HIDDEN FRENCH GIFT REVEALED

Bookplate  covers   secret 

Salvaged  from  a  bookworm-riddled  volume  was  the   above Peggy Dutton  ex libris  bookplate  and  the  title page , Woman Without Love, written by Andre Maurois , translated from the French  by  Joan  Charles .  These  items  were  placed in  a  mixed  pile   months  ago  , pulled out a few days ago , given a   quick once over . 

 

In respect of the bookplate, on the right  side, it was noticed that  there  appeared to  be a single  letter  written  in  ink.  Wonder if there is  something written   underneath ? Held  up to  the light , writing  could be seen .   By  gently pulling the corner of  the bookplate,  it  started  to  peel  back,  revealing  that  the  book  had  apparently  been   a  presentation copy from  the author  to  Penny Dutton 

The author, biographer and  essayist who  had been born Emile Salomon Wilhelm Herzog   used  the  pseudonym Andre  Maurois which became his legal name in 1947.  Penny Dutton,  through marriage, was  a  member of  the prominent  Dutton  family  of   South   Australia . 

Anlaby , at Kapunda, north of  Adelaide , was  the substantial  Dutton homestead , with extensive  rose  gardens . The  Dutton family   had  made  their  pile through  sheep stations , mining  and  investments. At one stage there was a  large   steam  yacht , Adele , and they  travelled  overseas ,  entertained  high society.
 

In  his  frank  autobiography  Out In the Open   by  Professor Geoffrey Dutton , WWll pilot, poet , author and publisher ,  he wrote that  his older  brother John  had been  engaged to Peggy Horn, from Melbourne; John  had "cunningly " connived  to make a secret rendezvous  with  her  in London and they had  married there in  l936, the  bridegroom's  mother unable "to upstage the bride . "

 

He went on to say  the couple   were foolish enough to live at Anlaby when  they returned to Australia ,   in rooms which had  been  done up by mother downstairs, without a nearby bathroom , resulting in  a  long walk . The book said   the  situation  got  to  a stage where they could stand it no longer and they moved to  Burleigh , another  Dutton estate ,  a  good  250 miles   from  Anlaby  and   mother .

From memory ,Woman Without Love , with its bookplate,  was bought from  an Angaston op shop   with other items which  had  come  from  Anlaby when   Geoffrey  Dutton   moved  out  and  the  property  sold . During his time  running  Anlaby  many Australian and  overseas literary identities  were   entertained there .

This  blogger  was     lucky  to  view  and  photograph  some of  the office  ephemera  bought  from  the   large  Anlaby  auction  ,  some  of  it   posted on  Little  Darwin . The  above l912   letter to H. H. Dutton (who had the yacht  and was known as  the Squire of Anlaby ) is an investment opportunity  for any money " lying idle"     with   reference   to  America.  His  armorial bookplate appears below in  the 1903 revised and enlarged edition of  collected  poems of  Henry Clarence  Kendall , entitled   Leaves From Australian Forests, with a  memoir  by  his son , Frederick . In 1881 the Colonial Secretary , Sir Henry Parkes , appointed  the  poet  Inspector of  Forests  in New South Wales .

Another   point of  interest is that  there is a bootscraper  from  Anlaby  on Magnetic  Island , North Queensland .