Contract, 1949, between Columbia Records Inc. and Dylan Thomas, signed by both parties, regarding his contribution to the record issued in conjunction with Lloyd Frankenberg's anthology, Pleasure Dome (New York, 1949). Also included is an amendment to the original contract, 1960, signed by David Higham, together with a typescript letter, 1949, by Lloyd Frankenberg, papers relating to the recording of the album, and a copy of Pleasure Dome.
2010 group (Poetry Manuscripts),
Additional papers, [1928x2010], relating to Dylan Thomas known as the Dylan Thomas Poetry Manuscripts, mainly consisting of autograph drafts and worksheets, [1928x2010], of poems by Dylan Thomas, including unpublished juvenilia, 'Elegy', 'In Country Heaven', 'Poem on his Birthday', 'There was a saviour', and 'Letter to Loren'; typescript copies, [1937x1990], including two poems published in The map of love (London, 1939); printed proofs, [1939]-1953, of various poems; and manuscript and typescript poems, [1930x1950], mostly in Daniel Jones's hand, on which they both appear to have collaborated.
Manuscript poems, most of which appear to be in the hand of Daniel Jones, together with two typescript poems, [1930x1950], enclosed within a folder inscribed 'Collaborations with D.T.'. The paper surrounding one gathering of eight sheets within the folder is inscribed 'Dylan's own?'.
Jones, Daniel, 1912-1993
Papers, [1928x2010], mainly autograph drafts and worksheets of poems by Dylan Thomas.
Three early autograph poems, [1928x1932], by Dylan Thomas, all of which appear to be unpublished. One volume also includes additional notes in his hand.
Ruled exercise book, [1928x1932], with the inital 'D' inscribed on the front cover, containing three stanzas by Dylan Thomas (ff. 1r, 2r, 3r), written neatly in ink in the poet's hand. The poem, consisting of twenty-two lines and beginning 'Oblique epern of paper's cellar-fear', appears to have been previously unpublished and unrecorded.
Small Swansea Intermediate School notebook, [1928x1932], inscribed 'D. J. Jones. Homework Notebook' on the front cover, mainly containing school notes by Daniel Jones, with additional notes by Dylan Thomas (ff. 27r, 27v, 28r, 30v, inside back cover), and an unpublished poem written in pencil in the latter's hand entitled 'The Nigger-Boy's Plaint' (f. 30r).
Autograph pencil draft, [1930x1932], of an untitled limerick by Dylan Thomas about his friend Daniel Jones. Two lines at the beginning of the verse have been crossed out by the author; a selection of rhyming words are noted at the top of the page. 'Bridg[e?]' and 'Brigid' are inscribed in ink on the reverse.
Papers, [1939x2010], mostly drafts and worksheets, of later poems by Dylan Thomas, namely 'A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London', 'Elegy', 'In Country Heaven', 'Paper and sticks', 'Poem on his Birthday', and 'There was a saviour'. 'Letter to Loren', a letter written in verse, is also included in this group.
A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London,
Early pencil draft, dated Nov[ember] [19]44, by Dylan Thomas of the poem 'A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London', written on the back endpaper and paste-down of a copy of the anthology New Road 1944, ed. A. Comfort and J. Bayliss (London, 1944), containing two of his poems, 'Among those killed in the Dawn Raid was a Man aged One Hundred' and 'The Marriage of a Virgin'. The poem was first published in New Republic, vol. 112, no. 20, (May, 1945), and subsequently in Deaths and entrances (London, 1946). The letters 'Dy' are inscribed beneath the draft, together with a small doodle of a creature. Also included are two typescript copies, [1990x2010], (3 ff.), of 'A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London', being transcripts of the pencil draft.
One page of lined paper containing early untitled ink drafts, [1953], including words, phrases, and a list of possible verse forms, (recto side only), written by Dylan Thomas whilst composing the unfinished poem 'Elegy' to his father, D. J. Thomas. The work was first published in Encounter, 6/2 (February, 1956).
Worksheets, [1947x1951], (3 ff.), containing notes in pencil and biro on five pages (ff. 1r-3r, with f. 3v blank), produced by Dylan Thomas whilst composing the unfinished poem 'In Country Heaven'. They comprise a draft of the middle eighteen lines, beginning "Light and his tears glide down together" (f. 1r); a brief word list, the syllable and rhyme scheme, and a draft of two lines from the fifth stanza (f. 1v); a heavily annotated version of the first five stanzas with the syllable and rhyme scheme noted at the end of each line (f. 2r); drafts of the third and fourth stanzas (f. 2v, inverted); and further drafts of the first five stanzas (f. 3r). Also included are photocopies of articles and notes relating to the poem (ff. 4-10). Three stanzas are included in W. Davies and R. Maud ed., Collected poems 1934-1953 (London, 2000).
Undated holograph draft in biro, [1951], of 'Letter to Loren', a letter by Dylan Thomas written in verse, and sent to his friends Lloyd Frankenberg and Loren MacIver on his return to Laugharne following his first American tour. A limited edition of the verse letter was published, with an introduction and notes by Jeff Towns (Swansea, 1993); it also appeared in The London Magazine, and in P. Ferris (ed.), Collected letters (London, 2000). The manuscript appears to be a final draft with few amendments. A doodle in pencil, in an unidentified hand, is drawn on the reverse of the final page.
Early pencil draft, [1939], by Dylan Thomas of 'The House Maid's Poem', later published as 'Paper and sticks' in Seven (Autumn, 1939), and Deaths and entrances (London, 1946). The poem is written on the reverse of a fragment of a letter, dated 13 July [19]39, to Dylan Thomas by an unidentified author.
Worksheets, [1949x1951], (4 ff.), produced by Dylan Thomas whilst composing 'Poem on his Birthday', written to mark the poet's thirty-fifth birthday, and first published in World Review (October, 1951); an extended version subsequently appeared in Atlantic (March, 1952). The four separate sheets contain ink drafts of stanzas 9, 10 and 11, and variant workings of two lines in stanza 3; one leaf (f. 3r) includes two short lists of names, some of which appear to be creditors. In addition the file contains an extensive word list for the poem, (f. 5r), written in ink and consisting of numerous lists of rhyming and assonant words; "Under a hurled" inscribed on verso.
Autograph draft, [1939x1940], written in indelible pencil on brown paper, of the first stanza and three lines from the second stanza of the poem 'There was a Saviour' by Dylan Thomas; the fourth line of the second stanza has been crossed out by the author, otherwise this draft is identical to the published text. The poem was first published in Horizon (May, 1940), and subsequently in Deaths and entrances (London, 1946).
Typescript copies and printed proofs, [1937x1990], of poems by Dylan Thomas, with related letters and papers.
Typescript copies, [1937]-[1939], of six poems by Dylan Thomas, signed by the author, comprising early versions, [1937]-[1939], of two poems published in The map of love, (London, 1939); and four poems, [1939], sent to Thomas Taig. Also included are related letters and papers, [1939x1990].
Two poems from The map of love,
Two typescript poems, [1937]-[1939], which appear to be the earliest known versions of 'We lying by seasand' and 'If my head hurt a hair's foot', by Dylan Thomas, published in The map of love (London, 1939). The title, 'We lying by seasand', is noted in both pencil and ink at the top of the page, with 'Dylan Thomas' inscribed in pencil and ink beneath the poem. The typescript, [1937], contains pencil corrections, with some printers' marks. 'We lying in seasand' was first printed in Poetry Chicago, (1937), and amended for its publication in The year's poetry, (1937), with further minor changes made before it appeared in The map of love. The typescript, [1939], 'If my head hurt a hare's foot', is headed 'Poem', the title under which it was published in Poetry (London), (1939). The poem is signed in ink by the author, he has corrected the word 'joy' in the fifth stanza, and added a note, 'Hope this is in time. DT', at the bottom of the page; '32' is inscribed in pencil in an unidentified hand at the top of the page.
Four poems sent to Thomas Taig,
Four foolscap pages, [1939], containing typescript copies of the poems 'It is the sinners' dust-tongued bell', 'How shall my animal', 'The tombstone told when she died' and 'A saint about to fall' by Dylan Thomas; his signature is inscribed in ink beneath each poem, and the typed titles, 'Three', 'Nine', 'Ten' and 'Twelve' respectively, have been crossed out and replaced with the heading 'Poem'. These copies may have been produced in preparation for The map of love (London, 1939), and appear to have been sent by Dylan Thomas to Thomas Taig for a proposed 'dramatic presentation' of Anglo-Welsh poetry at a London theatre in September 1939. Also included is a photocopy and photograph, [1953x1990], of the first page of a letter from Dylan Thomas to Thomas Taig, 23 August 1939; together with photocopies of poems in his hand, typescript copies, and printed copies of poems, [1939x1990], intended for the production, by various authors, including Glyn Jones and Keidrych Rhys (one containing amendments by the author).