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Three volumes containing a draft, mainly autograph with typescript insertions bearing autograph revision, of Berta Ruck's autobiographical volume, A Smile for the Past (London, 1959).

Manuscripts of Berta Ruck, [c. 1890]-[1974x1978], including notebooks, 1906-1946; manuscripts and typescripts of literary and autobiographical works, 1955-[1974x1978]; letters, [c. 1890]-1971; poetry, [1920s]-[1930s]; and sketches, [1900x1920].
The notebooks typically contain notes and ideas for fiction, drawings and sketches, pasted in letters and ephemera, and journal entries. These detail her home life and travels and give news of her sons Arthur and Bill Oliver, husband Oliver Onions and other family and friends.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, May-October 1936, containing journal entries recording her social and family life in Henley-on-Thames and London, and notes for fiction, in particular the novel Half-Past Kissing-Time (London, 1936) and various Christmas themed short stories. Some twenty-six letters and telegrams, mostly from family and friends, cuttings, programmes and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include her father A. A. Ruck, June-October 1936 (ff. 14, 79 verso), sister Ursie [Ursula Griffith], July-August 1936 (ff. 47 verso, 56 verso, 60), and husband O[liver Onions], 16 September 1936 (f. 67), Noel Langley, 10 July 1936 (f. 29), Alec Waugh, [n.d.] (f. 60), Gertrude Lawrence, 14 September 1936 (f. 64 verso) and Rebecca [West], [n.d.] (f. 79). The volume contains references to Amy [Johnson] Mollison (ff. 1, 8 verso) and Norman Haire (ff. 37 verso, 43 verso, 44 verso) and includes ink sketches by Ruck (ff. 52, 68) and the seating plan and menu for H. G. Wells' 70th birthday party on 13 October 1936 (ff. 75 verso-76).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, October 1929-May 1930, containing journal entries recording her social life, family life and work in Windsor and London, as well as an account of her excursion to Zurich, Vienna and Budapest, April 1930 (ff. 41-47), a detailed description of the plane journey from Croydon, via Le Bourget, to Zurich, 17 April (ff. 36 verso-40 verso), and a typescript draft of a satirical play entitled 'Guests on Sunday' (ff. 12, 13 verso-18 verso). Some forty letters, cards and telegrams from family, friends and fans, photographs, cuttings, programmes and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Sheila Kaye-Smith, 12 January [1930] (f. 19 verso), Evelyn Waugh, [?1930] (f. 24), A. M. Ludovici, 27 March 1930 (f. 29 verso), and Alec Waugh, April 1930 (ff. 50, 52 verso). The volume contains sketches and drawings (f. 13, inside back cover) and poetry (inside front cover, f. 1) by Ruck. There are two lines of mirror writing on f. 29.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, December 1934-July 1935, containing journal entries and notes for fiction and for her autobiography. Some thirty-seven letters and cards, November 1934-July 1935, as well as press cuttings, photographs, theatre programmes and other ephemera, have been pasted into the volume.
The correspondents include Gwen [Ffrangcon-Davies], [November 1934] (f. 1a verso), Marda Vanne, 24 November 1934 (f. 1g verso), Hermon Ould, [22] December 1934 (f. 13 verso), Alec Waugh, December 1934-[1935] (ff. 16 verso, 28 verso), Vita [Sackville West], 6 January 1935 (f. 20 verso), and A. A. Ruck, 6-16 June 1935 (f. 34 verso, 37). The volume includes accounts of a visit to the 'Flower Medium' (ff. 6 verso, 12-13 verso), a description of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies and Marda Vanne's cottage in Essex (f. 21), and a brief description of meeting Amy [Johnson] and her husband (f. 44). Ink sketches by Ruck are on ff. 9, 22 verso-23; photographs of her and of family members are on ff. 16 and 34. Cuttings pasted into the volume include her short story 'Selling Rodney' (f. 26) and the obituary for her uncle, Major-General Sir R. M. Ruck, from The Times, 19 March 1935 (f. 27 verso). A call sheet, 28 March 1935, for the film Car of Dreams (1935) is on f. 31.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, October 1931-August 1932, containing journal entries, including an account of her stay in Vienna, October-November 1931 (ff. 2-31), notes for fiction, verses and sketches by the author and a record of her dreams. Some twenty-seven letters, postcards and telegrams from family and friends, photographs, cuttings and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, [October 1931] (f. 21), Doris Langley Moore, December 1931-February [1932] (ff. 53, 87), Marie Belloc-Lowndes, [1932] (f. 54 verso), Marda Vanne, [1932] (ff. 70 verso, 76a), and Ferdinand Deutelmoser, October 1931, April 1932 (ff. 73, 91). The volume also contains ink sketches (ff. 60, 70, 71, 81 verso) and verse (ff. 47 verso, 66, 68, 93 verso) by Ruck, and a German translation by Deutelmoser of another of her verses (f. 25 verso).

Miscellaneous papers of Berta Ruck, 1902-[early 1970s], including autograph and typescript drafts of verse, [1920s]-[1930s], many in multiple copies (ff. 1-123); lecture notes, [c. 1935]-[c. 1945] (ff. 124-224); a short story, 'April Folly', [c. 1935], apparently related to her novel Half Past Kissing Time (London, 1936) (ff. 225-248); and some thirteen letters to the author in English and German, [1903x1904]-1971 (ff. 264-283).
The correspondents include Clement Scott, [1903x1904] (f. 264), Marda Vanne, 9 October 1936 (f. 280), Harold Nicolson, 14 June 1962 (f. 281, on the death of his wife, Vita Sackville-West), and Quentin Bell, September 1971 (ff. 282-283, concerning his biography of Virginia Woolf); there are also three letters, 1929, from 'Harry', her Austrian lover (ff. 265-272, mostly in German). Also included are two leaves from Ruck's journal, June 1930 (ff. 249-250); reminiscences, [early 1970s], of Lydia Lopokova (ff. 251-259) with a photograph of her, [?1920s] (f. 260); press cuttings of an article by Ruck, September 1936 (f. 261), and of two articles relating to Virginia Woolf, 1972 (ff. 262-263); W. R. Oliver's school report at Shrewsbury School, 1929 (f. 284); programme for 'My Lady Molly' at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 1902 (ff. 285-286); and page proofs for Chapter 8 of A Smile for the Past (London, 1935) (ff. 287-292).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, 1906, containing jottings in English and German, and pencil, ink and charcoal sketches, many made during a visit to Holland.
Notes, May 1906, relating to Holland are on ff. 34 verso-36 verso (inverted text).

Forty-six manuscript and typescript letters, [c. 1890]-[c. 1934], from Berta Ruck, mostly to her father, Col Arthur Ashley Ruck, [1920s]-[c. 1934], containing mainly personal and family news.
Also included are two letters to her grandmother Mary Anne Ruck, [c. 1890] (ff. 1-4), and a carbon copy letter to her sister-in-law, Georgina Ruck, 15 July 1932 (ff. 86-91). Most of the letters were written either from home or while on holiday in Austria, France, Germany and Sweden. There are references to Oliver Onions (ff. 6-100 passim), Geoffrey Moss (f. 6), Sir Ray Lankester (ff. 9 verso, 10 verso-11, 12, 31, 32, 66), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald (ff. 13-17, 18, 29, 46-47, 56, 59), Alec Waugh (ff. 26, 35-36) and Vita Sackville West (f. 46); she also describes her car accident on 14 July 1932 (ff. 88-91). There are ink drawings by Ruck on f. 2 recto-verso.

Notebook, July-August 1939, compiled by Berta Ruck in memory of her late father, Colonel Arthur Ashley Ruck (d. 12 July 1939), including reminiscences; twenty-three letters, telegrams and postcards from family and friends, 1935-1939, being mainly letters of condolence; and other items, [1920s]-1939.
The correspondents include Alys Meirion, [17 July 1939] (f. 5), A. Bodvel Roberts, 13 July 1939 (f. 104 verso), Paul Bland, 18 July 1939 (f. 112a verso), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald, 17 July 1939 (f. 113 verso), and Bernard Darwin, 13 July 1939 (f. 114); there are also two letters from A. A. Ruck to Berta Ruck, 25 February 1935, 26 March 1939 (ff. 3 verso, 37). Also included are newspaper obituaries of A. A. Ruck, [July 1939] (f. 1 verso), and of his brother, Col. Oliver Edwal Ruck, [July 1934] (ff. 16 verso-17), and two group photographs, one a family group, [1920s], both including A. A. Ruck (ff. 4, 44 verso).

Drawings, [1900x1920], by Berta Ruck, including illustrations for publications and rough sketches.
They include ink, pencil and charcoal illustrations, some coloured; the main subjects are children at play, mothers with babies and scenes of daily life, some probably in France and Holland. Two leaves from the children's magazine The Jabberwock, [1905x1907], contain four illustrations by Ruck (ff. 30-31 verso). A portrait of Mrs Patrick Campbell is on f. 7. Also included are some miscellaneous notes (ff. 16, 17, 27 verso).

Manuscript draft, 1972, by Berta Ruck of a short story, 'The Reckless Elopement' (correct order of text ff. 1-21, 26-29, 25, 30-32, 22-24), with pasted in ink sketches by the author (ff. 2, 25 verso, 33, 34).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, Aberdyfi, May 1945-December 1946, containing journal entries including comments on the end of the Second World War and its aftermath and notes for fiction, especially the novel Surprise Engagement (London, 1946) (here called 'They are engaged', ff. 27-73 passim). Some one hundred and forty-six letters, cards and telegrams, mostly from family and friends, January 1945-September 1946, cuttings and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Tony Thorne, January 1945-March 1946 (ff. 4 verso, 12 verso, 17a, 26 verso, 44, 56 verso, 65 verso, 73verso-74 verso, 75 verso, 79 verso), Miriam L. Rothschild, 4 January 1945 (f. 6), Ronald Staples, May-June 1945 (ff. 6, 10 verso), J[oseph] P[eter] T[horp], 6 June 1945 (f. 10 verso), Alec Waugh, July 1945-April [1946] (ff. 22, 75 verso, 80), Vicki Baum, 20 August 1945 (f. 24 verso), Bernard Darwin, 28 August 1945 (f. 26a), Oliver Onions, September-December 1945 (ff. 34, 35, 59 verso), A. E. Chesterton, 26 October 1945 (f. 41), Nancy Rodd [ie. Mitford], 12 January 1946 (f. 43 verso), Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, [11 November 1945] (f. 52 recto-verso), Marda Vanne, 11 November 1945 (f. 53), Osbert Sitwell, November-December 1945 (ff. 54 verso, 58 verso), Maurice Bowra, 22 December [1945] (f. 60 verso), Hermon Ould, 11 March 1946 (f. 74), Esmond Knight, [1946] (f. 75 verso), Ivor Brown, 20 August 1946 (f. 83 verso), Ambrose Heal, 16 September 1946 (f. 87), and C. A. Lejeune, 24 May [1946] (f. 89 verso). The volume contains references to the deaths of her friends Ménie Muriel FitzGerald (f. 1) and Edith Heal (f. 87), and conditions in London after VE Day (ff. 7, 8); also verse (f. 46) and an ink sketch (f. 51 verso) by Ruck. Pasted into the volume are 1945 General Election leaflets for Merioneth (ff. 17, 20 verso, 22), and photographs of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies and Marda Vanne (f. 86).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, September 1937-June 1938, containing journal entries including comments on contemporary events, notes for fiction and articles. Some forty-eight letters, cards and telegrams, mostly from family and friends, cuttings, photographs and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include A. A. Ruck, September 1937-April 1938 (inside front cover, ff. 73, 91), Alec Waugh, October-[December] 1937 (ff. 13, 44), Norman Haire, 29 October 1937 (f. 18), Oliver Onions, 1937 (f. 19 verso), Nathaniel Gubbins, 19 November 1937 (f. 27), Alys Meirion, [1937] (f. 29 verso), Naomi Jacob, 19 December 1937 (f. 36), and Peter Wykeham Barnes, [December 1937] (f. 36 verso). The volume also contains ink sketches and drawings by Ruck (ff. 54, 57, 59 verso-60, 63, 69 recto-verso) and a photograph of her, [1938] (f. 51). The press cuttings include articles by Ruck (ff. 59, 79, 80 verso) and an article from the Daily Express, 12 November 1937, about her son, Arthur Oliver (ff. 26 verso-27). Various press cuttings and letters from Austrian friends (ff. 49 verso-58 verso passim, 80a) discuss the Anschluss in March 1938.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, July-December 1935, containing journal entries, including an account of visits to Zurich, Switzerland, August 1935 (ff. 15 verso-17), and Vienna and Klagenfurt, Austria, August-September 1935 (ff. 18-38), and notes for fiction. Some thirty-nine letters, postcards and telegrams, 1933-1935, photographs, cuttings, theatre programmes (in German) and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, July 1935 (ff. 6, 9), her father, A. A. Ruck, July-August 1935 (ff. 8 verso, 25 verso), Ferdinand Deutelmoser, July-August 1935 (ff. 9 verso, 37), Ivan Phillipowsky, 27 November 1935 (f. 55), and Marda Vanne, [24] October 1935 (ff. 59). The volume also contains ink sketches and drawings by Ruck (ff. 42, 57, 66, 70 recto-verso, 72 verso, 73 verso, 75, 79) and photographs of her, [1904?] (inside front cover), [1935] (f. 79 verso). A number of the press cuttings (ff. 60a, 64 verso-65, 66 verso, 68 verso, 70 verso) relate to her autobiography, A Story-teller Tells the Truth (London, 1935); there are also references to the death of her friend Arthur Watts in an aeroplane accident on 20 July 1935 (ff. 4 verso-5, 6, 8 verso, 9 verso, 10, 11 verso).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, July-August 1931, containing journal entries and notes on her visit to Vienna and Carinthia, Austria. Four letters, March 1931-September 1932 (ff. 10 verso, 18, 28, inside back cover), photographs and postcards, playbills and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The volume contains a photograph of Ruck (f. 15) and verse by her (ff. 1 verso, 4 verso). There are fragments of text on the stubs of ff. 13-14, 16-17, 21-28 and on the unfoliated stubs between ff. 17 and 18.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, March-June 1931, containing journal entries including an account of a visit to Oxford, 16 May 1931 (ff. 28 verso-30), and notes for fiction and other work. Twenty-nine letters, postcards and telegrams, mostly from family and friends, February-June 1931, [December 1935], cuttings, photographs and ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, April-May 1931 (ff. 34, 36 verso, 52), Robin Darwin, 20 March 1931 (f. 2 verso), Marda Vanne, 25 May 1931 (f. 8 verso), Alec Waugh, April 1931 (ff. 16 verso-17, 30 verso), and Doris Langley Moore, 12 May 1931 (f. 28); there are also four copy letters from Ruck to her father and others, March-April 1931, [December 1935] (ff. 1 recto-verso, 4-5, 14-15 verso, 38a-b). The volume also contains ink sketches (ff. 27, 30, 42, 44) and verses (ff. 20 verso, 32-33, 36, 40 verso, 44, 46) by Ruck. There are references to Doris Langley Moore's forthcoming biography of E. Nesbit (London, 1933) (ff. 25 verso, 28) and to Gwen Ffrangcon Davies (f. 40 verso). Besides a single copy letter there is no material dating from 1935 onwards (as alluded to on the front cover), presumably having being excised.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, May 1930-March 1931, containing journal entries, including accounts of her visits to Sweden, July 1930 (ff. 14-22), Germany, July, November 1930 (ff. 22 verso-28 verso, 69 verso-81 verso), Vienna, Austria, July-August, November-December 1930 (ff. 28 verso-42 verso, 82-91), and the French Riviera, August-September 1930 (ff. 44-61), and notes for fiction. Some fifty-two letters, cards and telegrams from family and friends, photographs, cuttings, programmes and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Marda Vanne, June-[December] 1930 (ff. 4, 62, 91), Oliver Onions, July-[August] 1930 (ff. 13, 30, 53), Alec Waugh, 22 June 1930 (f. 38), Hermon Ould, 30 September 1930 (f. 65 verso), Vicki Baum, 4 November 1930 (f. 78), Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, [December] 1930 (f. 91), Norman Haire, [December] 1930 (f. 114 verso), Vita Sackville-West, 3 November 1930 (f. 121), and Cynthia Stockley, [December] 1930 (f. 129). The volume contains sketches and drawings (ff. 2 verso, 28 verso-29, 48-49, 87, 92 verso, 109, 123 verso) and poetry (ff. 67 verso, 73a-b, 88, 91-92 verso, 94 verso, 101 verso) by Ruck. The photographs include three of her with her sons (inside front cover, ff. 54, 60; the latter was published in A Story-Teller Tells the Truth (London, 1935), facing p. 166). Among the friends and acquaintances referred to in the volume are Ernst Hanfstaengl (79 verso, 80 verso-81 verso) and the writers Rebecca West (ff. 45 verso, 50 verso -51), Geoffrey Moss (ff. 49 verso-50, 54 verso, 57 verso), Vicky Baum (f. 71 verso) and Otto Friedländer (ff. 82 verso, 83, 84).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, November 1927-May 1928, containing journal entries including an account of her visit to France (pp. 1-12), the deaths of her aunt, Sister Mary Gabriel (Mary D'Arcy), on 15 December 1927, and her mother, Elizabeth, on 10 March 1928, and drafts of articles. Thirty-three letters, cards and telegrams from family and friends and ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Alec Waugh, [1928] (p. 42), Rebecca West, 20 February 1928 (p 57), Ménie Muriel Fitzgerald, [March 1928] (p. 64), Marda Vanne, [March 1928] (p. 77), Capt. Geoffrey de Havilland, 7 November 1928 (p. 103), Sir E. Ray Lankester, [November 1928] (p. 104), and Vyvyan Holland, 25 November 1928 (p. 107). A photograph, 1923, of Ruck with her parents is on p. 62; ink sketches by her are on pp. 1, 5, 21, 29, 47, 106. A menu for a Forum Club Welsh Group dinner, 12 December 1927, signed by David Lloyd George, is on p. 15. There are also references to the death of Thomas Hardy, January 1928 (pp. 36-37), and an anecdote relating to Colette, the French novelist (p. 8). The volume includes three folios, November 1928 (pp. 103-108), and two letters (ff. i b-e), removed from other volumes.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, September-November 1927, containing a journal mainly of her visits to Le Portel, near Boulogne (ff. 1 verso-14 verso), the Côte d'Azur (ff. 31 verso-58 verso), and Paris (ff. 59-68 verso), France, and notes for fiction. Some twelve letters from family and friends, playbills and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Ivor Nicholson, 28 September 1927 (f. 23 verso), and S[alomon] Reinach, 1 October 1927 (f. 24). There are references to Norman Haire (f. 15 verso), the death of Isadora Duncan (f. 9), and Sir Ray Lankester's ill health (ff. 25 verso-26 verso, 31, 34 verso, 47 verso). Also included are ink, pencil and watercolour sketches by Ruck (inside the front cover and on ff. i recto-verso, 3, 4 verso, 7, 8, 10 verso, 28, 40, 57, 65) and photographs of her (ff. 13 recto-verso, 14 verso), and her family (f. 22 verso). The photograph on f. 13 was published in A Story-Teller Tells the Truth (London, 1935), facing p. 276.