Ashley MS 2940

'Laughing Anne': a play by Joseph Conrad; 1920. Autograph draft, written on one side only of fifty-six large quarto leaves of white laid paper. Watermark a ram's head above 'ORIGINAL / CHARTHAM MILLS / KENT'. The MS. is entitled 'Laughing Anne. / Drama in 2 Acts 3 scenes / Joseph Conrad. / 1920 / founded on the story "Because of the Dollars".' This title page (f. 1) was written after the rest of the MS. and before its despatch to T. J. Wise (see letter to T. J. Wise bound up with the MS., f. iv). Following the title page is what appears to be the original title page (f. 2), at the head of which is a heavily deleted word or phrase, possibly an earlier title, followed by 'Laughing Anne. / 2 acts. 3 scenes.' and a list of the dramatis personae. At the foot is the signature 'J. Conrad'. At the beginning of Act I (f. 3) and of both the scenes in Act II (ff. 35, 50) Conrad has drawn a plan of the stage showing the disposition of the scenery and the characters. Ff. 4-56 have been numbered 2-53 by Conrad. In the left hand margin of f. 3 is the autograph note 'First draft. J. Conrad'.

Bound up with the MS. are two letters from Conrad to Wise, the earlier dated 3 Jan. 1921, in which Conrad offers to sell Wise the MS. for £100, stating that composition of the play was finished on 16 Dec. 1920 and that the MS. is the 'complete, full, [rough] first draft from which was dictated a developed first copy (about 40pp) TS much scored, interlined and corrected in pen and ink on nearly every page' (ff. ii-iii), the later (f. iv), dated 6 Jan. 1921, thanking Wise for this cheque, and saying that Conrad's secretary was preparing the MS. and typescript for despatch and that he would presently write the title page. The final version found in the MS. differs in many places, though not in any major respect, from that printed in Laughing Anne, 1923. Ashley Library Catalogue, i, p. 254.

Quarto; ff. iv+56.

Joseph Conrad, alias Teodor Jósef Konrad Korzeniowski, novelist: Drama ENGLISH: Play, 'Laughing Anne', by Joseph Conrad: 1920: Autogr. draft. Signed.

includes:

• ff. ii-iii, iv Prices of MSS: Joseph Conrad, alias Teodor Jósef Konrad Korzeniowski, novelist: Drama ENGLISH: Thomas James Wise, book collector: Letters rel. to 'Laughing Anne' to Thomas James Wise from Joseph Conrad: 1921.