Woolf Virginia

1933 · réf. 18050 — London: 10 November 1933 The letter is to her nephew Quentin Bell 1910-1996 who would have been only twenty-three at the time. It concerns her daily activities in the company of fellow members of the Bloomsbury circle. It primarily speaks to her sister Vanessa's aeronautical adventures which Virginia found quite upsetting and a drunken dinner attended by many Bloomsburyites including Duncan Grant Molly MacCarthy and E.M. Forster "Morgan" to his friends Clive Bell Leonard Woolf and perhaps others. The letter also mentions Roger Fry Julian Bell Lady Ottoline Morell Francis Birell and others who were either members of the circle or close associates. It also mentions Woolf's father Leslie Stephen 1832-1904 author critic historian Alpine mountaineer noted agnostic and first editor of the Dictionary of National Biography. . 8 x 10 . Slight creasing at quarter folds. Likely paper-clip rust stain top left corner of first page. The letter begins the statement "Well this has been a very agitating week waiting for aeroplanes to settle. Nessa Vanessa Bell seems to have flow around Paris in the fog – and then she mounted into the sun and then she suddenly saw the Channel beneath her and Heaven on top and earth below – oh how I envy her but never never I hope will she fly again." Virginia Woolf 1882-1941 of course was very close to her sister Vanessa 1879-1961 who was a brilliant artist and designer who illustrated most of Virginia's dust jackets. That friendship extended to Vanessa's partners Clive Bell and Duncan Grant and also to her three children Julian Quentin and Angelica with whom she was always in contact. In speaking Vanessa's flight Virginia mentions her flying over the Alps and continues "But she says our ancestral mountains rather appeal to her – she begins to feel what father felt – noble solitary severe. I must come and see them." She finds them "more beautiful than any earth scape."