LAWRENCE T. E.: (1888-1935) Lot n° 1502

LAWRENCE T. E.: (1888-1935) British army officer, archaeologist, diplomat and writer, renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916-18) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915-18) against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. A good (and at times amusing) A.L.S., T E Shaw, four pages, 8vo, Birmingham Street, Southampton, 6th August 1934, to Albert Yarwood. Lawrence apologises for bothering his correspondent once more, explaining ´I have two cwt. of the best mahogany sawdust, dye, and granite chips and bitumen and felt nails.....but the magnesite cement and the liquid chemical defy me. We got what we thought was the right stuff - and it wasn´t, apparently. At least we mixed a sample......and after three weeks its as wet and soft as ever. Perhaps there´s money in it: a guaranteed drought-resisting compound. I´m going to see if it will grow mustard and cress´ and continuing to ask Yarwood if he can provide sufficient magnesite for the sawdust with which he hopes to cover a floor of 7 feet by 12 feet, requesting that the materials and invoice be sent to Mr. P. Knowles, and remarking ´Pat is my next-door neighbour and he and I have gone into partnership (Knowles & Shaw. very LTD) to build our respective shacks. We regret only that we cannot co-opt Mr. Heath Robinson as our hon. architect´. Lawrence also writes of letters he has received from Singapore regarding the steamer Aquarius, ´which seems to have been adopted as a Station pet! If she does half of what they ask of her, she will be a wonderful ship. The only criticism so far is that she is a bit hot, in the engine room. So I suppose the poor old chief is still sweating! He´ll qualify for a jockey in two or three years time´. In a postscript Lawrence urges Yarwood to charge him a proper rate for the materials, declaring ´Fellows should pay for their fun, and I´m having a lot of fun out of my cottage. If you saw my rack-and-pinion kettle-mounting, and the toasting fork on lazy-tongs. Labour saving to a degree. You have put me very much in your debt by telling me how to make this floor´. Accompanied by the original envelope hand addressed by Lawrence. A letter of wonderful content relating to Lawrence´s beloved Clouds Hill. A couple of very small, neat splits to the edges of two folds, VG Albert Yarwood was employed in the family firm of shipbuilders, W. J. Yarwood & Sons Ltd., based in Northwich, Cheshire. The firm had built the steel screw coasting steamer Aquarius for the Air Ministry, and in particular the Fleet Air Arm stationed in Singapore. At the time, Lawrence was Clerk of Works for the Fleet Air Arm and had visited Yarwood towards the end of the steamer´s completion. The present letter, written less than a year before Lawrence died from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident, demonstrates the passion with which he was working on restoring the floors at Clouds Hill, the isolated cottage he had purchased in 1925. Lawrence described the property as ´an earthly paradise´. W. Heath Robinson (1872-1944) English cartoonist, illustrator and artist, famous for his drawings of whimsically elaborate machines to achieve simple objectives.