Add MS 89510/16/8

Large blue scrapbook, labelled "From 1955", containing press cuttings, programmes and copies of photographs recording the stage and screen career of Ralph Richardson and his wife, Meriel Forbes.

This volume was compiled by Ralph himself and contains a foreword dated 1956 and addressed to Charles Richardson, suggesting the volume together with two other scrapbooks could be donated to a theatre museum.

Additional loose cuttings from this volume can be found at Add MS 89510/16/9.

This volume includes:

• a service sheet for a memorial of Alexander Korda on 31 Jan 1956 at St Martin-in-the-Fields
• a short story by Ralph entitled Lucky Tikki published in a paper in 1961
• a short story by Ralph entitled Two Passports published in The Evening News and Star on 6 Apr 1962
• a programme for a Recital of Great Words and Great Music by Ralph in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral on 15 Jul 1962
• an itinerary for the Shakespeare Memorial Company’s tour of South America and Europe in 1964
• a coloured copy of a painting depicting a carnivorous marsupial known as a phascogale with a note on the reverse to Ralph from George Howe regarding his performance as Bottom
• a copy of a large photograph depicting Ralph and Meriel on a motorbike with a dog from The Illustrated London News on 13 Nov 1965
• a cutting from The Times on 9 Dec 1968 announcing an honorary degree from Oxford University for Ralph as Doctor of Literature
• a service sheet for a memorial of Hugh Beaumont on 17 Apr 1973 at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden
• a summary of the takings for four performances of Lloyd George Knew My Father at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on 6 and 13 Feb 1974
• a service sheet for a memorial of Basil Dean on 22 Jun 1978 at St James’ Church, Piccadilly
• a number of postage stamps pasted into the volume, usually commemorating particular events, and two sterling bank notes, one for £1 and one for 10 shillings