The Catherine Walston/Graham Greene Papers consist in bulk of correspondence written by Greene to Lady Walston over a span of three decades from 1946 through 1978. In addition, the collection includes a large portion of original autograph and typed manuscripts, as well as rare proof copies of his works that the author presented over the years as gifts to Lady Walston. There is also a substantial collection of photographs of Greene and Lady Walston, together with friends such as writers Norman Douglas and John Hayward; and film producer Sir Alexander Korda and director Carol Reed. Several portrait-size photographs of Greene are included by notable photographers such as Cornell Capa, Douglas Glass, Yousuf Karsh, Islay de Courcy Lyons, and Jean Marie Marcel. Press clippings of articles both by and about Greene also enrich the collection, as do the unique ephemera/muniments consisting of printed souvenirs and small gift objects presented by Greene to Lady Walston.
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Graham Henry Greene was born on October 2, 1904, in Berkhampsted, Hertfordshire, England. His father was Charles Henry Greene, headmaster of the Berkhampsted School, which Greene also attended, and his mother was Marion Raymond Greene, a cousin of the famous British novelist Robert Louis-Stevenson. In 1927, Greene married Vivien Dayrell Browning, who survives him, together with their two children, Mrs. Lucy Caroline (Greene) Bourget and Francis Greene.
Greene is ranked among the greatest of twentieth-century writers. The author of plays, short stories, non-fiction works, and children's books, he is probably best known as a novelist. He achieved his first literary success with the publication of his thriller novel "Stamboul Train" (Heinemann, 1932), published in the U.S. as "Orient Express" (1932), which subsequently became a motion picture under the same title.
In addition to a full life as an independent author, Greene was sub-editor to the Times, London (1926-30); film critic for "Night and Day" during the 1930s; film critic (1935-39) and literary editor (1940-41) for the Spectator, London; a member of the British Foreign Office in Africa (1941-44); director of Eyre & Spottiswoode Ltd. publishers in London (1944-48); Indo-China correspondent for the New Republic (1954); director of Bodley Head publishers, London (1958-68); and a member of the Panamanian delegation to Washington for the signing of the Canal Treaty in 1977.
On April 3, 1991, Greene died of a blood disease in Vevey, Switzerland.
For further biographical and bibliographical information, refer to the following sources:
Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, Volume 35.
_________ Volume 133 (Obituary notice).
The Life of Graham Greene, Volume 1: 1904-1939. Norman Sherry (Viking, 1989).
Abbreviations used:
AC = autograph card
ACS = autograph card signed
AL = autograph letter
ALS = autograph letter signed
AMs = autograph manuscript(s)
AMsS = autograph manuscript signed
AN = autograph note
ANS = autograph note signed
b/w = black and white photograph
CW = Catherine Walston
Mss = manuscript(s)
n.d. = no date/undated
PRN = printed
TC = typed card
TCS = typed card signed
TL = typed letter
TLS = typed letter signed
TMS = typed manuscript
TMsS = typed manuscript signed
Contents
Introduction/Scope Note
Part 1. Correspondence
Series 1: Correspondence: Greene to Walston 1946-1978
Series 2: Correspondence: Miscellaneous
Part 2. Manucripts, Printed Material, Photographs, Emphera
Series 3: Manuscripts
Series 4: Ephemera
Series 5: Printed Material (press clippings)
Series 6: Photographs
Series 7: Addenda
Index
BULK DATES: 1946 - 1978
SPAN DATES: 1925 - 1978
EXTENT: 76 boxes; 21.75 lf.