downtown to meet George Walton and another man called Hubbard at the Corn Exchange. They had gone to Hubbard’s club for lunch at the top of one of the highest buildings in N.Y. They went up in the express lift to floor 35 and then slowly up to 40.

He had then met Mrs Cobden Sanderson for tea. Then was busy with arrangements until Poel came to see him. Poel was an old friend from Cambridge days, the nephew of William Poel, who helped to start their Marlowe Society at Cambridge. Poel gave him a ticket for Hamlet, in which he played the ghost.

His lectures in Philadelphia had gone well and he had enjoyed it. Lists upcoming lectures. He had been to see manuscripts of Boswell’s letters to Temple in Pierpont Morgan’s Library.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Hotel Flanders’ [Letterhead], ‘Waiting Room, Sheffield Mass’

Brief Summary
Describes his trip to the opera, compares the audience at a classical concert with an English audience, gives his opinion on American women, their conversational skills and lack of intelligence, and his time staying with the Burrs in Boston which he enjoyed.

Detailed Summary
[Starts the letter on 25th Feb in the waiting room waiting for his train] - His impressions of America were more agreeable when he wasn’t in New York. Recaps his time in New York where he had felt ill before travelling to Boston.

He had attended the opera which was reputed to be done better there than anywhere else. He imagined it was the biggest opera house holding 5,000 people and was always full with the boxes being taken for the season. Wonders how many New Yorkers went to the opera because they loved it and how many went for other reasons. The ladies pushed forward in their gorgeous dresses and diamonds and pearls and were illuminated as though they were the sight everyone had come to see. Compares the display of wealth and splendour with France in the time of Louis XIV. The orchestra was extraordinarily fine and sensitive, the singing good, the costume well done and the acting ‘quite amazingly better than anything I have seen elsewhere. Concluded the audience was really fond of music.

The atmosphere of New York was so charged with amazing contrasts it was impossible to generalise. It was vastly cosmopolitan with the German and Latin elements helping so far as music was concerned. He had been to two concerts at the Aeolian Hall. Describes how the audience reacted to Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt. Compares them with an English audience.

The most marked trait was a lack of depth with the atmosphere being sprightly and superficial. Thought the women knew extremely little and had very untrained minds although they appeared intelligent at first. The great subjects of conversation for him were Europe and the differences between England and America. It was amazing how many Americans had travelled to Europe. It was the first thing they did when they got rich enough. They were very conscious of being a new country.

Has to stop writing as the train had arrived.

[27 Feb letter continues] - Boston was being very kind to him as were Mr and Mrs Burrs in whose home he was staying. He was a member of the Alpine Club and gave a large dinner in his honour last night with nearly 40 men present at a room at the Union Club. He did not enjoy these functions, particularly when he had to speak. He was very busy seeing people who were all very pleasant and much more like the English than New Yorkers.

Asks for news of Arthur [wo had undergone a second operation]. He was enjoying bits of things, but the background was all grey. Didn’t hope to get away much before the end of March.

Letter to Ruth Mallory, from ‘Toledo Club’ [Letterhead]

He had been staying with the Burrs who were a lovely couple [he describes them].

He had given a lecture at Harvard where the audience had received him well and were ‘evidently thrilled and amused’. People over there were really impressed by the story and he felt the lectures had been worthwhile even though the number had remained small. The other lecture in Boston had been attended by members of the Rucksack Club, Pinnacle Club, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. He had dined before the lecture and shaken hands with an incredible number of people. He preferred the New Englanders to the New Yorkers. A public lecture was going to be arranged in Boston later and the clubs wanted him too but very few would pay the price.

He left Boston on Friday after being interviewed by the press and travelled to Philadelphia for a lecture on Saturday with a big audience of at least 1200. On Monday he took a train to Toledo for an evening lecture and comments on the architecture he saw. He was travelling overnight on the train to Buffalo and hoped to see Niagara the following day.

Thanks Clare for her letter.

Letter to Ruth Mallory written on the train on paper with a ‘Rock Island Lines’ letterhead

He was on his way to Iowa City which was the furthest west he would go. He had received her letter with the best news about Arthur. He was sorry she was having bad luck with the car.

He was sitting in an observation car which was at the end of the train with large windows. Since leaving Chicago it had become more snowy as Chicago had a milder climate than the east due to Lake Michigan. Describes passing through outlying factories and that they had just crossed the Mississippi or Missouri at Davenport which was a very impressive river.

He was amused to read the letter from Miss Marjorie Holmes which Ruth had sent to him.

His ship home would dock in Plymouth and he makes suggestions about where they could meet.

He was disappointed at not being able to lecture in Chicago. The Geographic Society had offered $200 but Keedick had refused as a school not far from Massachusetts had paid $250. The trouble all along had been a bitter fight between Keedick, who thought his lectures were the best and were worth a certain amount, and various bodies who wanted to pay less.

[letter continues, Chicago Tuesday evening the 13th] – a dull show at Iowa and then he had missed his train to Toronto so would arrive at 4.30pm rather than 8.30am. He had eaten a cheap but good dinner in a cafeteria and was going to find a movie show as he hadn’t seen one in that country yet.

He had been very bad about writing home and didn’t know why writing letters had proved so impossible out there. Writing in the train was slow work and was hardly worth trying. He also had endless notes to write about engagements.

He was looking forward to seeing her and spending Spring with her.

Letter to Ruth Mallory from ’17 Carlyle Rd, Cambridge’

Brief Summary
George left America after this lecture tour in March 1923. This letter is written in October to Ruth ahead of their move into Herschel House in Cambridge, where Ruth would receive news of George’s death 8 moths later.

Most of this letter concerns plans for moving into Herschel House, including logistics and decorating and furniture choices. The end of the letter is about plans for another expedition to Mount Everest in 1924.

Detailed Summary
They could get into Herschel House on Monday 29th after he had been to a Climbers Club Committee meeting. He had arranged for furniture from the Holt to be cleared on the Saturday morning. Wondered if he should be there for the packing but doubts if it was worthwhile. If he went by car he could take a few plants if there were any she hadn’t already taken.

They would have to wait to make decisions about getting more paper from Jeffries’ for the hall etc.

He had seen Uncle Lawrence and arranged not to have the mantlepiece at present. He had the address of a firm who supplied Dutch blue tiles but he wanted the address of the firm her father had recommended.

He would make out a list of plants he wanted for her guidance and asks if she will inform Westbrook when they would want the stuff from there.

The sale at Herschel House would be on Tuesday 30th in a tent in the garden but there was so little it wouldn’t interfere with their moving in but wondered if they should go to the Elliot’s until it was over. There would be a good new bed in the sale and thought her bargain with Marby [Ruth’s sister Marjorie] wasn’t a good one as it would mean an extra mattress but he would leave it to her.

He would write to Alex Turner to ask their advice about what fixtures they could take from the Holt such as electric light fittings and curtain rods.

They would wait to decide about curtains although he inclined to the new zig zag stuff for the study.

Sealing wax paint couldn’t be used. Could they do a design in a simple colour, white or yellow or umber on the doors and some simple affair on the staircase? He was veering toward brown stain again. As they weren’t going to spend money on the drawing room mantlepiece they could spend more on the staircase.

[Letter continues later] – he had a very tiring drive back last night with a lot of mist. The committee meeting had been long but good. Farrar wouldn’t turn up as he was angry about turning down Finch. Bruce had been in a hotel in Switzerland where Finch had been and was asked whether it was he who was helping Finch to arrange the next expedition [to Mount Everest].

They had to contradict tales about a shortage of funds. Longstaff had heard of it and thought it was very wrong of Farrar as it wasn’t true. Had dinner with Longstaff. Hinks had written to Cranage about his going and he brought up the question with Longstaff although Hinks’ letter hadn’t turned up. He had not turned it down definitely, but he didn’t think they would hear of this going. It would be a big sacrifice for him either way.

It was wretched not being able to talk to her about. She must tell him if she couldn't bear the idea of him going again and that would settle it.

‘Herschel House, Cambridge’ [Letterhead]

Full Transcript

Tuesday the 3rd [March]

My dearest George,

I was very glad to find that The California did not sail after all till Saturday morning. I suppose it was because the weather was so stormy.

I am afraid I am going to do the one thing you told me not to and use a ton of coal straight away. We are under thick snow here. Some fell on Saturday night but on Sunday night there as a heavy fall and yesterday was a glorious sunny day. The children played at making snow men in the afternoon in the garden and had a lovely time. It was thawing most of the day and when I went to bed but it froze later in the night and was freezing hard this morning.

Blunt has again not come so I have rung up Mrs Salter and he is well so I have taken his address and written to him.

Nellie, the new cook is so far very satisfactory. She seems very nice and cooks well.

Frances Wills is coming here tomorrow for five days. I shall enjoy that. We are both going to dine with the Cranages on Thursday before the lecture. So far I seem nearly as full of engagements as I was before you left. People are being most awfully kind and nice. Really I think more friendly than they were at Godalming.

Mrs Cranage rang Vi up to find our when I was coming home that she might meet me with her car. Vi didn’t know, but it was most awfully kind of her.

At Bletchley I got into the same carriage as John Chaister [?]. He was coming to Cambridge to stay with David for the Greek play. So I saw him again in the evening.

I enjoyed seeing the Greek play quite a lot, the dresses were very good and the colour scheme pretty. As I did not understand it there did seem a lot of standing still and spouting at the audience. But I expect if I had understood it I should not have felt that so much.

I am so sorry you left your dressing gown behind. I am sending it to Bombay [Mumbai] and then addressed to Darjeeling in case it misses you.

Wednesday

I see that the California left Gibraltar on the 4th. So now you are in the Mediterranean. I hope it is warm and nice. I am getting rather worried about the garden. If the weather goes on being so cold I shall not possibly be able to get the necessary seed sowing done before I go away. If I can’t do it I think I shall come back for a few days of solid gardening in April.

I hoped to do a lot of greenhouse seed sowing today but I can’t get the seed boxes. The fishmonger promised them but he has not sent them.

I went to the Quay Village performance last night. It was quite good and very well arranged. There was no scenery so there were no long pauses as there so often are in amateur theatricals. I think the whale show was a great credit to Mrs Salter.

The young man we picked up at St. Neots came round yesterday just as we were starting nursery tea so I asked him up and he was quite pleasant and jolly and evidently enjoyed seeing the children. Clare was in an appallingly talkative mood all day yesterday. Nothing would stop her tongue and at tea time she had her fling. I found her this morning before breakfast engaged in writing out thirteen times table. She has determined to write out and learn all the difficult ones up to 19 times she days. Mrs Reade came to lunch yesterday. I took her after lunch to see the new Sidney Sussex chapel and we met Mani Forbes there and they had a long talk about the chapel etc which Mrs Reade evidently enjoyed very much.

I don’t think I was very good company. My period had just come and I wasn’t at all on the spot. I have just fallen down from ladder and all trying to get the climbing things into the loft. Luckily I did not hurt myself at all.

I have heard from Mr Raxworthy. My bank balance is overdrawn £823 and your £112 that is £935 in all. He suggests we sell of our £500 Vickers 4% which would bring in £400 and £400 National War Bond for £420. If we get £2500 for the Holt we need only sell the Vickers I think so I will tell him only to do that for the present.

Dearest one I do hope you are happy and having a good voyage. I am keeping quite cheerful and happy but I do miss you a lot. I think I want your companionship even more than I used to. I know I have rather often been cross and not nice and I am very sorry but the bottom reason has nearly always been because I was unhappy at getting so little of you. I know it is pretty stupid to spoil the times I do have you for those when I don’t.

Very very much love to you my dear one.

Your Loving,
Ruth

Letter from Mary Brooke, Mallory's sister written from Colombo. This letter was found on George Mallory's body in 1999. It was wrapped in a handkerchief along with two other letters.

Full Transcript

Ap. 12th
Steelback Lodge
Galle Face
Columbo

My dearest George

I hope you have been getting the weather reports all right – it will be very interesting to hear whether you can trace a connection with our weather & how long afterwards. Since sending you the observatory report yesterday we have had the most terrific storm – gale of wind from S.W. – torrents of rain & thunder – we had noticed very heavy clouds at the sunset & it looked as if something were approaching, but the storm didn’t break till about 1 a.m. last night. It was most violent for nearly three hours so if you get the same you had better be on the look out – I wonder how far you have got now – I do hope you are getting on well & making good time. We were very disappointed not getting up to Diyatalawa last Monday, we were all packed up & everything planned when a wire came from the C.C. postponing the whole move & in a furious temper that he hadn’t been told some little minor details that no one thought he would want to know. I believe there were some very heated telegrams between him & our Colonel but of course it didn’t alter things & we have just had to wait here in the heat & packed & angry! There is hardly anyone left down here now, but I believe we really shall get off on Monday & are much looking forward to getting up to the hills & a cooler atmosphere. Ralph is going off for a week’s shooting on Thursday – he & another man & they ought to have quite a good time & see a lot of interesting country. They are going to camp out & I believe try for panther & bears at night as it will be full moon. When he gets back we expect Wynyard for a few days on his way home from Shanghai. This place is getting rather gay now with the flamboyant trees & others all coming into flower – I am afraid we shall miss them at their best. We took the children to the museum the other evening. really most interesting – besides all the Ceylon animals, birds insects, precious stones etc they had a very interesting room of the native handicrafts – pottery etc some of it most attractive – I believe you get the best things of that sort at Kandy & we must certainly make an expedition there when we get back here.

With much love & let me have a line when you can
Your loving sister
Mary