Catalogue of the papers of Sibyl, Lady Colefax (1874-1950)

University of Oxford, Bodleian Library

Elizabeth Turner

©1993

Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts
Bodleian Library
Broad Street
Oxford
OX1 3BG
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1865 277046
Fax: +44 (0) 1865 277182
modern.papers@bodley.ox.ac.uk
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/

Papers of Sibyl, Lady Colefax (1874-1950), with some related family letters, 1851-1988

Abstract:
Correspondence and papers, with some related family letters, 1851-1988, of Sibyl, Lady Colefax (1874-1950), wife of Sir Arthur Colefax, society hostess, and co-founder of the firm of Colefax & Fowler.

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. a. 2011, c. 3159-89, c. 3272, d. 2388-2404, d. 2419, e. 2751-8; Photogr. a. 4, b. 10-11, c. 25-30, d. 4-5

Scope and Content

Correspondence and papers, with some related family letters, 19th-20th cent., of Sibyl, Lady Colefax (1874-1950), wife of Sir Arthur Colefax, society hostess, and co-founder, 1938, of the interior decoration firm of Colefax & Fowler. The collection includes letters from many of the literary and society figures of her day, some personal and family papers, a few diaries of Lady Colefax, her visitors' books, and a number of photograph albums. Kirsty McLeod, A Passion for Friendship, Sibyl Colefax and her Circle (London, 1991) is based partly on these papers.

Acquisition

Given by Mrs. M. Colefax, 1991-3.

A   Correspondence, 1878-1981

A.1   Letters mainly to Sibyl Colefax, 1878-1981

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3159-74, c. 3272

Arrangement: Arranged alphabetically by correspondent

Abdy - Bennett
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3159
Extent: 111 leaves


Berlin - Clifford
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3160
Extent: 120 leaves


Cocteau - Fontanne
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3161
Extent: 85 leaves


Forster - Hore-Belisha
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3162
Extent: 104 leaves


Horner - Lamont (T.S.)
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3163
Extent: 102 leaves


Lamont (T.W.) - Lonsdale
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3164
Extent: 102 leaves


Lubbock - Mason
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3165
Extent: 116 leaves


Maugham - Nicolson (H.)
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3166
Extent: 131 leaves


Nicolson (L.) - Orpen
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3167
Extent: 80 leaves


Paget - Rylands
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3168
Extent: 120 leaves


Sackville-West - Sitwell
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3169
Extent: 115 leaves


Smith - Wellesley
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3170
Extent: 109 leaves


Wells - Woman's Pictorial
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3171
Extent: 71 leaves


Windsor
Shelfmark: MS. Eng c. 3272
Extent: 34 leaves


Woolf
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3172
Extent: 86 leaves


Woollcott
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3173
Extent: 117 leaves


Woolley - Young, and unidentified
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3174
Extent: 78 leaves

A.2   Album, transcripts and photocopies of letters, 1894-1950

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3175-9, d. 2388


Album of letters addressed to Sibyl Colefax, collected as autographs, 1894-1921
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3175
Extent: 204 leaves, 177-204 blank
Binding: decorated papers over boards


Typed transcripts of letters from Sibyl Colefax to Bernhard Berenson, 1918-45
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3176
Extent: 301 leaves


Typed transcripts of letters from Sibyl Colefax to Bernhard Berenson, 1946-50, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3177
Extent: 282 leaves


Typed transcripts of letters to Sibyl Colefax from Bernhard Berenson, 1921-50, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3178
Extent: 84 leaves


Photocopies of letters from Sibyl Colefax to Thornton Wilder, 1931-43, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2388
Extent: 304 leaves


Typed transcripts of the letters in MS. Eng. d. 2388
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3179
Extent: 96 leaves

B   Personal and family papers, 1851-1988

B.1   Diaries of Eliza Wilson, 1851, 1855, 1859

Shelfmarks: MS. Eng. d. 2389


Typescript copy of diaries of Eliza Wilson, 1851, 1855, 1859
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2389
Extent: 114 leaves

Eliza was Sibyl Colefax's aunt and married Walter Bagehot in 1858.


B.2   Diaries of Sibyl Colefax, written on loose sheets of paper, mainly describing holidays in Europe and the U.S.A. , 1910-40

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3180, d. 2390-3


1910
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3180
Extent: 116 leaves


1921-4
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2390
Extent: 11 leaves


1925-6
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2391
Extent: 102 leaves


1926
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2392
Extent: 67 leaves


1938-40
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2393
Extent: 110 leaves

B.3   Correspondence, 1912-88

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3181-2


Family correspondence, 1912-49, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3181
Extent: 169 leaves

Includes



Letters of condolence to Michael Colefax on the death of his mother, 1950
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3182
Extent: 85 leaves

With (fols. 67-85) letters from various correspondents, 1945-88.


B.4   Notes, drafts and gifts, c.1895-1901

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3183, e. 2751-3


Miscellaneous notes and drafts by Sibyl Colefax
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3183
Extent: 118 leaves

Includes



Small manuscript book, belonging to Sibyl Colefax, containing copies of verses, with some pages illuminated, c.1895
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. e. 2751
Extent: 10 leaves
Binding: in an amateur binding



Small manuscript book of poems, possibly given by Arthur to Sibyl Colefax, 1901
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. e. 2752
Extent: 40 leaves
Binding: gilt vellum


Small volume containing 'An Imaginary Portrait after Walter Pater', dedicated to Sibyl Colefax, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. e. 2753
Extent: 10 leaves
Binding: folded paper sewn with ribbon

B.5   Commonplace books, 19th-20th cent.

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3184-5, d. 2394-6, e. 2754-8


Four commonplace books compiled by Sibyl Colefax
Shelfmark: MSS. Eng. e. 2754-7
Extent: ix + 305, vii + 358, ii + 424, vi + 352 pages
Binding: 18th/19th cent.(?) gilt calf, lettered 'G.N.' on upper cover

Contain manuscript copies of verse, with some printed cuttings, each volume with its own index.



Index by Sibyl Colefax to MSS. Eng. e. 2754-7, here referred to as volumes, A, S, V and W
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. e. 2758
Extent: 66 leaves


Loose papers removed from the commonplace books (MSS. Eng. e. 2754-7)
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3184
Extent: 185 leaves


Commonplace book compiled by Sibyl Colefax
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2394
Extent: iv + 312 pages
Binding: 19th-cent. dark green calf, gilt, upper cover missing

Contains manuscript extracts in prose and verse, and some cuttings, with index, n.d.



Loose letters and papers removed from the commonplace book (MS. Eng. d. 2394), n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3185
Extent: 158 leaves


Fair copy of a commonplace book compiled by Sibyl Colefax in memory of her husband
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2395
Extent: iii + 152 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards

Contains copies of and extracts from various works, mainly verse, with (fol. iii) a letter to her son, Michael, n.d.



Draft commonplace book compiled by Sibyl Colefax in memory of her husband
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2396
Extent: i + 151 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards, disbound

Contains copies of and extracts from various works, mainly verse.


B.6   Birthday book, 1896-1949

Shelfmarks: MS. Eng. d. 2419


Birthday book containing entries, in date order, by some of Sibyl's closest friends, 1896-1949
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2419
Extent: 191 leaves
Binding: green morocco, lettered 'Sibyl' in gilt on upper cover, gilt tooled turnovers
Restrictions on Use: FRAGILE - please use microfilm (X11.100 Colefax 2) on open shelves in Room 132.

B.7   Visitors' books belonging to Sibyl Colefax, 1914-50

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3186, d. 2397-9


1914-20
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3186
Extent: 54 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


1937-Sept. 1940
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2397
Extent: 184 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


Sept. 1940-1944
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2398
Extent: 70 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


1945-50
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2399
Extent: 131 leaves
Binding: gilt morocco

B.8   Miscellaneous visitors' books, 1915-40

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. d. 2400-2


The Connaught Square Catechism or, confessions to Mrs. Robert Witt (London, 1915),
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2400
Extent: 103 leaves, 36-77v, 79v-103 blank

A volume of printed questions for visitors to answer, with a few entries, 1916, 1937, n.d.



Really and Truly: A Book of Literary Confessions (London, 1915)
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2401
Extent: 105 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards

Contains printed questions for visitors to answer, with entries, 1916-40, n.d.



Volume containing alphabetical list of visitors' names, in Sibyl Colefax's hand, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2402
Extent: 115 leaves
Binding: 18th/19th cent. green morocco, gilt, with coat of arms on each cover

B.9   Drawings, 1890-6, 1916

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. a. 2011, d. 2403


Watercolour and pencil drawings by Sibyl Colefax, 1890-6, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2403
Extent: 20 leaves


Black chalk and charcoal drawing of Sibyl Colefax by P.A. Laszlo, 1916
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. a. 2011
Extent: 1 item

B.10   Miscellaneous papers, 1882-1982

Shelfmarks: MSS. Eng. c. 3187-8, d. 2404


Miscellaneous printed and typescript papers, 1926-82
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3187
Extent: 184 leaves



Copy by Sibyl Colefax of 'The Masque of Balliol', 1882
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. d. 2404
Extent: 60 leaves

From a transcript made by Sir Herbert Stephen in 1920, and lent to Sibyl, n.d.



Miscellaneous papers
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3188
Extent: 149 leaves

Including lists of visitors, lists of contents of photograph albums, and (fols. 1-13, 23-6) two typescripts by Michael Colefax, 'Sibyl Colefax, 1874-1950' and 'Entertaining at Argyll House', n.d.


C   Photograph albums and scrapbook, 1894-1940s


Photograph album, 1897-1906
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 25
Extent: 559 leaves
Binding: bound in green morocco, lettered in gilt on upper cover 'Arthur and Sibyl Colefax'


Photograph album, [1906-9]
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 26
Extent: 620 leaves
Binding: bound in green morocco, lettered in gilt on upper cover 'Arthur and Sibyl Colefax'


Photograph album, [1909-11]
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 27
Extent: 446 leaves
Binding: bound in green morocco, lettered in gilt on upper cover 'Arthur and Sibyl Colefax'


Album containing photographs of Sir Arthur Colefax, c. 1880-1936
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 28
Extent: 236 leaves

With (fols. 171-98) service sheet for his funeral, and obituaries.



Album containing photographs of Sir Arthur Colefax and his sons Peter and Michael, 1906-36
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. d. 4
Extent: 76 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


Album containing photographs of friends of the Colefax family, 1930s and 1940s
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. b. 10
Extent: 667 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


Album containing photographs of Sibyl Colefax's home, Old Buckhurst, Withyham, East Sussex, c.1912-21
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. d. 5
Extent: 59 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


Album containing photographs of Sibyl Colefax's later homes, Argyll House (Chelsea) and her house in Lord North Street, London, c.1921-36
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. b. 11
Extent: 113 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


Album containing photographs of country houses, 1908-17
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 29
Extent: 251 leaves


Miscellaneous photographs, n.d.
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. c. 30
Extent: 62 leaves


Scrapbook, 1894-1938
Shelfmark: MS. Photogr. a. 4
Extent: 199 leaves
Binding: decorated paper over boards


Loose papers removed from the scrapbook (MS. Photogr. a. 4)
Shelfmark: MS. Eng. c. 3189
Extent: 22 leaves

Including (fols. 1-12) letters (with some drawings) from J.L. Kipling to Sophie Halsey, Sibyl's mother, 1879-1913, n.d.



Index


Transformation from XML to HTML by Lawrence Mielniczuk
11 March 2003