Scope and Contents

This eighth page from Dante Diary is dated September 30, 1979 in Roman numerals. The caption, "dante in brazil," is stencilled on its top left corner. The phrases, EDIFICIO DANTE SP [Sao Paulo] and O COPACABANA ! are rubberstamped in red ink at the top and bottom of the page, respectively. Phillips has made an ink, line drawing of a beach scene, which is populated with many nude figures, on the bottom half of the page. The latter image is similar to one utilized in Phillips' TV Dante made for British TV4 in 1987. The handwritten text deals with Phillips' adventures in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and includes mention of Dante's name cited on commercial buildings. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This tenth page from Dante Diary which is Oct 1979, was drawn in Sao Paulo. Text at the top left corner reads, "In search of the CATAGRAMMA NEGLECTA" - a butterfly specimen that Phillips continued to search for. He writes tht David Attenborogh has two specimens in his attic. This page is collaged with two sugar packets that give astrological signs and fortunes, two collaged drawings of female nudes and collaged papers containing the name Dantesco and Do Inferno. There are also rubberstamped butterflies. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This eleventh page from Dante Diary which is not dated is titled" Dante in Somerset" on the top in yellow stencilled letters. A large gray painted oblong at the botton center of the page contains a white signature of Tom Phillips.There are several rubberstamped butterflies on the right with the stamped name borboleta.On the left lower side printed in stencilled letters is the statement "A victory for Dean Plumtre XVIII X LXXIX" -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This twelth page from Dante Diary which is dated 15 November1979 contains many ink drawings of constructed brick-like forms. In one a young painted face emerges.Tom writes of his efforts to find backers for the Dante project. He is looking for a helper/factotum and John Furnival sent a girl called Debbie who seems promising.Tom writes that he "finished complete first boo kof 2nd draft. Did study for frontspiece for Stereo Headphones..Virgil drawing finished." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This thirteenth page from Dante Diary which is dated 30 November1979 contains several colorful small gouache drawings on the right side of the page.The left edge of the paper has a burnt portion missing. There are two sketches of arrangements for pages to be displayed and the bottom center contains a blank outline of a man's torso. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This fourteenth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated Jan 2,1980 finds Tom Phillips in Italy.The page is collaged with several Italian stamps illustrating scenes from The Divine Comedy and portraits of Dante, Italian newspaper fragments and Phillips' sketches. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This nineteenth page from Dante Diary contains fragments from the Ghanian Times, torn letters spelling Dante, a map segment, portion of a cigarette box, photos taken by Phillips, a newspaper photo of the visit of Pope John Paul II and a label from Ghana Guiness. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 40 consists of diary entries stamped 27 Jul 1981 and 5 Aug 1981.There is a large, green stamped seal on the bottom left of the pageas Phillips writies, "The royal seal announces the safe return of cantos since the V&A announce they do not want to subscribe." There are also several conceptual drawings for his "plan for making lg pictures from small ones" by mounting the small paintings on faux gallery walls. The Sackner Archive holkds one of these small gallery paintings. There are also several drawings of of nude figures and two drawings for pages of ideas to illustrate the Dante Inferno work. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 41 contains Phillips' handwritten note "IX/LXXXI. Dante died 660 years ago today." Phillips describes his work on the cantos and the sale of several works. The page is collaged with bits of leopard skin printed papers and a page from " A Hument Document" on which Phillips has selected a line of text "dissipation, and the animal curves taken by the plausible" and placed it in a drawn arrow that also appearse in a nearby sketch. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 42 is stamped 2 Nov 1981.The page contains several versions of collaged and drawn lions. Phillips writes that he is working with artists from Leicester Polytechnic. He has collaged papers from there on this page that also contains a small text from A Humument that reads, "the restless advance to the devil." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 43 is titled "Dante in Venice (Miami) 81". The page consists of three found post cards of a nude woman sitting on a beach. Phillips has cut out the heads of each and changed them on the final figure to the head of Dante.The cards are mounted on turquoise paper that is stamped at the bottom with palm trees alternating with stamped dimes. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 44 is titled "Dante in England." A map of England is annotated with Phillips' trips including one near Stroud to visit with Bernie Moxham, a lecture on Dante in Brighton with Pella, Dante shown to children inWigan, to Liverpoool with Pella and to North Yorkshire to visit with Jonathan Williams a supporter of Talfour Press. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 49 contains a cut up collage of a lily painting on the right hand side of the page. Phililps writes that Pella seeing this cut up lily thought it would make a good cover design for some of the bindings.The left side of the page is filled witha large black painted spill mark and several brown ones. In the diary writing Tom states that he is back from India and that Nick has shingles so not too much work was done. Phillips finished the collage of Thesias and transparencies of three beasts. He is" trying to work out where the cantos stand. We should have 16 cantos sections ready by May 1st and be 1/2 way by June first. Not too bad. Now about to work on title page and should therefore concoct a name for the 'Press". First thought of Fleur de Lys Press, then Peckham Press. P. suggests Talfourd Press which seems a good neutral name. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 45 is stamped 3 Mar 1982 and contains collaged, torn pages of Phillips' street gas line covers on the lower left and upper right of the page. Phillips writes, " Returned from Ivory Coast and Kenya. Dante not much in evidence there except in my head." Diary writings continue to describe his progress with the Dante. There are large geometric, dimentional drawings on the right side of the page and a drawing of a stage safety curtain and collaged horses. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 46 is titled Dante in Europe - The First Phase. An irregularly cut map of Europe is collaged on the page with handwritten annotations of Phillips' travels. Some of the notations are as follows: Waddington Graphics plan a show in Stockholm: Dante prints now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapset: T&H show Dante at Frank fort Book Fair; Milan - Only Italian subscriber Mazzemo ValSecchi; Les Journees Tom Phillips at Rowan & exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts; Basel Art Fair Book shown summer 83; Basel - Sackners first see my work; Paris - Backers, the Robelin. Pages exhibited Galerie BAMA 81- Previews plates at Centre at Centre Cultural du Maurais; Edinburgh weavers weave Una Selva Oscura. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents Page 47 is titled "Around the World with Dante - The Early Days." Around a collaged map of the world Phillips has written about and noted events related to his Dante publication.The reference to a painted gray square over England and Europe states "cf Dante in Britain and cf. Dante in Europe." Other selected places are as follows: Show video in Bagdad; Visit the site of the Tower of Babel in Iraq; Nick brings back a Russisn edition; Plans of Thames & Hudson to print the paperback version in Japan; I am invited to talk at Adelaide Australia Festival conference; complete set of pre-fire graphics in National Museum in Canberra; Worked on the translation in Delhi Christmas LXXXIII; cf Dante in Ghana drawing No. XX; Council show goes to Peru; Marvin & Ruth Sackner reading of Dante at Sackner soiree 1/84 (Miami Beach); Chicago Video Festiva lsees TV Dante; Chicago Art Fair 1983 book shown for the first time; Library of Congress puchases 1983 via Basilisk Books; -- Source of...

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Page 48 is titled Dante & Schism. The left hand side of the page consists of a collaged map with Northern Island clearly presented and a red line tracing Phillips' travels. A round circlce at the bottom of Ireland containing the city of Florence, also clearly presented. The right hand side of the page has dense lines of Phillips' diary writings and several sketches. Phillips notes that he visited his daughter Ruth in Dusseldorf. He also mentions Pella working on the sewing of the first volume. At the bottom right of this page is rubberstamped Slegs vir Almal. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This fifteenth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated Jan 24, 1980 to March 24, 1980, is titled Dante in London. The text details Phillips' work on illustrations and translations on Canto VIII. He discusses the hiring of new assistants. Midway through the text, he writes,"FINISHED SECOND DRAFT OF TRANSLATION and have worked on penultimate draft of Cantos VII & XIX." The right side of the page contains collaged papers, including a card from Dantes Hairdressing in London, a section from the London telephone book with Dante listings circled, and a cartoon with a cloud floating above a map of Italy imprinted with the word CONFUSION.Three small abstract expressionist gouache paintings complete the right side of the page. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents

This sixteenth page from Dante Diary which is dated 10 Mar 1980 contains two images of "Why save?" and Why spend". On the right side of the page is the verso of a post card with annotation and notes by Phillips.On the top center is a small map of the world and near by is the following text by Phillips: "A poem written in Italy almost seventy years ago now translated by a British artist and illustrated in London wiith help from various printers etc with backing from NY, Miami, Paris using paper made in Wells Somerset for lithographs made with French inks, etchings using copper from (?) silkscreens..." Phillips is off to Paris "ringing up recalcitrant backers and subscribers. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This seventeenth page from Dante Diary which is dated 5 June 1980 contains six discs of WHY SPEND and six discs of WHY SAVE? several of which are collaged. The page also contains several ink sketches of the same. In his text, Phillips writes "XXIV/V/LXXX. 43 years old!...Temporarily held up wtih Dante work since Hansjorg [Mayer]has brought along thousands of transparencies, proofs, etc, of a humument and I must work on them...Silkscreens seem to be working out very expensive & I'll probably have to do more lithography." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.