CORRESPONDENCE DOCUMENTING THE SECOND AMERICAN LECTURE TOUR OF ROSITA FORBES IN 1926, including 17 AUTOGRAPH LETTERS FROM FORBES TO HER AGENCY.

New York and London, 1925-1926., 1925-1926. Very good. - 1) An autograph letter, 1 & 1/4 pages, signed "Rosita Forbes". Writing from 28 Wilton Place [London] on May 23 1924 Rosita Forbes is concerned with her tax liabilities in England as a result of her just completed first American lecture tour. She addresses a Miss Smith of the Pond Bureau asking that should "British Income Tax people" inquire about her tour and her contracts with the Pond Bureau "please give no information of any sort, but refer the questioners to us. Next time I come to U.S.A. I shall have to have a financial secretary to keep accounts!". She suggests she could return in October "but I don't want to arrive in America more than one day before my first lecture. Your country is too expensive." 2) A cablegram from Forbes dated May 9, 1925: "AVAILABLE AMERICAN LECTURES FROM NOVEMBER FIRST OR EARLIER TILL MARCH CABLE CONFIRMATION." 3) A 3-page autograph letter, 7 inches high by 4-1/2 inches wide, "Rosita Forbes". Writing from 28 Wilton Place [London] on May 9, 1925 Forbes addresses Pond stating that she has "always been ready to come out to U.S.A. by Oct. 30th. I cabled you to this effect yesterday.I sent you a quantity of press cuttings & a good Abyssinian dress picture a week ago. Now I send you some snapshots & a map with our complete route on it.I don't see how Weigall & I can clash because our subjects are so different.I hope this time you will save on railway fares!!!! Please try & arrange lectures in groups if possible! Macaulay is going to publish my Abyssinian book 'From Red Sea to Blue Nile' & also a novel 'Wings Aflame' in the autumn. Best of luck to us both!!!!" [The title "Wings Aflame" may be a reference to her novel "If the Gods Laugh" published in 1925.] 4) A retained carbon of Pond's cable dated May 13, 1925: "NOVEMBER ONE TO MARCH SATISFACTORY CAN YOU REMAIN TO MARCH THIRTEEN HAVE ENGAGEMENT BOOK FOR NINTH" 5) A return cable from Forbes dated May 14, 1925: "YES FORBES" 6) A retained carbon of Pond's letter, dated June 11, 1925, addressed to "My Dear Lady Rosita". In his letter Pond complains "I note that Macaulay has the books. I'm sorry one of the better publishers was not selected for the[y] do publish rather sensational stuff". He goes on to comment about Abyssinian controversies. "Marian C. Cooper asks me to ask you not to judge his ideas of Abyssinia by his articles in ASIA, which were edited without his consent nor the film, The Golden Prince, which was made up without his aid from some pictures he and Schoedsack made. .Powell, in his book on Abyssinia, criticized Cooper for things he had done and he does not wish you, too, to join in the hue and cry." 7) Retained carbon of Pond's June 16, 1925 cable: "CAN I USE ABYSSINIAN PHOTOS FOR NEWSPAPER PUBLICITY ARTICLES.". 8) A cablegram from Forbes dated June 18, 1925: "FORBES ANXIOUS SELL ARTICLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION CONSULT KENNADAY 215 WEST 33RD STREET AND DO WHAT BOTH CONSIDER BEST.". 9) Retained carbon of Pond's reply to Forbes cablegram, now addressing her as "My dear Mrs. McGrath". "Paul Kennaday tells me that he has not been able to place your articles about Abyssinia. I am awfully sorry that this has not been done for we need publicity in this country to secure business, and so far no one knows that you have been in Abyssinia or made a new journey.Things so far have not been going as good as I like, but this does not mean that there will be no tour, and a fairly good one. If you find that English bookings are going exceedingly well, I suggest that you give Mr. Christy more time in November." 10) A 2-page autograph letter, 5-3/4 inches high by 4-3/4 inches wide, on "28 Wilton Place" letterhead signed "Rosita Forbes". The letter dated September 15, 1925 overlaps with Pond's later letter of September 18th. "I am so sorry you are having trouble over my American tour - what bad luck. I think under the circumstances it would probably be better if I arrived on January 1st &. …