Christie (Agatha)

A collection of 24 autograph letters and 2 cards by Agatha Christie to Elizabeth Callow, all signed (‘Agatha’ or ‘Agatha Mallowan’), discussing various subjects: her husband’s travels (“Max goes off to Iran day after tomorrow for a fortnight or so – presenting volumes to the Shah and giving two or three lectures, complicated at the moment by the fact that the Shah has gone to Siberia on a diplomatic mission?!”, two pages, 1 October 1968; “Max enjoyed his Persian visit enormously, was far too active and in the course of his last lecture has a thrombosis and had to be taken off to Hospital in Teheran. I got a telegram on the morning of his return saying return delayed- owing to cramp…He is having a lot of Physio-Therapy and his progressing really splendidly. We even got him to Buckingham Palace for his investiture”, three pages, 25 November 1968); mentioning some of her works (“I’d send you Passenger to Frankfurt but I’ve run out of it- owing to the birthday rush- and Collins are having to bring out a new edition already - but I don’t know when I shall get more copies from them”, two pages, 12 October 1970; “Thanks for your congratulations. It was very nice of you to write. We have just got back from a nice but hectic and snowy Xmas at Greenway. Very cold and frosty outside…Practically everyone had colds including the children, only I escaped. Perhaps germs don’t like the elderly…Come, Tell Me How You Live was printed in the war and therefore only a limited edition and hasn’t been reprinted”, two pages, 5 January 1971); and other topics, often showing Agatha’s witty sense of humour (“I hope I’ve got the right Elizabeth?!! Nowadays when one only relies on one’s friends’ Christian names – and as one usually communicates by telephone so that you don’t really recognise handwriting- difficulties do arise…I had an agreeable birthday in Devon – a picnic, lovely mildly weather on Dartmoor”, four pages, 28 September n.d.; “I think you are totally right to go off adventuring, no good letting it all boil up inside you and felt you haven’t done what you wanted. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be able to keep yourself see a bit of the world. That old friend of mine (or rather the daughter of an old friend of mine) got herself round the world doing, as she says, everything but cooking! And you can cook too! I wish I had some friends in the U.S.A. but unfortunately, they are all dead”, four pages, 20 June 1961; “I, as you may have heard, fractured my hip in early July, it had to be operated on…But I get along on sticks quite well. But what an idiotic thing to do- tripped over the corner of a rug”, two pages, 29 October 1971; “I was also rather lame and had to use sticks again. My surgeon said my hip was perfectly all right – this was what he called an aftermath…Don’t bend too much in your market garden and put a hot water bottle to your back at night!” two pages, 28 May 1972; all 4to, Greenway House in Devon, Swan Court in London and Winterbrook House in Wallingford, 11^th January 1959- 31^st May 1972; also including: a postcard from Agatha wishing Elizabeth a Happy New Year and saying “We’ve been to the dig at Pasargade, Isfahan and Persepolis and now in Dehli”, date not legible; 11 black and white and colour candid photographs of Agatha with some friends during a picnic at Dartmoor; a letter and a postcard from Agatha’s daughter Rosalind; 14 letters and cards to Elizabeth for Max Mallowan, mostly covering work related matters, 4to, 15 March 1959 - 2 January 1976; and 2 typed letters by Sir William Taylor (54)