Theatrical Tours

1948 TOUR:

i) Tatlock Miller (ed.) The Old Vic Theatre Company. A Tour of Australia & New Zealand. MDCCCXLVIII. London: The British Council, 1948, 4to, original printed wrappers;



ii) C.A. Gardner. West Australian Wild Flowers. Perth: Western Australian Newspapers, 1945, 4to, presented as “a memento of Perth and a souvenir of Western Australia to Larry and Vivien", certificate of presentation dated 23 March 1948 and signed by the Lord Mayor and Town Clerk at front, photograph of Vivien in Australia loosely inserted, full black calf with arms of the city in gilt on upper board, lower board with pale soiling; 



iii) Joan Kinmont. This, My Son. Wellington: Hicks, Smith & Wright, 1945, 8vo, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR (“For Sir Laurence | and Lady Olivier - | with best wishes | Joan Kinmont | Sydney. 1st July. 1948”) on the half-title, eighth edition, original printed wrappers; 



iv) E.G. Waterhouse. Camellia Quest. Sydney: Ure Smith Pty, 1947, folio, number 123 of 550 signed copies, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR ("To Lady Olivier | in grateful appreciation, | from E.G. Waterhouse. | Killara Camellia Show, N.S.W., July 7th, 1948") on the front free endpaper, plates by Adrian Feint and Paul Jones, original green cloth, dust-jacket;



v) Adrian Feint. Flower Paintings. Sydney: Ure Smith Pty, 1948, folio, one of 1500 signed copies, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE ARTIST ("To Sir Lawrence & Lady Olivier | in admiration - with all | my best wishes. | Adrian Feint | Sydney. August. 1948") on the front free endpaper, original teal cloth, dust-jacket;



vi) Elioth Gruner. Twenty-four reproductions in colour from original oil paintings. Sydney: The Shephard Press, 1947, 4to, number 922 of 2000 copies, presentation copy inscribed to Larry and Vivien (“To Sir Laurence and Lady Olivier. | Thanking them for giving so | many Australians so much | pleasure. | It was like a heath | of English spring. | from Leon Snout | President R.ACQ | Brisbane 3 Sept 1948 | P.S. Please come back again | very soon.”) on the front free endpaper, full red morocco gilt; 



vii) Robert Gibbings. Sweet Thames Run Softly. London: J.M. Dent, 1946, 8vo, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR ON THE TITLE PAGE, presentation copy inscribed to Vivien Leigh on her birthday (“V.L. | with our dearest love | “Our Aunt you are in Law” | R.M.S. Corinthic”. November 5th 1948.”) AND SIGNED BY LAURENCE OLIVIER AND MANY OTHERS IN THE COMPANY on the front endpaper, full navy morocco; 



viii) [Album]. An album containing 116 photos of Vivien, Larry and others, some of landscapes and buildings, mostly taken during the tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1941 (including 6 of performances of A School for Scandal), mostly black and white (150 x 205mm. and smaller), mounted with corner mounts, landscape format album (263 x 365mm.), with black leather effect covers, strap holding pages in album broken and some coming loose



1961 TOUR:



ix) Amrose Pratt. The Lore of the Lyrebird. Melbourne: Robertson & Mullens, 1955, 8vo, presentation copy inscribed to Vivien Leigh (“To dear Miss Leigh | Along with the | recording I hope this brings | back pleasant memories of your | visit to Sherbrooke Forest. | Sincerely | Joyce Attwood”) on the front free endpaper, original printed boards, spine worn; 



x) Cyril Pearl. So, you want to be Australian. Sydney, Ure Smith, 1960, 8vo, presentation copy inscribed to Vivien Leigh (“To | Miss Vivien Leigh | with warm and affectionate | memories | Tony & Ella Paul | Australia 1961”) on the front free endpaper, original pale grey cloth, dust-jacket, upper inner joint split, dust-jacket worn at edges; 



xi) John O’Brien. Around the Boree Log and other verses. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1961, 8vo, presentation copy inscribed to Vivien Leigh (“To Miss Vivien Leigh | in appreciation of the joy and | beauty you have brought into | the lives of my family and | myself. | Patrick Mackay | Old Vic Tour 1961”) on the front free endpaper, original crimson cloth, dust-jacket (11)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Old Vic Theatre Company set out for Australia on 14 February 1948. The entire company, who would perform three plays (The School for Scandal, The Skin of our Teeth, and Richard III), was hand-picked by Olivier, and " from the moment the news was first cabled to Australia and New Zealand and the press announced that the [...] Company was to visit the Antipodes , expectations ran high". As remembered by company member John Barnard, "There was a special warmth woven in that 1948 tour which I doubt has ever quite been equalled for any member of the company since" (quoted in Vickers, Vivien Leigh (1988), p.197).

On the voyage out, Vivien had made compiled a list of the company's birthdays, and those which fell during the tour were celebrated heartily. For her own 45th birthday, over forty members of the company (including Larry, Terence Morgan, Georgina Jumel, Mercia Swinburne, George Relph, Dan Cunningham, Michael Redington and many others) signed the specially bound copy of Gibbing's Sweet Thames Run Softly included in this lot, which presumably was presented to her during the voyage home.

Vivien returned to Australia for a second tour in 1961.