Description
Seven pillars of wisdom. London: J. Cape, 1935. 5th impression, 4to, inscribed on endpaper "To my very dear friend, [Dr. Anthony Roy] Hyett, from A.E. (Jock) Chambers", 48 plates, 4 folding maps, original buckram; with 3pp. annotated typed notes by Jock Chambers (2pp relating to Chambers' naval service in 1914-18 & a naval ballad heard on naval service; 1pp. relating to Seven Pillars and "the last days at Cloud Hill"), 4 photographs (2 of Chambers at Lawrence's funeral service, one annotated on verso identifying Chambers, Eric Kennington and Augustus John), Jock on a bicycle, and Chambers pointing to himself in the photograph of Lawrence's funeral service), 2 reproductions of photographs of Lawrence, photocopy of wrapping paper of parcel posted to A.E. (Jock) Chambers from Bovington Camp, Wareham, Post Office on 13 May 1935, photocopy of brief note initialled TES, and newspaper article from Bournemouth Evening Echo, 10 Sept. 1971 on Lawrence, Jock and the "Dead Woman's Stone"
Footnote
Note: "Eight years younger than Lawrence, yet with prior Navy and Army service, Chambers was an orderly in Lawrence's Farnborough barracks. Lawrence instructed Chambers in literature and music, lent him books and paid for his membership of the London Library. The two kept in touch after Lawrence moved to Bovington and Chambers became a postal sorter in London. "[D]on't hesitate to write if... I can ever be of use to you", Lawrence said. He helped Chambers get payments from the services, paid his rail fare to visit Clouds Hill, arranged for him to sell his letters. Confidences about Deraa, his illegitimacy, and the tribulations of fame balanced any patronizing element in his friendship..
"The cottage [Clouds Hill] will never be less than partly yours, whenever you want it" Lawrence wrote to Chambers early in 1935". (Orlans, H. T.E. Lawrence: Biography of a broken hero, p. 175). Chambers spent Christmas 1933 at Clouds Hill with Lawrence.
The annotated typed page comprises doubts as to the veracity of some passages of Lawrence's account ("how could Lawrence, soliloquising in the desert circa 1916, speak about Ross of 1922"), & "the last days at Cloud Hill... T.E. was in excellent spirits after having had a miserable time with the press wallahs. He regretted having blacked the eye of one of the pressmen...", and also refers to their joint efforts to ensure a constant supply of hot water for Clouds Hill "for he suffered greatly from malaria in cold weather". The Bodleian Library has a fine archive of T.E. Lawrence manuscripts, including 24 letters from from Lawrence to Chambers, and also the original wrapping, of which a photocopy is included in the present lot, of the parcel of books posted to Chambers on 13 May 1935, only minutes before Lawrence's fatal accident. Chambers died in 1987 at the age of 91.
Provenance: Given by Jock Chambers to Dr. Anthony Roy Hyett, then by descent to present owner.