Susan Thomas, Head of Archives & Modern Manuscripts, writes: With the generous support of the Friends of the Nations' Libraries, the Bodleian Libraries is delighted to have purchased the papers of the great American-British writer, Raymond Chandler.
The Chandler archive is substantial, consisting of c.130 boxes of material. The working papers of two of Chandler’s agents form the core of the archive: Brandt & Brandt in the US, and Helga Greene in the UK. Greene - Chandler’s fiancée at the time of his death - inherited his estate, and so the archive also includes a good tranche of personal papers, as well as personal correspondence between the two during the final years of Chandler’s life.
The business correspondence (including original or draft letters by Chandler) offers good insights into Chandler and his writing process: he often dictated letters late at night whilst drunk or unable to sleep, and the letters frequently veer off into reflective soliloquies. The collection also includes important literary papers, such as: two surviving working notebooks (many were destroyed after the death of Chandler’s wife, Cissy); drafts and fair copies of poems and short stories; 300 discarded typescript pages from The Long Goodbye; and three film scripts of the acrimonious collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock for Strangers on a Train. Finally, the archive is an excellent source of pictorial evidence of Chandler’s life, with around 140 photographs of Chandler from babyhood until the last year of his life. The images capture Chandler as a boy at Dulwich College, in war-time uniform, at the oil wells and alongside other writers. There are also images of other significant people in his life, such as his wife, Cissy, and Helga Greene.
The Chandler archive is a much-valued part of the Bodleian’s literary holdings, with much of the material having been cared for by the Library since 1983 and used in scholarly and public contexts ever since. The archive also connects with our wider archive holdings, and especially the archives of Stephen and Natasha Spender, who came to know Chandler towards the end of his life.
The FNL’s early support of our fundraising campaign gave us important momentum and helped us establish a strong foundation from which to work towards our funding goal. We are also grateful to several other supporters who helped make the acquisition of the archive possible including: the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of the Bodleian Library. It is wonderful to conclude 2023 knowing that the long-term future of the archive is secure and that the material will continue to be accessible to scholars and the public for many generations to come.
