Ian Curtis / Joy Division
A Handwritten Letter By Ian Curtis To A Fan, 1979
Lot Closed
September 12, 01:46 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A handwritten letter from Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis to a fan, accompanied by the original envelope, hand-addressed by Curtis. The letter was sent from Macclesfield, Cheshire, and is postmarked 30th November 1979. The name and address of the band's record label, Factory Records, is written at the top of the letter.
Dimensions
The letter 5 1/4in x 7 1/4in (13.25cm x 18cm)
The envelope 9in x 4in (23cm x 10cm)
In the letter, Curtis discusses Joy Division recording Love Will Tear Us Apart, among other songs, with John Peel, one of the original disco jockeys on BBC Radio 1:
'Sorry I’m late writing, but we’ve just finished recording another John Peel session to be shown within the next two weeks. (The tracks were all unrecorded: Colony: Twenty Four Hours: Sound of Music: Love Will Tear Us Apart). I’m not sure whether you’ve heard any of these but I’m pretty sure we played at least one of them at Blackburn.'
Curtis also discusses the band's upcoming performance at Les Bains Douches in Paris on 10th December 1979:
'We’re playing in Paris on December 18th which should be nice + I’m looking forward to that.'
This letter comes from a time when Joy Division were beginning to gain national attention. They had appeared on BBC 2's Something Else just two months prior, which was to be their only nationwide television appearance, and were also preparing to embark on an European tour, beginning in January 1980. The band's ascent to stardom was tragically cut short by Curtis' death in May 1980, although the cult following surrounding Joy Division has ensured that Curtis' legacy as an exceptional songwriter has endured.