| Admin/Biog History | In July 1934 Nicolson was at the end of his first year at Oxford. He spent August with university friends in Chamonix, France, at the chalet of Francis Fortescue Urquhart ('Sligger'), Dean of Balliol. He returned to Sissinghurst in September and began his second year at Oxford in October, moving out of halls and taking digs in Beaumont Street with Jeremy Hutchinson & Guy Branch. Throughout this period his interest in art increased and in October he was instrumental in the foundation of the Florentine Club. In December he embarked on his first ski-ing holiday. |
| Description | In which Nicolson holidays with various university friends - including Jaspar Ridley, Richard Panes, Tom Boase, Ronnie [?] and Rupert [?] - at 'Sligger's' chalet in Chamonix. Writes about the various outings made, games played, books read and conversations held.
Returns to Sissinghurst in September and describes everyday life with his mother (Vita Sackville-West), father (Harold Nicolson), brother (Nigel Nicolson) and aunt Gwen (St Aubyn). Writes about their work, travels and activities. Also writes about vists to, and from, other family members including, in particular Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville) and Gwen's family (Jessica, Sam, Giles and Philippa). Also writes about trips to London including, increasingly, visiting exhibitions.
Returns to Oxford in October and writes about everyday life, including the history he is studying as an undergraduate; books he is reading; lectures attended and club & society events. Also writes about the foundation of the Florentine Club. The majority of the entries reference his social life and document growing friendships with various individuals including in particular John Sparrow, Francis Graham-Harrison, 'Botticelli' (John Pope-Hennessy), Guy Branch and Jeremy Hutchinson. The following individuals are also regularly mentioned: John McNair, John Usborne, Viola Tree, Jasper Ridley, Jo Grimond, David Mathias, Derek Hill. Robert Irving, Rupert [?] and 'Costa'.
Returns to Sissinghurst for Christmas and goes on his first ski-ing holiday, with university friends, in Adelboden. Writes about learning to ski and socialising with friends in Switzerland.
Of particular note:
July
-1st-7th: writes about his experiences teaching at Summerfields school; reports from a friend's recent trip to Germany that 'Hitler is expected to be assassinated in 2 weeks'
-8th: returns to Sissinghurst
-10th: receives a letter from Jeremy Hutchinson (see: LBN/2/18)
-12th: Francis Graham-Harrison visits Sissinghurst
-13th: writes about visiting a Braque exhibition at the Lefevre Gallery and viewing the 'Sisley's and Pissarro's in Bond Street'. Travels to the Isle of Wight to stay with Karen & Osbert Lancaster and the Harris family
-22nd: attends annual Ellen Terry memorial performance featuring Sibyl Thorndyke and John Gielgud
-25th: shown the private art collection of Monty Shearman
-29th: meets James Lees-Milne for the first time
August
-1st: attends a performance of 'Henry VIII' by the Women's Institute in Sissinghurst gardens
-2nd: travels to France
-3rd-19th: arrives at the chalet in Chamonix and describes everyday life there
-20th & 21st describes walking up Mont Buet
-26th: makes a definite decision to study History not Modern Greats at Oxford
-31st: leaves the chalet and travels to Lyon
September
-1st-4th: arrives at Les Avrins near Tours; visits the Pepin family where Martin McClaren is staying; writes about visiting the Château de Chenonceau & the Musée des beaux-arts de Tours (sketch of Fragonard picture in the Tours Musée on page opposite entry for 4 September)
-5th: returns to Sissinghurst
-6th: writes about his relationship with his Mother [Vita Sackville-West]
-10th-13th: goes to stay with Jeremy Hutchinson at his family home near Chichester; Fances Graham-Harrison visits; writes about various outings including looking at derelict Duncan Grant panelling in in a old barn in Itchenor
-13th: returns to Sissinghurst which is frantic with preparations made for 'all of our departures'
-14th: visits an exhibition of modern pictures and drawings at the Leicester Galleries where he sees, amongst other things, 'such bad Duncan Grants!'
-15th: visits an exhibition of modern pictures at the Lefevre Galleries. Travels to Birmingham to see Edward Knoblock's production of 'The Edwardians' at the Repertory Theatre; dines with the Knoblocks family after the show
-16th meets John Ellison and spends the day sight-seeing in London, visiting - amongst other places - the Royal Naval College in Greenwich and taking a trip down the Thames to Westminster
-22nd: visits Robert Percival at his family home in Littlestone on the sea
-24th: an architect visits to discuss plans for the garden wall along the North side of Sissinghurst courtyard
-25th: reads an advance copy of his mother's novel 'The Dark Island'
-28th: drives to Oxford with Jeremy Hutchinson transporting books and pictures etc. to his new digs at Beaumont Street
-29-(3rd October): stays with the Robert & Elinor Birley at Eton
October
-1st: visits the state apartments in Windsor
-4th: visits Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville-West) at White Lodge
-6th: lunch party at Sissinghurst with Miss Maddock, secretary of the National Society of Day Nurseries
-7th: Mary Britnieva visits Sissinghurst for lunch and recounts ballet stories about Eglevsky, Lichive, Riabonshinska and other Russian ballet stars
-9th: writes about his, and his mother's, view of an article on Sickert by Virginia Woolf in the Yale Review
-11th: drives back to Oxford
-18th: the idea of forming an art's club is first discussed: 'met Ronnie Jenkinson at Worcester. He is thinking of founding an art's club for the propagation of art among undergraduates'; visits Bertram Bill's circus
-20th: visits the Ashmolean and describes hearing Auden reading from his poetry at an English club meeting
-22nd-23rd: further disussion with Ronnie Jenkinson about forming an arts club: 'Unfortunately he doesn't want it to be exclusive - the point of the society is to educate the uninitiated, which I suppose is reasonable' [A digital copy of these entries can be found below]
-23rd: the name for the arts club is decided: the Florentine club
-26th: visits an exhibition organised by the Oxford Art Club 'Pictures by Young Englishmen'; describes a dinner party held to celebrate Guy Branch's birthday, sits next to Costa and talks to him about 'his Paris life'
-30th: describes the first meeting of the Florentine club
November
-2nd: visits an exhibition of Modern English painting at Ryman's
-3rd: trip to London with Francis Graham-Harrison, visits an exhibition of Picasso drawings and works by Roy de Maistre at the Mayor Gallery; an exhibition of works by Skeaping and Boudin at Tooth's in Bond Street; an exhibition at the Redfern Gallery; a Dali exhibition at Zwemmer's; and an exhibition at the Leicester Galleries
-8th: views Michael Sadleir's collection where he finds 'an attic I had not seen stacked, literally stacked, with pictures'
-14th: views Michael Sadleir's collection. Meeting of the Florentine club
-17th: Old Boy day at Eton where he reveals his unhappiness when a schoolboy
-25th & 27th: receives applications for the Florentine club
-30th: trip to London: visits Fantin-Latour exhibition at the Lefevre Galleries; Sickerts at the the Leicester Galleries and some Alice Halickas; Gainsborough-Grant exhibition at Agnews
December
-8th-9th: returns to Sissinghurst; writes about building work taking place
-11th: receives a letter from Duncan Grant concerning an invitation to lecture at the Florentine Club
-13th: trip to London, has photograph portrait done at Howard Coster's in Essex Street; visits an exhibition of 'unsuccessful English artists' in Gower Street; visits Duncan Grant's studio where he writes about a number of pictures; visits Zwemmer's and writes about the work of De Pissis; returns to the Halickas exhibition at the Leicester Galleries; attends a party hosted by Una Pope-Hennessy; sees the play 'Young England' [A digital copy of this entry can be found below]
-14th: lunches with Jeremy Hutchinson and Clive, Quentin and Raymond Bell in Gordon Square. Clive talks about his 'affair of sorts' with Irene Lagut. Views pictures in Clive's collection. Returns to Sissinghurst. Letters from Kenneth Clark and Wilenski saying that they will give a talk to the Florentine Club
-15th: writes about proposed talks at the Florentine Club
-26th: leaves for a ski-ing trip in Switzerland with John Usborne, Bill Davies, Garrod, Christopher Davies, Richard, and George McDougall
-27th -31st: arrives in Adelboden and describes his first experiences of skiing
-31st: summarises changes in his character since leaving Eton 'then I was serious outside with not much foundation except bitterness about which to be serious. Now I am frivolous outside and serious inside with certain ideas to be serious about. A considerable improvement'
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| Image Caption | Journal entries for 21-23 October concerning the first mention of the Florentine Club, 1934 |
| Journal entries for 13-15 December concerning various events, 1934 (2pp) |
| Photograph of George McDougall and Christopher Davies, ski-ing in Adelboden, 1934 |