Gwen John Papers

Acquisition of a collection of letters and other material to add to the collection of over 1,000 of her drawings that the Library had acquired in 1976. These papers (NLW MSS 22276-318) were purchased by the National Library and Archive/Archive in 1984 from Mr Ben John and Miss Sara John, son and daughter of the artist's nephew, Edwin John (1905-78), who was her executor and principal legatee. The archive comprises correspondence, notes and sketches from the period 1903-39, covering the entire span of her life in France right up to her death, and appears to include most, if not all, of the personal papers left in her room when she died.