Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1977-2000 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 boxes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
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.
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.
Harry Weinberger was born in 1924 in Berlin, Germany. His family later fled to Czechoslovakia in 1933, and he was later sent by them to England in 1939. After some years in England, including a time in the British Army, Weinberger studied at Chelsea School of Art. He then went on to become an art teacher, as well as being an artist in his own right. Weinberger's work was very colourful, and mostly featured exterior and interior scenes. He did paint occasional portraits. One of these he painted of Iris Murdoch, a long time friend of his he met in the 1970s. Throughout the rest of her lifetime he maintained a correspondence with Murdoch, and would regularly meet with her to visit art galleries. She was a great supporter of his work, owning a number of his paintings, and writing introductions to catalogues for exhibitions of his work. Weinberger had a number of exhibitions of his work held, in the UK and in Europe, including regular exhibitions at the Duncan Campbell Gallery in London. He was married to Barbara, who died of cancer in 1996. They had one daughter.
Repository
Archival history
The collection of letters was written from Iris Murdoch to Harry Weinberger from 1977 to 1996, and was kept by him in his house in Leamington Spa. He also collected other items relating to her including press cuttings and items relating to his exhibitions. These remained in his home until after his death, and they were then donated to Kingston University by his daughter, Joanna Garber.
GB 2108 KUAS80 1977-2000 Collection (Fonds) 2 boxes Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author
Weinberger , Harry , 1924-2009 , artist
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.
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.
Harry Weinberger was born in 1924 in Berlin, Germany. His family later fled to Czechoslovakia in 1933, and he was later sent by them to England in 1939. After some years in England, including a time in the British Army, Weinberger studied at Chelsea School of Art. He then went on to become an art teacher, as well as being an artist in his own right. Weinberger's work was very colourful, and mostly featured exterior and interior scenes. He did paint occasional portraits. One of these he painted of Iris Murdoch, a long time friend of his he met in the 1970s. Throughout the rest of her lifetime he maintained a correspondence with Murdoch, and would regularly meet with her to visit art galleries. She was a great supporter of his work, owning a number of his paintings, and writing introductions to catalogues for exhibitions of his work. Weinberger had a number of exhibitions of his work held, in the UK and in Europe, including regular exhibitions at the Duncan Campbell Gallery in London. He was married to Barbara, who died of cancer in 1996. They had one daughter.
The collection of letters was written from Iris Murdoch to Harry Weinberger from 1977 to 1996, and was kept by him in his house in Leamington Spa. He also collected other items relating to her including press cuttings and items relating to his exhibitions. These remained in his home until after his death, and they were then donated to Kingston University by his daughter, Joanna Garber.
Donated by Joanna Garber
Letters written from Iris Murdoch to Harry Weinberger from 1977 to 1996. The letters are in files grouped by the drawer in which Harry Weinberger kept them in his desk. The letters discuss subjects such as their shared interest in the arts and religious iconography, and both of their work. Their are over 300 letters in total.
The collection also contains a number of additional items relating to Iris Murdoch's friendship with Harry Weinberger, collected by Weinberger. This includes exhibition catalogues for Weinbergers work, and copies of drawings of Murdoch by Weinberger.
Grouped by the draw in which Weinberger stored the letters he received, within the files the letters are kept in their original order.
Available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.
Letters can not be copied at the present time.
English
Full catalogue available on our archives catalogue at http://adlib.kingston.ac.uk
See also KUAS40 Harry Weinberger Exhibition catalogues and KUAS102 Three drawings of Crete by Harry Weinberger previously owned by Iris Murdoch.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. 2014 Art styles Religious art Icons Authors Writers Exhibitions Cultural exhibitions Arts Art theory Iconography Letter writing Writing Communication skills Communication process Art Murdoch , Dame , Jean Iris , 1919-1999 , author x Murdoch , Iris Weinberger , Harry , 1924-2009 , artist
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by Joanna Garber
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Letters written from Iris Murdoch to Harry Weinberger from 1977 to 1996. The letters are in files grouped by the drawer in which Harry Weinberger kept them in his desk. The letters discuss subjects such as their shared interest in the arts and religious iconography, and both of their work. Their are over 300 letters in total.
The collection also contains a number of additional items relating to Iris Murdoch's friendship with Harry Weinberger, collected by Weinberger. This includes exhibition catalogues for Weinbergers work, and copies of drawings of Murdoch by Weinberger.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Grouped by the draw in which Weinberger stored the letters he received, within the files the letters are kept in their original order.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Available to view by appointment in the Kingston University Archives and Special Collections search room.
Conditions governing reproduction
Letters can not be copied at the present time.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
See also KUAS40 Harry Weinberger Exhibition catalogues and KUAS102 Three drawings of Crete by Harry Weinberger previously owned by Iris Murdoch.
Finding aids
Full catalogue available on our archives catalogue at http://adlib.kingston.ac.uk
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Art styles
- Art styles » Religious art
- Art styles » Religious art » Icons
- Authors
- Authors » Writers
- Exhibitions
- Exhibitions » Cultural exhibitions
- Arts
- Art theory
- Art theory » Iconography
- Communication process » Communication skills » Writing
- Communication process » Communication skills
- Communication process
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English