Scope and Contents

This third page from Dante Diary, which is dated from May 10, 1979 to July 10, 1979, mentions Phillips' visit with the Sackners and receiving "good Miami postcards from Sara Sackner." The sketches on its right side depict installation plans for the British Council Show and a standing man wearing shorts viewed from the rear who appears to be in position for urinating against a wall. In addition, Phillips has sketched small drawings of Inferno pages (Una Selva) and a partially completed devil-like figure at the lower right corner. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This fourth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated from July 10, 1979 to September 15, 1979, depicts a central image of an unfinished sketch of an androgynous seated figure (Beatrice?). Its right half contains sketches for illustrative pages of the Inferno including drawings of a leopard, lion and wolf, a drawing with yellow flowers on its lower border, a drawing designed with 10 openings or fragments from the book of dreams, drawings of Virgil and Dante flanking a still to be determined image, and a sketch of calligraphic forms labeled, "a big drawing with secondary letters in white." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents This ninth page from Dante Diary which is not dated, was drawn in Rio de Janeiro. Text at the top left corner reads, "dante in brazil," and on the top right corner, "Waiting for Pella in the New Wave." Pella refers to Tom's friend, the bookbinder Pella Erskine-Tulloch. A collaged "NY & Lakeville," with the name Lakeville scratched out, is placed below this caption. Phillips' handwritten notes explain that the plans to go to Lakeville, Connecticut with Martin and Diane Ackerman were cancelled. Phillips also writes that on his return trip from Brazil to New York via Miami he "was able to smuggle a postcard out of the tourist lounge at 5 a.m. to send to the Sackners whom I'd have loved to have seen." Phillips mentions his search for the Virgin Butterfly native to Brazil. The image of butterflys and poetry from "A Humument" is found in the third illustration of Canto II. ["A butterfly gives meaning to brighten poetry."] In his iconographical notes and commentary on the...

Scope and Contents

Page 50 is titled Dante & the Madnill Bank. The center of the page is filled with a large 10000 Italian lire bill with a picture of Dante in profile in the center. The collage elements are all bank papers of account information.On the left edge ofthe page Phillips writes, "XXV/VI/LXXXIII Money on hand from Waddingtons (at interest) in advance of copies not yet done. Staves off financail disaster yet again. Silkscreens all paid. Some litho & etching outstanding." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 51 is titled Dante Reads Comics and is collaged with many ripped pieces of comic strips and two collaged elements from A Humument. The comic strips relate to Nazi German war scenes.The Humument additions read, " cowled dejection" and " a campign of mean miltary industry." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 52 is titled Dante & A Humument.This page is collaged with a bit of the purple cover of A Humument, several parts of pages painted and found poetic texts presented and a partial photograph of a man in a top hat. Phillips writes, "possibility of A Humument epic. some major work retold in its pages arranged: some new Ulysses of economy ----- the Aeneid. War & Peace?" and "Sometimes difficult to find appropriate bits and I think the strain occasionally shows. I think it's worth the real success and insights." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 53 consists of a sketch of a round 'No Entry' traffic sign. Phillips writes, "One of the few practical field trips was Nick Tite and Antheas scaling of a traffic sign to take the exact measurements. The only moral error in this is that we ought really to have used the fading no entry sign in the car park site of 20 sites or years. Only connect!!! The bottom portion of the page contains text from a page of A Humument that relates to a blocked roadway. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 54 is titled "1945. Dante & the Turf 81 - 86" and the theme is horse racing .On the bottom centerof the page is a card of the "Winner of the Derby 1945 - Dante." Other collaged newspaper and racing scraps of paper contain the name of Dante. Phillips writes about the horse Dante's Rogue that seems to have been withdrawn from racing. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents This fifty-ninth page of the Dante Diary, dated December 10, 1982, is stamped in capital letters on the lower right corner "Working out the final page." On the left hand portion of the page is a collaged, hand-drawn diagram of the quilt-like design of the central image of the fourth illustration of Canto 34 . There are, in fact, 34 separate images starting with Dark Wood in the upper left hand corner, and including excerpts from Virgil in his study, Heads, No entry, Papal skull and crossbones, Concrete poem etc. Small print fragments making up seven of the squares are collaged to the top half of the page. Phillips' handwritten text indicates that talks about publishing Dante as a trade book continue. He notes that the first bound copy of Vol II is almost on schedule. He is finishing up bits of work on the last pages and is starting on the acknowledgements and the justification of the tirage. Phillips writes a particularly poignant account of the creation of the final page in the...

Scope and Contents Page 55 is titled "Dante & the Laser Scanner in Stuttgart." A large printed collage from the printed Dante showing three feline animals is pasted on the left side of the page.The upper right corner contains a torn portion of an announcement from the British Library exhibition celebrating Virgil's 200th anniversary. The middle section contains watercolor drawings ink drawings and diary notes. Phillips writes, "the nine large prints all finished now. Alan rings to say that T&H are interested in my version of Dante, but more promising in NY Abbeville Press aptly named to partner Talfourd Press since I used to go along Abbeville Road every day to school )are also keen. I'll believe it when I see it. Canto XXXIII rescued now with a concrete poem. Saw Peter Greenaway's ' The Draughtman's Contract' ...Brilliant. In him I meet my match (& more). Vol II now all printed and ready for binding. Bad days at 102. Gave up smoking again." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth...

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Page 56 is titled "Binding I." This page contains several ink and graphite drawings of binding designs and collaged prints of the same, along with a sample leather piece. Also collaged in the lower irght hand corner is the"First proof of the end paper later revised and made darker."Phillips writes, "The two preliminary bindingsof blank books go to the V&A for the Francis Williams Memorial Prize. Pella now has (II.VI.LXXII) the complete sections of Vol I...."First bound book completed (Vol L) XXXVII/VI/LXXXII. 1/4 vellum with designed cloth & endpaers. First order for same from Ann Berthoud." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents Page 57 is titled "Dante Wins a Prize." The image on the page is an abstract watercolor with a painting of three dancing figures at the bottom left and a black and white collage of two cut-up fleurs de lys on the bottom right. In his diary Phillips writes about his childhood memory of Dante."Talking to my Mother this past Saturday confirmed a half memory: when my brother and I were collecting scrap paper and books during the war (when I must have been six or seven. )We collected a lot of books (for pulping!) and amongst them was, red and gold and by far the most spectacular which we looked through before delivering to the depot.This was Dante's Inferno: the large edition with the Gustave Dore illustrations (a book which I've since acquired and reprints of which I've plundered for collage purposes). I remembered the book and size and feel & magnificence of it but it took my mother's memory to tell me what it was." Page 58 in PVC laminate is missing. -- Source of annotation:...

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Page 58 is not numbered.There are Roman numerals LXXXVIII on the right hand side of th page. It is titled in stenciled letters "Thinking of a postcard hell." It contains a partially ripped postcard of a holiday camp over which Phillips has painted very small figures in a large pool. The main portion of the page is a block of 36 small squares filled with painted sketches of what Phillips titles" Postcard Inferno." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This 60th page is titled "Dante in South London." In large letters on the center of the page Phillips has printed " The first book sold on the open market XIVth April LXXX." There are three photographs of the Dante statue at the Crystal Palace taken by Jill Phillips on the bottom of the page. On the top right of the page is a torn portion of a card printed with the only actual quotation from Dante appearing in S. London on a card from a Peckham sweet shop. It reads "Abandon hope all you who enter here." Phillips writes "Standard error in translating this line" and draws an arrow to reposition the word "all" to be placed before "hope." On this diary page Phillips reveals his financial and distribution problems in completing the Dante project. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 61 contains a great deal of diary writing.Phillips writes ,"Last page delivered by Nick Hunter on the 700th anniversary of Dante's meeting with Beatrice on the bridge. 3 copies were sold by Waddington. first of the Production of Talfourd Press London. from November 1976 - April 1988. six & a half years!" There is a small profile of Dante on the upper right side of the page with a bubble saying "Whew!" An extended paragraph of Phillips' writing gives acknowledgement to all those at the press who made this production possible.He also expresses disappointment with Thames and Hudson and Abbeville Press in not supporting the book.This page also contains several small sketches and rubberstampings. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 62 contains a stencilled title on the page bottom "First production of the Talfourd Press - LXXXIII." There is a photograph on the top left of Basil Bunting with Stuart and Mrs. Montgomery looking through the Inferno.The upper right corner contains a copy of a review of '''"The Daughtman's Contract by Peter Greenaway.Phiillps writes that he has started work on notes for a film version of Inferno with Peter Greenaway.The center of the page contains three lar adn several small sketches of Phillips' initials signature at the end of the Inferno. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This eighty-eighth page of the Dante Diary, dated July 10, 1979-81, is stamped in capital letters on the bottom "Thinking of a postcard hell." Thirty four small square gouache drawings each with calligraphic descriptions form a 6x6 grid. The first square contains the title "Postcard Inferno" and the final square is a swimming scene of two bathers from an old postcard fragment. The left side of the page depicts a scene of a bathing pool from Butlin's luxury holiday camp. According to the artist box that was sent to the Sackners by Phillips the last drawing in this series should have been No.62 but is labeled No.83. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This fifth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated June 24, 1979 to September 15, 1979, depicts four graphite renderings of hands and several sketches of ideas for illustrations to the Inferno. Phillips describes several ideas specifying the source of light in his drawings, e.g., from an opened shutter onto an opened book. Two sketches depict Dante at his desk writing in a book. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This sixth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated September 15, 1979, depicts several sketches for illustrations to the Inferno. He mentions dividing the work into three books and indicates that he is working on a piece entitled 'Virgil in His Study.' He includes a Jewish star, perhaps an idea for a collage later executed in [Persecution] 1993 and held by the Sackner Archive. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This seventh page from Dante Diary, which is dated November 2, 1979, has the caption, "MY HAND NOW VIRGILS HAND," rubberstamped at the bottom of the page. The images depict five graphite renderings of hands holding a pencil and a skull placed at the center with Escher-like rooms and figures walking and falling within the skull. The latter was selected by Phillips for his large montage print of illustrative elements from the Dante Diary. In the handwritten text, Phillips describes his problems in finding the right drapery for his figure of Virgil. The verso contains repeated hand sketches in graphite. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.