Guide to the Papers of Desmond Digby relating to Patrick White

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MS 10056

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: 2008

Collection Summary

Creator
Digby, Desmond
Title
Papers of Desmond Digby relating to Patrick White
Date Range
1962-2000
Collection Number
MS 10056
Extent
1.8 metres (12 ms boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Sponsor
This finding aid is published with the assistance of the Ray Mathew and Eva Kollsman Trust.

Introduction

Scope and Content

The papers of Desmond Digby document a long-term friendship with, and interest in, Australian novelist and playwright, Patrick White. They consist of correspondence, aides-mémoire, press cuttings and theatre programs.

The correspondence comprises approximately 40 letters and postcards from White to Digby, with smaller amounts from White to Digby's partner, James Allison, from Manoly Lascaris to Digby and Allison, and business correspondence relating to Digby's role as dust jacket designer for some of White's books. In addition there are papers, including correspondence, relating to the Patrick White Literary Award (PWLA) and the setting up of CD-ROM and online information resources about White. The PWLA was established by White using the money he received for his Nobel Prize for Literature in 1973. Allison was a member of the committee which chose the recipient of the Award each year.

The largest component of the collection consists of press cuttings, many with attached notes (aides-mémoire) hand-written by Digby. The notes document phone conversations between Digby and White and White's reactions to, and views on, the subjects of the cuttings and other matters they discussed.

Conditions Governing Access

Available for research. Not for loan.

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Desmond Digby relating to Patrick White, National Library of Australia, MS 10056, [series/file number]'.

Provenance

The papers were purchased by the Library from Desmond Digby, via his agent, Barbara Mobbs, in 2005.

The Library holds children's books illustrated by Digby and these can be located on the Library's catalogue at http://catalogue.nla.gov.au.

The Manuscript Collection includes a number of collections relating to Patrick White, amongst which are White's own papers (MS 9982). Collections containing letters from White can be located via the Library's catalogue at http://catalogue.nla.gov.au.

Arrangement

The papers were arranged prior to delivery to the Library by a staff member of Digby's agent. The Library has largely retained the arrangement within a series framework.

Separated Material

A small number of publications offered to the Library by Digby, including translations of White's novels and literary journals, have been absorbed into the Library's general collection.

Biographical Note

Desmond Digby was born in Auckland in 1933. He studied at the Elam School of Art in Auckland and won a bursary to study at the Slade School of Art in London in 1954. Digby remained in London to work as a designer in theatre and opera until settling in Sydney in 1959. In Australia he was employed as a designer by the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, the Australian Opera Company and various theatre companies, and illustrated books for children. Digby was awarded the 1971 Australian Book Council Children's Picture Book of the Year Award for his picture book of A. B. Paterson's Waltzing Matilda.

Patrick White and Digby met in 1961 and the following year Digby designed the set for the Adelaide premiere of White's play, The season at Sarsaparilla. In 1963 he worked on the Sydney production of Sarsaparilla and the Melbourne production of The cheery soul. White also asked Digby to design dust jackets for his publications, The solid mandala, The cockatoos and The eye of the storm. White was impressed by Digby's talents and encouraged him to return to painting. The two men maintained a friendship over several decades, regularly speaking by phone when in Sydney and after Digby moved with his partner, James Allison, to the north coast of NSW. When travelling they exchanged postcards and letters.

New Zealand artist and designer who settled in Sydney in 1959. Patrick White and Desmond Digby met in 1961. Digby subsequently designed the sets for a number of White's plays and dust jackets for three of his books. The two men maintained a close friendship over several decades, regularly speaking by phone when at home and exchanging postcards and letters whilst travelling.

Biographical Reference(s)

Marr, David, Letters. Milsons Point, NSW: Random House, 1994.

Marr, David, Patrick White: a life. Milsons Point, NSW: Random House, 1991.

Item Descriptions

Series 1. Correspondence of Patrick White and Manoly Lascaris, 1962-1987

The largest portion of this series comprises letters, cards and telegrams from Patrick White to Desmond Digby. Other correspondence includes: gift tags and minor notes from White to Digby and his partner, James Allison; postcards and a letter from White to Allison; postcards and letters from Manoly Lascaris to Digby and Allison; two cards addressed to White; and two photographs of White.

Subjects covered in the White-Digby correspondence include: social events; health; White's meetings with the Queen and Jan Utzon in 1963; travel (Greece, Italy, France, London, USA, Sweden); A cheery soul; Night on Bald Mountain; art; opera; theatre (particularly in London); The aunt's story; Digby's design work; the Arts Council; an unpublished novel ('Nightside'); meetings with publishers in London; meeting with Ken Russell about Voss; Eye of the storm; A fringe of leaves; the screen version of The night the prowler; White's withdrawal from nomination for an Order of Australia award; the choice of John Blight as the 1976 recipient of the Patrick White Literary Award; and Signal driver.

People mentioned in the correspondence include 'Tilly' John Tasker ('TT'), Sidney and Cynthia Nolan, Bernard Miles, Nita Pannell, Binkie Beaumont, Marguerite Duras, Nola Dekyvere, Robert Helpmann, John Gielguid, Harry M. Miller, Raymond Boyce, Hal Missingham, Jim Sharman, Eleanor ('Mummy') Arrighi, Betty Archdale, Geoffrey Dutton, Ken Russell, Peggy Garland, Lawrence Daws, Steven Runciman, Nicolette Devas, Cecil Beaton, Nigel Gosling, Marshall Best, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Jean Battersby, Clifton Pugh, James Fairfax, Barry Humphries, Ken Wilder, Lady Schlink (Dr Meg Mulvey), Maie Casey, Jinx Nolan, Max Hutchings, Twiggy, Edna O'Brien, Antonia Fraser, George Melly, Kenneth Tynan, Charles Johnstons, Diana Duff Cooper, Princess Aly Khan, Jeffrey Smart, Joseph Losey, Alan Ayckbourn, Dandy Nichols, Miriam Karlin, Kiri Takanawa, Germaine Greer, Barbara Mobbs, Randolph Stow, Frieda McClelland and Louis Nowra.

8 folders

Series 2. Business correspondence of Desmond Digby, 1965-1979

Correspondence with publishers about Digby's artwork for dust jackets. Letters discussing The solid mandala were exchanged with Eyre and Spottiswoode in 1965, and those relating to The cockatoos and The eye of the storm with Jonathon Cape in 1973-1974. Included with the letters are some press cuttings from 1979 of advertisements for Australian Eagle Insurance Company, possibly designed by Digby.

1 folder

Series 3. The Patrick White Literary Award, 1973-1998

In 1973, Patrick White was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. With his prize money he established the Patrick White Award for Australian writers who have been creative over an extended period, but who have been inadequately recognised. White invited Geoffrey Blainey and James Allison to participate in deciding the recipient of the award each year. Allison also administered the award.

This series includes: correspondence; a copy of the Trust Deed setting up the fund for the award and outlining the terms under which it is bestowed; media releases; press cuttings; and notes taken by Digby regarding White's views on publicity for the award. The correspondence includes signed or initialled copies of letters by White to Blainey, one written in 1984 suggesting that Blainey withdraw from the committee.

1 folder

Series 4. Press cuttings, programs and aides-mémoire, 1962-1996

This series consists of notes, press cuttings, journals, theatre programs, other ephemera and a small amount of correspondence collected by Digby over three decades. Most of the press cuttings are about White or are reviews of his books and plays. Other subjects include political and arts personalities of interest to Digby and White, and political issues in which White was active.

Amongst the cuttings are aides-mémoire written by Digby, usually on small white cards attached to the cuttings, but sometimes loose or written on the cuttings themselves. They document conversations between White and Digby, Digby's own views and those of White about the subjects of the cuttings, as well as a range of other topics, such as politics, fashion, theatre and gossip. The most detailed and abundant of the aides-mémoire date from 1980-1983.

The cuttings were received by the Library in box files, the majority arranged in a loose chronological sequence, with the remainder filed by subject. The cuttings have been rehoused into archival folders with the arrangement retained. Topics highlighted in the folder descriptions are indicative only of the vast range of subjects covered.

75 folders

Series 5. Patrick White CD-ROM and online projects, 1996-2000

Correspondence and computer printouts relating to two related projects in which Digby was involved as designer and contributor. The letters are from Peggy Converse of New Media Productions, explaining the projects and Digby's part in them. The spiral-bound printouts of the CD-ROM project are entitled 'Patrick White's Australia'. The online project is entitled Why bother with Patrick White? and is hosted on the ABC website at http://arts.abc.net.au/white/ (2008).

1 folder and 1 bag

Series 6. Notes of Desmond Digby, c. 1976-1981

Handwritten notes of Digby relating to Flaws in the glass (published 1981), A fringe of leaves (published 1976) and The Twyborn affair (published 1979). The latter notes are marked 'TT affairs' and 'Tusiala'.

1 folder

Container List

Series Folders/Pieces Box
1 1-8 1
2 1 1
3 1 1
4 1-8 2
4 9-17 3
4 18-25 4
4 26-31 5
4 32-39 6
4 40-46 7
4 47-53 8
4 54-60 9
4 61-68 10
4 69-73 11
4 74-75 12
5 1-2 12
6 1 12

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