Patrick Balfour, Baron Kinross, Papers

The manuscripts, correspondence and ephemera cover a wide span of Lord Kinross' literary career, from his earliest columns as a journalist to his final major work, The ottoman centuries. The photographs include many images used by Kinross for his biography of Kemal Atatürk. Other notable persons in the collection are Mario Amaya, David Balfour, Cecil Beaton, Elizabeth Freda Berkeley, John Betjeman, Duncan Black, C.M. Bowra, Robert Byron, Penelope Chetwode, Randolph Churchill, Cyril Connolly, Diana Cooper, Henry D'Avigdor-Goldsmid, Andrew Bruce, Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Kenward Elmslie, Patrick Leigh Fermor, John Fleming, Elinor Glyn, Howard Griffin, Kay Halle, Roy Harrod, Peter Howard, J.C. Hurewitz, Wilfred Kirkpatrick, James Lees-Milne, Tilly Losch, Malcolm Muggeridge, Beverley Nichols, Harold Nicolson, Frances Phillips, Alan Pryce-Jones, Freya Stark, Christopher Sykes, Violet Keppel Trefusis, Alec Waugh, Evelyn Waugh, Edward, Duke of Windsor, etc.

This collection has several strong points for the purpose of research. It would appear Kinross saved almost every letter he ever received which means some of his correspondence with certain people covers twenty to thirty years. Also, with his major works there is research material, early notes or notecards, manuscript and typewritten versions, which enables the reader to trace the creative process of a writing a work through all stages; in some instances, there are also letters to experts requesting information about a subject, as well as letters exchanged with his publishers discussing the layout and illustration of a book.

The papers consist of the following series:

1. Manuscripts (Boxes 1-63) are arranged alphabetically by author and title. The manuscripts cover a wide span of Lord Kinross' literary career, beginning with printed copies of his "Mr. Gossip" columns, written in the 1930s, to research notes and various drafts of his final work, The Ottoman Centuries. Included in this series are: articles, essays, book reviews, travel accounts and extensive research material and drafts (both autograph and typewritten versions) of his major works, AtatürkBetween Two Seas Hagia Sophia, and The Ottoman Centuries.

This series also includes manuscripts by other authors, most notably John Betjeman, Cyril Connolly, Diana Cooper, Howard Griffin, Brian Kenneth Paul, Christopher Sykes, Violet Keppel Trefusis, Evelyn Waugh and Edward, Duke of Windsor.

2. Correspondence (Boxes 64-155) is arranged alphabetically by author. This series includes personal letters and letters related to Kinross' writing. Kinross was also very involved with community campaigns to save various buildings and neighborhoods; consequently, many of his letters pertain to these campaigns, mainly the efforts to save the tower of St. Saviour's Church, Paddington, and to preserve the neighborhood of Little Venice, London.

In 1970, Kinross helped to organize a 70th birthday party celebration for the economist Roy Forbes Harrod and a large group of letters are replies to Kinross' request for monetary gifts for Harrod; these letters are subject indexed under Roy Forbes Harrod.

This series also includes letters from notable people in the literary, acting, arts, political and publishing fields in England, France and the Middle East; including: A.D. Peters, John Betjeman, Diana Cooper, Harold Acton, David Balfour, Cecil Beaton, Lennox and Freda Berkeley, Duncan Black, Randolph Churchill, Cyril Connolly, Roy Forbes Harrod, Harold George Nicolson, Alan Pryce-Jones, Freya Stark, Christopher Sykes, Violet Trefusis, Evelyn Waugh and Thomas Whittemore.

3. Photographs (Boxes 156-158) are arranged alphabetically by subject and then subarranged chronologically. The first group consists of personal photographs of Kinross or owned by him; unfortunately, many of these people remain unidentified. The second group are photographs or prints used by Kinross for Atatürk; these are arranged chronologically and include many different images of Kemal Atatürk, as well as various Turkish officials, Thomas Whittemore, Latife Hanim (Atatürk's wife) and Edward, Duke of Windsor.

4. Ephemera (Boxes 159-177, Oversize Ephemera Box 178) is arranged first by subject and then alphabetically. It consists of six separate sub series: World War II Papers, Address Books, Engagement Diaries, Travel and Research Notebooks, Financial and Personal Papers, Articles by and about Kinross and others, Research Material and material dealing with St. Saviour's Church, Paddington and Little Venice, London.