Fonds GB 2108 KUAS191 - Murdoch, Iris (1919-1999): Items belonging to Iris Murdoch presented by Audi Bayley

2 boxes

Items collected by Iris Murdoch during her lifetime and held in her house in Charlbury Road prior to transfer to the Archive.

GB 2108 KUAS191 [1820-1999] Fonds 2 boxes Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author

Iris Murdoch was born in Dublin, Ireland on 15 Jul 1919. When she was very young Iris and her parents moved to London, England, and Iris studied at Frobel and Badminton Schools. She followed this with studies in classics, ancient history and philosophy at Oxford, and further study at Cambridge. During the war years Iris worked for the Treasury in London, and then joined the UNRRA providing relief in formerly occupied countries in Europe. In 1948 she became a fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford, where she taught and researched philosophy.
Iris Murdoch wrote a number of tracts on philosophy, however it is for her novels that she is best known. She wrote 26 novels in total, her first being 'Under the Net' published in 1954. Other notable works include 'The Bell' and 'The Sea, the Sea', for which she won the Booker Prize. Her last novel, 'Jackson's Dilemma', was published in 1995.

In her youth Iris Murdoch had relationships with a number of individuals, including Elias Canetti. She met author and scholar John Bayley while at Oxford, and they married in 1956. She wrote to a great number of people and maintained friendships in this way.
,br/>Later in life Iris Murdoch was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, the first effects of which she had attributed to writer's block. She died in 1999.

Items collected by Iris Murdoch during her lifetime and held in her house in Charlbury Road prior to transfer to the Archive.

Items kindly presented by Audi Bayley.

Items belonging to Iris Murdoch presented by Audi Bayley. These items were from Iris Murdoch's former home in Charlbury Road and include letters written by Iris Murdoch to Borys and Audi Villers [later Audi Bayley], a planning notebook for Jackson's Dilemma, and a range of objects. Includes:

1) Large bust of Iris Murdoch mounted on marble

2) Iris Murdoch's teddy bear 'Jimbo'

3) Painting by Iris Murdoch 1941

4) Tapestry by Iris Murdoch of fish with the initials IM and JB

5) Gold edged bowl

6) 5 stones and 9 Asian religious figurines / icons from Murdoch's writing desk

7) Letters from Iris Murdoch to Audi Bayley and her first husband Boris Villiers

8) Green box containing brooch- appears to be enamelled George IV shilling from 1820s

9) 4 replica medieval icons mounted on wood

10) Framed photographs from Iris Murdoch's study of Murdoch as a child and Murdoch's parents

11) 3 Canadian stone figurines depicting an owl, a penguin and a seal

12) 2 stone figurines of a cow and a lion, with painted and gilded details

13) 11 dress necklaces worn by Murdoch and kept in her study

14) A notebook with planning notes by Murdoch for the novel 'Jackson's Dilemma'

Letters from Iris Murdoch to Audi and Boris Villers form the first series. Objects from Murdoch's study form a second series and have been grouped by type.

Available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.

Some reproduction possible, please contact Kingston University Archives and Special Collections for more information.

English

Some of the objects are very heavy, fragile or have sharp edges. Careful handling required, gloves must be worn.

Please visit our Archives catalogue

Further objects belonging to Iris Murdoch can be found in GB 2108 KUAS202

December 2017 Communication process Communication skills Writing Cultural heritage Cultural property Movable cultural property Art styles Religious art Icons Handicrafts Jewellery Authors Writers Literature Literary forms and genres Fiction Information sources Documents Notebooks Arts Works of art Sculptural works Statues Figurines Paintings Painting Letters (documents) Records and correspondence Illustrations Visual materials Toys Teaching materials Hinduism Ancient religions Religions Hindu legends Legends Folk literature Christian art Art Manufactured goods Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris Fine arts

Items kindly presented by Audi Bayley.

Items belonging to Iris Murdoch presented by Audi Bayley. These items were from Iris Murdoch's former home in Charlbury Road and include letters written by Iris Murdoch to Borys and Audi Villers [later Audi Bayley], a planning notebook for Jackson's Dilemma, and a range of objects. Includes:

1) Large bust of Iris Murdoch mounted on marble

2) Iris Murdoch's teddy bear 'Jimbo'

3) Painting by Iris Murdoch 1941

4) Tapestry by Iris Murdoch of fish with the initials IM and JB

5) Gold edged bowl

6) 5 stones and 9 Asian religious figurines / icons from Murdoch's writing desk

7) Letters from Iris Murdoch to Audi Bayley and her first husband Boris Villiers

8) Green box containing brooch- appears to be enamelled George IV shilling from 1820s

9) 4 replica medieval icons mounted on wood

10) Framed photographs from Iris Murdoch's study of Murdoch as a child and Murdoch's parents

11) 3 Canadian stone figurines depicting an owl, a penguin and a seal

12) 2 stone figurines of a cow and a lion, with painted and gilded details

13) 11 dress necklaces worn by Murdoch and kept in her study

14) A notebook with planning notes by Murdoch for the novel 'Jackson's Dilemma'

Letters from Iris Murdoch to Audi and Boris Villers form the first series. Objects from Murdoch's study form a second series and have been grouped by type.

Available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.

Some reproduction possible, please contact Kingston University Archives and Special Collections for more information.

• English

• Latin

English

Further objects belonging to Iris Murdoch can be found in GB 2108 KUAS202

Please visit our Archives catalogue

• English